Columnist Jeff German: Reid at his best in Senate shake-up

Jeff German is the Sun's senior investigative reporter. He can be reached at (702) 259-4067 or by e-mail at [email protected].

IT MAY BE no coincidence that the man who pulled off the biggest power play on Capitol Hill in a long time was Nevada's own Sen. Harry Reid.

By the end of last week, the accolades were starting to flow Reid's way from Democrats and Republicans amazed by the seemingly effortless way in which he coaxed Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont into bolting from the GOP.

For nearly a month, top-secret talks between Jeffords and Reid and Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota took place on Capitol Hill right under the nose of the hungry Washington press corps.

Not a word slipped out until Jeffords announced last Wednesday that he was turning independent. The switch gave the Democrats control of the Senate with a 50-49 majority and sent a dagger through the heart of President Bush's legislative agenda.

And it catapulted Reid, born in tiny Searchlight, into the second most powerful position (majority whip) in the Senate.

Much to the dismay of the president, Reid said last week that he was convinced the historic power shift would "set a new agenda for the country."

That means increased Democratic influence over such important issues as health care and education.

Reid said he saw a chance for real bipartisanship in Washington.

Those who know Reid say his strong point has always been working in a bipartisan manner.

Even as the assistant Democratic leader, Reid has managed to court many Republican friends in the Senate with his even-handed demeanor and sense of fairness.

Jeffords was one such friend.

Within the last month, in the middle of the Bush education bill debate, Reid sensed that Jeffords, a moderate Republican, was being mistreated by his own leaders who were catering to the right wing of the party. The White House also was putting much pressure on Jeffords to toe the party line on that bill and the president's tax cut.

"It seemed to be the ideal time to strike," one source close to Reid says.

After consulting with Daschle, Reid began to have conversations with Jeffords about leaving the GOP. The talks intensified within the past couple of weeks to the point where Jeffords, feeling shunned by his own party, agreed to defect.

During an 8 a.m. meeting May 15 with Reid and Daschle, Jeffords came to the conclusion that he no longer wanted to stay in the Republican Party.

What Jeffords appeared most impressed with was the way the two Democratic leaders had managed to keep the sensitive negotiations under wraps.

He also warmed up to Reid's offer to give him the chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works Committee, a panel assignment Reid has coveted for years.

"Harry made it easy for Jeffords to make his decision," a Capitol Hill insider says. "This was Harry at his best. He's an expert negotiator behind the scenes."

Wayne Mehl, the Nevada Resort Association's Washington lobbyist, says the Jeffords coup is going to make Reid a very powerful man inside the Beltway.

"Each step along the way for him people have become more and more amazed at how much he has shined," Mehl says. "He's really coming into his own now, surprising even people like me who've known him for years."

True to form, Reid remained humble last week, refusing to explain how he managed to pull off his power play.

"This is not a time for gloating," he cautioned. "This is a time for being somber and reflecting and thinking about things we can do for the state and the country."

Mehl says Reid isn't out for accolades.

"He did this to improve his own position so he can be a more powerful force for Nevada," Mehl says.

It looks like he achieved his goal.

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