Harry Reid on President Obama: 'He Doesn't Like Confrontation,' Isn't 'Tough Enough' On Repubs

[kpete]

Source: Crooks and Liars


Harry Reid on President Obama: 'He Doesn't Like Confrontation,' Isn't 'Tough Enough' On Repubs
By Susie Madrak Tuesday Jul 13, 2010 10:00am

Now, think about this: Harry Reid is saying Barack Obama needs to be tougher. Let that sink in.

It's especially ironic to me because I got kicked off Sen. Reid's blogger conference call list four or five years ago. Why? Well, I used some naughty language, something along the lines of "What the @*#$&! is wrong with you people?" What's so funny is, I was yelling at the senator for ... not standing up to the Republicans. He responded by telling me in a defensive tone that he got calls from constituents who wanted him to be "more bipartisan."

............................

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid critiqued President Obama's "peacemaker" approach to policy-making and suggested he embrace a tougher posture toward Republicans in an exclusive interview with Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston during the congressional recess.

"On a few occasions, I think he should have been more firm with those on the other side of the aisle," Reid explained. "He is a person who doesn't like confrontation. He's a peacemaker. And sometimes I think you have to be a little more forceful. And sometimes I don't think he is enough with the Republicans."

Reid used the long road to health care reform as a case-in-point.

"I think much of that early on scrimmaging was done in the Senate itself," Reid said. "And the White House didn't come in until later. Now, we came up with a great product, and I'm sure he can look back and say I was right, but boy for me down in the trenches, I know it was a time when I wanted a few folks in the White House behind me."





Read more: http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/harry-reid-president-obama-he-doesnt

[ORDagnabbit]

1. maybe Harry "no spine" Reid oughta look in the mirror. n/t

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Especially when he's dealing with the republicans in the democratic party. n./t

[ck4829]

2. Thank you, Senator Obvious.

[florida08]

3. Harry has wackspurts

[atreides1]

4. Harry "Keep our Powder Dry" Reid

He has room to talk.

[truebrit71]

5. ..and what are you Reidy? A frickin' gladiator?

:eyes:

Don't make me larf..

[edbermac]

6. And who was spreading his buttcheeks for BushCo, Mr Reid?

:argh:

[Cronus Protagonist]

8. Both of them could benefit from an enema

They're both full of crap.

[wildbilln864]

9. Give em hell, Harry!

:rofl:

[Jennicut]

10. Harry Reid is the most wishy-washy politician in the Dem party.

He really needs to take a look in the mirror and a look at his past actions.

[lafayetto]

33. Reid called Obama a "strong leader" in the same interview

I think we should cut him some slack. He said that on "a few occassions" President Obama has displayed weakness, but that's a few, which means that a lot of times he has been a leader.

Let's not forget that the attention-grabbing Huffington Post is the site that framed the discussion against Reid.

[Forkboy]

11. I agree, but talk about the wrong person to point it out.

[Beacool]

12. But, "I have a gift, Harry".

:rofl:

Damn, this would be funnier if it didn't affect us all.

:(

[impik]

13. Nice of him to wait until AFTER Obama threw him a kickass fundraiser last week

Stay classy.

[DevonRex]

14. Harry can't even manage the Senators in his own party. Said he doesn't work for Obama.

Let the health care debate drag on ad infinitum until it was washed down to practically nothing. Harry should STFU.

[vaberella]

16. Brown has Reid pussy-whipped---to say the least. n/t

[dionysus]

17. i was just out enjoying my afternoon cruise missle, and I see you have returned!

:hi:

our little buddy is with us no longer, i wonder what happened. the strain, i fear, was more than he could bear.

:cry:

[DevonRex]

19. Yes, I had to drag myself back from vacation

to see how DU was doing. Little buddy is indeed a revenant. :cry: :hi:

[dionysus]

32. were you on safari with the Queen this time, or in Morocco with the Earl of Devonshire?

I sent some of my staff over to trim the grass at your estate while you were away
:D

[DevonRex]

35. With the Earl of Devonshire, of course. And thanks for lending me your staff.

My new yard man knows roses quite well but can't seem to get the lawn just so. He did add some roses of an unusual colour next to the tennis courts. Sort of a coral or perhaps mango. We'll see how they do.

Morocco was hot and crowded but the food was excellent, if you enjoy that kind of thing. As usual it's nice to be back to civilization. :evilgrin:

[vaberella]

15. No loyalty in the Dem party, none at all. Not even to their own President.

~sigh~ Whatever.

