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AP Photo/Laura Rauch
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) greets a supporter during a campaign stop in Pahrump on Monday, April 5, 2010.
Published Monday, April 5, 2010 | 12:33 p.m.
Updated Monday, April 5, 2010 | 6:33 p.m.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) greets supporters in Searchlight, Nev. on Monday, April 5, 2010.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) speaks to the media after touring the Copper Mountain Solar Power Plant in Boulder City, Nev. on Monday, April 5, 2010.
Sun Coverage
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid kicked off his re-election campaign this morning with a speech to supporters in his hometown of Searchlight, before embarking on a statewide bus tour. He capped off his day in Las Vegas.
Facing a tough re-election campaign, Reid argued that Congress has worked to turn around the economy. He told supporters at the Searchlight Nugget Casino that while congressional efforts to save the economy from collapse were cold comfort for the unemployed, projects like the "smart grid" will put Nevada back on the right track, generating jobs and making Nevada an energy powerhouse in the next three years.
Reid also said that health care reform will reduce the national debt by $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years.
He spoke not far from where the conservative Tea Party held its March 27 rally to protest passage of the health care bill and rail against what the movement's members call a national lurch toward socialism. The Tea Party gathering, which drew 8,000 to Searchlight, was headlined by 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
Reid took shots at Palin, using her trademark "you betcha," and adding, "I was going to give a speech to the folks here last weekend but I couldn't write it all on my hand."
Reid said it was good to be home: "You can't escape who you are. My roots are here. No one can take that away from me."
His three-day “Driving Nevada Forward” tour - aimed at highlighting Reid's accomplishments - later stopped in Boulder City, where Reid toured the Copper Mountain solar plant, which employs 300 construction workers. When completed later this year, the project will combine with another solar plant to become the largest facility of its kind in North America. Reid walked rows of solar panels and chatted with workers, with the media and his campaign camera crew in tow.
"The sight I enjoy is to look out there and see all those hard hats at work," Reid said afterward. "The way to solve our economic problems is more jobs."
The key challenge for Reid will be to convince Nevada voters that he has delivered for them as majority leader while the state continues to reel from record unemployment and the foreclosure crisis.
Reid's approval rating hovers in the 30s and he trails at least two of his would-be Republican opponents in public opinion polling.
The Republican Party used it as an opportunity to criticize Reid's leadership in the Senate: “Harry Reid has driven Nevada into a ditch, because since he became the majority leader the Silver State’s unemployment rate has risen from 4.4 to 13.7 percent," Jahan Wilcox, a party spokesman, said in a written statement. "Nevadans desperately need someone who is hyper-focused on creating jobs, not a partisan who is only bent on gambling Nevada’s future.”
Reid later held an event with first-responders in Pahrump, then hosted a rally in the evening in Las Vegas at the Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza in Lorenzi Park in Las Vegas.
He was flanked by Democratic leaders, including Reps. Shelley Berkley and Dina Titus, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
Acknowledging the battered economy, Reid told a few hundred supporters "help is on the way." He cited the passage of health care reform and a slew of construction jobs that will come with a handful of renewable energy projects.
"I know our economy has been hit really hard," reid said. "For 20 years we had it good. But it doesn't do much good to tell someone who has lost their job that it could have been a lot worse."
He pledged to deliver jobs. He took on critics who say he has lost touch with Nevada.
"Some people say Reid is not really Nevada anymore," he said. "Come and see me in Searchlight sometime. Those are my roots. Nevada is in my blood. That is who I am."
Reid urged the crowd to volunteer and turn out voters in November. "I know what a close election is, and this is going to be a close election."
The senator will then continue his tour in Northern Nevada on Tuesday.
"you can't escape who you are"....no truer words have ever been spoken.
Searchlight should be the extent of Reid's tour!
Were there 8 people at the Reid rally or did the SUN send more reporters than that?
This is what Harry Reid/Obama and Pelosi have done to Americans:
Harry Reid and the Dems often give the impression that taxes on the rich can fix everything. But the center-left Tax Policy Center ran simulations showing that Obama's budget would have to raise $775 billion in new taxes every year to stabilize deficits at 2 percent of GDP.
That means that if Obama keeps his promise not to raise taxes on the middle class, the rich would pay 90 percent of their income in taxes, the center said.
Obama "promised to be honest with the public, and he has a talent for doing so," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the moderate Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "Yet he hasn't used it yet to describe what types of hard choices will be involved."
Soaring levels of debt $10 trillion Amount the Obama budget will add to the national debt in the next decade.
