Harry Reid

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Sen. Reid sounds a little desperate for a guy who’s in charge of the Senate. Maybe just frustrated.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung to the institution of slavery more than a century ago.

UPDATE: Added video.



Do those bothered by Elder Oaks’ comparison in October feel the same about Sen. Reid? Elder Oaks merely said that Prop 8 Supporters faced voter intimidation as did those in the Civil Rights era. He didn’t suggest that Prop 8 opponents were like Jim Crow apologists, or in Reid’s case that Republicans are like slavery apologists.

7 December 2009 @ 12:00 pm | 7 comments

Preliminary poll numbers in Nevada suggest that Sen. Reid may (may) have a Tom Daschle problem next year.

Nearly half of Nevadans have had enough of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as the powerful Democrat heads into his re-election campaign, a new Las Vegas Review-Journal poll finds.

About a third of the state’s voters would re-elect Reid if the 2010 election were held today, according to the poll, but 45 percent say they would definitely vote to replace him. Seventeen percent would consider another candidate. . .

Half of Nevada voters had an unfavorable view of Reid, while 38 percent had a favorable view and 11 percent a neutral opinion.

However, it’s early, he will have a ton of money plus Pres. Obama will be campaigning for him.

19 May 2009 @ 4:19 pm | 6 comments

Not exactly an ox in the mire: “Harry Reid’s innovative new way to overcome Republican opposition: vote on Sunday.”

12 January 2009 @ 4:35 pm | No comments

Voting Democrat Does Not Equal Charity

1 September 2008 @ 3:25 am | 17 comments

Perhaps the oldest and most unanswerable question of the Bloggernacle is why do Mormons vote so overwhelmingly Republican.

I’ll try to avoid that directly, but the SL Tribune’s weekly provocateur of the dominant Utah culture, Rebecca Walsh, joins Sen. Reid’s latest lament that misguided Utah LDS so overwhelmingly align themselves with the GOP.

Democrats have been scratching their heads for years, trying to make sense of the paradox that has Reid so flummoxed: It seems counterintuitive that a state largely populated by compassionate, peaceful, faithful people who are admonished by their religious leaders to volunteer, give to the poor and live modestly and within their means should hang on the coattails of a political party that does not.

This makes no sense. Of course Mormons (and Utahns) believe in virtues such as service, charity, and sacrifice. But Walsh seems to mistakenly think that they are synonymous with supporting government action: unless the government does it, it isn’t charity.

Except she has it exactly backwards. We are taught to not wait for the government to tax and act in our place. In fact we are not performing our charitable duty unless we give and do of our own time and talents.

So where’s the disconnect? It’s in fact with Ms. Walsh. Conservative Mormons are very similar to other religious conservatives who are suspect of the government accomplishing charity and instead rely on themselves. Arthur C. Brooks has studied the poltical and religious influences on charitable giving and found that:

religious conservatives are far more charitable than secular liberals, and that those who support the idea that government should redistribute income are among the least likely to dig into their own wallets to help others.

So putting aside social issues and other sundry reasons why Mormons vote Republican, there’s no inconsistency that a people which believes in service and charity support a party that doesn’t want to outsource them to bureaucrats.

Sen. Reid keeps charming them, one state at a time:

“What is wrong with the people of Utah? They like where this president has taken this country?” asked the Nevada senator, who is LDS. “People in Utah need to wake up.” . . .

“I was thinking Idaho and Utah are very much like we were [in Nevada] 10 years ago,” he said. “It’s hard for me to understand why [Utah is] such a Republican state. Utah should be a state that believes in what we stand for.”

29 August 2008 @ 9:16 pm | No comments

Sen. Reid’s not-so high opinion of Romney and his fellow Nevada Mormons

28 August 2008 @ 6:10 am | 18 comments

Sen. Reid’s not-so high opinion of Mitt Romney and is fellow Nevada Mormons:

Reid said Romney would “be a tremendous drag” on the ticket everywhere except in Nevada, where he would likely earn significant support from the Mormon community.

