By Lisa Mascaro

Published Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008 | 4:05 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008 | 2:14 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- It sounded like the makings of a deep political metaphor, but in the end, I think Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was just telling a story.

Reid opened the Senate this morning after the long holiday break by talking about “one of the most exciting opportunities of my trip home.”

Surely, the turnout of more than 116,000 Democrats at the Nevada caucus.

Nope.

What thrilled the senator was his encounter with a bobcat outside his window in Searchlight.

Reid loves his time at home, and the month he spent in Nevada was the longest break from Washington he has taken since becoming the Democratic leader in 2005. “The air is pristine and clear,” he told no one in particular.

While home, he and his wife heard a sound at their door. They went to investigate. There, outside their picture window, they saw the animal.

“Seeing a bobcat is like seeing an abdominal snowman,” he continued. “I’ve never seen one before.”

When the beast saw the majority leader, it charged at the window. “Like all animals, when he’s frightened, he jumps to protect himself.”

I listened for the morality metaphor about the bitter partisanship in Congress. Or the bruising Democratic debate in South Carolina the night before.

Nothing.

Later he mentioned that 30,000 new Democrats registered in 90 minutes on caucus day in Nevada, but that was long after the bobcat.

Sometimes, a story is just a story.