$5.6 trillion Amount interest costs alone will consume this decade.
63% Debt-to-gross domestic product ratio this year.
90% Debt-to-gross domestic product ratio anticipated within this decade.
Vote Harry Reid OUT of OFFICE and save America!
@ Keo10 With all due respect the exercise you cite is futile because lowering the national debt/deficit isn't accomplished just with raising taxes. And yes, I believe raising taxes is one measure that needs to done to get us out of this hole that was dug by two big tax breaks when we couldn't afford it and for an Iraq War that averaged nearly $9 billion/month. So this 'study' is missing some major components.
Reid's campaign starts in Searchlight, and it will end in Searchlight as a new Retiree from government.
Harry; Godspeed. Get out there to the people as much as possible. It will be obvious to them that you are a good representative for this state and have the intelligence to lead. This will be contrasted to those empty suits Lowden, Tarkanian and Ashjian!
Harry Reid: Its your last few days of employment. Then you can be unemployed - this is your legacy - your politics have made Nevadans unemployed; people lose their homes; businesses go bankrupt; Americans who worked hard are taxed more. And you won't just get normal unemployment - which none of your nevada citizens can live on - you will get a golden parachute. You need to change that before November so that anyone who gets voted out of office gets no more than anyone else does - who gets unemployed. But wait - unemployment is for those who are unemployed due to no fault of their own. In this case you are at fault. You have destroyed America...and as such, when you get fired, you should get zero. Please put this into law before the election - its the only right thing you can do to show you care about anyone except yourself.
To Cadaver: Can you please back up your words with facts??? You have just called Reid corrupt and if its so then tell us how he is corrupt. What has he done? Because if he is we need to know so that can be checked. But I am sure you are like all the other lying republican scum bags. Making stuff up. You guys lie so much you dont even know the difference between a lie and the truth.
I have consulted my crystal ball, and Reid will be re-elected.
I've read my tea leaves, Senator Reid will be re-elected
The beginning of the end. He'll need searchlights to attract voters because there are plenty waiting to vote him out. How appropos.
"Reid took shots at Palin, using her trademark "you betcha," and adding, "I was going to give a speech to the folks here last weekend but I couldn't write it all on my hand.""
He should have used a teleprompter then! I am so tired of politicians making snarky comments like that about Palin when people on both sides are guilty of having a little help when giving speaches.
To VC: Did Sleaze Harry say the war is over and we should get out of IRAQ ? How about what has sleaze done to help homeowners that are underwater in Nevada? Speaking about lying why did Sleaze take his first so called Townhall meeting when the Pres was in Town? Was he afraid to answer questions about his last 6 years in office when the Democrats have been in the majority in the House and Senate.VC it takes a scumbag to know a scumbag(REID)
Reid earns endorsements for record of fighting for Nevada's first-responders
http://bit.ly/asMfHl
BackDoor Reid needs to be kicked off all right, kicked off the Washington politician gravy train.
Reid was a driving force of ruining health care in this country with his back door deals, bribes and threats. He ignored the voters of this state in his drive to forced Obamacare upon people. But he and his wife will not have to suffer it.
He's lied about all the jobs he says the stimulus created and is pushing immigration when Americans can't find jobs. To top it off he can't stand "smelly" tourists which are average Americans, detests overweight people and thinks he can get away with racial remarks which would not be tolerated if someone else made them, and should NOT be tolerated if anyone makes them (include Reid).
What are the Repubican Tea Baggers going to do to us; more war unemployment poverty? Their ideology seems to be plutocratic idiocy . Who else are we to turn to but Harry Reid?
You can't twist this around and deny that most of the trouble we're having is the result of trickle down,no regulation,tax cut Reagonomics.
"Reid also said that health care reform will reduce the national debt by $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years."
What he didn't say was all the tax increases and addtional taxes in this Bill is needed to support the above statement.
Lowden was mean to the Ron Paul people, don't vote for her.
Harry has the bus to carry his supporters with him - all 20 of them!
I can't wait to vote for Sue Lowden
Reid earns endorsements for record of fighting for Nevada's first-responders
http://bit.ly/asMfHl
Searchlight Harry,
Save the fuel just drive around Searchlight because your going home! For good. Oh you care so much for Nevadan's leave your special Health Insurance Package in DC and oh yeah your retirement as well. Donate it back to the folks whom really need it. Hard Working Nevadans.
