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Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Harry Reid says his once-bitter relationship with Bush has recently evolved into a more cordial one.
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- Reid relishes the tough fights (1-18-2009)
- The new era’s dawn is hopeful, if a little messy (1-7-2009)
- Reid: $700 billion bailout not working (12-16-2008)
Not long after a Marine Corps helicopter carried former President George W. Bush over nation’s capital to private life on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid revealed that the two recently made peace of sorts after years of acrimony.
Reid and Bush have seen a lot of each other lately, the senator said in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun. It has given them a chance to discuss a few things.
Last week, at a farewell lunch at the White House with the president and congressional leaders, Reid said he broached the topic.
“I said, ‘You know, I’ve been your biggest critic, but you’ve always been nice to me, and I appreciate that,’ ” Reid said.
Reid has sparred intensely with Bush these past several years, especially after Bush won reelection in 2004 and Reid became the Democratic leader.
Reid has called Bush various l-words (loser, liar), and written in his autobiography that he believes Bush may be the worst president ever.
At one notable moment during heated arguments about the Iraq war in 2007, Reid famously declined to shake the president’s hand after a meeting at the White House. At the time, Congress was trying to build support for a troop withdrawal.
“Just because I don’t agree with the war and trying to privatize Social Security doesn’t mean we can’t talk as grown-ups,” Reid said on Tuesday.
On Inauguration Day, Reid sat in the front row near Bush as Barack Obama, a Democrat, was sworn in as president. Reid, Bush, Obama and congressional leaders met Tuesday morning for coffee at the White House.
Reid said he and the president enjoyed an easy banter about baseball and basketball.
“We just had a good time, talked about politics a little, but non-consequential stuff,” he said.
During these final few meetings, Reid said, he and the outgoing president always ended their talks agreeably.
“We shook hands every time,” Reid said.
Sorry, Harry, but we're not letting you off that easy.
Bye-bye in 2010, Harry, and not a minute too soon.
Glad you made your peace with him, Harry. The rest of us aren't going to be satisfied until he and Cheney are in orange jumpsuits.
""Just because I don't agree with the war and trying to privatize Social Security doesn't mean we can't talk as grown-ups,""
Ah yes, privatizing social security. One of the Bush hallmark boneheaded efforts. Had he succeeded, once can only imagine how the system would have been decimated by the current financial crisis, most likely destroying hope for millions of people.
Thank you Harry for not supporting Bush's war and for not going along with his destruction of the Social Security System.
He should have slugged you, Harry.
"He should have slugged you, Harry."
And there you have it. Solving political differences with violence. Like monkeys.
Harry Reid is a coward and a divider.
17% approval was lower than Bush.
Vote this man out.
Cheers to Harry Reid. No matter what liberals say about Bush, he's a decent person, restored grace and dignity to the Oval Office, and unlike many nasty mouthed liberals, Bush doesn't hold any grudges. He's a good guy.
I guess crooks understand each other. Retire Harry...
I can't believe how many people think the democraps are any cleaner than the republicans.
Harry;
Thanks for always representing us with class and dignity. I look forward to your cooperation with our new President to help solve our economic problems both locally and nationwide and to put an end to this war that Bush started.
Political Bailout for Harry Reid's run in 2010
Why is Harry Reid apologizing for 8 years of politics of personal destruction and trashing Bush?
Bush has never made any personal attach against Harry Reid.
In the R-J (11-30-08) Reid said "My standing in Nevada is one where people know I've been a partisan. From now on I'll be able to project a kinder, gentler persona. My role is going to change. I'll be able to return to the person I previously have been." This from a man so ruthless and feared that even Sig Rogich will not cross him. Harry will turn on a friend (like Jon Porter) at the drop of statement of principle by a Republican.
Showing his contempt for the people in the "People's House" Reid's take at the official dedication for the Capitol Visitor Center 12-2-2008, as he quipped that "In the summertime, because the high humidity and how hot it gets here, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol."
But the 2010 election will turn on issue positions that Reid has taken and will take.
From 1999 to 2005, Reid served as Senate Democratic Whip. He served as minority whip from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2003 to 2005, and as majority whip from 2001 to 2003 (except for a brief period from January-May 2001). Reid succeeded Tom Daschle as minority leader in 2005, and gained notoriety for his confrontational approach in dealing with the Republicans. He became Senate Majority Leader after the 2006 elections.
What were Senate Minority Leader Reid's and Dodd's role in preventing regulation of Fannie and Freddie purchase of subprime mortgages in 2005?
Why did Democrats not support the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190?
Why is Dodd still head of the committee?
What was Senate Majority Leader Reid and Democrats doing while the economy went into a depression from 2006 to 2008?
