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StumbleHarry Reid’s delicate dance with the issues
Sunday, July 11, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Where to begin with a Harry Reid interview that concluded with this response to my question about whether he regretted his infamous “war is lost” comment about Iraq:
“Could I have phrased it better? Understand, I could have phrased a lot of things better.”
The Senate majority leader said it with a chuckle, but the most serious impediment to his re-election may be that words do matter — especially in campaigns. And the reason Reid has yet to commit to debates with Sharron Angle, who is now being called a “mental patient” and “nutbag” on MSNBC as she has fallen back to Earth since the primary, is that Reid knows what his handlers do: You never know what he might say.
And in a wide-ranging interview Friday on “Face to Face,” the majority leader said many interesting things, with a little prodding from the gentle host:
The economy: Reid stuck with his mantra — which has the intellectual advantage of being truthful but the political disadvantage of diminishing resonance — that times were worse toward the end of the Bush Administration. “We’ve done some things that have stopped some of the problems,” Reid insisted, invoking capital action on homebuyer tax credits, cash for clunkers and so on. He added, “I know how people feel … We’ve made limited progress but we’ve made progress … We didn’t dig this hole, but we’re certainly doing everything we can to get out of it.”
But, as Greg Sargent put it in The Washington Post last week about the Democrats’ problem: “While they need to argue that their policies are responsible for stabilizing the economy and putting us on the road to recovery, how do they do this without seeming out of touch with the reality on the ground?”
And something tells me Harry Reid can’t demonstrate he feels people’s pain as effectively as Bill Clinton could. Just a guess.
Barack Obama: When I asked Reid if he could find any disagreements with the president, who spent two days in Las Vegas energizing the Democratic base and depositing $800,000 in the senator’s campaign war chest, he didn’t cite policies but talked of Obama’s aversion to confrontation. Reid said Obama could have “been more firm with those on the other side of the aisle … He’s a peacemaker … Sometimes I think you have to be little more forceful and sometimes I don’t think he is.”
Reid went so far as to say the White House “came in late” on health care reform, which he described as “a great product.”
The majority leader can’t run away from that still-unpopular measure, but he may see those words repeated.
Social Security: With Reid’s attacks on Angle for her ever-evolving position on Social Security — privatize, phase out, personalize, save (!) — I wondered whether he felt any culpability for raiding the trust fund and for proposing no long-term solution. Reid said “people have to stop badmouthing Social Security,” insisting it is fine for 40 years, and blamed GOP presidents for the trust fund raiding, although Congress has been complicit.
The truth is the Social Security trustees said in their 2009 report that “reserves are exhausted in 2037, at which point tax income would be sufficient to pay about three fourths of scheduled benefits through 2083.” But, as many have pointed out, every year the assumptions seem to be optimistic considering other economic forces and the pick pocketing by the Gang of 535.
But Social Security’s utility as a political bludgeon is undeniable, and Angle’s statements will cost her.
Immigration: It took awhile, but I finally got Reid to say he supported the administration’s lawsuit against Arizona. Just last week, he told the Review-Journal through a spokesman he was neutral on the lawsuit, which didn’t seem to jibe with his description of the measure as “legalization of racial profiling.”
This is a delicate dance for Democrats, who want Hispanic voters but recognize the popularity of the Arizona statute. Reid also said he plans to bring immigration reform to the floor again this year, “but I need a few Republicans.”
Figure those odds.
David Petraeus: Reid had essentially called the general a liar three years ago when he also made those “war is lost” comments. But the majority leader embraced Obama’s decision a couple of weeks ago to put Petraeus in charge in Afghanistan.
Reid said his comments were “blown way out of proportion,” pointing out Petraeus said the war in Iraq could not be won militarily. Then this: “It wasn’t won militarily. It was won politically, diplomatically and with the surge.”
Something tells me those winning words won’t matter as much this campaign as the losing ones from 2007.
You can see the interview here: http://tiny.cc/352qh
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Power is on 6 hours a day in 120 degree Baghdad. It was better under Saddam. 3 million refugees still living out of the country. War was lost.
The Wars are just "ratings" props for people like Sean Hannity, who is involved in a charity that even conservatives like Debbie Schlussel say rips off veterans.
Social Security is a complex program, and like most complicated things, the important stuff is in the details. For example: most people know that Social Security benefits are indexed, so that the benefit increases each year with the cost of living. However, few realize that the Primary Insurance Amount, calculated from the best 35 years of your earnings history, are indexed to wage increases, rather than cost increases. Since wages have increased at a slightly faster rate than the cost of living over time, changing the PIA indexing to use the CPI would slightly reduce individual benefits, but significantly improve the long-term liquidity of the program.
Another little-realized fact is that the employment tax known as FICA, which funds Social Security, is capped at a figure known as the Wage Base. In 2010, workers will pay 6.2% of their earnings up to $106,800, matched by their employers. Removing that cap, or extending it to a higher figure, would significantly improve the funding of the program.
