The lame duck session, which in its first week has lived up to its name, just got a bit more interesting.

DADT back in Defense Authorization…but there’s no reason to get our hopes up yet.

In a state with 14% unemployment, foreclosures everywhere, Reid put together a coalition that was unusually potent and a model for Democratic victory.

Just hopped off a conference call where Harry Reid said the words “work together” about 154 times. The news hook is that the leadership, including Reid, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin and Bob Menendez, were asked on the call if they supported Reid for Majority Leader, and Schumer and Durbin said simultaneously “Absolutely!” So he’s the Leader, contrary to a couple reports out there.

Reid owes his political life to unions, youth voters and Latino/a voters.

If ever there were an election where the alternative was so bad that the unpopular incumbent could turn the race into a choice instead of referendum, it is this election in Nevada.

Reid had to do this. Nevada is off the charts when it comes to foreclosures and negative equity. Over 70% of homeowners in the state, an amazing number, are underwater or nearly underwater. Foreclosures are higher than any other state as well, and this contributes to both the skyrocketing unemployment rate and state budget deficit.

Reid could win the race if only he could somehow get the Democratic-leaning voters to turn out. That is not going to be easy. With massively high unemployment, the electorate is unhappy with the job Reid has done. There is also the problem of the large, traditionally Democratic-leaning Hispanic community being upset about Democrats’ failure to deliver on their promise to deal with immigration reform. If Reid does end up winning this race, it will probably have a fair amount to do with a very well executed GOTV operation.

The defense authorization bill is gladly becoming a vehicle to pay back core supporters who have been frustrated about a lack of action in the Congress for the past 20 months. We already knew that a legislative repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy was included in the defense authorization bill; Harry Reid said yesterday that would get a vote early next week. Now we learn that another key initiative will get included in the package: the DREAM Act, an immigration bill that would allow undocumented students brought to America as children to earn a path to citizenship through completion of higher education or military service.

Behold, the bravery.