PEER EVALUATIONS

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Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007 | midnight

The Sun talked with two former Senate majority leaders, Republican Bob Dole and Democrat Tom Daschle, about Reid's performance in the job they each held. Here are excerpts from the interviews.

On partisanship:

Dole: “They don't have nonpartisan leaders whether it's Bob Dole or Harry Reid. When you elect someone, you expect them to carry the flag ... I used to try to work things out, but sometimes you can't ... It doesn't take too many senators, Democrat or Republican, to stop things.”

Daschle: “I don't think I could have suggested to Sen. Reid anything he could have done differently. You inherit a very difficult set of circumstances with a 51 (seat majority) and a Republican president ... You've got to try to move your agenda ... and ultimately that's what Sen. Reid did. He tried for something far more aggressive and far more comprehensive, and he ran into Republican opposition and he had no choice.”

On record number of filibusters this year:

Dole: “It'll probably gravitate back to the way it used to be. Right now if you've got 41 votes you're in charge of preventing things, you can't move anything ... It's not a perfect system, but I can't think of any that are much better around the world.”

Daschle: “The Republicans were involved in what I would call payback for the times when maybe the Democrats were doing the same thing when they were in the minority ... Sen. Reid was under great pressure to at least move this country in a different direction, even if he didn't have the votes. He had to do that even if he knew his chances for success were fairly limited.”

On the changed role of the majority leader:

Dole: “It's just the 60 vote thing anymore... Clinton sent us two judges, Ginsberg and Breyer, called and told me he was going to do that and wanted us to consider them as soon as possible, which we did. Now look what's happened just in that short period of time.”

Which past majority leader does Reid remind you of?

Daschle: “He's got some of the ability of a Robert Byrd to think through floor strategy. He has a great deal of respect from his colleagues, like Mike Mansfield had. He has the unusual ability at times to be as patient as a George Mitchell was.”

-- Lisa Mascaro

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