WP: Reid Vows to Stand Up to GOP

[kskiska]

A Moderate, Party's New Senate Leader Says He Won't Yield

The new leader of Senate Democrats sent a shiver down liberals' backs this month when he seemed to endorse conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as a possible chief justice of the United States.

Sen. Harry M. Reid's opposition to abortion was well known and generally accepted, liberal activists said, but this was something else. Some wondered if Senate Democrats had replaced Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) with a considerably more conservative lawmaker who might yield to Republicans, especially in light of the party's four-seat net loss in November's elections.

The answer is no, according to a review of the Nevada senator's voting record, assessments by his colleagues, and his comments in a recent interview. By most measures Reid is a mainstream Democrat, landing slightly to the right of his party's average score on congressional ratings issued by a wide range of interest groups. And by his own accounts, Reid, a former boxer, is ready to go toe-to-toe with President Bush and the Senate's GOP majority on the biggest issues facing the 109th Congress.

"As far as I'm concerned, there will be no privatization" of even a small portion of workers' Social Security contributions, he said, rejecting what the president trumpeted as a priority at a White House conference last week. And Senate Republicans, he said, "will rue the day" they try to carry out a threat to end a senator's right to filibuster judicial nominees.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10764-2004Dec18.html

[umtalal]

1. By complimenting Scalia?

[Born Free]

14. DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP HAS TAKEN THE PARTY AWAY

They no longe represent the base, it's time to reform the party from the ground up or turn Green

[Moloch]

2. I'll believe that when I see it...

Most anyone wouls be better than Daschle but I am still fuming over his "Scalia would make a good chief justice" comment...

[ReadTomPaine]

5. Thank you very much. He should put up, or shut up.

We are all out of goodwill towards Democratic leaders these days.

RTP

[Guaranteed]

15. That's right. Talk is cheap.

He'll get kudos when he follows through.

[The Zanti Regent]

3. I'll believe Reid when he takes off his pink tutu.

If he lays down and dies like Daschle did, then I'm committing to Califonia secesstion full time.

[Zhade]

7. OT: You know, they're never going to let us leave the Union.

It's illegal. A good idea, but illegal. And we'd be shot for trying.

Sucks - I want us to join Canada! - but there it is. :(

[EFerrari]

8. A wall? I can lay brick n/t

[Wapsie B]

4. We need a Senate leader

who'll challenge the repugs on everything and back down for nothing. Mirror the tactics of the gop and give them a dose of their own medicine. Where the hell's Lee Atwatter when you need him?

[Algomas]

6. Who else is there?

At heart, the whole bunch are just the same-Republicrats.
I like the MoveOn push to take over the party and force them to do the right thing just like the neocons have the GOP doing the wrong thing.
We need a new Rainbow Coalition with lots of middle class people to make noise for Healthcare, Jobs, Social Security, Environment, Justice and honest Representation.

[EFerrari]

9. Real question: when did the Dems get bunker mentality?

[BlueManDude]

13. They're really not - but they've just been beaten down

by the RW media. They've accepted all the RW premises and once you do that it's over.

[ConsAreLiars]

10. Stand up? There's a novel approach. Put up or shut up, Harry.

I don't expect much from the Democratic Party, sorry to say. But if they ever do stand against things like the Patriot Act or the destruction of Social Security or the PNAC-fundie Armageddonists I will be pleased. A few do, and they have my respect, but if the Party as a whole will not become the party of opposition to fascism, they are useless.

(edit to change PNA to PNAC)

[Walt Starr]

11. Yeah right

Like I'm going to believe that!

The man is more wimpy than Daschle!

:eyes:

[BlueManDude]

12. Harry will take it up the ass

spare me please. The first step is to give in and say there is a PROBLEM with Social Security. Once they do that it's all over - it's just matter of haggling over the outrageous details - and GOP "moderates" like McCain and Shays will be doing that. Harry will be too busy attacking Michael Moore and those darn Hollywood Elites.