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AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., center left, gets a hug by Sen. Jay Rockefeller D-W.Va, as Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., left and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., right, looks on after the U.S. Senate voted to begin debate on legislation for a broad health care overhaul at Capitol Hill in Washington on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.
Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Harry Reid
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Sun Coverage
Sun Blogs
You would have thought they were rock stars, not graying politicians, the way Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his top lieutenants were welcomed at a Senate reception the day after Reid’s health care bill was introduced.
Thunderous cheers broke out. In speech after speech, Reid was lauded by his colleagues, who described him in turns as the impresario, the fighter and the chef who broke a few eggs to make a fantastic omelet.
But for the lack of a few campaign posters, the rally for the health care bill was as much a day of stump speeches for Democrats who seemed to get their mojo back as it was a campaign stop for Reid’s reelection back home.
Indeed, the unveiling of the historic bill and Reid’s prospects for another term are now inextricably linked. For better or worse, the arrival of the Reid health care bill affixed the majority leader’s name to President Barack Obama’s top domestic policy priority.
Never before in the majority leader’s 25 years in Congress has Reid taken this level of ownership of such a significant piece of legislation.
Now that Reid owns it, will his name on this massive restructuring of domestic policy help his sagging popularity in Nevada? Or will the bill do him more harm than good among the state’s independent voters, who will likely decide his difficult 2010 reelection bid?
“This is the high point for him,” said one senior Republican aide after the Democrats’ jubilant rally. “If he doesn’t get it passed it’s a huge hit to his reputation. If it passes, independents are irritated, aggravated and ready to vote.”
Despite bringing more federal money to the state than any other lawmaker, Reid has come to be known in Nevada as one who opposes rather than one who creates.
He was the public face of Democratic opposition during the final years of former President George W. Bush’s administration, a job that left many independent-minded Nevadans soured on the partisan elbows their senator developed. Reid has been the leading voice on the state’s opposition to Yucca Mountain, the long-planned nuclear waste repository in the desert outside of Las Vegas.
On the health care legislation, Reid chose early on to claim the bill as his own, after taking it upon himself to forge the legislation from two Senate bills behind closed doors in his second-floor Capitol office.
Reid’s colleagues believe momentum is now on their side after weeks of deliberation and delays. Reid noted that Democrats since Harry Truman, 60 years ago, have fought for such a bill.
“Moments like this don’t happen accidentally or miraculously,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, who also faces a tough reelection campaign. “It takes a leader who does not bow.”
Nevadans, though, may be a tougher sell. Nevada voters, like those across America, generally tell pollsters they want health care reform, according to polling done in the state.
But like the rest of Americans, they split on the details. One poll shows a slim majority, 52 percent, favor the public option.
Reid has carved a bill that mostly pleases the Democratic base, which reflects the majority of his caucus in the Senate even though that might not match voters’ views back home. No Republicans have indicated support for the Senate bill.
Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, among the chamber’s progressive leaders, said that after the New Deal and the Fair Deal, signature Democratic policies of the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, this bill is “a Good Deal for the American People.”
Reid can be seen as smart for wooing the Democratic base, as his popularity among Nevada’s Democrats is so low that in one poll solid majorities could not say whether they would vote for him. Losing the base would be a particularly tough loss for Reid’s operation, which was responsible for registering 100,000 new Democrats in Nevada for the 2008 election and helping to send Obama to the White House.
“All these newly fired up Democrats Reid talks about in Nevada” aren’t that motivated, said Jennifer Duffy, who follows Senate races at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
The political challenge will be for Reid to inspire these core Democrats back home without alienating the state’s independents.
Independent voters in Nevada broke for Obama in 2008 but are now shifting in other states to Republicans, polls show. Republican victories over Democrats in the New Jersey and Virginia governors’ races this month gave Democrats a start.
“All evidence points to the fact that they’re not with them in 2009 and health care is the reason they’re not with them,” Duffy said.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who heads his party’s 2010 campaign efforts in the Senate, sees no electoral good for Reid coming from his ownership of this bill.
“What’s he going to run on — raising premiums on people that have insurance? Raising taxes on small business during a recession? Or is he going to run on cutting Medicare?” Cornyn said, citing key points of Republican opposition to the legislation.
“I don’t see how any of this puts him in a better situation,” Cornyn said. “I think it puts him in a worse.”
Even standing beside Obama as the still-popular president signs a bill into law at the end of this grueling process may not be enough for Reid’s campaign, the Republican leader said.
“It didn’t help Jon Corzine,” he said, referring to the New Jersey governor who was unseated this month. “You can see independent voters fleeing some of these policies ... And Harry’s starting with his numbers down in the basement. I don’t see how he rides that rocket off to a winning position.”
As his colleagues waxed on about his leadership skills at last week’s rally, Reid hung his head as he often does while being praised, appearing to be uncomfortable with the limelight.
Harkin said the health care battle should be the next chapter in Reid’s autobiography, “The Good Fight,” because “this is another good fight you’re leading.”
“Harry Reid had to fight great political forces and the Senate rules to bring us to this moment,” said Richard Durbin of Illinois, the assistant majority leader.
