Reid: "Things Are Being Done" To End Dem Primary Before Convention

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) hints at some behind-the-scenes activity to bring the Democratic nomination race to a close:

Q: Do you still think the Democratic race can be resolved before the convention?

Reid: Easy.

Q: How is that?

Reid: It will be done.

Q: It just will?

Reid: Yep.

Q: Magically?

Reid: No, it will be done. I had a conversation with Governor Dean (Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean) today. Things are being done.

Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum adds, "My mind is now at rest. Thanks, Harry."

Comments

[DesertLight]

This guy would be an embarrassment to any party!

[harriscrl3]

Inspite of his flaws I firmly believe that Obama stands a better chance of defeating McCain than Hilary. Yes the republicans are going to say that he is unpatriotic. They are going to play the Wright tapes over and over they are going to tap into the fears of the American people. They are going to swiftboat no doubt about that if any democrat think that there wasnt going to be some kind of swiftboating regardless then they are clearly living in fantasy land. But I believe Obama can handle a swiftboat better than Hilary. Because he brings more advantages to the table than Hilary does. He is running on change at this point Hilary cannot its too late she took the experience argument and now she must live or die with it. He speaks to the American people like they are adult. He commands attention. He is a leader not to mention motivator and alll these factors give democrats a better chance at overcoming swiftboating from the GOP. I also think Obama knows how to fight the GOP. Hilary does not because I've yet to see her point out their HYPOCRISY and thats what you need to do in order to fight them.

Carol

[2351]

I believe that when the swift boat ads start, the public should then stand up and be counted. I think that the public needs to revolt against these types of tactics. A video needs to be made by Obama's supporters that support the them"We Are One."

[candlewax]

I think the difference here with Obama versus the swiftboating of Kerry is that so many people have a personal investment in Obama's campaign either through giving monetarily or with their time. An attack on Obama would be like an attack on all the people who stand behind Obama.

[AC500]

The obvious reply to McCain's 'patriot card' is that undiscerning, hypnosis-inducing, patriotism is what got this country into an illegal war and brought it to its knees financially. People ARE waking up to the destructiveness, the danger of abdicating individual judgment and discernment to macho, blind, chest thumping and arm pumping patriotism. Both Barack and Michelle are REFRESHINGLY awake in this regard and have proven that THEY are two people who will not be led around by the nose by anyone spewing words of patriotism when what they are really saying is 'don't think for yourself ... let me do your thinking for you ... trust ME instead of yourself'. We saw Hillary fall for THAT trick. 'Patriotism' has been outed as the mind numbing, abdication of personal will and judgment it is ... or at least, how it is yielded in the hands of the internally powerless attempting to accumulate outer power. Who's going to fall for THAT trick again?

[WLA]

Legions of idiots wandering around Walmarts all over this country, to answer your question. But I honestly do believe that enough people have woken up this time to tip the scales. The real trick for a Dem President is going to be straightening out the mess in time for a re-election in 4 years.

[oogabooga]

Yeah these primaries are just so divisive. The leadership needs to end all of this voting now. It's so divisive. Voting will destroy the Democratic Party. It's just terrible. So divisive. Let's just let somebody appoint a candidate. It worked for Bush.

[DesertLight]

I can't believe a comment like that even made it by a moderator. Voting is divisive? You were just kidding right? Please tell me you were kidding?

[pgate127]

Uhhhhhhhh...yeah. That was a joke. As in, the Big Dems think it's time to cutout this voting cr*p and just TELL the people who we should vote for.

Buh-bye Democratic Party!! Hello, Three Party System!! And I say that as someone who has voted straight-ticket Democratic since 1970. Don't you DARE try to back-room deal this one!

[nuglet304]

sarcasm.

[NewRiver]

Contribution needed for Candidate's button...$25

Cost of 1 ticket to Democratic fundraiser­...$500-$1­000

Campaign contribution to your favorite Democrat...$2000

Democrats now suggesting voter disenfranc­hisement..­.Priceless­.

[speakingtruth2power]

Some fear that Hillary supporters will vote for McBomb instead of Obama.

I look forward to that schism because there are just as many Republicans

totally fed up with what the neocons have done to America and will join us.

It would be a much more meaningful realignment if it was the Corporatist

Party verses the Populist Party. Then those who want a economy based

on perpetual war, can compete for votes with those who want our taxes to

be invested in greener transportation, better schools, universal health care,

and new technologies that create many good opportunities for employment.

[liz3]

DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH! BETTER LOOK AT THE NEW POLLS ON INDEPENDANTS AND OBAMA . HE IS SINKING LIKE A LOSER OR IS THAT ROCK!!!!! LOL

[DesertLight]

Or is he sinking like a Ba Rock?

[greejambri]

Clinton now has negative ratings that aren't that far from BUSH'S! The more people see the lengths to which she is willing to go to win, the more they are turning away from her. In regards to political PROCESS, if not in policy, she is on the exact same page as Bush and Rove.

[Grannysue]

How much is Hill and Bill paying you Harry?

[DesertLight]

Nothing, it has been the special interest groups!

[flatus]

"...but", added Harry, "we are still awaiting Republican approval to move ahead."

[WLA]

Heh. Very nice.

[TJRich]

In my burg, people are becoming exhausted by the to and fro. We have a clear winner at this point, so no one understands why the whole ship should risk sinking because the candidate who is behind and has no chance of gaining unless the system is gamed is allowed to 'wag the dog' and frustrate the entire process.