Oh My god!!! I could not believe the Greta interview of Harry Reid...What a Scumbag...I will open up my wallet to ANYBODY that runs against this scumbag...It is SO OBVIOUS...All I have to say is that anyone in Nevada that votes for Reid is a true democrat, union supporting, anti-american, communist thug that waits for a government handout!!! What a P.O.S.!!!! (and that does not equate to Point of Sale!!!)
KEEP REID IN.
KEEP REPUBLICAN CROOKS OUT.
GIVE THE TEABAGGERS HELL HARRY.
"He spoke not far from where the conservative Tea Party held its March 27 rally..."
He had to. The eggs his supporters threw still littered the other site.
I still have faith that Harry Reid will be prosecuted and sent to prison for his crimes.
Harry Reid has made a political career out of using others faults to propel himself and deflect his own. He's had his hand in many of the things which are good in Nevada and bad about Nevada. He enjoyed successes when the state was booming and has hit his pitfalls when it's busting.
All in all outside of this state Harry Reid has been rated as one of the most corrupt Senators ever. He's a liberal idealogist and very close to unions.
All in all the biggest issue I see with Harry Reid is his honest belief that government can solve all of societies ills, and for-profit organizations are really looking out for people.
It's wrong to compare Reid to anyone but himself and in doing so his lack of foresight, actions against civil liberties and pompas attitude is one of the reasons Nevada is in the situation it's in today. Harry Reid also embodies just about everything that is wrong with Washington today.
Now that being said, I do not believe Palin, Ensign or Titus have any credibility either.
Let's see who the Republicans have given us over the last few elections: George Dubya Bush, whose trillion dollar wars and tax cuts for the rich will take us generations to clean up. Jim "The Texter" Gibbons, a wholly owned subsidiary of Big Gaming. When faced with gutting education or making Gaming pay its fair share, he politely asked if they would like to pay more. Shockingly, they declined. Then there's "That's no Gentleman" John Ensign, Nevada's narcissistic national embarassment. And now they want us to fall for Susie "Stretch" Lowden or Danny "Daddy's Boy" Tarkanian over Nevada's Lion in the Senate, Harry Reid? Are you kidding me?
Harry Reid has made our state and our country
a better place.
Harry is what REAL patriots are all about.
Harry has been a big disappointment.
Harry is the Poster Child for whats wrong with this country.
Big,Out of Control Government
Special Interest Backroom Politics
I hope I see him on the side of the road and his bus runs over him.
There I go being a hateful conservative. LOL
Go Harry!
Welcome back to Searchlight.
Give those teabaggers HELL HARRY.
The Republicans have also given John Boehner, Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist and Jon Kyl to name some of the good guys. To some degree John McCain has been a strong Republican.
Dems might have Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Barney Frank and just about every congressperson in California making their party look AWFUL, but they also have some good people on their side too Like Ike Skelton, Russ Carnahan and Dan Boren.
If ones point is a party defines a person I will not listen to the one telling me this as they are obviously too biased to listen to themselvs, me, or common sense in most cases.
If one wants to talk about Bush, who's office tenureship also took over with a recession starting, had 6 strong years and at the tail end started yet another recession then they are selling his administration short; don't forget the humor of his simpleness too, I really liked watching the Bush years on SNL. Bush's major faults were the wars which cost trillions and I believe caused the recession we are in now more than anything but besides this his administration was during some of the most prosperous years ever.
Clinton rode the back of the technology boom and cheap energy, and was popular also because he rewrote the welfare rules attemting remove lifelong people who lived well on welfare. Obama could learn a thing or two about this...
Bush Sr. rode the heels of Regan and lost because of a recession. Clinton's rock the vote on MTV reminded me a bit of 2008.
Regan won because Jimmy Carter wanted to do things like cap and trade, increase government to "protect" people, was in bed with unions, was out witted in foreign policy, made bad foreign policy decisions, looked weak in the eyes of the world, and ended up leaving office with double digit inflation, high interest rates which was a phenomon called stagflation. Minus the stagflation who does this remind you of. Jimmy Carter is also considered one of the worst presidents of all time.
I can keep going on and on, but the point is every president has had their flaws, the ones which have been two term presidents and the country has seen prosperity under (Regan, Clinton and Bush Sr.) all have been moderate to right and all have tried to limit the infleunce of government. Most of the failed presidents have done the opposite.
Reid does have a few good points.
1. He is very light-skinned.
2. He doesn't speak with a Negro dialect unless he wants to.
3. He doesn't smell like those tourists at the capitol.
teamster, have you *ever* said anything that you haven't first heard from your parents, teachers, or union bosses?
boftx....
