Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he wants to end legislative gridlock. And he wants to hold secret meetings to do it.

It was congressional foot-dragging that derailed immigration reform, that hamstrung the federal budget and that left behind many unfinished pieces of business when Congress went home for the year. But Reid's method for breaking the logjam leaves much to be desired.

The Nevada Democrat has proposed conducting a closed meeting to allow lawmakers to hammer out their differences in private.

And the new Senate minority leader, Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, is willing to go along with the idea, further proving that politicians never oppose any deal they're in on.

Please, Sen. Reid, nip this bad idea in the bud before it sets a precedent for closed meetings. Closed sessions are not good for the Senate or the people it represents.

Since 1929, the Senate has met in closed sessions 54 times, usually to discuss matters of national security. Those are times when a closed meeting is justifiable, especially when classified information is being discussed. But those also are extremely rare circumstances.

Going behind closed doors just to work out differences between Republicans and Democrats on regular legislation is not a good reason to exclude the public. It casts the Senate's actions in a bad light and hurts its credibility.

If such meetings become the norm, floor votes will become mere rituals ratifying the deals already made behind closed doors.

As with the closed Republican caucuses at the Utah Legislature, U.S. senators will probably argue that nothing improper is occurring in this or future closed meetings. But who would know for surefi

Senators, like other elected officials, are supposed to work for the public and be accountable to their respective constituents. It is hard to have that accountability if senators do business behind closed doors. Unless it is a matter of national security, the public has a right to see, either in person or through the media, how their senators are conducting themselves.

The best solution to gridlock and foot dragging is to open the doors widely, not close them. Let the public see the Senate in action. People will quickly figure out who is being stubborn and holding up action on important issues.

Having a senator explain to his angry constituents why he derailed a vital bill or wasted the body's time with parliamentary games could be a wonderful deterrent to such behavior.

Washington's rancor is one of those ailments best cured by sunshine, not quarantine.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.

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