Harry Reid: 'I Don't Work For Obama'

In an interview with The Hill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would not roll over for the new president the way Republicans did for Bush.

Reid stated, "I don't believe in the executive power trumping everything... I believe in our Constitution, three separate but equal branches of government."

"If Obama steps over the bounds, I will tell him. ... I do not work for Barack Obama. I work with him," he said.

The Nevada Democrat gave a similar quote to Politico. "I like Barack Obama very much. He won a classic election, never have we had a better one," Reid said. "But I don't work for him, I work with him."

Reid went on to criticize Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) for bucking the party on seating Senate appointee Roland Burris. Feinstein argued that not seating Burris would threaten all gubernatorial appointments. "That's not valid, her statement," he said. "I told her that. OK?"

Reid also said that he planned to lead the Senate Democrats until at least 2015. However, he downplayed his own importance as Majority Leader. "I understand how close I've come to failure a number of times. I've done OK," Reid said. "I've never considered myself Johnny Unitas or anything like that. I am just someone the [Democratic] Caucus has selected and they feel comfortable with."

Comments

[rixter1965]

Senator Reid may not "work for Obama," and I applaud the fact the SOMEONE remembers that whole checks-and-balances thing in the Constitution, but...

MEMO TO HARRY:

You are Majority Leader of the US Senate, you are a leader of the Democratic Party, and you do belong to the same party as fellow members in the House and -- shortly -- in the White House! So, while you may operate under the out-of-date and terribly Byzantine rules of the Senate...

(1) If Republican members of the Senate are out to stall, derail or kill important legislation, then ACTUALLY MAKE THEM FILIBUSTER. Make them stand at the podium for hour after hour reciting Shakespeare or reading the phone book or whatever. No more votes delayed or canceled because Mitch McConnell or another GOPer holds a news conference telegraphing that he and fellow GOPers will use Senate rules to scuttle a vote. If so, make 'em stay up all night and all day to do so.

(2) If you have a problem, talk to the Obama administration. You do have a phone, email, right?

(3) Lead a re-affirmation of the Constitution: checks and balances, who gets to do what, the President is not Emperor AND make sure that crimes of the Bush administration get due attention.

[MAragon]

Reid, we need you to work with Obama. Get that through your head.

[berrycooda]

Harry Reid....do­esn't look like you work very much for us either.

Quit throwing your weight around. This looks like a personal vendetta against the
Governor from Illinois.

Shame on you.....qu­it worrying who can win that seat in 2012 and realize that that
appointment was legitimate.

The Governor was still in office and you just happen to want someone else in that position
that R. Burris has been appointed to.

[NotMcCain]

I think it was mostly trying to pander to voters---but it went terribly wrong.

Reid? How has he stayed as Majority Leader anyway? This can't POSSIBLY be the best leader in the Senate.

[PBI]

Haven't noticed any indication that Reid works "for" or with the people of this country either... Much like most of Congress with their "business as usual" attitude and lack of imagination. Seems their primary goals once they are elected are to get reelected and line their pockets and to he!! with what is best for our country and the people they are supposed to be serving.

There was a time when I respected politicians. No more. I mostly refer to them as "political hacks" now. And I'm generally a positive person.

Have you ever wondered if we might be better off if the whole lot of them went home for good?

I hope "change" is truly in the air and I wish the new president the best. He has inherited a major bucket of worms.

[ChiProgressive]

Reid and Pelosi had a mandate from voters to stop the Iraq war and slow the destruction of our country by opposing his policies in Congress. They did neither.

Reid let Lieberman continue with his chairman position even though he betrayed the democratic party and more importantly was doing an awful job in his post.

Don't we have anyone better to lead Congress?

[taurus96]

You are one hundred percent right.Get rid of both. Reid & Pelosi work for themselves and staying in for thirty years. Let us start ridding the govt. from these people.The­y look like Republicians,old tired etc. Give the younger elected officials a chance.By the way ,why not retirement at sixty five.

[jsarets]

"Don't we have anyone better to lead Congress?"

Hard to say. Looking down the seniority list, it's somewhat difficult to imagine how it wouldn't go to John Kerry, although I'd be pulling for Tom Harkin.

[jsarets]

More like, "I don't work for Obama. I get worked by him."

Reid lost this one, and he should get used to it. Roland Burris is a dream come true for Obama, the closest thing to a sure-fire proxy vote he could hope to have as he threads a very difficult agenda through a Senate that teeters on the divided side of 60 votes. By decisively clearing the way for a relatively smooth seating after an extremely bumpy appointment, Obama effectively owns Burris for the next 1-2 years depending on 2010 strategy. It's as if he didn't have to give up his Senate seat at all.

