From the NYT today:

"We've never had a more difficult melding of both houses' ideas," said Representative Bill Thomas, Republican of California and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

ATSRTWT

Made me think of the old joke: Two House Democrats, one senior and one a freshman, talking strategy in the hallway. A senior House Republican walks by, and the freshman say, mostly joking, "Uh oh, careful, there goes the enemy!"

The senior Democrat immediately admonishes the tyro. "NO! No, now that's wrong. The Republicans are the opposition. The enemy...well, the enemy is the Senate."

Genius or good luck, the inherent and Constitutionally created conflict between House and Senate frustrates people who want to "get things done" in government.

For me, it seems like whenever those guys "get 'er done" it ends "doing" me, right up the doodie chute.