Report: Reid Bucked Obama On Gitmo For Fear Of Looking “Liberal”
Adam Nagourney reports this morning on the thinking of Harry Reid, suggesting that Reid dramatically broke with President Obama’s policy of closing Guantanamo Bay because he’s worried that Republicans trying to snatch his Senate seat next year will paint him as too liberal:
With an eye back home, Mr. Reid has taken increasing care not to be identified with some of the more liberal leaders in his party. Republicans say that whomever they run against him, a central part of the campaign will be to link him with Democratic figures like Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the speaker of the House…
In a display of self-preservation, he also broke with the administration in leading his caucus against providing the money that the president had sought to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
The sourcing here is murky. But given Reid’s repetition of the mantra that “we will never allow terrorists to be released in the United States,” it seems likely that this is exactly the calculation Reid has made. It would be really interesting to see Nevada residents polled on how they feel about the closing of Guantanamo and the relocation of detainees in the U.S.
If Nagourney is right about Reid’s thinking, the Republicans don’t even have a candidate to run against him yet, but they’ve already gotten Reid to adopt a defensive crouch. Clearly, last November’s victory did little to impair the unerring instinct Congressional Dems have for letting Republicans set the terms of the debate on key national security issues.
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Not surprised at all. Reid’s favourite posture is a defensive crouch – from his boxing days. It’s all about “me getting re-elected on a platform of I do and say anything to win”.
And nothing says “too liberal” to conservatives like “I ain’t afraid of no stinkin’ prisoners.”
Don’t forget that Pres Obama is supposed to go Vegas to raise money for that clown Reid soon. I hope something “comes up” at the last minute. This is the WRONG time to have a leader more concerned with getting reelected than running the d@mn caucus.
I want a new senate leader. I’m totally sick of Reid and I hope Obama treats him like he can’t be trusted cause he can’t.
I don’t really have a clear idea at all of how effective Reid is in the nuts and bolts of his position. Has anyone got a good sense of this? As regards how he presents himself, it had seemed to me that his normally calm and grandfatherly demeanor had the function of making him look Norman Rockwellian and non-threatening (not a wild-eyed radical). All of which makes Nagourney’s suggestions fairly easy to accept.
Tena-
I agree… I want Durbin in Reid’s spot!
Reid is such a joke, and he has been such a joke for quite a long time now. I’m with Tena. We need a new Senate leader. This story, by the way, is nothing new, and I don’t think it’s fair to pin this wilting in the face of fear-mongering solely on Reid. Too many Democrats do it in general. They need to realize that the country isn’t afraid of Republican rhetoric (evidence: elections from 2006 on, despite the Republican attempt to cast Democrats as surrendering pansies), and that they need to stand up on their principles, not cave.
Bernie
.
Well one measure would be the record number of bills successfully tabled over the threat of filibuster over the last 2 going on 3 years now under Reid’s leadership. The mere fact that Republicans now require 60 votes on almost any legislation because they see the fear and weakness in Harry Reid says a lot about his leadership skills, or lack thereof
Well, Bernie, the only way to tell is how things turn out and obviously, all that talk about Reid and the rules of Congressional procedure he’s supposed to be an expert in was just talk cause he doesn’t use what he knows – he lets the GOP run the senate from what I can tell.
Durbin or Harkin desperately need to oust Reid. (I for one prefer Harkin, but Durbin would be great too)
reid’s whole persona is that of a bumbling, sort of absent-minded grandpa. if that worked for him, if he was that same grandpa with a tough, obstinent side (say, henry fonda “on golden pond”-ish) it might work.
durbin is smart, and on it. he’s got my vote. (for whatever my vote is worth…)
Thanks guys.
sg – wouldn’t the present constant demand for 60 (we could call it ‘the reverse Frist) be attributable to the republicans’ strategy of obstruction at every turn? Or am I missing your point?
Quick aside…Eugene Robinson’s column this morning is typically bright as hell.
Greg – I saw your comment below – I know y’all are working on it. I know.
The bottom line is that if Harry Reid was an effective leader, Obama wouldn’t have the Nelson problem.
