Harry Reid’s new task: Mending fences with all the Republicans he’s annoyed
Some Republicans say Reid poisoned his relationship with their party by waging controversial attacks against GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. They were most angered by Reid’s charge that Romney had not paid taxes in ten years, attributing the information to an anonymous source.
“I do think he lost more credibility with Republicans because of his aggressive comments during the campaign,” said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist and former leadership aide who served in the Senate and House…
Former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who served 18 years with Reid in the Senate, predicted Reid’s partisan rhetoric would not damage negotiations with Republicans on avoiding the “fiscal cliff.”
“Not at all,” Gregg said. “We have what I call a once-every-four-year period where the music stops and everyone has their portfolio of power. Governing comes first and politics comes second. The window lasts for about eight months. All the payers involved played aggressively in political roles. They have to change hats and govern. Harry Reid is very capable of doing that.”
Blowback
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Tell Harry to pound sand
cmsinaz on November 24, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Good luck with that, jerk.
thebrokenrattle on November 24, 2012 at 1:27 PM
May the thug go to a creche, soon.
Schadenfreude on November 24, 2012 at 1:29 PM
I can not stand that repulsive little spineless worm! Too bad the r’s will ‘just get along’ to crater our nation even more dealing with dingy!
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letget on November 24, 2012 at 1:35 PM
Good Lord, what half-witted, idiot thinks Harry Reid has ANY intention of “mending fences” with any Republicans?? Has the Hill lost its tiny collective mind.
Warner Todd Huston on November 24, 2012 at 1:35 PM
mccain and graham, tongues hanging, paw out, belly up.
renalin on November 24, 2012 at 1:36 PM
First step needs to be Harry Reid going to the floor of the Senate and apologizing to Mitt Romney about his comments on their religion and then Reid would have to admit that he flat out lied to the American people about Romney not paying any taxes.
TEPJoePa on November 24, 2012 at 1:38 PM
What’s to mend? I thought we were all in agreement that we’re just going to jack up everyone’s taxes?
Let it ride.
Midwestprincesse on November 24, 2012 at 1:38 PM
The Hell with what he said about Gov. Romney, how about blaming the Republicans for nothing getting done while he controls what comes to the floor and gets voted on. I think the people at The Hill are delusional, Reid doesn’t care about mending fences. Never did.
Cindy Munford on November 24, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Making friends with the people he slandered you mean.
DeathtotheSwiss on November 24, 2012 at 1:39 PM
Hairy Reed is a despicable slimeball. Anyone who treats that piece of trash as if he is even capable of dealing in good faith is an idiot. Reid is a liar and a fool. And he smells, too.
I can’t believe anyone would even think of treating the criminal who refused to let the Senate vote on a budget for 4 years (except those pathetic 97-0 and 98-0 votes against Barky’s asinine budget scribblings – LOL) and has made a mockery of the Constitution and the concept of civilized governance.
Of course, they go to Judd Gregg for a quote about being nice. It was Gregg, after all, who was so dumb that he actually contemplated becoming part of the Indonesian’s administration – a move so incredibly stupid that no one should take his babblings about anything seriously.
This is not about politics. It’s about restoring America (which is exceedingly unlikely, in any event). The sequester should only be avoided if BarkyCare is repealed and the Senate passes a friggin budget. Without that, nothing should move forward, no money should be appropriated, and the debt ceiling should not be raised. That is the ONLY way to even start to get a handle on the problems that are driving this dying nation into the chasm.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on November 24, 2012 at 1:45 PM
I was gonna say, annoyed is much too mild for what the right feels for the slimy majority leader. There is much rightous rage.
thebrokenrattle on November 24, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Thread winner.
The GOP is so spineless. They let this corrupt politician ignore the law of the land, refuse to make up a budget each fiscal year, with the end result that the 2009 Omnibus spending bill and the 2009 stimulus spending ended up being in the BASELINE of the continuing resolutions that they keep passing in the place of a new budget each year.
THAT is why we have a trillion dollar + deficit each year, up 7 fold from a typical Bush deficit (if you exclude FY 2008).
That man is the biggest thief in the history of our country. He has stolen the wealth of several future generations for his own political power grab. Disgusting pig.
karenhasfreedom on November 24, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Lock and load. Get it over with.
bgibbs1000 on November 24, 2012 at 1:48 PM
I think it would be good to go along with the “just raise taxes on the wealthiest among us” crap for now. That way, when everyone’s taxes and living expenses skyrocket, it can’t be blamed on the R’s raising taxes on the middle class. There will be nothing for the leftists to hide behind. Everyone will find out it’s Obamacare, EPA regulations and stupid spending that is causing them not to be able to buy the newest iPhone and eat out three times a week. Maybe then I won’t be the only mother who actually bakes the cookies for the Christmas party instead of buying them at WalMart!
Night Owl on November 24, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Unfortunatly there are enough RINOs in the senate, with no capacity for memory what-so-ever, and with whom Harry has no fence mending to do at all, that we’re going to find ourselves getting the shaft once again.
jaydee_007 on November 24, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Well said.
karenhasfreedom on November 24, 2012 at 1:50 PM
I wonder if this issue is handled and will get voted on Dec. 24/25 as bhocare was? Sure seems they wait till midnight of the day things expire in dc to vote and every time the citizens get the BOHICA again!