“I think that they like his wearing his religion on his sleeve,” Reid, also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said of Nevada Mormons. “Apparently they love his flip-flopping. He was for abortion, he’s against it. He’s for gay marriage, he’s against it. He’s for global warming, he’s against it.”

Huh!?! I seem to recall that the last thing Romney wanted to discuss was his religion but had his hand forced. And Reid’s co-religionist constituents love religious pandering and “flip-flopping”? Maybe they’ll remember that in the 2010 elections.

More: If Romney is picked, I wonder if this will be a new line of attack with Sen. Reid being perfectly situated. Sort of like Sen. Obama attacking Michael Steele in 2006.

“Sen.. Reid Says Polygamy Is ‘Form of Organized Crime’:

He said that while the groups’ crimes might not amount to those committed by other gambling and drug crime syndicates in American past, “They engage in an ongoing pattern of serious crimes that we ignore at our peril.”

Beyond bigamy and child abuse — including the forced marriage of teens and pre-teens to older men — Reid said they commit welfare fraud, tax evasion and other “strong-arm tactics,” such as witness intimidation.

“These crimes are systematic, sophisticated and are carried out across state lines,” Reid said, adding: “These lawless organizations must be stopped.

24 July 2008 @ 11:15 am | No comments

Sen. Reid Continues Push Against FLDS

15 July 2008 @ 1:59 pm | 3 comments

Sen. Reid continues push against FLDS

The Nevada Democrat requested and received the July 24 hearing before the committee, during which he will present evidence to support a federal crime investigation of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a spokesman said. . .

Reid contends that the FLDS are an organized crime syndicate that has engaged in bribery, extortion, fraud, embezzlement, witness tampering and labor violations. He wants the Justice Department to launch a federal racketeering investigation.

This has been a long-standing cause of concern for Sen. Reid. If crimes are committed, they should be investigated, but it only seems fair that they let the FLDS participate.

Rod Parker, a Salt Lake City attorney and FLDS spokesman, said the Senate committee should give equal time at the hearing to sect members.

“The important point is if they really want to find out what is happening, they need to hear from both sides,” Parker said. “They cannot take at face value these accusations. A lot of them are unfounded and the people making them don’t know what they are talking about.”

Sen. Harry Reid has a new book that may not be a complete memoir but it recounts his hardscrabble upbringing and path the the U.S. Senate. From the SL Trib overview it sounds like an expanded version of the senator’s BYU speech from last fall.

He also mentions his faith:

In The Good Fight, Reid intersperses descriptions of life as minority leader and then majority leader with tales from his youth and early career as a lawyer. And he talks openly about his faith, a topic Reid normally holds close to his vest. While Americans may know Mitt Romney is a Mormon, few know that about Reid.

“I’ve tried not to wear my religion on my sleeve,” Reid said.

“I’ve tried to live what I feel would be a good Christian life, recognizing that other people have their own religions and I’ve tried to respect that,” Reid said. “But for me, my religion has made me a better person and I have no doubt it’s contributed to my family, my five children being the good people they are.”

Reid, who receives round-the-clock protection from Capitol police officers, still attends church in either Nevada or Washington and does his monthly home teaching as encouraged by Mormon leaders.

5 May 2008 @ 3:45 pm | No comments

Sen. Reid has asked the Justice department to look into federal efforts to deal with polygamous criminal behavior. And it’s not a recent concern.

Two years ago, Reid wrote former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales that the federal government needs to work with state officials to look at the “broader pattern of serious criminal conduct by all those who use multiple marriages to abuse women and children.”

Reid wanted a federal task force to specifically investigate interstate crimes by polygamist communities, but told Mukasey in an April 18 letter that he is “not satisfied that a comprehensive federal strategy has been implemented.”

24 April 2008 @ 4:35 pm | 1 comment

The Laffer Curve, Lamanite taxation and why Harry Reid should re-read the Book of Mosiah.

6 March 2008 @ 11:47 am | 8 comments

I’m sure some heads in the Bloggernacle will explode over this. Ann Coulter endorses Mitt Romney.

One clue that Romney is our strongest candidate is the fact that Democrats keep viciously attacking him while expressing their deep respect for Mike Huckabee and John McCain. . .

