WP: Reid and Kerry, With Swords Drawn [View All]

[Pirate Smile]

Reid and Kerry, With Swords Drawn

By Dan Balz and Mike Allen
Sunday, March 6, 2005; Page A05

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan isn't the only one in town to get himself crosswise with Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). Ask Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).

Reid and Kerry crossed swords two weeks ago at a closed-door meeting of the Senate Democratic Steering and Coordination Committee with a group of labor leaders, and while accounts vary, there's little doubt that things got tense between the new Senate Democratic leader and the party's 2004 presidential nominee.

Kerry was unhappy with the posture of the Democrats and told Reid that they needed to be far more aggressive in fighting President Bush, needed to set up what amounted to a perpetual campaign and needed a plan to prevent Bush from seizing the middle ground in the Social Security fight.

Reid responded that he had set up a campaign-style war room and taken other steps to put the Democrats in fighting mode and made it clear he wasn't going to change course just because Kerry thought something different was needed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10395-2005Mar5.html