Reid’s Gotta Know His Limitations . . .

April 19, 2007

Even though Senator Reid is a “national” leader, he still needs to be re-elected in Nevada, a State where the 2nd amendment is taken seriously and efforts to control guns a non-starter. Reid would well remember that his good friend – Congressman Jim Bilbray got in trouble a decade ago with Labor for supporting the Brady bill. Labor sat on their hands and allowed a Congressman with a 100% COPE record be defeated by “anti-Labor” candidate John Ensign – now Nevada’s other U.S. Senator. People forget that Senator Reid is by no stretch of the imagination a “liberal” and neither is Nevada. Harry may be a “liberal’ in the eyes of the members of his LDS church community and the some member’s of Nevada’s business community; yet, Nevada IS extremely libertarian in its political bent – note the legislature that only meets every other year and only for 120 days. Many Nevadans take to heart Thomas Paine’s words: “That government is best which governs least”, and that would include restricting their freedom on “the right to bear arms.” This includes a bill introduced by one of Nevada’s premier “libertarians” (I have another name for him) State Senator Bob Beers to arm teachers in the name of “Homeland Security”. Fortunately, the bill died at the half way mark of the legislature last week.

Harry will always have his hands full balancing the needs of his leadership position and the needs and quirks of his fellow citizens in Nevada, many who believe he has gone to “the dark side”. On my last visit to Senator Reid’s office in DC our business delegation encountered Senator Kennedy on our way in and Senator McCain on our way out. If pictures were taken and sent back to Reid’s constituents, guess which Senator Nevadans would applaud and which one they would boo. 

A man’s got to know his limitations.