Reid said he didn't want to punish the wealthy for bilking billions out of the treasury

[Robbien]

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/Content?oid=680487

In one of the most revealing portions of the articles, Dickinson quotes Reid as being disdainful of the economic populism that once defined the Democratic Party. When Dickinson asked Reid why he had not used the party’s majority to pass a House-approved repeal of a hedge fund loophole, Reid “tells me something I never thought I would hear from a Democrat: that it would be wrong to single out the nation’s wealthiest investors simply because they are bilking the treasury out of billions.”

“The only difference between hedge-fund operators and other folks similarly situated,” Reid told Dickinson, “is that they make more money.”

of course Reid always hides behind

Reid told Dickinson that there is little he can do to stop the Republicans without a veto-proof Democratic membership. “I can’t do anything unless I get 60 votes,” Reid said.

However, except in unusual landslide years like 1932 and 1964, party majorities have usually been less than veto proof margins.

Reid is not a leftie.

[madrchsod]

1. he`s a coward

along with anyone else that cowers before Mr 30%

[yella_dawg]

5. Not cowardly.

Complicit.

[Robbien]

8. I don't believe he is a coward. Reid is pandering to the people he prefers

He wants laws that benefit the rich. He promotes bills which favor the wealthy then when called on his dastardly deeds he whines "I only have 51 votes."

Even if he got 66 Democratic Senator votes next term, Reid would still promote bills which favor the rich.

[BearSquirrel2]

10. Bring forward the legislation ...

As we get closer to the election, the Senate needs to go into "for the record" votes. Bring the legislation forward and force the Republicans to block it. If it's a key point, keep bringing it up and FORCE the Republicans to filibuster it. Keep the Senate open 24-7 and MAKE IT A NEWS ITEM!!!

I do not believe Reid is a true progressive. But he should be a good Democratic, that means doing what it takes to WIN ELECTIONS!!! Get those Freeptards ON THE RECORD!!!

[loveable liberal]

2. Harry Reid is a load.

You might not have 60 votes Harry, but your job is to try and get them ya friggen hack.

[gratuitous]

6. No kidding

If you can't get 60 votes to pass a tax hike on the overrich, make all those "moderate" Republicans vote against it. In an election year. Over and over again. The political ads will write themselves.

Or you'll get the legislation passed.

One of those alternatives scares Reid so bad he's not even willing to try.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Here's a link to the actual Rolling Stone article being talked about in the OP.

Definitely worth reading!

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/20961789/the_senate_caves/print

[Robbien]

12. Thanks, you are right. The article is definately worth a read

Oh jesus, the whole bunch of them are as bad as Reid

from the article, on Schumer

the senator from New York writes in eerie detail of his decades-long, entirely imaginary friendship with Joe and Eileen Bailey, a nonexistent middle-class couple from Long Island . . .

But Schumer's love of his made-up friends in the middle class didn't stop him from championing one of the biggest tax breaks for billionaires in the history of the republic. Last year, Democrats in the House fought to close a loophole that levies a tax rate of only 15 percent — barely half what real-life versions of the Baileys pay — on hedge-fund managers who make as much as $3.7 billion a year. But when the debate reached the Senate, Schumer broke with his fellow Democrats and sided with Wall Street — inspiring the hedge-fund industry to hail him as its "guardian."

[KoKo]

27. Yes...worth the whole depressing read. Not that many of us didn't already know

what was going on...but others here might not.

No Plan B... I'd say "Plan B" is for both Reid and Pelosi to be challenged by those who have the will to fight for a Democratic Agenda. Reid is the worst...but Pelosi's "Impeachment is Off the Table" views have thwarted investigations that could have been much more comprehensive than what Waxman and Conyers have been able to do...just nipping around the edges.

It has always been the House and Senate's job to protect us from Imperial Presidents. This group needs to go because it has refused to reign in the worst abuser of power we have ever had and have in so many ways enabled him every step of the way through either inaction or cleverly disguising their complicity.

[Overseas]

40. Reid certainly has been a huge disappointment.

And he was supposed to be The Boxer.

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. knr

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. Reid never claimed to be a lefty. He is a centrist

Senate Democrats knew what they were getting when they chose him.

[Robbien]

14. He is not a centrist. A centrist has a little bit of left and a little bit of right

Reid is a full on right wing corporate lobbyist. No populism allowed to interfere with his pursuit of greed.

[angstlessk]

15. I don't think even centrists think the ultra mega obscenely wealthy should

have a tax break so totally extreme as that. Instead of their income being called income they just relabel it capital gains, although not a single dollar of the money they receive is at risk. Wish I could relabel MY paycheck as capital gains and pay only 15% and no payroll tax!!!

[Greyhound]

44. Little fucking sellout, same as he ever was.

Kowtowed to the anti-women thugs and the Mormons to get into Nevada politics and has been selling whatever he can mask as principles ever since.

[pocoloco]

9. Who could possibly believe that the neocons would infiltrate everything

else but not fuck with the Democratic Party?

[glitch]

25. Indeed - what's a coup without moles? nt

[Greyhound]

11. Funny how the republiks never had that problem...

of course, the Democrats never actually followed through on any threats, rather they simply grabbed their ankles and said, "thank you sir, may I have another?"

