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But does he know what it means?  This morning, Politico reported that in response to complaints that he has frozen out pretty much everyone from the negotiating process as he continues to try to ram through his health care experiment bill by Christmas Eve, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s spokesman, Jim Manley, claimed, “This is by far a more transparent process than anything they’ve ever done.”

“More transparent” than ever before? Really? I guess Mr. Manley and his boss have been so busy behind closed doors they haven’t heard from their fellow Senate Democrats.  Here’s a replay for them:

• Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL): “I Would Say To The Senator From Arizona, That I’m In The Dark Almost As Much As He Is. And I’m In The Leadership.” (Sen. Dick Durbin, Floor Remarks, 12/11/09)

• Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “I Can’t Say What There Is, Because We’re Not Allowed To Talk About What’s Submitted To CBO.” (“Wary Senators Await CBO Report,” CQ, 12/13/09)

• Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL): “I Don’t Know What The Deal Is.”  (“Senate Democrats Largely Support Health-Care Deal That Drops Public Option,” The Washington Post, 12/10/09)

• Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN): “We're All Being Urged To Vote For Something And We Don't Know The Details Of What's In It.” (“Obama Might Not Get Health Care Overhaul For Christmas,” McClatchy, 12/15/09)

• Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA): “There’s No Specific Compromise. There Were Discussions. … Until The Package That Was Sent Is Scored, We Really Don’t Even Know What’s In It.” (“Confusion Over ‘Deal’ Continues,” Roll Call, 12/10/09)

• Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA): “Any Big Agreement Is Progress … Even If We Do Not Know Any Of The Details.” (“Senate Democrats See Room For Hope On Health Care Bill,” The New York Times, 12/10/09)

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): “There Was No Explanation. It Was Sort Of Go Team, Go.” (“Senate Democrats See Room For Hope On Health Care Bill,” The New York Times, 12/10/09)

• Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE): “General Concepts, But Nothing Very Specific At All.” (“Senate Democrats See Room For Hope On Health Care Bill,” The New York Times, 12/10/09)

And the view is just as opaque on the other side of the Capitol, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the Senate’s health care bill, “We haven't seen their bill, so I don't want to make a judgment about something that I haven't seen.”

So in the immortal words of Inigo Montoya in the Princess Bride, we say to Harry Reid, “You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.”