February 11, 2005
Poor Harry
Harry Reid has been minority leader for like a month, and he's already being mugged for his lunch money...
Senate Democrats are demanding the White House stop attacks on the new Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, as if he was Fredo in the boat with Al Neri.
``It says to the president, `You will not intimidate us','' said Schumer, who likened the attacks on Reid to political knee-cappings.
Nothing exposes weakness like protestations of strength. The fact is that the Democrats put Reid, a fairly milquetoast Senator from a Western, Bush-carried state, into a position where he's the lightning rod for Democrat policy. Out of power at every level of government, the only place they can effect outcomes is in the Senate - and that is as a blocking agent. They cannot steer the agenda, only try and derail it. Very unenviable.
Listening to Democrats bemoan that they "should have done more" to protect Daschle is a riot. Done what? Issue a strongly worded memo? The fact is the Democrat Party has one role in government now - obstructionist - and they have now chosen TWO successive leaders who hail from states that George W. Bush carried in the last election. The political price to pay is obvious, ask freshly unemployed Tom Daschle, and Democrats should have known better than to pick another languid Senator from a Republican state. The party leader can't be vulnerable at home for executing the only strategem you have available.
If this is happening after just a few weeks, wait until there is actual legislation pending... someone may have to send Harry to school with a note from mother...
Posted by MEC2 at February 11, 2005 09:12 PM