And, of course, Romney is a Mormon. Even a loser Mormon like Sen. Harry Reid claims to be pro-life. So having a candidate with a wacky religion isn’t all bad.

At worst, Romney will turn out to be a moderate Republican — a high-IQ, articulate, moral, wildly successful, moderate Republican. Of the top five Republican candidates for president, Romney is the only one who hasn’t dumped his first wife (as well as the second, in the case of Giuliani) — except Huckabee. And unlike Huckabee, Romney doesn’t have a son who hanged a dog at summer camp. So there won’t be any intern issues and there won’t be any Billy Carter issues.

It’s also possible that Romney will turn out to be a conservative Republican — at least more conservative than he was as governor of Massachusetts. Whatever problems Romney’s Mormonism gives voters, remember: Bill Clinton came in third in heavily Mormon Utah in 1992. 

16 January 2008 @ 11:29 pm | 1 comment

Utah Democratic Party calls on Lawrence O’Donnell to apologize for attacks on the Mormon Church:

Utah Democrats refuse to become collateral damage because of your misguided attack on a Republican candidate for President of the United States. To do otherwise would undermine fine Democrats who are members of the LDS Church, most prominently on the national stage is U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

20 December 2007 @ 7:44 pm | No comments

Harry Reid: Classy Guy

6 December 2007 @ 9:37 am | 4 comments

Mitt Romney’s on the verge of giving the speech of his life.  Even more importantly, a speech which will lay the foundation for Mormons’ place in the public square for a good long time. When asked about The Big Speech, Senator Harry Reid refused to offer any advice and had to add:

“Well,” Mr. Reid said, “I believe Mitt Romney, who’s a man I’ve never met — don’t particularly want to — a man I’ve never met, that I would hope that his running for president would be determined on his politics and not his religion.”

An aide had to add what Reid couldn’t come to say himself, “An aide to Mr. Reid confirmed later that the majority leader had no reservations whatsoever about a Mormon in the White House, but that it is Republican beliefs that he finds suspicious and in conflict with his values.”

Is Sen. Reid trying to show that Mormons don’t put religion over politics?  Maybe he’s under a lot of pressure to reassure his base that he’s not in cahoots with his conservative fellow believers.  It may good to break some of the stereotypes about the Church but do we need to show that we can be jerks too?

Governor Mitt Romney’s Remarks At The Family Research Council:
“By the way – a few of you may have heard that I’m a Mormon. I understand that some people think they couldn’t support someone of my faith. That may be because they’ve listened to Harry Reid.

23 October 2007 @ 9:46 am | 2 comments

Agreeing to Disagree

19 October 2007 @ 11:19 am | 8 comments

It’s been interesting this year to watch the Church and Mitt Romney reach out to Christians for their own reasons and in their own ways.

Gov. Romney has been actively courting GOP-influential evangelicals as a key to his nomination.  Rather than directly speaking on his religion (as so many pundits are demanding he do), he has continuously emphasized that it has informed his “values” which are similar to the rest of religious conservatives.

“The values of my faith are much like, or are identical to, the values of other faiths that have a Judeo-Christian philosophical background,” he said at a campaign event in New Hampshire this month. “They’re American values, if you will.”

In contrast, the Church has renewed its efforts to define itself as a Christian church while emphasizing its peculiar differences.  President Hinckley and Elder Holland’s General Conference talks rejected the creedal beliefs of mainstream Christianity based on what Holland called “post–New Testament Christian history”:

So any criticism that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not hold the contemporary Christian view of God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost is not a comment about our commitment to Christ but rather a recognition (accurate, I might add) that our view of the Godhead breaks with post–New Testament Christian history and returns to the doctrine taught by Jesus Himself.

Last week the Church followed up these talks with a press release emphasizing that “As people learn more about Latter-day Saint beliefs, they may see some distinct differences and yet find some unexpected common ground.”