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letget on November 24, 2012 at 1:50 PM
Sotp it.
The Media and the populace no longer have capacity for logic.
The whole thing will fall squarely on the Republicans, for what ever the MSM decides it was and there is not a rational thinking person out there to counter it.
Regardless of what the Republicans do, the mess will continue to NOT be Obama’s fault and be some stupid thing that the MSM can attribute it to Republicans for doing.
It’s time for Republicans to figure out that the Real Enemey is the Media.
It’s time for Republicans to accept the “Germ Theory” as Doctors did One Hundred Fifty years ago.
Obama is just a symptom, the Media is the cause.
jaydee_007 on November 24, 2012 at 1:53 PM
Yeah,
Like Reid is so fair-minded that he’ll bring bills to the floor of the Senat to allow open debate and spirited discussion and such…
OH WAIT….
ProfShadow on November 24, 2012 at 1:55 PM
As long as the Rs make it possible so that EVERY Dem. has to vote for the policy in both the House AND Senate, along with as few Rs (choose safe districts and people that can communicate WHY they are being strategic), then Rs should hand the Dems. what they want. The fiscal cliff stuff needs to happen now instead of being postponed. People need to physically and mentally feel the actual reality that is going on, but being skirted under the rug.
Midwestprincesse on November 24, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Fixed.
BallisticBob on November 24, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Good blowback here. Reid has no interest in working with Republicans and never will.
22044 on November 24, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Vote present and give Harry anything he wants.
darwin on November 24, 2012 at 2:02 PM
LOL! Harry Reid doesn’t need a single R to vote for anything, save for UN Treaties. He can take any HB, strip it, put any D crap SB inside, and pass it with reconciliation. The R’s are playing along for nothing. After the inauguration I fully expect this is how Baracky’s budget gets passed.
txhsmom on November 24, 2012 at 2:04 PM
LOL
The two faced fools in Congress knew if Obama got re elected he would not sign off on any Republican favored bill, so why again, did they postpone action until after the November election?
Sounds like a plan
entagor on November 24, 2012 at 2:08 PM
His problem is getting a HB he likes.
darwin on November 24, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Reid’s problem is that he’s made a lot of nasty personal remarks. (Romney, Rubio).
Criticizing someone’s policies is one thing, but saying they’re a disgrace to Mormonism or a tax cheat or doesn’t really represent Hispanics is another thing.
Wethal on November 24, 2012 at 2:11 PM
Actually, he can’t. To use reconciliation, one needs to have a prior budget to reconcile. The Dems had a budget in 2009 that included a reconciliation provision designed to pass Obamacare if they needed it. They used it; it can’t be used again.
They need to pass a new budget to do this again, and of course, cannot, because the price tag would be too high. Hence the continuing resolutions on funding, which cannot be reconciled.
Wethal on November 24, 2012 at 2:13 PM
jaydee_007 ,
By George , I bilieve you hit the nail on the head !
Lucano on November 24, 2012 at 2:18 PM
I’m no expert but I think the R’s could just vote present and let the dems win the vote that way. As jaydee said though, unless there was a way to make sure it was made very public and that the media couldn’t spin it…and there’s the problem.
Night Owl on November 24, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Nothing has stopped these thieves yet. Who’s going to stop them from using one of the many R budgets that have already been passed?
txhsmom on November 24, 2012 at 2:32 PM
Translation: It’s the GOP’s obligation to forget what this obnoxious p.o.s. has said and done, not his obligation to seek forgiveness. F that. It’s Hurricane Harry’s damage, let him clean it up and mend the fences he’s blown down. Knowing the spineless GOP Senators, though, that ain’t gonna happen…
fitzfong on November 24, 2012 at 2:43 PM
For Republicans, maybe. For Dhimmicrats, the window for cooperation lasts about 1 femtosecond (0.000 000 000 000 001 seconds). Then it’s back to their normal slander and lies.
RoadRunner on November 24, 2012 at 2:54 PM
Well, former Sen. Judd Gregg, I have to disagree with you. You are far too amiable and forgiving. Reid has been a nasty partisan pr*ck for way too many years. His refusal to bring Republican bills out of committee and his failure to provide a budget indicate that he is not worth your courteously kind judgment.
onlineanalyst on November 24, 2012 at 2:55 PM
If Reid makes changes to the House budget, then it has to go back to the House for a vote on the changed version.
Both houses of Congress must vote on identical bills. Even if it had to be voted on in the House, as opposed to being buried by a House committee, the House could still vote down the changed version.
Wethal on November 24, 2012 at 2:59 PM
But has Reid proven he’s not a pedophile?
davidk on November 24, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Ah good ol Judd and most of the other repubs, always there to lend a hand….job.
arnold ziffel on November 24, 2012 at 4:29 PM
To the Dems, politics is governing, especially to the Chicago machine.
Wethal on November 24, 2012 at 4:36 PM
Why? Once he’s done with the nuclear option, he won’t need to give Republicans the time of day.
jnelchef on November 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM