“House Republicans and Senate Democrats began negotiating a short-term continuing resolution last week when it became clear five days were insufficient to resolve differences over a larger spending bill for the remainder of fiscal 2011 that cleared the House on Feb. 19. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid signaled Friday that he was inclined to support a short-term CR proposed by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), although the Nevada Democrat attempted to couch his position as a Republican capitulation,” Roll Call reports. “‘The plan Republicans are floating today sounds like a modified version of what Democrats were talking about. We’re glad they think it’s a good idea, but we should keep our focus on what we need to do to cut spending and keep our economy growing in the long-term,’ Reid spokesman Jon Summers said in a statement.”

“Tea party activists did not seem impressed as Rep. Joe Barton tried to brag about the $60 billion in budget cuts in the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government,” Roll Call reports from a Tea Party Patriots summit in Phoenix. “They interrupted the Texas Republican as he touted ‘the largest spending cuts in history’ as a ‘good start in the right direction.’ Members of the Tea Party Patriots gathered at the first-ever policy summit here shouted back, ‘More, more.’” In response, Barton said, “I hear it,” adding, “You’re not going to get to the finish line the first time you set out.” And here was the reaction: “That was the wrong thing to say to this crowd,” Ken Campbell, a California-based activist, said. “People didn’t believe him. Where has he been all these years?” 

(By the way, what does it say when the Tea Party is shouting down Joe Barton?)