I never thought I’d be saying that, but Minority Leader Reid is showing the kind of plain-spoken honesty that has been so greivously LACKING from national Democratic spokesmen recently– at least, since Howard Dean ended his presidential bid last spring. If you, like me, have been waiting for someone else to come along who, like Dr. Dean, is willing to say publicly what we are all saying privately (and here), then you will be pleased to see an article in today’s Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/10/AR2005051001600.html It has Reid answering a question about his calling Bush a ‘loser’ in comments to a high school class by saying that:
“So maybe my choice of words was improper,” Reid allows. “But I want everyone here, I repeat, to know I’m going to continue to call things the way that I see them. And I think this administration has done a very, very bad job for this nation and the world.”…
“Maybe it was a poor choice of words… But I want everyone within the sound of my voice to know how displeased I am with what this White House is doing to our country.”
Wow. All I can say is, it’s about time! That is not just some intemperate rant, or juvenile name-calling. It is instead a very well-reasoned, specific, succinct indictment of this administration on several very legitimate fronts. That is what I want my elected officials to say. In fact, that last quote is what I want to say, only my soapbox isn’t nearly as large as Senator Reid’s! Can you imagine Tom Daschle ever saying anything like that? Thought not…
When Reid ascended to the leadership I was skeptical. I remain concerned about his pro-life position and about the party’s recent softening on this, which I believe ought to be one of the most inviolable of our party’s principles. But his courage and willingness to call ’em like he sees ’em has given me great satisfaction– even pride!– and I only hope he manages to hang tough. Republicans have no problem being incredibly rude and critical of Democrats, and it’s about time that more of our elected leaders would begin to follow Harry Reid’s example.
The Post article goes on to suggest that Reid’s willingness to shoot from the hip could become a liability: as they say, “A danger for Democrats is that their leader’s utterances– even if colleagues privately agree with him– could make them look unreasonable at exactly the time when they are trying to convince Americans that they are the sensible ones in the looming fight over Bush’s judicial nominees.”
So, what do you think– take the poll: