http://www.aolnews.com/article/reid-...ger-c/19567426

Its clear either there are no 60 votes, or simply Reid doesnt want to bring DA to the floor..

Las Vegas (July 23) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid faced protests Saturday at a convention of left-wing bloggers as he tried to explain why Congress hasn't reformed the nation's immigration laws or repealed the military's gay ban.

Many attendees at the Netroots Nation conference were skeptical of the Nevada Democrat, whom they view warily as both an important ally but a less-than-full-throated advocate for their views.

"I know I am told there are times I get on your nerves," Reid conceded jocularly to laughter in his opening remarks. "And there are times when you get on mine."

Indeed, Saturday was probably one of those times. He was obligated to appear given that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also was on the docket, the event was in his home city and he needs the support and efforts of grassroots supporters in this year's tough re-election battle.

Yet that also meant opening himself up to situations like the one that confronted him when the question-and-answer session turned to the topic of immigration reform.

As the senator sat with moderator Joan McCarter in facing armchairs on a stage, explaining the challenges he's faced getting votes for legislation that would create a guest worker program and other changes, four Hispanic activists in black graduation caps and gowns stood at the edge of the stage stalking him.

The protesters had told AOL News before the session that they would be demonstrating against Reid's failure to pass the DREAM Act, a bill that would grant permanent residency to some undocumented students who arrived in the U.S. as minors, graduated from high school and have lived in the country for five years.

While Reid didn't acknowledge them and seemed to be avoiding even looking at them, he did address the DREAM Act by bemoaning that he doesn't have the votes to end a Republican filibuster that would get the legislation to a floor vote.

"I'm not going to do the DREAM Act unless I have 60 votes," he said. "It would be unfair to raise the hopes of all of those young people."

That didn't end the matter, however. When Reid's time was up, some members of the audience shouted at him about the DREAM Act.

"That's his response most of the time, 'What can I do, I want to do things, I'm all for it but I don't have the votes,' " groused unplacated blogger Carlos A. Quinoz, 31, who writes on immigration at CarlosinDC.Com. "It's always the same response."

Indeed, Reid did invoke the challenge he has faced to get votes to the floor on other issues too, including his decision this week to abandon long-sought limits on carbon emissions and instead pursue a bill with incentives for using natural gas and retrofitting homes for energy efficiency.

"I've been telling friends all weekend, it's not enough that this has been the most productive Congress since the New Deal," said Andrew Davey of Las Vegas who writes the blog NV Progressive. "Despite all the drama in the Senate, we have seen a lot of progress, but we need to do more. Both [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and Reid have said it's job is to hold them to their promises."

Other members of the audience gave Reid a break, and most were respectful.

"I liked his responses, I thought he came off as candid," said Elisa Batista, a Berkley, Calif., blogger for MotherTalkers.Com. "It is true that the Republicans have fought every single thing. They're voting as a unit. It's weird. There is no bipartisanship."

Reid also was confronted in an unusual way over the failure of the Obama Administration to end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

When Reid was finished with his prepared remarks and sat down with McCarter, the first thing she did was hand him the West Point graduation ring of Army Lt. Dan Choi, an activist who was discharged on Thursday. She also gave the senator a letter that Reid had sent to Choi last year vowing to repeal the policy by the end of 2009.

The senator seemed to misunderstand the gesture, thinking Choi, who was present, was giving him the ring as a gift, and insisted it didn't belong to him. Choi ally Robin McGehee of the activist group GetEQUAL clarified for Reid by shouting, "The ring means nothing without repeal." McGehee, Choi and six others from GetEQUAL were arrested Tuesday for blocking traffic on the Las Vegas Strip to protest Reid's inaction on another gay-rights issue.

Once Reid understood the gesture, he said: "How about I keep it safely, and give it back once we end 'don't ask don't tell?'"

With that, Choi walked on stage as the room gave the two men a standing ovation and they shook hands.

Still, Choi later indicated to AOL News that he wasn't satisfied.

"I find it very difficult to understand any kind of senator or leader who would make a promise to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and, because of whatever fears are latent inside of this person running for re-election or unable to show the leadership to manifest the American promise, we're still getting fired," Choi said.