Harry Reid Surrenders His Sword

by Gaius Publius

We don't need much comment here. Harry Reid has just said he will surrender to most things the Senate Republicans want to do, if they have the votes to do them. The Hill (my paragraphing):

Reid: 'No desire' to obstruct GOP 
By Alexander Bolton

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday pledged to work with Republicans when they are in the majority and eschew the strategy of obstruction he has accused them of using against Democrats. “I am ready, Mr. President, to work with him in good faith to make this institution function again for the American people. I saw firsthand how a strategy of destruction was debilitating to our system,” he said, addressing the Senate chair. “I have no desire to engage in that manner,” he said. ...

With Republicans set to take control of the upper chamber in January, it has raised questions about whether Democrats might seek revenge by blocking Republican initiatives in order to run against a dysfunctional GOP Congress in 2016.

Reid said that would not happen.

“I have been able to strike compromise with my Republican colleagues and I’m ready to do it again. Regardless of how you may interpret last week’s election results, it’s clear the American people want us to join together to get things done for the middle class and all Americans,” he said. ...

Read the rest if you like. Reid's gone all "collegial," all bipartisan. I'll bet he's getting his ticket punched all over DC for this generous move. (Bonus points for spotting the one-word "tell" — I included it above — that tells you the writer is punching Reid's ticket as well.)

Now consider carefully. Reid's not stupid. He's fighting for something, achieving some goal. Is Reid fighting for you? Or just for himself and the other insiders — the "club" as George Carlin called it — in his bipartisan Coalition of the Wealthy, the group that serves the group that buys their lunch?

What if, next, Reid mouths progressive words? Will you be mollified? What if he goes so far as to bring Elizabeth Warren into a leadership position? Will it offset the fact that he surrendered his sword ahead of the very first fight?

Harry Reid is up for re-election in 2016, along with 33 of his millionaire buddies. Feel like un-rewarding him? Me too. I'm going to take an early look at those 2016 Senate elections shortly. Perhaps we can throw a spanner into the Coalition of the Wealthy and their bipartisan engine. Someone has to be bold enough to act; might as well be us.