[bvar22]

28. Exactly.

The Republics NEVER had a 60 vote majority, and they managed to ram through every Reich Wing piece of legislation with barely a whimper from the spineless side of the aisle (single exception, SS privatization).

NOW, the republics are in the MINORITY, and the are STILL able to fully fund the Iraq War. :shrug:

[Greyhound]

42. Which leads to the only reaonable conclusion,

they are working for the same goals.

"Sometimes you just need to scream." - me

[Marr]

13. Reid serves the same people the Republicans serve; Wall Street and the super wealthy.

He's not on our side and he needs to go.

[acmavm]

16. Well, he has full knowledge of their actions, he's doing all he can

to help them get away with it. That makes him an accomplice.

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. The verdict is over. Reid is another Lieberman.

[Gabi Hayes]

18. just posted that whenever I see a cartoon thread I/ll add the following:

this is going to go for Harry Reid mentions, as well

what a DICK!

[leftofthedial]

19. Reid is an enemy of the people

plain and simple

[Doctor_J]

20. Why wasn't he able to slow down the fascists when he had 48 votes?

Liar. Coward.

[Schema Thing]

21. Let's be clear about what Reid said:

He said:

“The only difference between hedge-fund operators and other folks similarly situated,” Reid told Dickinson, “is that they make more money.”

He did not say:

'...it would be wrong to single out the nation’s wealthiest investors simply because they are bilking the treasury out of billions.”



It would seem that closing a loophole would close that loophole for all "similarly situated" folk. However, from the info we have, we certainly can't infer what the writer inferred.

[Robbien]

26. Oh bull

Reid likes to hide behind smoke and mirrors.

He is saying he wanted to be fair and get all the robber barons and since the bill only got the biggest offenders and let the others slide, he killed it. So there. Now its fair. All the robber barons get to continue feasting on the American public. Reid's work is done.

Can't get them all, so the only thing to do is get none.
Can't get sixty votes because there are not sixty Democrats, so the only thing is to do nothing.

With Reid in charge, the Senate chamber is a place where good bills go to die.

[mcg]

29. That's like not arresting a bank robber because of shoplifters,

we can't catch all the shoplifters, so let's let the bank robber free and rob us some more.

[Schema Thing]

37. I agree his excuse is pathetic then

I did not read enough of the story apparently.

I do think however, that the entire loophole should be closed -- but I'd agree that the perfect should be the enemy of the good, especially when we're being shafted by such huge dollar figures.

[Trillo]

33. LOL!

Reid indicts his own statement, just like the prototypical politician's characterization: Doublespeak. Doublespeak that when examined, doesn't even make sense.

“The only difference between hedge-fund operators and other folks similarly situated,” Reid told Dickinson, “is that they make more money.”

If the other folks are "similarly situated", then they'd be making roughly the same amount of money!

Among his other qualities, it seems Reid is one of those "subtle" comedians of "dry humor."

[rucky]

22. We should really get to the bottom of the steroids in baseball problem first.

[Individualist]

23. Of course not; he's a DLC member.

[blindpig]

24. How long, Lord, how long,

until people figure out that Harry and the rest ARE doing what they're supposed to be doing, at the behest of their true masters.

Btw, that ain't the electorate.

[bdamomma]

30. oh crap, this is a class war.

[gulfcoastliberal]

31. Reid is a fascist. nt

[truebrit71]

32. “I can’t do anything unless I get 60 votes,” Reid said. Umm, excuse me Harry but that is BULLSHIT...

..instead of cowering everytime they threaten a filibuster, how about you ACTUALLY force the bastards to filibuster....I would LOVE to see the coverage of the rethuglicans filibustering to protect the super-rich...

For ONCE just act like you've got a pair okay Harry? Understand? or we'll get someone else to do your job for you...someone with REAL balls...

...like Barbara Boxer...

You're thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to being abso-fucking-lutely useless....and getting closer every day...

:eyes:

[dkofos]

34. OFF WITH HIS HEAD

[Disturbed]

35. Reid & Pelosi must be replaced, ASAP.

:mad:

[Joe Chi Minh]

36. By using the words, "..... bilking the Treasury out of billions", it sounds

to me as if he's being very sardonic - in keeping with his reference to the necessity of a veto-proof Democratic membership.

[Trillo]

38. Since when are facts cynical?

Bear Stearns. $30 Billion bailout or so some reports have claimed, then a gift to JPM. There do seem to be questions and lack of transparency surrounding the "deal", so what has happened there, precisely, is somewhat hard to know.

The Democrats DO have a long-term problem with their corporate whig, at least so far as populism versus plutocracy is concerned. Homelessness and hunger is growing....

[Joe Chi Minh]

39. The term, "bilking" is pejorative, a synonym for "cheating". And in the immediate context

of the words, "billions" and "Treasury", it couldn't have been intended as a blandishment, other than in a spirit of very dark humour.

[Trillo]

41. I would have taken it as a criticism of the Federal Reserve.

Sometimes truth is uncomfortable due to collective misrecognition.

[Joe Chi Minh]

46. There's no doubting the bitterness of his tone.

[MisterP]

43. if we got 60 he still wouldn't do it: if we got the WH, he wouldn't do it

he's just stalling by begging for more loyalty from us, the sheep

[xxqqqzme]

45. How in the hell did we get

such a group of, totally devoid of any leadership qualities, timid rabbits sitting in leadership chairs of Congress?