Republicans will go after Democrats who negotiated deals to benefit residents of their states. And they’ll also slam senators who denounce such methods of legislating.



Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), speaking on the Senate floor Monday, criticized fellow Democrats for cutting “backroom deals” as part of thehealth reform legislation. He said he’s “not happy” that the public option was “held hostage by people in our own party.” He called his party’s tactics “the same tired Washington rituals.”



“So I have a message for the columnists, the political professionals and those back home,” Bennet said. “I’m not happy about the backroom deals.”



NRSC spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson Marchand matched the speech by a challenge for Bennet not to “rubber-stamp a bill that contains sweetheart deals for other states at Colorado’s expense.”



-- Jake Sherman