Short Takes

Comity

Harry Reid

Colorado voters and the Denver Post bet last November that more Senate business would get done under Mitch McConnell than Harry Reid. For a variety of reasons, the Senate has been more productive the first four months of this year than in the last four years.

The retirement of the pugnacious Reid no doubt has contributed, but style and process (use of committees more and direct floor action less) alone are not responsible. Both parties, but especially the Democrats, have decided that the gridlock and high-profile partisanship were hurting election prospects.

Stalled out

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton claimed the economy had “stalled out” in a New Hampshire campaign stop earlier this week. The press saw some daylight between her viewpoint and the White House optimism about the economy and recovery. The Federal Reserve agrees with Clinton. They are concerned enough about the economy to again delay any interest rate adjustments or even much talk about it citing the strong dollar effect on trade and inflation and the slow first quarter.

See The Hill: White House takes issue with Clinton remarks on economic growth