Governor Romney glosses over his religious differences (smartly I think) while the Church unapologetically emphasizes its differences, and yet they are both seeking to establish that Mormonism (or at least a Mormon) has a place in the public square.  (Just to keep piling on, Harry Reid’s comments last week were not helpful in this effort)

There will always be evangelical clods who will feel they have a divine mandate to harass the Church and protest General Conference, but politically, I think there has been evidence that progress has been made.

The Church has made it clear we don’t want to agree on everything theologically.  Or politically.  Just some respect and an acknowledgement that Mormons don’t have horns would be nice.  When Bob Jones University can join the 21st century and endorse a Mormon for president, I think there’s reason for hope.  

Harry Reid Blew It

12 October 2007 @ 10:55 am | 8 comments

Speaking before one of the most conservative schools in one of the most conservative areas in the country (registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 11 to 1), Senator Reid was before an audience that is rarely visited by a prominent Democrat.  Senator Reid’s speech on “Faith, Family and Public Service” (PDF) (video and mp3 audio) did a very good job discussing his humble uprbringing, his conversion, and how his personal beliefs inform his Democratic politics.  

Discussing why ”I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it” was a great demonstration that a faithful Mormon can be a Democrat.  Indeed, Senator Reid couldn’t be a better asset in the Church’s continuing struggle to show that it is politically neutral.  I imagine that the Church was very happy to welcome Reid to show that that it is hospitable to both parties and to highlight the fact that the most prominent LDS politician, ever, is a Democrat.

Unfortunately, Senator Reid’s talk was overshadowed by his comments in a following BYU press appearance where he:

  • criticized President Benson and other conservative church leaders who have “taken members of the church down . . . the wrong path”
  • implied church members are easily swayed and became politically conservative because they were misled
  • childishly insulted our President (not the first time he has done this at a school)
  • slammed conservative evangelicals: ”They are the most anti-Christian people I can imagine, the people from the Christian far right.”  (Does anyone see the irony in that statement?)

Whatever you may feel about his opinions, the resulting headlines:  “Reid: Right-wingers have taken LDS Church members down ‘wrong path’ ” and “Reid speaks out against past Mormon leaders” probably aren’t going to help sway anyone who thinks that being a good Democrat and Mormon is a paradox.

Even more embarassing for the Church are his comments about President Bush and conservative christians.   This has received some attention (and justifiable outrage) from conservative blogs but not enough in the Bloggernacle, unlike some subjects.  Not living in Utah, I don’t know how this has played out beyond newspaper articles.

At the end of his speech, Sen. Reid quoted Alma and  and then bore his testimony where he said (transcribed from audio, not in his prepared text but partially included in the BYU press release):

“I want each of you to leave this great education you have and go out and do good things for people.  Represent the Church.  Make people like President Gordon B. Hinckley happy with what you are doing, the life you are leading.”

Senator Reid promptly forgot his own counsel and undid any good he may have done with his impressive talk.  Too bad.

Sen. Reid’s BYU Speech and Afterwards

10 October 2007 @ 9:43 am | No comments

Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid’s BYU speech discussed his upbringing, conversion, and his basic political beliefs and how they have influenced his career and perspective on public service.  Senator Reid’s prepared text can be found here.

Senator Reid had the good sense (if not class) to wait to criticize the political beliefs of past Church leaders, President Bush, and conservative christians in a press conference following his speech.

Some past prominent LDS Church leaders wrongly pressed conservatism on church members, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday during a press conference at Brigham Young University.

The Nevada senator attacked President Bush and evangelical Christians while saying members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints need to worry less about abortion and gay marriage and more about health care, global warming, education and jobs . . .

“I think people in the church have to understand there are issues more important than abortion and gay marriage.”

The Church, as an institution, would appear to think otherwise as it has made the rare exception to voice its political opinion on abortion and gay marriage and not health care, global warming, nor jobs.

 On past church leaders,:

Reid said Ezra Taft Benson, active in very conservative politics before he became a president of the LDS Church, and Ernest L. Wilkinson, the president of BYU from 1951-71, were among past church leaders “who were very right-wing people politically.”