Why was no action taken for underwater homeowner in the June 9, 2008, Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008?
Senate Majority Leader Reid said the war in Iraq was lost and did not support troop funding. Reid has disapproved of Robert Gates and Gen. David Petraeus, disapproved the Petraeus designed Surge operation (because he said it would fail), and refused to approve funding for Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama is following the Bush war plan and using the Bush War team.
It is nice to know that Reid thought he was at war with someone.
I think he picked the wrong target.
Instead of being at war with Bush, he should have been at war with those thugs across the planet that seek our deaths and the destruction of our country.
Birds of a feather....the worst Prezz in history and the worst SML in history....locked arm in arm....remembering "the good 'ol days"....when they trashed America together.
One down; one to go.
Come on, let's cut Harry some slack, he had to make peace with Bush so he can focus getting his worthless kid into the governors mansion and himself re-elected. Whatever it takes is Harry's motto, whatever it takes.
Reid has done some good things either as the majority leader or the minority leader.
During his reign, we got two new excellent Supreme Court judges.
He helped get the original Iraq War resolution passed.
He properly did not try to get a bill pass that called for the immediate removal of US troops in Iraq.
FISA was recently re-authorized with a few changes.
He properly resisted a push for impeachment or other "criminal" investigations of Bush and his administration.
He joined hands with Bush and worked hard to get a bailout bill generated and passed for those elite financial institutions.
He has not tried to pass a law to shut-down GITMO and he has not tried to pass a law to give full American legal rights to those at GITMO. In fact, he helped pass a law that gave legislative authority for the Bush administration to conduct military tribunals for the bad guys at GITMO.
He is against gay marriage and he supported the Nevada's ban on gay marriage.
Reid has done some good.
And just Monday, Reid throws an orgy for the lobbyists http://texex-xpress.blogspot.com/2009/01...
It seems he just doesn't get 'it'....http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/21/02125/7581
The logic is true because Reid voted and supported for the Iraq War Resolution, FISA, and legislative authority for military tribunals for GITMO.
The logic is true that Reid has not in public supported impeachment or "criminal" investigations of Bush.
The logic is true that Reid was a leader in getting the bailout money for the elite institutions.
The logic is true that he has said that he voted for Nevada's ban on gay marriage.
If you want to do something illogical and include everything that happens then that is your faultly logic.
All, except the Supreme Court appointments, Reid actually supported. I am OK that Reid did not fight that hard over those two appointments. He is a good man.
I didn't see or hear Reid apologize. Reid called Bush a liar. He is. Reid could have called him a murderer. He is. Anyone who thinks Bush and Reid are birds of the same feather has been in the sun too long without a hat.
"Just because I don't agree with [Bush] doesn't mean we can't talk as grown-ups," Reid said.
Does Reid's apologize mean that he has decided after Reid called Bush a loser and liar has become a grown-up; or it all about 2010.
We are very amused that Harry is renewd as a good guy.
For the last 8 years Reid lead Democrats and the LV Sun have engaged in a personnal destruction war against Bush with petty grievances, recriminations, lies, and worn-out dogmas that yes strangled our politics.
Now they are Bush-mongering even after he has left office.
Now they are demanding that all of the petty grievances, recriminations and worn-out dogmas stop because Obama is in office.
In all the years Bush was in office he never engage in those personnal destruction political tactics that strangled our politics.
I for one hope that now they can act civil and allow honest debate.
While Harry Reid lead Democrats and the LV Sun never wanted Bush to be President and be successful, we need Obama to be successful.
We embrace this new adminstration aware that Obama is following Bush's Military plan, intelligence plan, and economic plan, and education Plan with marginal change (Bush light or Bush heavy).
Sure we will have problems with promoting abortion and so on, but our fight will be on the issues not the personnal destruction politics.
Spell-check, Future. It's your friend.
"Does Reid's apologize mean that he has decided after Reid called Bush a loser and liar has become a grown-up; or it all about 2010."
Since Cheney's lovely f---off comment to respected senator Patrick Lehey, one can only marvel at the level of immaturity he displays compared to Reid's benign but accurate comments.
future....theBS has placed you under citizens arrest for violating thread rule 100302.302030203.203023.232.1b.001
You need to go directly to jail.
Im so glad the idiot republicans are out of office, hahahahahahahahahaha republicans, hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
"theBS has placed you under citizens arrest for violating thread rule"
Uh oh, looks like theBS smacked somebody with some truth they couldn't respond to, so they resorted to sarcasm instead of intellect.
You know what? This is that Bush M.O. again. Somebody disagrees with you? Go right to character assassination.