I had great parents, great teachers and great
union pepole to work with.
Any other stupid republican questions?
ok, some think the earth is flat,
and the others will vote for Reid.
Go, Harry, go!
Go easy on teamster. In his former life he was a Chihuahua. He's accustomed to yapping and nipping at peoples' pant-legs. If you stomp your foot he'll run a mile before he looks back.
But his vocabulary has grown since those days as a dog. No wait, maybe not. OK, but he does have thoughts - not original ones - but if his shop steward says something he can remember it for several days, and he can repeat it.
Loser republicans, like larry5, still haven't
figured out how Democrats kicked their butts
so hard. They may never figure it out.
The republican party is falling apart at the
seams.
Dear staff, Did "Little crusty weasel" offend? Was it "Probably hot for Palin" or " Ink don't stick to stink"? WTF!
From the Review Jornal:
SEARCHLIGHT -- U.S. Sen. Harry Reid launched his re-election campaign Monday with a sentimental send-off from his hometown of Searchlight, cheered on by more than 100 close supporters.
So.....Palin can draw 8,000 people to Searchlight and Reid manages to attract 100 loyal admirers?
Nothing else needs to be said.
Teamster, you have a great union, but this sneaky backroom dealer, Harry Reid has to be voted out of office. Do you realize how many jobs have been lost because of Reid and the Dems?
He and the rest of the Dem. Congress should be voted out!
Support Harry Reid!!!
Harry Reid is an honorable man who works for the good of the American people and our country every single day, and he is very effective.
The unwarrented smear campaign led by the righties regarding Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi is pathetic--just like they are. The R's think they can lie them both out of office, but, it won't work--righties are nothing more than liars.
GO Harry!!!!!!!!!!
I agree...Go, Harry! No...really...just go.
Let's be honest about Harry Reid. He is senile and should not be in office at all.
Once again, many here are of the flat earth variety - the biggest problem is the vitriol which keeps people from making any reasoned judgment - I think Harry knocked it on the head with his brilliant insight that lots of his negative vote is from anti-government sentiment unrelated to him. Many of these comments are totally unrelated to reality and hopefully in the long run the TRUTH will rule and the best Senator in the history of just say No-vada will again get to serve the people of this wonderful country where people are free to say stupid things. Go Harry - the best to you always!
Bury Harry RIP 2010
Dump Dina RIP 2010
Oust Obama RIP 2012
Very simple.
We actually have the power to decide if these clowns get to stay in office.
Sue Lowden is just another empty suit. Harry Reid is a class act. He knows the issues. He cares about the people. Thats what Nevada needs. Elect Lowden and I promise you will regret it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Is9z9VJK...
The GOP torturing morally bankrupt selfish idealogy-RIP 2010 !!!!
The devisive rhetoric in this comments section just shows how far we have gone in this country since Obama's election. Wasn't he supposed to pull the country together? Do his supporters simply want a one party system? Are the two parties not supposed to oppose each other in views and goals?
I don't have any illusions about most of the Republican candidates out there, either, but you all might do well to take stock of the country since Obama's gang has take over and without checking Paul Krugman's opinion, assess where we are socially and economically. Then remember, as just one example, as you blame "the other guys" for Wall Street, who signed the repeal of Glass-Steagall. The Republican shills should never have proposed the repeal, and Clinton should have shouted from the rooftops he would NEVER sign it.
We Nevadans better take the opportunity and throw this henchman out while we have the chance. Don't be convinced that anyone will be much better. But start by eliminating the sickness currently infecting the body politik.
Max_D, I do not recall Barack Obama or Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi ever calling a Republican leader a Nazi or a communist or a socialist or a fascist, but I do seem to recall Republican leaders egging on crowds that were calling them those kinds of names. I do not recall any mainstream Democratic leader using that kind of description or encouraging that kind of description of George W. Bush. That is not to say that Democrats haven't been critical and that politics isn't rough. But any Republican or conservative or right-winger or Tea Partier who says that Democratic leaders have described them in that way simply is not telling the truth.
Dirty Harry is Nevada's worst ever senator. An embarressment to our great state. This man is so arrogant in his views toward us, the people of Nevada that he can't even see that he has overstayed his welcome. Bye-Bye Harry!
BSH - Back to Searchlight Harry - I wonder if his "thugs" are still excersizing their first admendent rights by harrassing people and egging their vehicles that don't share their crooked senators' views? Lol
Harry Reid represents 95 percent of Nevadans.
