The new Dashcle in the Senate: Harry Reid

Reid is the new Senate Democrat leader, with Daschle having been discarded by South Dakotans. Reid was hilariously referred to as a "conservative" by the New York Times! Funny, I know of no conservatives who have referred to Clarence Thomas as an "embarrassment", but what do I know?

Former Reno talk radio host Brian Maloney knows first-hand how the liberal Harry Reid can be a headache, and he warns conservatives not to underestimate Reid's viciousness. From Maloney (full story here):

Let's shatter some myths: One, he isn't the bipartisan-division-healer the press has made him out to be. His recent mean-spirited slam against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on "Meet the Press" ought to shatter this faulty perception.

Two, the low-key image he's created is exactly how he wants to be seen. It's to disguise a very experienced operative in the art of political hardball, a skill developed across years of getting Nevada's good ol' boys to do exactly what he needed.

Most of all, he isn't a moderate (or laughingly, a "conservative" as the New York Times labeled him recently). Aside from some pro-life positions held until recently, due to his Mormon faith, his voting record is liberal.

This hasn't wavered: In 1996, Americans for Democratic Action, a leftist group, gave Reid a solid 85 out of 100 approval rating based on his votes. The American Conservative Union consistently rates him in the single or low double digits on a scale where 100 reflects full agreement on bills. He's not far from Ted Kennedy territory. National Journal has given him liberal marks especially on economic and foreign policy issues. Waffling on the abortion issue to appease the party base is the one recent change.


Maloney chronicles how Reid almost thugged his way in getting Maloney off the air, and would have done so had Seattle not called Maloney up to the big leagues. I guess this is what passes for liberals as a "bipartisan-division-healer", huh?