House and Senate Democrats have a budget consensus -- and it includes reconciliation option

So far, so good. Both chambers will vote within days on the budget resolution:

The House and Senate's versions of the budget closely resembles the spending blueprint offered by the White House.

The key feature that emerged from negotiations was the inclusion of fast-track reconciliation rules for healthcare and education reform.

Democrats can now use those rules to pass legislation in those areas with just a simple Senate majority instead of the 60 votes needed to push ahead most contentious items.

Centrist Democrats, including Conrad and Boyd, have warned against the use of the reconciliation process, saying that doing so would make it harder for them to win GOP support in the future. Rep. Paul Ryan (R- Wis.) said that a reconciliation bill to overhaul the healthcare system would be "an unprecedented power grab" by Democrats. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said that using reconciliation rules for a major policy shift would be like using the tactics of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Centrist Democrats haven't been winning much GOP support so far. Those centrist Democrats would rather have GOP friends than pass effective legislation, (which the Democrats promised to pass, p.s.) Keep an eye on them. Because, those are the Democrats who will try to screw up health care reform.

And, the hysterics from the GOP are really great theater. Sen. Gregg is taking on some of Lindsey Graham's drama queen persona. The Republicans used reconciliation. Check out this post at Think Progress featuring a blast from the past -- Rick Santorum. And, keeping up his old ways, Santorum got his facts wrong by claiming reconciliation was never used on a major piece of legislation. Wrong:

Of course, reconciliation has been used nearly 20 times since 1980, when it was first created. The New Republic notes that using reconciliation to pass health care reform fits into the historical pattern. "Whether reducing or increasing deficits, many of the reconciliation bills made major changes in policy. Health insurance portability (COBRA), nursing home standards, expanded Medicaid eligibility, increases in the earned income tax credit, welfare reform, the state Children's Health Insurance Program, major tax cuts and student aid reform were all enacted under reconciliation procedures."

Indeed, Santorum himself was the Senate Republicans' point man in trying to push welfare reform through budget reconciliation in 1995, including it in a budget then-President Clinton opposed, as the Washington Post reported on Nov. 11, 1995:

But the welfare measures will be part of the overall reconciliation bill that Clinton has said he will veto.

Welfare reform may become a free-standing bill to be passed separately from the reconciliation measure. "This is a bill the president has absolutely no reason not to sign," said Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), who acted as an intermediary in negotiations between the House and Senate on welfare.

With Cheney, Gingrich and Rove all vying to lead the GOP, Santorum saw an opening, too. Another GOP rock star re-emerges.