Or by Birnbaum, with an Assist by Industry Per this afternoon's Congress Daily ($) House Ways and Means chair Rangel (D-NY) spoke out about yesterday press reports (see our comment) that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has told industry officials that carried interest will not come before the Senate this year: I don't see how he could say that. ... It would be wrong to say that we're not looking at the discrepancy that exists between partnerships and corporations on the management of equity funds. Reid has caused confusion with similar comments in the past, failing to address the far greater likelihood that carried interest legislation would come in the form of a pay-for for AMT legislation than as a stand-alone bill. Does anyone, Reid included, think he would block a pay-for attached to bipartisan AMT legislation from coming to the Senate floor this year... or any year? Since we don't see how Reid could say that, we're more willing to believe that the press reports are based on a reporter regurgitating industry talking points and quoting selectively to create the impression that the issue as conclusory headlines such as Buyout Firms to Avoid a Tax Hike imply. Why not? It's happened before.