The True Problem, Our Real Enemy Is Harry Reid

[Yavin4]

Harry Reid must go. Nancy Pelosi and the House did their job. They delivered a HCR bill with a public option, but Harry Reid did not. I'm fully aware of the differences between the House and the Senate and how they operate. However, Reid needed to use his powers to force through a bill with a Public Option, and he allowed the conservative Democrats in the Senate to not only kill the Public Option but make the whole process into a drawn out farce. Reid delivered a very weak HCR bill and created a rift between the POTUS and his base of support.

Reid's leadership, or lack thereof, portends very bad things for the Obama administration. Unlike Pelosi, he has not demonstrated the ability to push through tough legislation in the Senate. Can you really count on Reid to get Climate change, Finance reform, jobs bill, etc. through the senate? Pelosi is doing her job. The House passed HCR, the stimulus, and finance reform. Where is Reid?

To all those hurling attacks at Obama, I say throw your venom at Reid. Vote against his sorry ass in 2010. Some might say, well then the Dems will lose their 60 seat majority. To which I say, GREAT! Because that 60 vote majority is pure nonsensical bullshit. It's simply not working to improve things. Maybe with a smaller majority bills can get through the senate through reconciliation or some other approach.

In the end, Obama and the Democrats need a Senate Majority leader that can get things done. Not a Joe Lieberman sychophant.

Harry Reid must go.

[nsd]

1. No, Reid is not the enemy.

Barbara Boxer could be majority leader and the public option still wouldn't pass.

What we need are ~2 more Democratic votes in the Senate who are not of the Nelson/Lincoln/Landrieu type.

[Yavin4]

5. With All Due Respect, I Must Say, Bullshit

The majority leader's (ML) job is to get bills passed through the senate by any means necessary. The ML, and only the ML, has the power to threaten cajole, negotiate, and bully people. People love to cite LBJ as a president who got tough things done. LBJ knew the senate like the back of his hand. LBJ got the Civil Rights bill through because he knew the buttons to push.

The ML is like the coach of a team, and when that team does not win, then the coach gets fired.

[rwheeler31]

2. Reid takes so much abuse here.

Would you like his job?

[Yavin4]

6. If I Had His Job

It would be my responsibility to get things done by any means necessary, and he's failed to do that. Reid allows Lieberman, Snowe, and Collins to walk all over him. He's weak and ineffectual.

[yourout]

3. No argument here.......pathetically weak leader.

[TheBigotBasher]

4. A smaller majority

and a stronger Senate Leader may install some discipline back in the Democratic Senate. Something that is sorely lacking and as a result costing the Party support.

Simple question from those not closely watching the Senate daily, with large majorities in the House and Senate and a Democratic President, isn't the Democratic Party able to do whatever it wants? Sadly, no, because there is no discipline but there is a very disciplined GOP which therefore allows a tiny minority to hold that agenda to ransom.

[Yavin4]

8. Thank You. That's My Point.

The Dems need a ML that can get things done. With a smaller majority, Lieberman would no longer be needed, and a tough, smart ML could get things done with a disciplined Dem senate.

[rwheeler31]

12. Sorry we are not a fall in line party. We like diversity

of opinion. The lockstep Republicans are repulsive.

[Yavin4]

16. Wrong. Wrong. Dead Wrong.

The job of the ML is to get bills through congress. The president asked for a Public Option, and the House delivered. Reid did not deliver. This has nothing to do with lockstep. This has everything to do with delivering a bill that's aligned with the principles of your party.

[jenmito]

22. Pelosi had to allow the Stupak amendment in for it to pass. Do you forget the

outrage back then? That's because we have a big tent.

[TheBigotBasher]

21. There is a difference between being lock step

and disciplined.

Failure to understand that results in defeat.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Reid did his best on this one, and it has been a fucking bear

No complaints here whatsoever.

[Yavin4]

11. Then His Best Wasn't Good Enough

Sometimes good people aren't in the right positions. He's not tough enough for the job.

[BeyondGeography]

14. Keeping people through Christmas seems pretty tough to me

[Yavin4]

15. Actually, That's Not Tough. In Fact, It's Weak.

A good ML would have had the HCR bills out of committees before the summer recess and voted on in the fall.

Keeping people through Christmas is just more evidence of his weakness and failures.

[BeyondGeography]

17. Um, you vote when you have the votes

Short of threatening certain conservadems at gunpoint and holding Hadassah Lieberman hostage, I don't know how you get the math to vote in the fall.

[Yavin4]

19. Again With All Due Respect, I Must Say, Bullshit

Reid could have made it a condition to Lieberman that if he filibustered then he would lose his chairmanship. In fact, he could have made that threat to any Dem. He could have said, vote against a bill if you must, but if you filibuster or threaten to do so, I will cut you off. I will cut off your re-election funds. I will pull you off committees. I will reduce your staff. I will put your office in a broom closet.

Letting these asshats threaten to filibuster and then caving in to them is a tremendous sign of his weakness. Let me ask you this:

How can ANYTHING get passed in the senate on issues like finance reform or climate change when Mary Landrieu or Joe Lieberman can stop it at the last minute?

[BeyondGeography]

23. Problem is, Lieberman has actually been a good soldier on climate change

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6764443.html

plus we still need his vote on other matters.

[iceman66]

9. I've been saying this for months.

Reid is much, much more responsible for the current debacle than the President.

He should have at least secured some firm commitments from Lieberman on health care and other issues when he let him back in the caucus.

He should have forced the Senate to work through the August recess.

He should NEVER have ruled out reconciliation.

I could go on.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

10. Are you sure it's not Fu Manchu?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. Lloyd Blankfein.

As good a place to start as any.

[depakid]

18. One silver lining in all of this is that Reid will be gone after 2010

along with Blanche Lincoln,

Good riddance.

[Yavin4]

20. From Your Post

to God's ears.

[styersc]

24. I see Senator Harry Reid as a warm, brilliant beacon of light!

Or am I just fantasizing about dousing him with gasoline and setting him on fire?

(Off color humor- by no means a threat- I am not a Freeper).