Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Progressive group wants tougher stand from Harry Reid

WASHINGTON -- Greetings, Early Liners. No sooner did Sen. Harry Reid launch TV ads in his 2010 re-election bid than a progressive group has announced it will begin running ads Wednesday pushing the majority leader to take a tougher stand on health care reform.

The TV ads from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (that’s the P-trip, to insiders) is pushing Reid to include the public option in the health care reform bill he is shaping this week on Capitol Hill.

“Will Harry Reid be strong enough?” the ad asks, citing a recent poll that showed 52 percent of Nevadans want the government-run insurance option. “Nevadans want the choice of a public option.”

The ad will run for five days in Las Vegas, but the group is raising funds to keep it on air longer. You can watch it here.

Nevada’s home-grown progressives may not be pleased. Bob Fulkerson, director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, has cautioned groups against going after Reid, saying they don’t understand the conservative nature of the state.

Today may provide a barometer on public attitudes over health care reform as Democratic Rep. Dina Titus hosts a live, town-hall meeting on health care at 7 p.m. in Henderson.

On the Hill this week, it’s all health care, all the time as both the House and Senate refine their bills to bring them to a floor vote in coming weeks.

Plenty of good reads, as always, in the weekend papers:

As the Reid campaign gets under way, colleague J. Patrick Coolican writes that yes, the majority leader is in trouble, but not for the reasons most pundits believe.

In the other Reid race, Rory Reid's platform for governor includes a proposal to have the state government lend money to get small businesses and renewable energy companies off the ground that just might not be constitutionally legal, the Sun’s David McGrath Schwartz writes.

The Sun outlines ACORN prosecutions in Nevada and notes serious potential problems for the group.

That’s all for now. Check back later for all the political news in Nevada.