Sue Lowden, the expected Repud nominee, represents the other 5 percent... heck, you do the math.
I was almost ready to party, I read the headline too fast and thought it said Harry Reid kicks off.
"Harry Reid represents 95 percent of Nevadans.
Sue Lowden, the expected Repud [sic] nominee, represents the other 5 percent... heck, you do the math."
What does that mean??? Are you indicating that you believe Reid has the support of more than about a third of Nevadans? You may want to brush up on current events a little.
Come November, the majority of Nevadans will
vote for Harry Reid.
Why would anyone vote for the republicans, who
want to sue the Federal Government over health
care. These republicans are proving to be the
craziest people on the face of the earth.
So the Snowball's Chance In Hell Tour has started. Fueled by out-of-state special interests, with added contributions from government employees who only care about their pay and benefits. it doesn't matter Harry, you would have lost 12 years ago if Jan Laverty Jones hadn't decided last minute to run for governor, and people are a lot more upset thistime around.
The only people upset are greedy republicans.
These losers will lose again.
Sen. Harry Reid nearly destroyed E-Verify in the Senate. He along with a bunch of other devious politicians don't want to see the illegal alien occupation of this nation halted. He wants another mass amnesty permitting the 20 to 30 million to stay here after violating " THE PEOPLE'S LAW." Remember the Heritage Foundation estimates there are 8 million foreign nationals in the workplace, many in the entertainment industry stealing jobs from the current 15 million jobless Americans-residents
If you use this BLOG as a poll and count each person as 1 vote (meaning all of teamsters reposts only count once), Harry has a very big uphiill fight. This isn't scientific, but there are a lot of angry people out there who will run to the polls to vote against H.R. and carpool with as many people as they can find. We'll see...
LVMD2020, don't be to hard on teamster, he is actually driving the bus for ole Harry! That's teamster in the black and orange shirt behind ole Harry.
"Reid told a few hundred supporters"
LOL! That's really funny. This rag is the only source that said "a few hundred supporters"! I don't even know if you can call them supporters, they're probably just old Searchlight locals trying to get their nickel slots on at the only casino for miles!!
http://www.lvrj.com/news/reid-kicks-off-...
http://politifi.com/news/Harry-Reid-Kick...
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-bloggers/2...
What a loser! He has to go to the only casino for miles to find "supporters" in his own hometown after 10,000 anti Reid people just showed up in his backyard a few days ago!
That is so funny and sad all at once.
I wonder if the egg throwers showed up to support him!
Let's see who laughs in November.
Larry5 said......
"I still have faith that Harry Reid will be prosecuted and sent to prison for his crimes."
What Larry meant to say was:
"I still have faith that George W. Bush & Dick Cheney will both be prosecuted and sent to prison for their crimes."
Yeah - let's see who laughs in November.
All Republicans are liars and they ruined our country.
Unions rule, even the stupid Republitards know that.
And also, unions rule.
And Republicans ruined our country. Unions rule.
Go Harry Reid, you are the best senator we ever had. And unions rule.
Unions rule.
If I walk into the only casino for miles around, could I also call the patrons my "supporters" and say they're all there to see me?
LOL
Michael Green,
I'm not sure if Nancy Pelosi has been calling people Nazis, but she does make claims of hate and never backs it up with proof even though the camera follow her. During the Bush days, she would watch Swastikas get tossed up and watched Bush be called a Nazi and would not utter a peep of disapproval.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/w...
If anyone lacks proof it is you. Nancy did say that Tea Partiers were unamerican and that they came wearing swastikas to press representatives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGRUx2b0A...
So no she did not say Nazis. I guess it "depends on what the definition of is, is."
I had lunch today at Ricardos. There were at least 100 of my supporters there! LOL
Andrew Breitbart has a $100,000 cash reward for anyone that can substantiate claims that tea party activists shouted racial slurs at black members of Congress. All those people, all those cameras, and not one camera caught this? Not one video has surfaced?
35 democrats gather in Searchlight to protest the Tea Party, eggs are thrown, and it's on video.
I think our members of Congress are lying! Gasp!
teamster, I'm sure people would rather vote for a guy who buys votes for his eganda through back room deals, supports the revenue sources for Nevada from paying their fair share,called the president a loser and on national tv, for every troop, every family member and every fallen soldiers family to hear him say the war was a failure, is this what your party is in favor of? Well of course it is, thats why you want his crooked self in office. Not by honesty and making Nevadans proud, but by making us pay for what he wants. No thank you.