Partly because the Democrats don't have 60 SOLID votes...partly because Obama and Harry Reid have tried every way possible to avoid such things as a matter or principle, I guess. Several pundits have asked "why?" and gotten vague answers. The topic of 'reconciliation' has popped up seriously the last day or two, but there are serious flaws in what can be done in that mode.

Now...having said that, I heard Howard Dean say this evening that reconciliation HAS been used 23 times in the last decade...mostly by Republicans to get big tax cuts...and Dean thinks it could be used carefully to solve most of the problems. (I am still not sure of the details of his suggestion.....sitting right now with a teeny TV and with headphones on, listening to all the MSNBC programs in hopes of hearing some more analysis.)

I think reconciliation has a bad reputation as a sneaky trick, and Obama & Reid don't want to resort to it.