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Published Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 | 12:04 p.m.
Updated Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 | 9:08 p.m.
WASHINGTON -- Greetings, Early Liners. As if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does not have a big enough headache this morning with Sen. Joseph Lieberman potentially dooming health care reform, there's lots of punditry this weekend about the senator’s own troubled re-election in Nevada.
Political guru Stuart Rothenberg, writing in his column in Roll Call, says he is “struck” by how much Reid’s ballot test numbers resemble those of two former senators who went on to lose their re-elects, Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania in 2006 and John Sununu in New Hampshire in 2008, as well as soon-to-be-former Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey, who lost his re-election last month.
“Since a late July poll, Reid has not exceeded 43 percent in a ballot test against a potential opponent, and he has generally drawn around 41 percent of the vote against his two most likely Republican challengers,” Rothenberg wrote.
Another poll last week from Rasmussen showed similar results. Rothenberg went on to discuss the psychological shift this political cycle as Democrats are on the defensive.
Reid is in trouble in Nevada, many experts agree, but so are his potential opponents. The Republican field of potential challengers continues to grow and battle among itself.
The campaign of former UNLV basketball star Danny Tarkanian sent out a Sunday night memo complaining that another possible frontrunner, Sue Lowden, the former state Republican Party chief, was distancing herself from past comments on abortion.
Lowden, meanwhile, is creating a complicated position for herself on the issue of earmarks – having complained that Reid is not doing enough to bring federal money to the state, then complaining that the earmarks in the spending bills passed over the weekend was excessive, according to the Nevada News Bureau. Reid secured $100 million for Nevada in the bills.
For comic relief, the Reno Gazette-Journal tells us that Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign was spoofed on Saturday Night Live. The sketch involved characters playing politicians with recently known affairs – former Democratic Sen. John Edward and Republican South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford – complaining that the Tiger Woods brouhaha is drawing all the attention from then.
Busy week here on the Hill as Congress tries to adjourn for the holidays. The House is expected to take up the final spending bill, the Defense Department, and the Senate trying to make progress on the slow walk of health care reform, with no sign of recess.
That’s all for now. Check back later for all the political news in Nevada.
Elect an independent or a 3rd Party candidate to change Washington.
Never trust a Republican or Democrat since they sold themselves to the lobbyist.
Without Democrats or Republicans, the government can save money and not spend it in 2012 on the Democrat or Republican National Conventions.
The only way you'll ever have a viable third party is if a large group of established politicians or current incumbants in the house/senate actually break ranks to form one together. Otherwise people will continue to vote for candidate X because they really hate candidate Y that much. A party of established politicains could in theory challenge the established 2 parties; the current 3rd parties out there just don't have enough leverage.
Look at the photo of Harry on Drudge Report today. Even Harry has Reid Fatigue.
If Harry doesn't get a real health reform bill passed with a real public option his chances for re-election are zero. Democrats will sit out this election in droves.
6:30 PM harry has just sold us out again.
Harry: move back to the cabin in Searchlight.
we need wedge issues abortion, guns, god and the DMV
ynotjohn, I would love it if third party candidate would but it doesn't. It might work on a small local level but it only takes crucial votes from the other two parties.
Take a look at a book called "The 10 Big Lies About America".
I agree with Decoy.
Good bye Dirty Harry!
Take your quarter of a million dollar senatorial retirement check along with your social security check of more than $2K a month and leave the state quickly!
We are sick of you and your son, Rory Reid!
The corruption of which you heralded in needs to stop! You are the most corrupt of all politicians in America.
The commercials being played in Nevada that you call re-introducing you are great as they have motivated the voters to put your arse out as you are reminding them of your incompetence and your greed and corruption!
Yes, in 2010, we will have two Reids to vote against and ensure the Dynasty is over!
One corrupt Reid is enough, but we have Reid fatigue and two Reids is revolting!
mrabilty,
I swear I have seen you post the same comments on every article. I guess you figured out how to copy and paste.
What I think is going to happen to Reid is that he will be voted out and a short time later, Obama will add him to his administration and will make him the president or czar of another company our industry that "needs to be taken over".
Just a thought...
An open appeal to the good voters of Nevada, please do everything in your power to insure the defeat of Sen. Harry Reid, should he run again. My grandchildren and their children will be in your debt.
Dear Voters of Nevada
I have been listening to the media make excuses for Harry Reid's comments under the guise that when people express their true feeling they get criticized for being honest and that Senator Reed was only expressing the realities of America.
Personally, I am saddened that the media fails to see the fallacy of this agreement. If your Senator had said that he would vote for Obama because Obama's skin color is light enough so that the color of his skin does not offend him or that Obama manner of speech is acceptable to him because it does not have a hint of negro dialect, I would agree with those of you that want to justify his comments as an expressing his honest feelings. However, what your Senator said was that our country might vote for him for these reasons. This is not an honest assessment of his personally feelings but an expression of his personal opinion of the how your Senator views you and me.
I have never met your Senator but he thinks he knows how I think. Fortunately, I have never given any consideration to the actual tint of Obama skin as being lighter or darker than others. I have never felt that President Obama was not threatening to me because he does not speak with a certain dialect. I believe that I judge a person by the value of their live not by the color of their skin or the presence of their accent.
The point that many in the media fail to see is that Harry Reid's comments are his opinion of me and you and not an expression of how he feels. Since he represents the voters of Nevada, I hope that you realize that your Senator views you as racists. Your only saving grace is that the people that Harry Reid is in contact with the most are the people in Congress so my assumption is that his opinion of voters is really his opinion of the people in Washington and that they are the racists that Harry Reid knows. Harry Reid is unqualified to render an opinion on how people feel because he totally disconnected with the people of your state and my state.
Sorry but I am offended that a man that I have never met, feels that he is justified to render an opinion about how I see the world. Your Senator owes me and you an apology not President Obama. Harry Reid has offended me and you by representing to the world that he is an informed person with knowledge of how you and I think. I hope that you will understand that racism towards black people or towards white people should not be tolerated and that Senator Reed's sentiment that he represents people that are racist is why he should not be allowed to return to Congress. Senator Reed is simply not worthy of representing Nevada or the people of Nevada that should be offended by his opinion of his constituents.
God Bless America
Richard Pelletier