I’m given to understand that polls look bad for Harry Reid’s re-election in 2010. I’d say Democrats should try to help him out, but then again, no, we shouldn’t. If Reid is too pusillanimous to back his own president in closing down the prison at Guantánamo, too scared of the great Muslim menace to allow these people to come in and be imprisoned in America which is, not for nothing, the Prison Capital of the World — well, if Reid isn’t willing to support Democratic principles, Democrats shouldn’t support Reid. If he loses in 2010, maybe we’ll get a better Majority Leader. Probably not, but hope springs eternal.
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To be honest, I’m more troubled right now by Pelosi. WTF kind of excuse is “I was so busy working to get Democrats elected in 2004” to a question of why she didn’t state her concerns — assuming she had any — about waterboarding when she was first briefed about its use.
PG, with regards to your comment on Speaker Pelosi:
My emphasis added, and that’s a key issue. From what I’m hearing her concern back then was whether or not we were pushing these people hard enough. It appears to me that her vocal commentary of the last couple of years on this issue was based on partisan concerns, not humanitarian ones.
Not that Congress wants us to find out any time soon.
Good, actually. By delaying it they’ll drive what I would think would be the inevitable investigation closer to the election cycle, where it’ll be fresher in the electorate’s mind. Until then there’s going to be constant leaks to the press. I mean, if you want to find someone who can fight dirty, how are you going to do better than the CIA?
As far as Sen. Reid goes, how close are his politics with regards to Gitmo and all that to those of his state? Is pushing the President’s agenda hurting him at home?
How successful have political parties been in retaining Senate seats when they oust an incumbent?
Well, it depends. Is Reid’s crappiness fundamental to Reid himself, or is just a mouthpiece for the fundamentally crappy caucus he leads? Also, we must ask ourselves: is there an LBJ-esque nmajority leader waiting in the wings who possesses the rare combination of political skills and political values to make this caucus better than the sum of its parts? I don’t think either of know the answer, but it’s pretty plausible, perhaps even likely, that the answers are “crappy caucus” and “no” in which case on balance Reid should reluctantly be supported (notwithstanding the possibility of abandoning him for opportunity costs: is Reid and generically flawed random Dem are equally in trouble, I say give limited support resources to the latter. But I acknowledge that’s as much out of spite than strategy.
Pelosi looks very bad now and for good reason, but is we take a more big picture look she’s clearly much less of a problem than Reid, and more committed (a low bar, I know) to at least some liberal principles. Also, keep in mind: if Reid goes, we either get someone in leadership who’s about the same, or who is a little better. If Pelosi goes, we probably get Steny Hoyer, who is much, much, much worse.
I’m tolerant of a bit of mushiness from Democrats from swing states like Nevada. But if Harry Reid thinks that pushing a progressive agenda will prevent him from winning re-election, then he shouldn’t be leading the Democratic Party in the Senate. I’m less anxious for him to lose than for him to step down from his leadership role. A D-caucus led by Dick Durbin would be far more robust than one we have now.
Stop the presses, I agree with David. When Reid first got this job, I felt a little uneasy because of his apparent Mormonism and anti-abortion-rights beliefs. But I dismissed those worries because I figured he knew how to get important bills passed (or not passed) in the Senate. Now it seems to me that he’s failed miserably at his job.
Hm. Sen. Durbin (D-TheMostCorruptStateInTheUnion) tied Pres. Obama for “most liberal voting record” during the time period that both served in the Senate together. So he’s got the liberal chops. My question is, can he lead the Senate and get bills passed?
He’s apparently been considered quite effective as a whip and member of the leadership team.
(Also — Ill. gets trumped by Louisiana. Come on.)
As a citizen of Harry Reid’s state, I want him to stay. While I’m sure people outside of Nevada don’t care about Yucca Mountain (a major nuclear waste dump 50 miles outside of Las Vegas, as well as a sacred site to various Native Americans in the area) he has pushed hard, and long to keep it out of here. Over all he has been excellent for our state. People from more populous states generally don’t care about their rural bethren, but we deserve decent representation too. And let me guarantee you, given the quality of our other politicians, Nevada would elect someone as dumb as a sack of rocks.
Has Pelosi done the check to see if the CIA actually did brief her? I know there is at least one Dem who the CIA said that they had briefed 4 times. Turned out to be ONCE and nothing about “interrogation techniques.”
Bob Graham was on Colbert saying the CIA is (if we are charitable) “misremembering.”