Democratic leader calls president "a loser"

[savafan]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho...news/reid.html

By ERIN NEFF
REVIEW-JOURNAL


In the course of a discussion on filibusters and Senate rules, Washington's top Democrat gave the 60 juniors a lesson in partisan politics, particularly about the commander in chief. "The man's father is a wonderful human being," Reid said in response to a question about President Bush's policies. "I think this guy is a loser.

"I think President Bush is doing a bad job," he added to a handful of chuckles.

"He's driving this country into bankruptcy," Reid said, referring to the deficit. "He's got us in this intractable war in Iraq where we now have about 1,600 American soldiers dead and another 15,000 injured."

Republican National Communications Director Brian Jones issued a statement calling the senator's comments "a sad development but not surprising from the leader of a party devoid of optimism, ideas or solutions to the issues people care about most."

After the statement was released, Reid phoned the Review-Journal to acknowledge he thought he crossed the line.

"You know the president is in Europe, probably sleeping," Reid said in an interview this afternoon. "But I called (Karl) Rove and apologized for what I said."

[smith288]

Short of immigration, Bush RuLeZ! Reid DrOoLz!

[macro]

Okay, I'm going to show my political ignorance, but does Reid have a first name?

[RedsBaron]

Okay, I'm going to show my political ignorance, but does Reid have a first name?

Harry.

[Steve4192]

Call me crazy, but I actually like that kind of honesty out of elected officials. US politics are WAY too stuffy and PC for taste. Reid's outburst was EXTREMELY tame by international standards. When I'm in the UK, I love tuning in to the BBC's version of CSpan and watching those guys in the House of Commons go at each other. The HoC is a freaking zoo, but they still manage to pass laws and get things done without beating around the bush (no pun intended) and trying to be PC so as to not offend anyone.

IMO, if you feel the president is a 'loser' you should make your feelings known in no uncertain terms rather than forcing the electorate to sort through a bunch of thinly veiled PC condemnations. I don't agree with Reid's assessment of the president (I voted for Dubya), but I admire his unvarnished honesty on the subject. I wish more of his colleagues from both sides of the aisle would follow suit.

[Phoenix]

Harry Reid is a joke. Read the following article from CNN in February about how upset Reid was about "personal attacks" upon himself. Then a few months later he's calling Bush a loser? Yea looks like you're a divider Harry.


Reid blasts Bush over RNC document
Minority leader: President's calls for unity appear 'false'
Wednesday, February 9, 2005 Posted: 9:23 AM EST (1423 GMT)


Sen. Harry Reid said he will work for "fair" legislation "no matter what personal attacks" Republicans make.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Angered by Republican criticism, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday suggested President Bush's calls for unity are proving "absolutely false."

"We know when he came here, he said he wanted to be a uniter, not a divider," Reid told reporters on Capitol Hill, referring to comments Bush made in the 2000 presidential campaign.

"I'm beginning to think that those statements are just absolutely false."

Reid, a Nevada Democrat, made his comments in response to a document -- billed as a "research briefing" -- the Republican National Committee began distributing this week.

The document paints Reid as an "obstructionist" bent on blocking judicial nominees and raising taxes.

Republicans used a similar campaign against Reid's predecessor, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, who was voted out of office last November.

"While President Bush and Republicans in Congress are working to win the war on terror, preserve Social Security and lower health care costs, Harry Reid and his taxpayer-funded war room are focused on obstruction," RNC communications director Brian Jones says in the document.

Speaking on the Senate floor Monday, Reid called on Bush to personally repudiate the attack and urged the president to use his influence to have the material pulled.

Reid later went to the White House for a previously scheduled dinner with Bush and the first lady.

He told reporters Tuesday that Bush brought the issue up during dinner, although he would not elaborate about what the president said.

But clearly, it did not sit well with the Senate's highest-ranking Democrat.

"When you have a real bad chafe ... it's hard to get soothed," Reid said.

Democratic sources said Bush told Reid at the dinner that he knew nothing about the RNC mailing and distribution of the material.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan called the dinner a "good visit," but he refused to say whether Bush would call on the RNC to back off.

"The president's focus is on reaching out to all members who want to work together to advance our shared priorities," McClellan said.

"The president wants to work closely -- that includes working closely with Senator Reid."

Reid, however, was unpersuaded, saying that it was his understanding that the RNC is "controlled by George Bush."

"I want the boys at the White House, the girls at the White House, the men and women at the White House, everyone to understand, I haven't lost one wink of sleep over the attack yesterday," Reid said.

"They're not going to frighten me. You know, they call me an obstructionist -- they're destructionists."

He vowed to work for "fair, reasonable" legislation for the American people: "I'm going to continue doing that, no matter what personal attacks they make on me."

Democratic sources said Reid is fighting back to avoid being "Daschle-ized," a reference to the smear campaign that marginalized the former Democratic leader.

GOP sources have said this is hardball, that the Democratic National Committee does the same thing and that Reid has now entered the big time political stage and he should get used to it.

The RNC briefing says Reid is the "chief Democrat obstructionist" and "out of touch with mainstream America," blocking judicial nominees, flip-flopping on Social Security reform and leading the fight to block the formation of the Department of Homeland Security.

The document is headlined "Reid all about it: Who is Harry Reid?" A secondary headline reads: "Sen. Minority Leader determined to obstruct President Bush's agenda."

[Unassisted]

As a senior member of the Senate, I think Harry Reid has had enough exposure to the President to form an opinion and I believe that he shared it candidly in what he thought was a low-profile forum. This discussion of ending filibusters on judicial appointments has exposed a lot of raw nerves among Democrats in the Senate, and Reid's remark was likely a symptom of his disgust.