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It’s deal or no deal in the Senate’s health care reform efforts.

Allegations are flying that Majority Leader Harry Reid is buying the support of his colleagues in the Senate. 

We’re looking at perspectives from CNN, Fox News, The Washington Post, and CBS News.

The media’s favorite example is Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, whose threats not to support reform got his state a special Medicaid deal.

That deal makes Nebraska the only state whose Medicaid expansion is funded 100 percent by federal tax payers- indefinitely.

No big deal? CNN brings us Huffington Post contributor Tanya Acker.

“…the fact is, is that this always happens.  I’m frankly a bit surprised by the notion that people are somehow taken aback by this backroom dealing.  This is how legislation is always made, sadly and unfortunately, this is the legislative process in this country.”

That may be so, but Fox News’ Laura Ingraham is unapologetic in her criticism, invoking midterm elections as payback time.

“Yet the lapdogs thought it was more important to yield Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and President Obama than the will of their own voters...If you’re a Democrat senator in a red state, or even a purple state, you should and will lose in November and in every election year after that because of this issue alone.”

The Washington Post’s George Will shifts blame from Democrats to Harry Reid himself.

“Reid was buying the votes of senators whose understanding of the duties of representation does not rise above looting the nation for local benefits. And Reid had two advantages -- the spending, taxing and borrowing powers of the federal leviathan, and an almost gorgeous absence of scruples or principles.”

Another now-infamous deal gave Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu $300 million in extra federal Medicaid funding.

Republican Senator John McCain dubbed the deal the “Louisiana Purchase."

But a CBS News correspondent suggests some critics—Republicans in particular—are suffering from a little short-term amnesia.

“But Republicans may forget that back when they were in charge and pushing the Medicaid drug benefit, their Majority Leader Tom Delay was formally admonished for trying to buy a last minute vote with favors. And Delay’s defense was that he didn’t know that trading favors was against the rules.”

So do you think lawmakers striking deals is a bad thing? Or is just a part of the legislative process?

Writer: Newsy Staff

Producer: Newsy Staff