I can no longer look at 'Bill' with any kind of respect. He has become positively repulsive. How could he do these things and hurt his legacy this way. He really had us fooled I guess. The real person emerges when we stick around long enough to see what's really cooking.

About James Carville, he's pathetic. It doesn't surprise me that he took time off from whispering democratic secrets etc to his republican wife to name call Governor Bill Richardson. Governor Richardson is an accomplished individual in his own right and did not need the Clintons to legitimize him. He was tapped for a position in the administration because he was qualified. They should stop acting like they did him a favor.

I'm just saying. . . . .

[ChibiOne]

the process is being gamed. the military-i­ndustrial-­banking syndicate, as usual in the past 4 elections, has stacked the deck by having a candidate on each side. they want either hillary or mccain. either one will continue deregulation and the rollback of new deal policies, continuing to open the way for a truly corporate state. if hillary isn't going to win, then she will stay in the race and continue to ratchet up the rhetoric and polemic, make the primary as divisive as possible; that way mccain will win the presidential race instead of obama.

[kburlz]

Obama/Richardson '08

[CraigMM]

Contact the DNC and tell them to urge Obama to drop out, because there is no way for him to win the primary on his own. This is just as ridiculous as suggesting that HRC should drop out. Let it play itself out and resist the urge from HuffPo and other blogs to stop the basing of Hillary and Barack. They are the one's responsible for all of the negtaive feelings by their insistence on one good candidate and one villain candidate. That just isn't the reality of the situation. It is 2 terrific candidates and we should be happy about that as a party.

[MalloMel]

We deserve the elected officials that we get.

[DesertLight]

Right think about it, the three top leaders are: Pelosi, Dingy Harry and Howard "YeeHaw" Dean. We have not seen an act like this since Larry, Curly and Moe! Except the latter were more sane and more relevant!

[NickOhio]

What Sen Reid was saying is this: The Dem nominee will be decided soon. As we all know, the time has come for one candidate to win it all. I would not be surprised if the super delegates who are still undecided, move to support Obama. He has the popular vote (one of the reqs. put forth by the undecideds), has the lead in delegates (another req) and can be a winner in the Fall. If we continue to bash each other silly, McCain will win. We need to move on.

In other words... Harry Reid and Howard Dean can make it happen, through influence. More super delegates are moving to Obama each week we continue this masochistic fest.

Sure, there will be moving to the McCain camp or abstain in November, if Clinton drops out or is defeated before the primaries end. It is clear to the party leaders as to who has the best shot to win. Obama has considerably more money behind him than does Clinton or McCain. Obama has not made such damaging statements as Clinton has made. She has had a number of Repubs back her campaign and to lose them back to McCain will not adversely affect the Obama campaign. Obama needs to focus on the Independents and the many real Dems who want to win in November. Obama can win the Clinton-won states, especially if Bill Richardson is his VP running mate.

[MrGill]

Bye Hillary, thanks for playing.

[NewRiver]

If you looked up clueless in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of Harry Reid.

[mydogshakespeare]

I just looked it up, and you are right! Then I looked up "genius", and there was a picture of George W. Bush. So, what the hell good a bizarro dictionary like ours good for?

[jriegel]

The party leadership needs to end this quickly. We are once again being subjected to Clinton inspired muggings. Weren't eight years of 'slash and burn' politics enough for us? Our one chance for putting brains, ethics, and character back in the White House is being squandered because our party leadership doesn't appear to have the nerve to do something about it. Now, do it now.

[McSurgent]

What do McCain, Hillary, Kucinich and Nader have in common. They actually believe in the policies they are or were espousing as Presidential candidates. Obama on the other hand is presenting policies almost identical to Hillary. Yet Obama is in fact a progressive liberal. For example, Obama talks about raising military spending but in fact he actually believes like all progressives that it should be cut. Obama believes in single payer health care like in Canada but instead is espousing something different. Why? Because Obama wants to be President and then once there try to move to the left with his progressive liberal agenda. The Rev. Wright story revealed that Obama attends a church founded on black liberation theology that any white or black progressive liberal would be comfortable attending. Progressives agree with Rev. Wright’s assessment of America. Obama solidified his progressive stances while in Chicago and ran on them as State Senator. Once he considered running for national office, he knew and I am sure was advised that he would have to modify his progressive liberal core values. Obama needed to appeal to bipartisanship and unity – which are an anathema to liberalism and progressives. Obama has done that very successfully and couched it in hope and change. Obama may indeed succeed in gaining the Presidency and then the fun will begin watching how he will attempt to move to the left on the policies he ran on. Obama is running on Barry. As President it'll be Barack.

[CraigMM]

I think it's important for supporters of both HRC and Obama to realize that NEITHER candidate can win on their own. Both candidates make a reasonable case for why they are the best candidate, why they should be supported by the superdelegates and have both been extremely impressive with their fundraising capabilities. This all brings us back to the idea that they should find a way to both be on the ticket together. It brings together all of their strengths and limits the weaknesses that each candidate have. People on both sides may have a problem with this, but realistically and strategically, the DNC needs to find a way to have them sit down and make this work. They would limit the losses from the extreme supporters who would sit out. I am sure many will disagree with me and launch into hateful Hillary comments, btu I do think ti is still the best play.