Here’s the inside story on how the Senate Democratic leaders were able to surprise their GOP counterparts when Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) called for a closed session last week to push for completion of the second phase of the Iraq cooked-intel probe.

The plan — to invoke the rarely used Rule 21 — was hatched during a Monday early-evening meeting, the time the top leaders plot and prep for the week ahead.

Reid got a call from Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. Rockefeller told Reid that they needed to come up with a way to force the GOP hand to finish phase two. Reid, who realized he had the Rule 21 hand to play, and his team then called Martin Paone, the secretary for the minority, who walked them through the closed-session parliamentary procedures step by step.

Reid wanted the operation to be leak proof. That’s why the Democratic senators were not briefed before the maneuver. Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was a little concerned about not giving their colleagues a heads-up in advance, but Reid was willing to take a chance to ensure a surprise. 

• Leadership tests ahead. The upcoming budget vote — perhaps coming today — puts some pressure on Majority Leader Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.).

If Blunt helps pull off a win, he will have a leg up in the January leadership election, likely to take place in the wake of the indictment of former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) in an alleged campaign money-laundering scheme. If Blunt holds it together, it may make it harder for DeLay to stage a comeback if he is cleared of the charges. If the GOP budget stalls — and if DeLay’s legal problems keep him on the backburner in the new year, it will be tougher for Blunt to defend his new turf.

Pelosi’s challenge comes if the budget vote is skedded for late today, as members itch to leave town for Veterans Day ceremonies. The need for Pelosi to keep her Democratic members in town came up — delicately, I am told — in a conference call Tuesday between Pelosi’s team liberal advocacy groups.

• Bush 41 and Hastert. Former President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara opened their Houston home Monday for a reception for House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), to benefit his congressional campaign committee.

During his Texas swing earlier this week, Hastert returned the favor by keynoting a lecture Monday at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station at a forum on volunteerism sponsored by Bank of America.

Hastert picked up cash for his leadership fund,

KOMPAC (Keep Our Majority PAC), at a reception Sunday in San Antonio and threw another funder for his congressional wallet Monday in College Station before the event with President 41 at the library.

• Hoyer file. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) heads to New York, Chicago and St. Louis in the coming weeks for funders for House Dems. While Hastert was in Texas, Hoyer headed to Ashville, N.C., earlier in the week on a money hunt for Heath Shuler, the Democrat looking to unseat Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.). Hoyer’s AmeriPAC leadership fund has raised more than $779,000 so far this year and sent $961,000 to Dem House candidates.

Sweet is the Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it