Thursday, June 28, 2007

The Future of Senator Reid

Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made reference to teh six months in which he and his party have been in control of the Senate and there is so much left to do. Of course, everything the Democrats said they were going to do when they took control remains undone, so in effect Harry Reid is right.

With so much to do and so little leadership ability from Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic caucus needs to take a good long look at why things are not getting done. To be sure, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, is not simply letting Reid walk all over the GOP, but that is McConnell's job, to make Reid's life more difficult. But there are other reasons why Reid's tenure is marked more by failure than by successes.

At the start, it must be noted that most of the Democratic activity in the Senate has been in a reactionary position. The Democratic caucus has been responding to what the Administration is doing. While oversight of the Administration is an important job for Congress, it seems that all the Senate Democrats have done is oversee the Bush Administration. So by definition, the Democrats are reacting to what is happening around them rather than trying to shape the debate or events.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy with such a state of affairs, a do-nothing Congress is better than a Congress screwing things up by not thinking. Having said that, being in the majority means you have the power to be more pro-active and Reid & Co. have not been particularly proactive in any area.

Second, Senate Democrats have displayed a stunning lack of insight and connection to the American people. The immigration bill is just the latest example. The whole premise of their victory in November, at least from the Democratic perspective, was a rejection of the Bush policies in Iraq and a perception that the United States had to end the war in Iraq. But Reid and the Democrats collapsed with a mighty thud and passed some wimpy langauge that the President can ignore with impunity. Do most Americans want a change of direction in Iraq, but so far the Democrats can't come up with one, leaving their base and the majority of Americans floundering in the dark, unsure of where the U.S. is going in the Middle East.

Third, Reid simply is not savvy enough to control even the majority of his own party. While this is not necessarily his fault (after all the Democrats elected him to his position), Reid simply has not stepped up to the plate. If he can't lead the Senators in his own caucus, how does he expect to lead the nation? Reid's tactical mistakes are exacerbated by his refusal to listen to members of his own caucus. When Democratic stalwarts like Robert Byrd abandon the Democratic position, it would behoove Reid to figure out why. But instead of taking teh time to figure out what is going on, Reid stumbles into a bad position and looks like a chump.

Harry Reid may be a fine Senator for the state of Nevada, but he has no business as the Majority Leader. The Senate Democrats need to examine the possiblity of replacing him. Reid cannot keep the Senate moving forward and can't seem to muster his own party to follow his lead.

The immigration failure is but another step on the path fo a disgraced leader. If he won't step down, someone needs to step up and challenge him--otherwise the Democrats will look like just as big a fool as Harry Reid.

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