Reid will need to balance his newfound power

Suzanne Struglinski and Benjamin Grove

Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004 | 12:25 p.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

November 13 - 14, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid's likely election next week as Senate Democratic leader will give him even more power to deliver federal money and projects to the Nevada, experts say.

But the new high-profile job will also put him at risk of losing touch with state voters, the fate of current Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., they said.

"He has two constituencies now, Nevada and Democrats in Washington," said Congress watcher Christian Grose, assistant professor of government at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. "Reid will have to do this really careful balancing act of being liberal in a conservative state. Can he keep his party happy in Washington while keeping his constituents happy in Nevada?"

Reid has been the assistant minority leader, known as the whip, since 1999, but his new role will give him much more power and national attention. Nevadans should expect more media coverage and more visits by other senators. Reid may spend even more time in the capital.

Being leader will be an even more time-intensive job than being whip, said Steve Smith, director of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis. Reid will have new events to attend, fund-raisers to speak at, more meetings to broker.

"It's a very personal job," Smith said. "It's a lot of interaction with his colleagues."

Reid will be in a slightly better position to make important deals for Nevada, Smith said.

"Senators of both parties are in a position to bring home the bacon," Smith said. "Being a leader helps improve that only marginally, although it's safe to say your colleagues are a little more interested in doing you a favor."

Reid already is not shy about boasting of pork projects he secures for Nevada from his seat on the Appropriations Committee. The constant interaction and owed favors may translate into even more grants, projects and federal money funneled to the state, experts said.

But at what cost?

Reid won't face re-election for six years. But eventually, voters will be asked to decide if Reid's new job as a national Democratic spokesman and high-profile Bush basher distracted him from his duties to the state.

Experts drew parallels between Daschle and Reid, because both are Democratic senators from small-population states with large conservative populations.

Daschle lost his re-election race to former Rep. John Thune, R-S.D., after being painted by his opponent as a liberal Washington insider who had lost touch with South Dakotans and had become President Bush's chief obstructionist. Political experts say Reid will have to watch himself from the start to avoid that fate.

"Maybe it will be a little more difficult to find the rhetoric to satisfy both his colleagues in Washington and his constituents back home," Smith said.

Certainly, Daschle was able to claim he brought home a lot of bacon for the state, said South Dakota State University history professor Jon Lauck. Daschle based his whole campaign on being a powerful provider for South Dakota, but he faced voters who don't care much for boasting, Lauck said.

There were times when Daschle's lofty position hurt him, as when his Democratic colleagues blocked an energy bill that would have provided ethanol benefits for the state, Lauck said.

"Daschle's clout didn't amount to anything then," Lauck said. "It's a double-edged sword."

But Nevada politicians have faith in Searchlight's most famous resident.

"(Reid's) not going to forget his constituents here," said former Nevada Gov. Robert List, a Republican. "Sen. Reid is a very, very bright guy. He will never forget his roots. He's a Nevadan to the core."

Daschle "went over the edge" in his role as Bush foil, but Reid's too smart for that. Reid will find a way to carry the torch for Democrats and still be loyal to the interests of Nevadans, List said.

Reid's rise carries only advantages for the state, said former Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., who long worked with Reid. State residents will understand that at times Reid will be diverted from state issues by his role as a national Democratic leader.

"I think everyone accepts that with leadership come certain responsibilities," Bryan said.

Part of Reid's job will be to work with the Republican leader to choose members of conference committees -- teams with members from both parties that negotiate the final draft of bills. By picking those members, he'll have another chance to protect his interests and the interests of Nevada.

Beyond the general floor management and Senate business, Reid also will be a de facto national spokesman for the Democrats.

Bruce Oppenheimer, political science professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, said that when a party does not control the White House, the party's House and Senate leaders take on the national role.