I suspect the Obama admin approached Feinstein and offered to pull her off the lonely limb of Burris supporters in exchange for changing her tune on Panetta for CIA.

Reid is out of his league. Obama, Rahm, and Biden each have at least twice the political skill as he has, and they will maneuver circles around him. He exists at the nexus of timid and predictable. But the bench for the Senate Democrats is pretty weak, especially since the loss of Clinton and Biden. I look down the seniority list for prospective replacements, and I don't see how we could do any better than John Kerry, who is approximately as timid and predictable as Reid, although perhaps more willing to play ball with Obama.

[Justtellthetruth]

Reid is really hitting it out of the park on this one. Burris is a HUGE mistake for Obama, if he gets in, Obama will NEVER get the Blago stink off of Himself or Burris and Reid is simply sharp enough to know it. I am SHOCKED that Obama is not. Hopefully Obama is just standing up for his friend who is too stupid to know that one should NEVER accept an appointment from an outed Felon, and that Obama will Not allow the appointment to go through behind the scenes. I Hope. But boy, Burris suggesting that GOD has given him this appointment Through Blago of all people ought to disqualify out of hand.

Regarding Feinstein, I would have thought someone who helped LIE the nation into war (she claimed she had SPECIAL intel as the result of her particular senate post that helped her truly understand the (nonexistant) Iraqi WMD threat. Turns out no such intel ever existed or was ever produced by her. Shes just a Neocon, and THAT"S why she lied us into the war.

[serindipity803]

Feinstein - remind me how she keeps coming back -- does someone believe she is good at being a senator? Reid is who and what he is -- talking to so many tabloid and irrational 'journalists' has to make one queasy--answering talking heads who are out for one 'gotcha' question that will secure their steady paycheck has to be humiliating for a working Senator and Majority leader. How much of the read back is factual is anyone's guess.

[FrankFurter]

DiFi's special intel was that her hubby could make billions off another war. She needs to GO AWAY along with most of the senates uber wealthy club.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is just crazy.
Re electing the same crusty old codgers into office time and again and expecting different behavior is
delusional.

DiFi supports just about any war that requires military hardware. It's the family business after all.

It's time to throw all of these senate bums out on their rear ends and start over with people who will respect the rule of law and the will of the people.

[manyamile]

Before the new term has begun, the Democratic senate leadership has come off looking like out of touch,lead footed , tone deaf nitwits. Not exactly what we need in these toubled times.
I have lost confidence in Harry Reid, whose uninspiring leadership during the Bush years aggravated me, and now this Goofy public spectacle over Burris.

We need a more agile, in touch Senate leader. Reid does not inspire confidence in me, ever has, but I thought he was saavy. now we need saavy plus straightforward. what is this business about calling bluff's etc?
Ms. Feinstein, I own a business and I am sleeping on a cot in my business because I cannot afford to rent a home or an apartment. GET IT? Political posturing doesn't exactly impress me.

With all due respect, Senator Feinstein ,you haven't exactly started things off very well either.

I voted for President elect Obama. I want the US Senate to be
as full of heart as it can be to make some real changes here.
not just handouts. real change.
I am sick to death of the posturing. I want to see an end to the BS, I hope the Senate will get to Work, and I'm not exactly impressed with what I see so far.

[hollandjwm]

Can we do something about this dangerous ultra-liberal? His ego is absolutely astounding, and I'm getting fed up with people like him damaging the reputation of the left.

[nighthawk808]

"Ultra-liberal"? I don't think that word means what you think it means.

[libbygirl]

Pelosi and Reid need to go. Everytime Pelosi opens her mouth to speak, I hold my breath waiting for her to utter some more partisan crap. They are greater drags on Obama's leadership than the Republicans.

[rjohns3]

it is alittle late to get tough now...

[reflux12]

Hey doesn't Reid look like he's turning into Gollum.

[reflux12]

Of course Reid Doesn't work for President Obama he works and rolls over for President Bush and will keep working for Ex-President Bush if he stays as Majority Leader.

[66rock]

I always thought that he works for his church actually.

[Whinger]

We all know where your're coming from Harry, you still don't get it that it's time to go!

[littleolwinemakerme]

Wimp rolls & rolls for Bush/Chene­y/McConnel­l but now is time to stand up to our man? Harry, you need to go far, far away & be quick about it

[jfor]

Harry Reid makes an ass out of himself...­......agai­n.