Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Reid tells the Daily Show: We’re in a holding pattern

WASHINGTON -- Maybe Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should reconsider his New Year's resolution -- the one where he pledged to start talking louder.

On The Daily Show on Monday night, during Reid's inaugural appearance to discuss his new book, host Jon Stewart seemed to find the Reid whisper intriguing.

Reid's first sentences rolled out, as he explained that he wrote his autobiography because Nevadans "don't know who I am. I thought it was important to tell the story about really who I am. In America if I can make it, anyone can."

The crowd broke in with applause, prompting to Stewart to muse, "I think right now they are taken aback by your soft spoken, and I'm going to go with humility."

"They're not quite sure," Stewart continued. "You are someone who's got a reputation for toughness and yet as I look across the table from you, I feel like I could filibuster this man."

The host went easy on the senator whom he has freely and robustly skewered in the past. He seemed almost touched by Reid's Searchlight-to-Washington story.

Reid served up a few one-liners but nothing too truculent at all. He avoided Stewart's attempt to get him to divulge which Democratic senator he wants as president, explaining as party leader in the Senate he has to "take care of whoever comes back. I want to be able to look them in the eye and say I have been neutral."

The one danger spot came when Stewart asked if the business of the government was in this "weird circulating pattern" as the presidential nominating contest drags on.

Reid's reply may not be the talking point party strategists had in mind as election season begins.

"I think we've been in a holding pattern since Democrats took over the majority," Reid said. "This was a shock to Republicans. They tried to maintain the status quo."

"I'm just as disappointed as the American people we haven't had more change," Reid said.

Reid's seemed to be aiming his comments at the Daily Show audience, viewers who find truth in Stewart's wry critiques of politics and are frustrated by Democrats' inability to change course in war in Iraq and other big issues.

But it might not have been the preferred take-away line. Saying you've been standing still on the job is an odd argument for re-election. Or maybe voters will find such honesty refreshing. Time will tell. It was a softly-spoken point, but one that is likely to resonate, for better or worse.

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