Pelosi and Reid: Which One Got Sneaky?

It looks like a little political intrigue—and possibly some back-stabbing—played out today between Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, writes Glenn Thrush of Politico. When Reid called a press conference to announce that Senate and House negotiators had agreed on a stimulus deal, Pelosi was nowhere in sight. Several insiders say Pelosi still hadn't signed off at that point, but Reid wanted to give her little choice but to play along. “He tried to roll her and she knew it," said one aide.

“It’s ruffled feathers, big time,” said a House Democrat. “The speaker went through the roof.” Pelosi eventually confirmed a deal, and a competing version of events portrays her as the wily one, Thrush notes. In this scenario, Pelosi let Reid make his announcement, then held up House support on a key issue—apparently the funding of school construction—to get a better deal.
(More economic stimulus package stories.)