[treestar]

20. Make you sick, doesn't it?

Can't picture Hastert saying any such thing about Bush.

[vaberella]

29. Yup. Reid is another Lieberman. ~sigh~ n/t

[frylock]

22. dems should have a loyalty oath

[treestar]

18. We need a couple of Rs to get anything through

the very chamber you belong to, Harry.

What's so great about confrontation? How often does it work? It usually just gets people to stiffen their backs.

[Oregone]

21. Pot, meet kettle

[racaulk]

23. That's RICH coming from Senator Reid!

:rofl:

[Ter]

24. This is the definition of the Pot calling the Kettle black

n/t

[BklnDem75]

25. That damn Obama needs to work harder...

to do MY job! I'm only the SENATE MAJORITY LEADER!!! /Reid

The problem is the Senate, Reid. You're not doing your job of reigning in your own party, so Obama has to play nice with the opposition.

[Phx_Dem]

26. OMG! ROLF!!! I'm dying. This coming from the most wussy,

milquetoast person in the Senate. That's rich.

Let's see . . . what is Obama record on passing leglislation? Oh yeah, better than any other President at this time during their presidency! And a few of those bills got some Republican support.

Fuck off Harry.

[BlueIdaho]

27. Tough on Republicans?

Let's see... The only republicans that need to be delt with are in the Senate and the House, so wouldn't the gettin all tough thing really be his and Pelosie's job?

Keep it real Harry, keep it real.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

28. Reid turned me off

from the instant that Obama became President and Reid declared that he "doesn't work for President Obama." Great way to start things off, Reid! :eyes: And WHERE has HE been in terms of being tough on Republicans? Aside from a few firebrands, the Democratic Party is in desperate need of a spinal transplant. The Republicans and the so-called "independents" already think that the Democrats are "too liberal," "socialists", and using *questionable* means to advance legislation. Might as well make their fantasies into reality.

[branders seine]

30. Reid is being hypocritical, but he's right about Obama.

Trying to dismiss his point by criticizing his behavior is a logical fallacy (ad hominem tu quoque).

[Proud Liberal Dem]

31. Maybe he could be tougher and compromise less

if he knew that Democrats in the Senate (like Reid) had his back and didn't have to scrape up 60 votes for every single piece of important legislation, a nomination, etc. Reid and the rest of the Democrats need to do something about the abusive filibustering tactics of the Republicans. Something like what Tom Harkin has proposed seems eminently reasonable- make it a graduated filibuster so that if whatever the parties are trying to get through stands up after several votes it can eventually get a real "up-or-down" majority vote. It may be entirely true that Obama isn't tough enough with the Republicans but then again I'm not sure that he has the kind of inter-party loyalty that most other Presidents have had in the past nor did most other Presidents have to deal with a radically obstructionist opposition party that has practically made it a requirement that 60 votes be required to do pretty much any business in the Senate. Reid needs to start leading and Durbin needs to start seriously "whipping" the party in shape in the Senate and maybe Obama may not feel that he has to compromise so much with the Republicans.

[Arkana]

34. Um, Harry?

Perhaps you ought to look in the mirror. You know that old saying about glass houses and stone throwing?

[gulliver]

36. Whether or not Reid himself is "tough on the GOP" is irrelevant.

Suppose it is true that Reid is not tough enough on the GOP himself. He can still legitimately criticize Obama on it. The invocation of "Physician, heal thyself" by many posters is misplaced. Reid is not the dynamic personality that Obama is, and Reid is not president.

I happen to think Reid does his best to be tough, sometimes even effectively. But he is no firebrand.

I also think Obama could be tougher and will be. The time is not right. As we get closer to the election, I expect Obama to get more and more politically tough. Right now, he is being president. Anyway, after we get financial reform passed and the BP Gulf gusher plugged, Obama will be in a better position to turn his attention to beating up the GOP.

[Enrique]

37. I'm glad Harry Reid was in the Senate when Bush tried to privatize Social Security

if Obama had been in Reid's place, I could easily see him giving Bush everything he asked for and more. Wall Street banksters would own senior citizens as personal servants, shining their shoes and polishing their suspenders.

[LatteLibertine]

38. I'm not sure what Harry

is trying to achieve here. If he has issues with President Obama he should discuss them with him privately.

[Moochy]

39. More milque with your toast Harry?

what great advice he's giving, in fact he needs some of his own advice.

Do away with the fake filibuster and get back to the simple majority rule.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

40. Two words: Joe Lieberman