Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confessed Tuesday to dozing off during past State of the Union addresses, though not on President Barack Obama’s watch.  

The response came somewhat unexpectedly when the Nevada Democrat was asked if there was anything he would not want to hear from Obama in the speech.  

“The only thing that would ever trouble me [is if he] said ‘Reid, stop dozing off,'” Reid said. “I, frankly, have dozed off once or twice. Not during the Obama years, of course.”  

He said Senate Democrats were told by White House Legislative Affairs Director Katie Beirne Fallon not to expect a stemwinder from the president tonight, which may be good for Reid since he’s been battling a case of the flu.  

“I’m alert, and I understand the speech isn’t going to be very long,” Reid said. “Katie Beirne told us it’s not going to be a record-breaker for length, so we’ll see. That’s the only thing. I wouldn’t want him to pinpoint me for nodding a little bit.”  

For the record, Reid said that he came down with the flu despite receiving a vaccine during this flu season. Perhaps the majority leader could use the sleep.