At war, by proxy

Lisa Mascaro, Sun Washington Bureau

Thursday, April 26, 2007 | 7:01 a.m.

WASHINGTON - In a move unpopular among Nevada conservatives, Republican Sen. John Ensign said he personally muted his party's attack on Democratic Sen. Harry Reid for uttering last week that the "war is lost" in Iraq.

Ensign said Wednesday that he toned down a Republican Internet advertisement that used Reid's words to campaign against Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2008. Ensign's actions are in contrast to the treatment Reid is receiving from the White House, which is mounting a furious attack based on his comment.

But Reid and Ensign have an agreement not to criticize each other publicly, saying they can accomplish more for the state by working together.

"I was very, very careful," Ensign said about his editing of the ad. "One of the first drafts that came out was directly going after him." He declined to say what was taken out.

Nonetheless, the advertisement illustrates the divide between the two Nevadans. As Senate majority leader, Reid's job is to further the Democratic agenda. Ensign, as head of the Republican National Senatorial Committee, seeks to elect Republicans and retake control of the Senate.

The first ad, which went up on the Republican committee's Web site Sunday, chastises Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, who is considered among the more vulnerable Democrats in 2008.

Landrieu's face is on the ad, but Reid provides the voice. His "this war is lost" quote is repeated 10 times as written comments from U.S. troops flash across the screen. "To be brief, your words are killing us," reads one.

Similar ads targeting other senators started running online Monday.

Although the ad says the letters were "to the Democrat majority leader," they actually were sent to a blogger who asked troops to write in to tell the majority leader how they felt about his comment, a spokeswoman for the Republican committee said.

Reid said he does not believe the ads violated his agreement with Ensign, Reid spokesman Jon Summers said. Maintaining the relationship requires them to hew to a fine line and "it doesn't appear he crossed it," Summer said.

Republicans in Nevada remain frustrated by the Reid-Ensign pact and believe it is hurting the party's chances to knock Reid from his perch.

Conservative Nevada activist Chuck Muth said Ensign is missing a choice moment to go after Reid, who has been criticized relentlessly since uttering the remark last Thursday. Critics say the words undercut troop morale and jeopardize military operations.

"There's blood in the water, this is the opportunity, and if you pass it up with a non-aggression pact that we voters didn't vote for, it's very frustrating for Republicans," Muth said.

Since Reid began his rise to power four years ago, Nevada Republicans "had visions of doing to him what was done to Tom Daschle," referring to the former majority leader who lost reelection in South Dakota after campaigns targeted him as too liberal for the state.

"The failure of Ensign to take that on and lead that effort frustrates" the grass roots, Muth said. "We don't have a prayer of taking the man out."

Ensign said the criticism was nothing new. He said he has heard it since his election to the Senate seven years ago.

"The most important thing is we have to work for the constituents of Nevada," Ensign said. "Our relationship allows us to serve Nevadans better."

Nationally, conservatives are withholding criticism of Ensign. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, said the Senate is known for its genteel relations and there is "no reason we can't wage a robust political war without going after the other guy personally."