We don't need to kill Social Security in order to save it - we just need to understand it a bit better.
Harry Reid has been swimming in the cesspoolof corruption that is Washington DC for so long, he thinks it's OK. Wasn't it Sen Reid who commented "That's just the way we do business in Washington" to explain why he bribed so many Democrat Senators to get ObamaCare passed? The level of corruption, since the Chiciago thugs came in, is stunning!
Here's the latest: This week, Reid & Co will pass the financial rgulation bill. Buried in that bill is a plan for race and gender quotas in the workplace. (See Section 342 of the bill) It establishes 20 separate departments, each with its own director and staff, in 20 separate federal agencies. They will enforce minority and women's inclusion, whatever that means. These offices will cost $20 million per year (a million for each separate office that will be doing the same thing the other 19 are supposedly doing.)
At a time when millions of hard-working Americans are out of work, this is a slap in the face! Don't Obama and Reid understand that taxpayers are the ones who have to foot the bill for all these high-paid "political appointees" -- for the rest of their lives it will be high salaries with generous bonuses and increases, benefits and hefty pensions. What do they produce?? Nothing!
Have you had enough yet?? ...And when Sharron Angle says the federal government is too big, you call her a radical??? What's wrong with this picture?
[[Have you had enough yet?? ...And when Sharron Angle says the federal government is too big, you call her a radical??? What's wrong with this picture?]]
**************
The Federal Government has grown too big, aided and abetted by Reagan and W Bush. Hardly a conservative Republican bit**ed when they were presidents and I sure as heck didn't hear Sharron Angle EVER complain about W when he was in charge. Her husband lives off a government pension -- are they going to refuse to take that taxpayer money? Bet not. She runs for every open office that comes along, but she cannot seem to stand government. She says SS is welfare -- liar. She is against extension of unemployment insurance as if the people who got laid off in this state chose to do so and won't look for a job because they are "spoiled." If elections don't turn out the way you like, by god shoot someone. That's the Angle remedy. Abortions cause breast cancer she says -- liar. It is God's plan if a woman is raped or the victim of incest she says -- is that what she would tell her daughter or granddaughter? Don't think so. Mrs. Angle, when it comes down to it, doesn't like Nevadans and we already have the misfortune of Ensign and Gibbons who do not like us either. We don't need another leech on the payroll.
I so look forward to November.
Harry-you are done.
Jon...Jon...Jon... Gried played you like an organ grinder plays his monkey. Who did the research for this interview - Jim Manley???
This economy - or what's left of it - saw its genesis back in the Clinton era when Phil Gramm (of all people) was able to snooker the Rhodes Scholar and dimwit roolie Senator Gried into all his half cooked ideas of a market without any government oversight.
And where's a hardball question about the Iraq/Afghanny war Gried voted for which is going into its 2nd trillion$ in cost not to mention over 4,000 of our finest coming home in body bags.
"Health care" was such a bad piece of legislation, it could not be signed until promises were made to start IMMEDIATELY fixing it.
Gried is better than any illusionist that has ever appeared in Vegas. He's especially good at making journalists play like monkeys.
Harry and son are toast.
Harry will easily beat the crazy teabagger.
Sharron Angle isn't as polished as Harry Reid, but she is right. Social security is dead. Why is it that no one has the guts to admit it and fix it. Why is it that democates and republicans alike won't change until its too late. there are a few things that Angle says that seems crude but, she is right. I think that Sharron is going to shock the media and win with a 8-15% margin. The old style politician is thru. Lie to the public to get elected, slander your apponent, use the left or right wing media to distort your apponents facts, and hope nobody cares.
dhvincent is completely correct. Ralston has absolutely no credibility because he constantly slams conservatives against the wall and is "gentle" with his liberal buddies. We know he'll do everything he can to help Reid and to defeat Angle.
This is why you will never see a debate between Reid and Angle. His positions on these controversial issues would have to come out. Although I hate Reid, he's a polished politician compared to Angle. Notice he refuses to comment about the surge in Iraq, the Arizona bill, and his ties to a company that sets up wind farms. He would hate to have a chicken sound bite.
I watched the interview and came to the conclusion that Jon Ralston and Barry Obama are both amateurs and pro Harry Reid.
In November, the American people are going to show Harry Reid and the Obama Administration who is boss.
All of you who think Ralston is a fair news person can check out this link and see what his hidden agenda is. After all he dates the Democratic candidate for Lt Governor.
http://www.watchdogwag.com/?p=6709
I think it would be interesting to see a debate. But I also believe it's not necessary.
Mainly due to the reason that everything has been laid out on the table already. Enough information has been presented for voters to make up their minds.
From every indication, Senator Reid's record and his actions speak for themself; far louder than any words can adequately convey.
