Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has become the latest in a growing list of Democratic luminaries who are imploring President Bush to not attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic games in Beijing.
Appearing on the Bill Press Show Friday morning, the Nevada Democrat joined his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in arguing that it was symbolically important that the U.S. show its disapproval with the Chinese government for its human rights abuses.
"I've been invited to the opening of the Olympics and I'm not going," said Reid. "I think the Chinese need to know that what they are doing in Tibet, as an example, is wrong."
Asked by Press whether Reid thought the president should follow his lead, the majority leader replied:
"Well, he doesn't on anything else. So maybe I should say I'm going and maybe he wouldn't go. But I'm not going."
On Wednesday, Pelosi also urged Bush not to attend the opening ceremonies of the August games.
"I think boycotting the opening ceremony, which really gives respect to the Chinese government, is something that should be kept on the table," she said in an interview on ABC's Good Morning America. "I think the president might want to rethink this later, depending on what other heads of state do."
Later in the day, the House passed a resolution criticizing China for its handling of recent unrest in Tibet, with only one (Rep. Ron Paul) dissenting vote.
What to do about the Olympics has also become a sideshow focus of the presidential campaign. Sen. Hillary Clinton was the first out of the gate in calling for an opening ceremonies boycott.
"The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for Presidential leadership," a statement from her office read. "These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China. At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government."
Sen. Barack Obama, has been not as absolute, saying, on Wednesday, that the option of a boycott should be kept on the table "If the Chinese do not take steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security, and human rights of the Tibetan people..."
Sen. John McCain, too, has argued that "the President ought to keep his options open and use that as a pressure lever, and he has plenty of time to decide that."