Reid to MoveOn: Back off

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. wants liberal groups who are targeting Democrats over the budget to back down.

The left-leaning Americans United for Change and MoveOn.Org have been airing advertisements on the radio and Internet in a dozen states that are home to both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who have not made up their minds about whether to back Obama’s s slightly pared-down budget proposals next week.

The ads tell listeners to call the lawmakers and tell them to back Obama’s $3.6 trillion proposal, which has been slimmed down in House and Senate versions.

Reid first told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor that he was unaware of the ads by the groups, but they should not go after Democrats.

“If they are doing that, I think it is very unwise and not helpful,” Reid said. “These groups should leave these people along.”

Reid defended the Democratic moderates, who have begun meeting separately to discuss their own agenda.

“I believe people should go to the meetings,” Reid said. “You’ll find a lot of people going to the meetings are not right wing. Any public statements that they have made have been helpful. Some go to those meetings just to send a press release home that says they are moderate.”

 

Reid, who was asked about upcoming judicial nominations, had harsh words for conservative Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who he accused of lying about his judicial views at his confirmation hearings in 2005.

 

“Roberts didn’t tell us the truth,” Reid said. “At least [Justice Samuel] Alito told us who he was,” Reid lamented. “We are stuck with these young men but going forward we will have more moderates in some of the lower courts.”

But Reid said he would not resort to eliminating the Senate’s 60-vote threshold – known as the nuclear option – as a threat to Senate Republicans if they try to block Obama’s judicial picks.

 

“There is no way I would be part of using the nuclear option and I want every Republican to hear that,” Reid said.

 

Reid is also stuck with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who earlier this week announced he will not back a bill that would ease the formation of labor unions. Without his support, it is unlikely the bill, labeled “card-check” by opponents, can move forward because Democrats will control at most 59 seats and need 60 to clear the procedural hurdle.

 

Before Specter’s announcement, Reid had been using his charms to try to lure Specter to the Democratic side of the Senate, as he was able to do almost singlehandedly with Jim Jeffords of Vermont, several years ago.

 

Now, those talks have ended, Reid said.

 

“Yes I’ve talked to him,” Reid acknowledged, as have other Democrats. “But his coming out against card-check kind of stopped everyone from trying to help him.”

 

Reid noted that Specter is struggling in the polls in his state, where he faces a tough reelection battle. “His move to change his position on card check hasn’t helped him,” Reid said.

 

Without Specter’s backing, Reid said the senate would have to work out a deal with Republicans on the labor bill, which aimed to remove the secret ballot requirement now required to form labor unions but will now almost certainly be watered down.

“I know there are conversations going on now with Republicans to see what can be done to come up with legislation that helps the working men and women in this country.”

Reid said he is also trying to round up enough support to pass a banking bill that includes language allowing judges to reset the terms of home mortgages in bankruptcy court, which opponents call “cram-down” legislation. Reid said he is “semi-confident” he can find the 60 votes needed to bring it to the Senate floor, but said he will drop the bankruptcy language from the bill if he cannot.