New York Sen. Charles Schumer called the majority leader “the great impresario, the great chef.”
In Nevada, Eric Herzik, chairman of the political science department at the University of Nevada, Reno, said Reid’s ownership of such a major piece of national legislation is a risk, “but his alternative is worse.”
Herzik cited Bill Clinton’s theory — that it’s better for Democrats, and Reid, to pass something on health care rather than nothing.
Herzik believes Nevada’s independents and moderates will ultimately embrace Reid’s position if the bill passes, because most Nevadans want health care reform. He also thinks independents will be impressed if Reid can accomplish such a difficult goal.
But between now and then is a political lifetime.
“It’s a gamble,” Herzik said. “He has ownership of this bill and this process. That seems to be his campaign style: I’m the guy who get things done.”
"You would have thought they were rock stars, not graying politicians, the way Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his top lieutenants were welcomed at a Senate reception.....Thunderous cheers broke out. In speech after speech, Reid was lauded by his colleagues, who described him in turns as the impresario"
This is what power hungry Harry Greid is all about. It has nothing to do with the people he works for.
Harry is buying Senators votes for his inept Health insurance bill with 100s of million of taxpayer money.
Greid's bill will cost $849 billion plus the $247 billion "doc fix" or $1.097 trillion and it still will NOT cover 6% of the people.
Both the House and Senate bills sets up a new entitlement program that grows at 8% annually as far as the eye can see--faster than the economy will grow, faster than tax revenues will grow, and just as fast as the already-broken funding of Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Enjoy your last 13 months, Harry. Your history.
It is my opinion that: Harry does not care about the legal citizens of Nevada. He needs to be voted out. He has a huge campaign war chest, which i wish Lisa would report on, and the lack of integrity to run a ethical campaign, which will give him even better odds of being reelected. The media needs to really do some investigative reporting and not publish articles about Harry that are fed to them from the campaigns. I am a native Nevadan and I dont want to be responsible for the destruction of the American way of life by having elected representatives from Nevada support ridiculous legislation that is bankrupting our country, not just financially but morally as well. Thank you LV Sun for opening back up the comment section on Harry.
Yes, thank you Sun for ending your reign of censorship which you enacted for the sole purpose of protecting your love interest, Harry Reid.
Forgive me if I don't bow down to the rock star Reid as the Sun does. Please excuse me while I go vomit.
oh, hey...
is this thing on...
It is?
Good.
Just want to say thanks for supporting the public option, Harry.
Rock on.
Senator Reid if your are truly a friend of "the people" and really want to win this re-election bid the one thing that would assure that is that you publically declare that you are dropping your own government sponsored health care insurance and will take part in the plan you have designed for the rest of us.
Senator Reid do you have the guts or stomach to lead Congress in eliminating its own health care insurance plan and becoming part of your own
'great All American Health Care Reform? Do you, Harry, do you?
WE THE PEOPLE,the taxpayers who foot your own government health care insurance plan are watching you. Join us and we just might vote for you again; deny us, reject us and we will see you back in Searchlight picking weeds out of your lawn.
Senator, remember you wern't that great an attorney that you could make a good living at that trade; you might have been able to steal more in public office than you could as an attorney...Do you really want to try the law trade again?
It's health care insurance reform, not health care reform. What in these two bills addresses lowering the costs of health care delivery while raising effectiveness? What specifics in these two bills will provide support to train doctors and solve the nursing shortage? What are the specifics in the bills that will for the first time in history eliminate waste and fraud in Medicare? What in these two bills brings down the cost of medicines and the overhead that doctors and hospitals must pay.
All this does is address insurance, not the delivery and quality of health care.
This is a opportunity wasted crafted by politicians who are only looking to retaining power.
okra: enjoy your pubic option because it won't last long.
Passage of the Health Care Bill and Forced Expensive Health Insurance on Americans, could be the Prelude to a Nevada State Income Tax.
Thanks to Harry Reid, the Health Bill will increasingly not reimburse Nevada's escalating Medicaid costs. Increasing NV Medicaid Costs, among other factors, are illegal immigrants. Senator Harry Reid should be referred to by voters as "Senator RED" because of his support for Obama's Socialist programs that can only be paid for by confiscating Citizens' money via large increases in federal income taxes, strangling business with expensive costs of employee health insurance, government regulations and controls that will inhibit economic growth and jobs. Both America and Obama Socialism will collapse, after Democrats run out of other peoples' money to pay for its programs. On Election Day, Nevada voters should purge socialists from their Government, starting with Sen. Harry RED.
"Thunderous cheers broke out. In speech after speech, Reid was lauded by his colleagues, who described him in turns as the impresario, the fighter and the chef who broke a few eggs to make a fantastic omelet."
_____________
I think a more accurate description would be "the briber". How much more money is he going to hand over to the state of Louisiana for Mary Landrieu's vote in the future?
I like how calling politicians by snide nicknames like "Harry Greid" and "Obamao" are the best arguments people can come up against this bill. Comparing America to a socialist or communist country only goes to show your ignorance of the world around you, because I can tell you this country is quite far from some dystopian "socialist" future. Some of you right wingers would love to see this country fail; a preference for being right over our country's prosperity shows the hollowness of your alleged patriotism.
