Economy might transcend partisanship

By Lisa Mascaro

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008 | 4:52 p.m.

WASHINGTON _ That Kumbaya thing is contagious.

The four Democratic and Republican leaders of the House did the unthinkable today: They sat down together for a meeting.

The warring sides halted their partisan ways for about 30 minutes to see if they could work together on an economic stimulus package that could be passed swiftly by Congress and accepted by the president.

Both sides see the potential to score points with voters if they find success. They received earfuls back home over the holiday break about the mortgage mess, high energy costs and unemployment that experts say may spell recession.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer acknowledged the oddity: “A meeting with the four of us does not happen on a regular basis.”

Next stop: The White House.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada will join a similar bipartisan leadership group on a conference call Thursday to discuss a recession-busting package with Bush’s team.

Note: Nevada John Ensign may be playing a cameo role here. Word is that portions of his tax cut proposal may be among the items being considered for the package -- even though Democrats and some economists say extending the Bush tax cuts is not the kind of targeted, timely boost the economy needs.