It’s a black fly in your chardonnay

Breathe deep this headline, from the New York Times, no less: “Democrats in Senate Fail to Block Bill on Ethics”

After campaigning for months on a promise to tighten ethics rules, Senate Democratic leaders tried unsuccessfully Thursday to block a measure that would shine a light on the shadowy practice of earmarking federal money for lawmakers’ pet projects.

It looks like the Democrats in the House passed a strong ethics bill with the assumption that their partners in the Senate would simply squash the measure. But Republican Jim DeMint had the bald temerity to introduce an amendment and the motion passed 51-46 over Harry Reid’s opposition “surprising almost everyone in the Senate.” Ooops. Oh yeah, that's good squishy.