It's true that Sharron Angle has words. Many of them. And she throws them out this way, that way, upside down, down is up, up is sideways and sometimes she sounds like a heavily sedated mental institution ward. When she talks, she talks without any conviction at all. A vote for her would be a waste. Because you have no clue what you would get as the end result. She flip flops her positions more than a fish out of water.
So, without a debate, I already made my decision in November. Senator Reid deserves another term. He is the best choice to represent Nevada in the halls of power in Washington, DC.
But, in case there is a decision to have a debate, I have a suggestion.
Before Sharron Angle sits down, she needs to assume the position and have police frisk her to check for weapons.
She's already pretty much threatened Senator Reid mentioning her insane "Second Amendment remedies" and in the same breath, she said she would not stop at anything short of "taking him out." This threat makes her dangerous. So, word to the wise...frisk her. If she complains? Oh well. No debate. Safety comes first and is paramount.
HARRY REID HAS DONE ENOUGH TO DAMAGE NEVADA'S ECONOMY. HE HAS DONE ENOUGH TO MAKE NEVADA ON THE LAST FOR GOOD STUFFS AND ON TOP FOR BAD STUFFS. NEVADANS ARE FEELING HOPELESS FOR THE JOBLESSNESS AND FORECLOSURES AND HARRY CAN ONLY MAKE PROMISES AND LIES.
Hey marcvegas, Angle said it's not her job to
bring jobs to Nevada.
Harry already created jobs here.
Your rant makes no sense.
I'm tired of hearing whiney right-wing losers complain about "media bias". If the commentator isn't regurgitating GOP talking points, he's a left wing puppet? Really?!
OBAMA IS A PEACEMAKER? Well ... yeah ...
How many compromises have been made to the major legislative accomplishments. How many changes were made to the healthcare bill over the 6 months or so the Congress was debating it. How many concessions were made to the stimulus or finreg. All to win (in some cases fruitlessly) republican support. But No! Compromise is the new jargon for RAMMING IT THROUGH! Just read Angle's website.
But because the rightwing Dollars for Propaganda programs spin everything in a way that makes the rightwing crazies feel better about their inane, anti-American, hate rants ... "most people" are thought to be falling out of their chairs??
mmmm NO ... wrong again!
Health Care Partners in 2007 Reid recomended an investigation (imported doctors). The president of that one had a fund raiser at his house for Reid 40,700. Energy Solutions a Utah company 76,500 so Reid would support a nuke reprocessing plant there, funny he didn't want the pollution from the Nevada power plants to bother Utah, The lawyers for JP Morgan,Goldman Sachs dropped 54,700 The trial lawyer from Florida (tort reform)gave over 90,000 not to mention 12 different union PACs 418,600(in a right to work state?) Then there is the casinos MGM 180,400 I could go on but I think I've made my point, how much is a vote worth and I'm still looking for those 10's of thousands of jobs or were those for the California contractors.
Dirty Harry and the Liar In Chief hugging and shaking hands.I wonder who washed first?
I think I would call this a bit more than "dancing":
http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp...
Did he really say that there are no illegal workers in the construction trades in Las Vegas?
Here is the Pew study referenced in the story:
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1190/portrai...
Harry calls them "undocumented Americans."
"House Majority Leader Harry Reid claims there are no illegal aliens working in the construction business in Nevada -- the same U.S. state that is reported to have the highest percentage of "unauthorized immigrants" in the labor force."
Hey! How is that Health Plan Harry?
Oh, you are not included?
Oh OK. KMA -
Vote you to the street and repeal the health care bill.
Start over and have reform that includes congress in the deal.
wouldn't be the same with out you.
REID voted to confirm ERIC HOLDER for ATTORNEY GENERAL
Obama and Reid are killing our economy.
Obama is killing the national economy while Reid is killing our local economy.
REID is going to vote for amnesty after the election
REID=OBAMA
I'm voting for Sharron Angle
no no no no no no no no will never accomplish anything . building the economy 1 brick at a time yes we can . if you want to fix something you have to try something besides getting in the way of progress .
I've said this before: we CANNOT win in Iraq/Afghanistan; we cannot beat a guerilla force. Want to believe otherwise? Name one place we beat a determined, supported rag-tag band of guerillas. For you armchair warriors who never had the guts to serve, but think you have all the answers, give it up; we got our asses kicked in Viet Nam, with 60,000 good people dead or vanished. We've been in Iraq/Afghanistan for all these years, and we're no closer --- probably farther now --- to winning. Every week, new record numbers of dead, more territory taken back by the Taliban. If it were possible for the best trained, best equipped military in the world to defeat a guerilla force, there wouldn't be a United States of America; we'd be a colony of England, and the Queen would be using the White House as a summer residence. We're pursuing these wars because we can't bring all the troops home to no work; how would that work out for our professional politicians --- a couple hundred thousand more on the unemployment line, and Halliburton and the other insiders not making the obscene money? I have no use for Harry Reid, but he was right, and he has no reason to apologize --- not only is the war lost, there was never a snowball's chance in hell that it could be won.