OT, but a great example that victory has many fathers...

[Mass]

I remember clearly Durbin saying Obama should run, but I do not remember Reid claiming this in 2007, early 2008 he told Obama to run. Now, he may have. I have no way to know, but I have the feeling that many people in the next few months will tell us they are responsible for Obama running.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/04/27/reid_says_he_encouraged_obama_to_run.html

Reid Says He Encouraged Obama to Run
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told Barack Obama he should run for president in early 2007, telling the then-freshman senator if wanted the White House, he could win it, according to an epilogue to Reid's autobiography to be released next month.

Reid's advice came unsolicited, the majority leader told the Las Vegas Sun in an interview.

"Reid said he invited Obama to his office off the Senate floor ostensibly to discuss other matters. But actually the majority leader brought the young senator in to tell him, as Reid writes in the book, 'If you want to be president, you can be president now.'"
...

[beachmom]

1. I sensed that Reid favored Hillary early on. Didn't he (or I think it was a family member) provide

assistance in the Nevada caucus? Your assessment is correct, Mass, about people stampeding to take credit.

In reality, it was actually two Kennedy people who pushed Obama to run. I think Kerry came on board Team Obama as soon as he announced he wouldn't run for POTUS in early '07, but unofficially until January '08.

[wisteria]

2. Reid's son was the campaign chair in Arizona for Clinton during the primaries.

And, I remember Sen. Reid being very supportive of Clinton who was at that time the inside party choice. Maybe Reid hedged his bets and stayed mostly out of the primaries, but I do not recall him ever being enthusiastic about Obama.
Don't you just love the BS that makes the rounds?

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/hillary-clinton-hires-harry-reids-son-for-campaign

[karynnj]

3. that's actually a pretty strange story, as Obama was said to have made a

firm decision to run over Christmas 2006 in Hawaii. This was when we were waiting for Kerry's decision and when Edwards had his New Orleans official start to his campaign. Obama's official announcement was February 10, 2007 and it was announced at least a few weeks before - and probably planned before that. So, if Reid told him to run even on January 1, 2007 - it was not part of what pushed Obama because the effort was already in process. In addition, at the point Obama announced, the odds on favorite was HRC so his supposed comment seems a tad bit suspicious. Now, it is not in Obama's interest to deny it, but it seems fishy.

In addition, although Reid stayed neutral during the Nevada primary, his son was very prominent in HRC's campaign. If he was that supportive a year before, you would think he wouldn't have been neutral, leaning to HRC.