Bernie
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Not really. Whenever a party is in the minority they attempt to obstruct the agenda. However Republicans generally take the fight to the minority and make them either filibuster or use the bully pulpit to accuse them of hating America because they are blocking legislation or they can pull tricks like keeping Congress in session over the weekend knowing Dems have trips planned to go home until they agree to drop their filibuster threat. Harry Reid hasn’t tried to play hardball almost at all. He simply tries to count votes and if he doesn’t have 60 he just gives up. Thats not what a Majority Leader is supposed to do. Can you recall Harry Reid going on camera to decry the obstruction of the GOP? Of course not, he is too busy trying to be gracious and friendly to them. And that just empowers them to keep it up.
sgw, I seem to remember Reid talking about repuglican obstructionism from time to time. But he does it so mildly that it makes no impact.
sg – It seems to me the case can certainly be argued that Reid, in attempting to impart an image of ‘post-partisanship’, is guilty of a lack of sufficient aggressiveness. But the counter is an apparent investment in Obama’s campaign theme (and actual beliefs, I think) to do Washington differently. I suppose the trick is, as Obama put it, to avoid being a “patsy”.
I’m curious, too, about what Reid has actually done behind the scenes. He couldn’t have gotten to his post without political skills. I’m just wondering what presses his button to use them. I assume there are battles he’s willing to fight. But what are they?
Perhaps Reid should be defeated if he can not find his backbone. I keep hoping President Obama will appoint him to some post to get him out of the way, but I don’t think that will happen.
We will have the very timid Mr. Reid snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for many more months. It would be good to be rid of him.
Cheers
Reid is a weak, feckless pol who places his political self interest ahead of the interests of the American people. The democrats are squandering their opportunity to lead on so many important issues. If the Republican party has devolved into a regional, hate / fear mongering club, the democratic party has devolved into a benign, impotent party too afraid to lose the next election to effect any meaningful change.
Harry is afraid of not getting reelected not because of a perceived republican opponent, it’s because us Dems are so sick and tired of his wimpy ways. If he gets back in the senate I hope they take the leader position away from him. I have written to various senators to beg them to get Reid out of that position. Everyone needs to do so, please!
Can’t We get a real Democrat to run against this Repub fearing *****.
Reid has been pulling this garbage for the last 5 years.
Q: How can Republicans like Harry Reid win election?
A; Run as a Democrat.
Dump Harry Reid now.
Join up with the Republicans Mr. Speaker. Then we will all know for sure there is not a liberal bone in your old body.
It’s not just reid. With few exceptions, like Feingold and Leahy, both houses and both parties in Congress disgust me. It goes without saying that the republicans are idiots, but the Dems are little better and no better much of the time.
Reid should have been read and put away in a lib rary…or should that be conserv rary…?
Reid was born without a spine and a set of balls. i’ll be estatic to see him go
Not to put too fine a point on it, but, **** Harry Reid. I’m about ready to go off like Chevy Chase in ‘Christmas Vacation’. So this POS puts personal ambition ahead of stewardship of the nation?!
It doesn’t make sense to have a Senate Majority Leader who’s wetting his pants over retaining his seat instead of doing the hard work of leading. Time for Harry “I’m so far to the center, I’m right” Reid to hit the bricks.
Reid is the like Lucy to the non DINO Democrats Charlie Brown. He knows his position as a Nevada corporate Democrat is predicated on not letting a Democratic agenda get enacted. His only goal is to do the corporations bidding and collect a paycheck. Otherwise you get the feeling that he would prefer to pass ZERO legislation. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the one coordinating Republican filibusters.
I wish I lived in Nevada so I could vote against him.
harry reid is as useful as tits on a bull. His tenure as minority leader is as bad as his tenure as majority leader. As minority leader, he stood by as Alito and Roberts were confirmed, and he allowed the unconstitutional Military Commissions Act of 2006 to pass. As majority leader, he refused to honor chris dodd’s hold on FISA legislation (while allowing Coburnthe racist to use a hold to put the kibosh on a bill re-opening cold cases from the civil rights era). Later, he made sure that of two fisa bills, the one that was worse for our civil liberties was the one that came to the floor. Thatw as Harry too. So f**k that gelding. give me someone with fight.