Harry Reid is going to be the minority leader in the Senate.

[AP]

Dodd declined.

Hot off the presses.

[JI7]

1. i thought it was always going to be Harry Reid

since he was 2nd to Daschle among the Democratic Senate Leadership.

personally i like harry reid. i liked tom daschle and will be sad to see him go. chris dodd would have been ok too.

[Tatiana]

2. At least the guy knows how to run an effective filibuster. n/t

[AmerDem]

3. love Harry Reid but the man is too low key and soft spoken

Let's face it folks, we as a party are in a very tough situation. I just heard our Dem representation is as low now as it was in something like 1928. We need stronger, more vocal leaders that have a tougher presence to represent us country wide and draw back all those that have left us. I really can't see nor do I have faith in people like Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi fulfilling these obligations. They are true and much needed people in our party but they are not of leadership quality.

[NewJeffCT]

4. look what happened after 1928, though

The Great Depression. I honestly think it may take something like that to turn things around for us.

Of course, they'll still try to blame it on Clinton, or something else.

[AmerDem]

5. with all do respect

We can't imagine history repeating itself the same exact way it did following 1928. The repukes would say that the years following the great depression proved that social entitlement programs never work and it led to what the Dems are today. Hell, they have said this the entire time but they will now have a wider audience to listen to this bullshit.

[NewJeffCT]

6. No, it won't be the same

But, it will be the Japanese & Chinese, if they decide to stop financing our debt by buying US Treasuries...

Or, it will be a concentrated effort on the part of China, Japan & the EU.

Heck, if China changed their currency from being tied to the dollar, as it is now, to being tied to the Euro, it could trigger a lot of bad things for our economy.

Of course, the RW Propaganda Machine will just blame those radical leftists in the EU and all those America-haters in the UN for the troubles. It's never the fault of the Republicans.

[ContinentalOp]

28. I have thought that for a while but I think differently now.

If there were another great depression I don't think the result would be another populist progressive movement with broad support. Instead I think we would see a Nazi-Germany-style appeal to hate, fear and bigotry. A scapegoat would be found (muslim terrorists? immoral liberalism? another worldwide Jewish conspiracy? a combination of all of the above?) and the results would NOT be pretty.

[NewJeffCT]

34. it's possible

we have plenty of available scapegoats - liberals, gays, Bill Clinton, Muslims, Commies, Hollywood, Europe and probably 1 or 2 more to be manufactured.

[eriffle]

7. No, Hell No!

We need someone like Byrd or Kerry. Someone with fire, some who will say figuretively go cheney yourself to the fascists.

[LittleClarkie]

12. Yeah, I'd rather have Kerry

Is this really a done deal?

[derbstyron]

8. Pardon me if I manage to contain my enthusiam

:(

[Walt Starr]

9. Ahh, so the Democrats are not going to try to keep the Republicans

from winning a super majority in '06.

This decision was incredibly stupid.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. who do we complain to?

i mean, really, shouldn't the base get little bit of a say in this before they make this call. isn't this a bit soon?

[theboss]

11. He's fine

It's more of a job for an administrator than a firebrand. He will keep the troops in line.

[KamaAina]

13. That would be the Harry Reid who just announced his willingness

to "work with Bush**"?

Cripes. I thought, "Well, at least with Daschle gone we have a chance to get some leadership for a change."

Wrong again, Kemo Sabe...

[KoKo]

14. Congratulations AP... this sounds like great news for you...

"back up's" are good stuff...right? :D

[savistocate]

19. Sen Feingold another

leader --Reid is strong though. Heard him many times on CSPAN.

Feingold won large in reelection..in Wisc. voted, spoke against Iraq Res. & Appropriation. Does not cave, we can count on him to fight Bush mafia.

[AP]

20. I have no idea what you're talking about.

[John_H]

15. Dems repeat identical mistake. Put the senate dems under the command

of a guy who's seat is not all that safe.

[WI_DEM]

16. he was Daschle's second in command so there you go

will be more of the same.

[Tomee450]

23. I don't think so.

Reid is low keyed but appears to be a lot more determined and forceful than Dashle.

[DaveinMD]

17. he's a decent man

but not the voice we need.

[CityDem]

18. I would support a ham sandwich over Daschle

Reid won't be much better, especially with a much smaller number of votes. At least he doesn't have to deal with that bastard Zell Miller.

[AP]

21. Treat him the way some treated Daschle and maybe we'll lose that seat to..

..the Repubs too.

What's so hard about playing like a team?

[kiahzero]

24. Not marching in lockstep == not good enough, to some people. (n/t)

[AP]

25. SD lost a Democratic senator.

It's as simple 1-1=0.

[kiahzero]

27. But he wasn't [insert stupid complaint here]!

Waaah! Waaah!

:eyes:

Jesus, some people piss me off.

[AP]

32. Is this a meta-post?

[JohnKleeb]

36. hes mocking people who are purists, meaning he agrees with you AP

Reid wouldn't be my first pick for party leader, but I do like him and I know for a fact he was influential in getting Jim Jeffords to switch over to our voting caucus. Hope he's a good leader, I feel bad for South Dakota too btw.

[dansolo]

22. Nooooooooo!

Reid is even more of a milquetoast than Daschle. We need someone like Dick Durbin, who is willing to forcefully confront the Republicans.

[candy331]

26. Doesn't matter the Dems are dead, they are powerless, we just

have to wait until the repugs self destruct as always and while they are doing so revamp the party.

[SaveElmer]

29. Not what we need...another moderate from a Red State

Repeating the exact same mistake...he will be lookin over his shoulder constantly making sure he doesn't offend the right wingers.

On top of that he is anti-choice...what's he gonna do when the Supremes overturn Roe v Wade and abortion legislation starts coming up.

Bad choice!!!

[GRLMGC]

30. Eek

is it final? I'd rather have someone feisty w/ nothing to lose

[Crowdance]

31. Another anti-choice moron for us

This party doesn't give a hoot about women's rights.

[Bread and Circus]

33. How about a big round of "who the fuck is he?"

[KoKo]

38. See my Post # 14...I've watched him alot....sigh ...eom

[MoonRiver]

35. I like the man, but who the fuck cares.

Same ole, same ole.
:argh:

[KoKo]

37. Wouldn't one think after three Devastating Losses Dems would find a

new Minority Leader? One with BALLS? I've watched Reid on C-Span...he's mild and like the "White Rabbit" in "Alice in Wonderland."

He has an air of "I'm late...I'm late...I'm late for a very important date!"

Everytime I saw Reid I always thought of "Alice in Wonderland." I won't say what I thought of Daschle who wrung his hands before and after the Mid-term Elections whining and who gave Bush ALL his APPOINTMENTS in his first term after a Stolen Election...Which included among many thugs: Asscroft and Ted Olson who argued Bush V Gore before the Supremes.

That the Dems in the Senate with an even "smaller minority" after losing Edwards seat to a Repug...would put the "White Rabbit" in as Minority Leader is adding more insult to injury... :puke: