Commentary - May 2005

Harry Reid: Peacemaker or Warmonger?

by Lyle Brennan

In our December 2004 issue, I pledged to report regularly on how Senator Harry Reid is representing our state and our nation. He has a difficult job, trying to represent Nevada, while being pressured as the official voice of the Democrat party, which has fallen under the control of an extreme liberal faction. So, after four months serving as Senate Minority Leader, how’s he doing?

When he took office in January, Reid gave a speech and said he would work with Republicans for the good of all to make the right decisions on healthcare, Social Security, education and the environment. He must have recognized that he has a great opportunity to bring our divided country together to find solutions to these important issues.

However, his very next step was to announce he was opening up a communications center that he described as a "war room" to promote the Democratic party’s activities, while criticizing Republicans in media outlets and the Internet. The war room he created is staffed by media advisors who formerly worked for Sen. Edward Kennedy and Sen. Charles Schumer, two of the most liberal of the Eastern Senate Democrats. So, in his first week, Reid was already working to widen the gap between the major political parties instead of bringing people together.

In a Meet the Press interview in December, Reid called Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas "an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I just don’t think he’s done a good job." Reid was immediately accused of being a racist because Thomas is African American, but I believe his real reason for making the remarks is that Thomas is a conservative who has opposed affirmative action, which angered the liberal establishment.

Then, in a CNN interview on March 3rd, Reid called Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan "one of the biggest political hacks we have here in Washington." Reid is not someone who impulsively makes comments and then regrets them later. He’s a very thoughtful person. And in the case of the remarks about Thomas and Greenspan, Reid stood by his statements and never back-pedaled. His comments were obviously pre-meditated and aimed to cause more conflict.

Which brings us to the present crisis - the struggle to get action on President Bush’s 10 nominees to the federal bench. Last year, Democrats broke with tradition by using the filibuster not just to delay a vote on judicial nominees, but to prevent any vote at all. This led Republicans to propose a change in Senate rules (the so-called "nuclear option") that would cut off debate on judicial nominees with a simple majority vote, instead of the 60 needed to break a filibuster. On March 15, Reid announced Democrats would halt all Senate business except essential operations and national defense if Republicans made this change to the rules.

At press time, battle lines had been drawn between the two sides on this issue. The war room was operating at full power and the nuclear option was bring discussed. Before we go to war against each other, it’s time to consider that the American people would be the losers in this conflict. Instead of letting the extreme left direct all his actions, Reid should play the peacemaker and reach out to more moderate factions so we can work together for the good of the country.

People in Nevada are watching you, Harry, and so far we’ve gotten conflicting messages. We’re waiting for you to exercise those leadership qualities that have earned you the privilege of representing our state and our nation.

Lyle Brennan Publisher
COMMENTS? email: lyle@nbj.com