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The Senate parliamentarian normally flies under the radar, but she now holds the Democrats’ ambitious plans in her hands.

To put in place what we would be comfortable with if we were in the minority. harry reid is not someone who really wants to go out and change the rules. i think he pushed for this narrow reform, sort of like alan was saying, because i think many senators were saying the president should choose his own cabinet. a majority -- the president's party should be able to approve his cabinet nominees. lifetime nominees to judicial spots, i think more people are a little bit hesitant to change the rules. many pro-choice democrats, for example, are worried republicans could therefore get a lot of judges ...

Reconciliation bill to amend it. now, this is a view that republicans are very happy with. they want to see the process work that way, but aren't these the very same republicans who last week were complaining that the parliamentarian has all this power and he may abuse that power to rule in favor of the ruling party and how can we trust this parliamentarian. where does this leave the republicans now on their arguments with or about the parliamentarian? >> well, the republicans have been displaying a very fickle appreciation for process. they are happy with it and the people enforcing when it's...

What happened after the '93 vote in 1994? the congress switched hands. what happened in 2006 after the 2005 vote? the congress switched hands. so we have some examples here of when this device was used on a narrowly partisan basis by each side and we know what happened the next year. >> and if mitch mcconnell trying to erase from your memory the iraq war with, hurricane katrina, and president george w. bush were not enough, the republicans today tried a new tactic. they're attacking a quiet, private man who has never said anything political in his 33 years in the senate. alan fruman was chosen...

Everything. but the people in this country expect us to get things done, jobs, at the forefront, health care, which relates to jobs, because we're losing jobs, because of health care costs. and they expect us to do things that are going to make a difference in their lives. not just for a few people, but for the rest of us. and that's really what we're about as democrats. >> just to stay on the parliamentarian for another minute, senator. and you and i both know, there's no one more uncomfortable being discussed this way than alan fruman. >> right. >> but do you sense that what's going on here ...