The current bill increases insurance costs and health care delivery costs. The only rational assumption is the authors plan for the system to collapse and be replace with government health care. Any other assumption makes the Senator more stupid than anyone can believe.
If you are a freedom-loving American, please contact Senator Reid's office at 1-866-SEN-REID (736-7343) and urge him to stop Harry-care!
what about the internment camps, the death panels, the rationing and the stopping of all medical testing??? medical care should only be for members of Acorn, the SEIU, and democrats in government....everyone else must do their patriotic duty and die!!!! ha ha ha
By 51 percent to 35 percent, the public opposes the reform legislation being considered right now by Congress. Last month, a majority opposed the health care legislation by a similar 54-35 percent.
I am completely disillusioned with the political process in general. I cannot ever back any health care bill, or any bill for that matter, good or bad , that Capitol Hill is not willing to sign up / believe in for themselves. Period. Regardless of party. End of lifetime care and pensions. End of multiple terms , no more incumbents. The corruption must stop.
CBS poll two days ago 56% want reform with public option...I oppose the health care reform...it should be like Japan or Germany, not some half way construct.
Glen Beck! they are bringing in Cuban doctors to run the internment camp death panels!! take to the hills, buy gold and Palin's book to read in the bunker...
The AP poll found that more people (43%) oppose the health care plans being discussed in Congress compared with 41% who support it.
The Washington Post poll found similar results (49% opposed compared with 48% in support) as did a Gallup poll last week.
Publicly bribing the prostitute Landrieu was the last straw for me! Dirty Harry is nothing more than crooked politician and an embarrassment to the citizens of Nevada. As far as I'm concerned he is yesterday's news and there is absolutely nothing that Dirty Harry can do to get my vote!
what else can you expect from the rich and lazy and stupid selfish hateful people. deny anyone a better chance at life. i realize this is a half hearted effort, but it's a start. rich and lazy, you've sucked enough money out of the economy, but don't worry your hateful lacky's will be there for janitoral work, don't have to name names, just look above
Senator Cornyn represents Highland Park (central Dallas) business interests, as well as large law firms in Texas. One would be wise to consider the opinions of Republican Ron Kirk, former pro-business Mayor of Dallas and now serving capably in the Obama Administration, for a well-rounded assessment from North Texas.
Dirty Harry, how appropriate a term for our crooked Senator. I still cannot believe this guy thinks people will vote for his sorry behind. Running these "I love me, Harry Reid " commercials is a joke. November 2, 2010 is the day we the people of Nevada say "Your fired Harry!"
Red: the only problem with your analogy is that Japan and Germany both have a work ethic. You Leftists thinl life should be a free ride on someone else's back.
Harry Reid boasted about being capable of raising $25 million for his re-election. His TV ads state that he is the most powerful Senator Nevada has ever had.
So what do you think is important to Harry Reid? He's been telling us - it's money and power. Not money for you and me, not power for you and me - money and power for Harry Reid. He is a criminal and he should be in prison.
More Dirty Harry Crooked Politics
Enron Style Accounting
Dirty Harry is touting his health-care bill as costing $849 billion over 10 years. But he is using an Enron Style Accounting trick: 99 percent of the costs don't kick in until the fifth year of that "10-year" period. The true 10-year costs are well over twice what Dirty Harry is advertising: $1.8 trillion.
Dirty Harry cites the bills' projected costs from 2010-19. Yet, as the Congressional Budget Office reports, the bill would cost just $9 billion total from 2010 through 2013 -- versus $147 billion in 2016 alone. In the first 40 percent of what Dirty Harry is calling the bill's "first 10 years," only 1 percent of its costs would yet have hit.
Whatever....
It is going to pass.. Harry might be done.. So What? Washinton and all that stuff is so far away. What it means is that when my wife (two open hearts) may need a third her insurance will not be cancelled..
Sixty Minutes reports that last year Medicare spent 50 billion dollars paying hospital and doctors bills for people in the last two months of their lives.This is more money than they spent on education and Homeland Security.
Interesting report. The people involved had no quality of life in those two months either. Nobody wants to say goodbye to these people, They just lay there while their body shuts down.
Shut down the do-nothing Department of Energy and use their budget to ferret out fraud, waste, and abuse in the current system. No free rides or marshmellows for saggers, taggers, drug addicts, the obese and indolent, illegal aliens, or the professional protestors who the unions pay to dumbly walk back and forth in fron of Walmart stores.
I sure do hope all of you see what this despicable little person is trying to push down our throats and get out and vote when elections come around.I only detest Pelosi more than this person.
Having been called by harry for his town hall meetings (no idea how he got my number) more than once, I tried to listen to the little weasel as long as possible. That being said, every time someone asked a question of substance he had to hand the answer off to a person named "Kate". The only thing he could do was recite the same old song and dance. For these swindlers to vote on things they don't even read and can't explain show's the complete lack of respect for the people of this country!
Is that a picture of the four horsemen?