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January 21, 2006

Reid Blinks

There are a lot of fuming Democrats in official Washington this weekend thanks to Harry Reid.

I've been inundated with calls and emails wondering if Reid, in jest (I think) has conceded the 2006 elections 10 months in advance.

Reid's decision to apologize to the 33 GOP senators who were singled out in an official release from Reid's message shop capped what's been a weak week to be a Democrat. This despite a climate that's tilted toward the Democrats.

Of the folks I've heard from about this bizarre apology, there's a split on whether the original release was a good idea or not. About half believe, no-holds bar is the appropriate approach for a party that finds itself constantly under attack from the RNC, the NRSC and the conservative message machine of talk radio, conservative columnists and Fox News gabbers.

The other half believes the hit was wrong because it wasn't good and it was haphazard. If anything, these folks think Reid should have only apologized for putting out a bad hit piece. [CHUCK TODD]

But where there's agreement is that apologizing only underscores the perception with the average voter that Democrats are weak.

The only defense of Reid I was able to find was from a strategist sympathetic in dealing with senators. As this person noted to us, the senate is made up of thin-skinned folks and Reid probably caved quickly after one phone call from Bill Frist or some other member of the club.

What really is making folks mad, though, is that this now puts pressure on other Democratic committees to apologize when some Republican takes something personally. Reid set a precedent. Want evidence? Check out this release yesterday afternoon that the NRSC sent out:

OOPS, HE DID IT AGAIN
Reid Launches Another Reckless Attack

THIS WEEK, HARRY REID QUESTIONED THE ETHICAL STANDING OF THIRTY-THREE COLLEAGUES, THEN APOLOGIZED ...

REID CALLED PRESIDENT BUSH A "LOSER," THEN APOLOGIZED

...

REID ACCUSED MAJORITY LEADER FRIST OF "AMATEUR LEADERSHIP," THEN APOLOGIZED

...

WILL REID NOW APOLOGIZE . . .

. . . To Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) For Comparing Him To Mobster John Gotti? REID: "Having Senator Santorum talk about reform is like having John Gotti talk about doing something about organized crime." (PBS' "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer," January 18, 2006)

. . . To Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) For Accusing Him Of Putting Politics Ahead Of National Security? REID: "Despite the fact that the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee publicly committed to examine these questions more than a year and a half ago, he has chosen not to keep that commitment. . . . At this point, we can only conclude he will continue to put politics ahead of our national security." (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, November 1, 2005)

. . . To Federal Judge Janice Rogers Brown For Calling Her "A Woman Who Wants To Take Us Back To The Civil War Days"? "[Reid] described California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown, one of the Bush nominees Republicans will probably float first for approval, as an African-American opposed by the Congressional Black Caucus. 'She is a woman who wants to take us back to the Civil War days,' Reid said." (Erin Neff, 'Del Sol High School Appearance: Reid Calls Bush 'A Loser,'" Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 7, 2005)

. . . To Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan For Calling Him "One Of The Biggest Political Hacks We Have In Washington"? REID: "Judy, you understand, I hope, that I'm not a big . . . Alan Greenspan fan. I voted against him the last two times. I think he's one of the biggest political hacks we have in Washington." (CNN's "Inside Politics," March 3, 2005)

. . . To U.N. Ambassador John Bolton For Saying He "Isn't Anyone We Can Be Proud Of"? REID: "We want the United States to be represented in the United Nations. We are not now. But we want a nominee that the American people can be proud of. Bolton isn't anyone we can be proud of." (Sen. Harry Reid, Press Conference, June 21, 2005)

. . . To Majority Leader Frist For Accusing Him Of Having "No Institutional Integrity"? REID: "When [Frist] got this job, he had had limited experience on the Senate floor. And he was leaving. He had term-limited himself. So he has no institutional integrity . . . He doesn't feel as strongly about the Senate." (“Reid Calls GOP-Led Congress 'Most Corrupt' Ever, Criticizes Frist," The Associated Press, December 18, 2005)

Reid was an amateur boxer which Reid supporters like to note as a way of proving he's tough. But last time we checked boxers weren't regularly known as folks who apologized for hitting someone too hard. [CHUCK TODD]

Posted at 01:57 PM

Comments

Maybe he apologized to be the better man.
The top complaint I hear from people is how partisan and poisonous DC is right now. Let Reid set him self up as the adult in a Senate full of bickering children�
Forget the precedent stuff. Forget the other stuff�
What he did was the right thing�didn�t we learn anything from 2004 with Swift Boats� Let third parties do the dirty work!

e | 01.21.06 02:45 PM

Who would have thought
When they came to the fight
That they'd witness the launching
Of a human satellite?
Yes, the crowd did not dream
When they laid down their money
That they would see
A total eclipse of the Sonny!
I am the greatest!

Wintermute | 01.21.06 05:05 PM

One other potential defense of Reid would be to look at how this played out. The press was too busy defending their right to say Democrats took Abramoff money and didn't pick up the report.

To get the message out, Reid apologized and the story finally got out, looking something like:

I apologize for the tone of the in-depth report listing the 33 GOP Senators who have extensive ties to Jack Abramoff as part of the Republican culture of corruption that puts K Street before Main Street. My office went too far in naming all 33 GOP senators documented to be part of the Republican abuse of power.

Would Reid have had to apologize if the press was covering the links between Abramoff and Republican senators not named Burns.

Bob Brigham | 01.21.06 07:25 PM

NO...THERE SHOULD BE NO APOLOGY TO THE CORRUPT REPUBLICANS. WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER. The right wing delegation of senators are the most corrupt and greedy members of congress....It is time that the Democrats stood up and fought back...they have been undermined for too long by Frist and his freepers. Enough. There will be no coronation of King Georgie...The American People will prevail.

Moesie | 01.22.06 12:09 AM

Seriously Chuck, what did you expect from our often bullied Democratic leaders? More of the same spineless strategy.

disappointed_dem | 01.22.06 03:52 AM

This move by Reid falls into the "I told you so" column for some of us Dems. Reid has never been up for the job to lead the Dems in the Senate. His political instincts are mediocre at best. From what I know about Senator Reid, he's a thoughtful legislator but please let's leave the hard core political positioning to those who know how (ie chuck schumer).

southerndem | 01.23.06 02:37 PM

Reid was an amateur boxer...a way of proving he's tough.

Strike "tough", insert "been hit in the head too many times"

;)

Anonymous | 01.24.06 08:59 AM

listik-28081 | 01.31.08 07:49 AM

lostyand | 02.16.08 01:44 AM

listik-28081 | 02.26.08 10:52 PM

listik-28081 | 02.26.08 10:53 PM

listik-28081 | 02.27.08 12:21 PM

listik-28081 | 02.27.08 12:22 PM

listik-28081 | 02.29.08 03:39 PM

listik-28081 | 02.29.08 03:40 PM

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January 21, 2006

Reid Blinks

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