“Members of the church are obedient,” Reid said, “they are followers in the truest sense of the word, and I think they’ve taken members of the church down a path that is the wrong path. Look at Joseph Smith. Here’s a man who was progressive, to say the least. He broke from the pack. He did things differently than they’d been done. He was against slavery. He wanted to start a national bank.

The SL Trib adds Sen. Reid’s actual comments on President Benson:

In the past years we’ve had some very prominent members of the church, like Ezra Taft Benson, who are really right-wing people. Members of the church are obedient and followers in the true sense of the word, but these people have taken members of the church down the path that is the wrong path.

Understandably, being a party’s standard bearer can be a tough role to play, but right after speaking about King Benjamin’s example and service to God, Senator Reid took some rather uncharitable digs at President Bush:

“They have focused on just a few issues, flag-burning, gay marriage, abortion,” Reid said. “The country has gone beyond that to other issues. We have a country that needs to do something about health care. Global warming is here. We have a president who doesn’t know how to pronounce the words.”

and at evangelicals:

Reid also told reporters the Republican Party has been driven by evangelical Christians for 20 years. “They are the most anti-Christian people I can imagine, the people from the Christian far right.”

More first hand accounts at Hot Blava and by Gordon Smith at Conglomerate.

The BYU Democrats had their own meeting with with Senator Reid and a photo gallery where the Senator posed with many of its members.

Sen. Reid Questioning a Prophet?

9 October 2007 @ 4:40 pm | 8 comments

The Salt Lake Tribune has a provocative first write-up of Senator Reid’s BYU appearance today.   “I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it.” Fair enough.

But then:

“In the past years we’ve had some very prominent members of the church like Ezra Taft Benson who are really right-wing people. Members of the church are obedient and followers in the true sense of the word, but these people have taken members of the church down the path that is the wrong path,” he said.

I would like to see if there is greater clarification in his remarks as to who “these people” are.  I’m sure he’s just referring to a mundane political disagreement but it sounds like his words could easily be taken out of context.    That would be unfortunate.  He’s not calling President Benson a “phony prophet” is he? 

But, I’m glad he didn’t shy away from being partisan.  His talk promises to be an interesting read.

UPDATE:  Frank Staheli has a first hand account of Sen. Reid’s speech.  He was impressed.

UPDATE 2:  The Deseret Morning News has more thorough coverage on Sen. Reid’s speech.  While there were no protests, there was some unfortunate boorish behavior, “One person did walk out between the end of Reid’s speech and the traditional closing prayer and called out that students should not be deceived by Reid.”

A Civil Welcome for Sen. Reid

9 October 2007 @ 10:04 am | 1 comment

Does it say anything that very conservative BYU won’t be protesting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s BYU appearance today?  Take that in contrast to the hype and hysteria that attended Vice-President Cheney’s commencement speech six months ago.  Maybe it doesn’t mean anything, Reid is LDS after all.  But I imagine many, if not most, at BYU have more in common politically with the Vice-President than the Senator.

Fortunately, the Deseret Morning News has the non-story that no protests are expected during Reid’s BYU visit today. The most that could be dug up are some comments on the Free Republic that someone should bring a protest sign. Hopefully, that’s an empty threat.

As much as I disagree with Senator Reid’s politics and rhetoric as a Democratic leader, I do hope all goes well today.  His appearance will hopefully raise his visibility as a prominent (and Democratic) Mormon that will help the Church and its members smooth over some of the political divides among us.  

I liked Dean Magelby’s closing in his op-ed on welcomg Sen. Reid:

Within the church there can be and should be room for disagreement about political matters. At the 1968 Commencement exercises President Hugh B. Brown encouraged students to “strive to develop a maturity of mind and emotion, and a depth of spirit which will enable you to differ with others on matters of politics without calling into question the integrity of those with whom you differ. Allow within the bounds of our definition of religious orthodoxy a variation in political belief. Do not have the temerity to dogmatize on issues where the Lord has seen fit to be silent.”

Senator Reid will be speaking on faith, family, and public service.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will be giving a BYU devotional on October 9.  Will there be the forthcoming protests and petitions?  Chief Justice John Roberts follows on October 23.

1 October 2007 @ 8:10 am | 2 comments