Nevada Democrats, the fix is in for 2006. Your Democratic Senator is practically promising to help ensure that your Republican Senator will not have any meaningful opposition from the Democrats on Election Day 2006.
Nevada is a swing state. That means that Republicans and Democrats are about equal in power there. So, under normal circumstances, that would mean that the Democratic Party would push like hell to get a Democrat to replace an incumbent Republican senator up for re-election next year. Too bad circumstances are not normal.
Democratic Senator Harry Reid seems to have come to a gentleman’s agreement with Republican Senator John Ensign to do whatever he can to prevent a meaningful effort to unseat Senator Ensign in 2006.
“We’ve got other places where we’re going to focus our attention,” says Senator Reid. Where, Harry? Where?
Senator Ensign would be very vulnerable to a challenge from a Democratic candidate – if Harry Reid weren’t tying the Democrats’ hands behind their backs. John Ensign only got his senate seat after losing to a Democrat the first time – and with fuel prices going through the roof and the Iraq War flaming out of control, John Ensign’s approval ratings are suffering.
John Ensign is no friend of the progressive America. On our legislative scorecard of the United States Senate, we’re recording that Senator Ensign has a progressive rating of zero, and a regressive conservative rating of 100. To stop the Republicans’ radical agenda in the United States Senate, it is essential to replace Republican senators like John Ensign with more reasonable alternatives.
Harry Reid is the official leader of the Democrats in the United States Senate. Getting a Democratic majority in the United States Senate is supposed to be Harry Reid’s job. Harry Reid’s is supposed to be working for every Democrat in the nation.
Instead, Harry Reid seems to be working most hard to protect his own job. What’s the deal – Harry Reid lets John Ensign win in 2006, and John Ensign will work to protect Harry Reid’s seat when he is next up for re-election?
Sorry, Harry, but you don’t deserve your seat in the Senate if you’re willing to put your own political career ahead of the good of the country. If you won’t stand up, do your job, and help get John Ensign out of the Senate in 2006, then it’s the job of Democratic citizens to stand up against you and urge their Democratic Senators to kick you out of your job and find a new leader who will work to battle the Republicans in all 50 states – not just where it is politically convenient.
Oh, yeah. Like Ensign will remember to back Reed when his turn comes around. How likely is that? Reed’s a sucker.
jclifford, there seem to be many accusations of Reid’s non-support of a Dem and “support” of Ensign but I don’t see any fact’s except a vague quote about focusing attention elsewhere.
Associated Press, 8/13
Because Walt asked.
The last sentence says it all. Ensign and Reid see eye to eye on many things. Ensign is a moderate who is not affraid to oppose Bush on many issues important to us Nevadans…. Yucca Mountain, recent EPA changes to radiation standards, Enviromental concerns such as Southern Nevada population growth mgt. including a new and much needed Veterans Hospital. When a viable democrat appears, Harry Reid may very well choose them. Things are not always black and white. Hell I’m a democrat and oppose everything Bush does and stands for, I may even run myself.