A post here last week or so (by kpete) said Reid was going to play "chicken"

[AlinPA]

with the republicans on financial reform. That's what happened (and is still happening). Now, maybe the republicans will chicken-out. Three hundred yards so far, still some distance to go. Reid has to bear down on this one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4350650

[Cant trust em]

1. In this game of chicken, we're driving a mac truck and they're on a moped.

If they want to crash, we're going to win.

[SoCalDem]

2. The flipside is this, though

to the casual voter, having a majority is meaningless. All they see is the minority throwing its weight around and preventing the majority from getting meaningful things done.

The wafflers within our own party in the senate cannot seem to get together as a united front, and when some of our own side with republicans, it only gives republicans more power..

Lots of people probably get frustrated and say "what's the use"?