Reid wanted to bring both budget proposals up for a vote. His intention was to prove to Republicans that their plan had no chance of passage so they'd cave and agree to the Democrats' plan. It didn't QUITE work out that way.
Yes, both budgets failed to get 51% of the vote, but the Republican measure actually received MORE VOTES than did the Democrat plan.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jamie-dupree-washington-insider/2011/03/10/the-budget-impasse/
Republicans for the most part stuck together on a $61 billion package of budget cuts approved by the House last month, as they mustered 44 votes for that plan.
Democrats - even with a majority of Senators - only had 42 votes for their package of $4.7 billion in cuts for the rest of this fiscal year.
Will Harry Reid learn the lesson that was taught, that the DEMOCRATS' plan has no chance of passage? No, I seriously doubt it.
My understanding is that the 3 Republicans (Lee of Utah, Paul of Kentucky and DeMint of South Carolina) voted against their own party's plan because they thought that EVEN IT didn't cut deeply enough.
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