Reid Calls White House Health Care Ads Against Dems "Waste Of Money" (VIDEO)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sharply criticized a national advertising campaign partly directed at centrist Democrats wavering on health care reform on Thursday.

Reid said the he was unaware of the campaign targeting Democrats but that it was a "waste of money."

The ads are funded by a wing of the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, controlled largely by President Obama.

Asked to elaborate, Reid added, "It's a waste of money to have Democrats running ads against Democrats."

OFA has been running the ads on national cable television, in the District of Columbia and local stations in Arkansas, Indiana, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska and Ohio, and major online news sites.

"Millions of Americans lose their health insurance when they lose their job, are denied care because of a pre-existing condition, and delay care or skip medication because they can't afford it," said OFA Executive Director Mitch Stewart in a statement trumpeting the ad's release. "Skyrocketing health care costs are hurting American families and straining already-strapped budgets for businesses and governments. It's time to reform our health care system to lower costs, preserve patient choice and ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable care."

UPDATE: Reid aide Rodell Mollineau e-mails a clarification of his comment. "Senator Reid was led to believe by the question posed to him that the DNC was attacking members of his Caucus. In fact, the DNC is running non-specific call to action ads in states with both Democratic and Republican Senators, an effort he has no problem with."

To be sure, the ad doesn't call out Democrats by name, but it's running in one state where there are no Republican senators -- Arkansas -- and in others where the target is clear: Evan Bayh in Indiana, Mary Landrieu in Louisiana, Ben Nelson in Nebraska and Kent Conrad in North Dakota. It's not conceivable that the ad is aimed at, for example, Nebraska's Republican Sen. Mike Johanns or Louisiana's David Vitter, both of whom are very firm no's no matter how much pressure is applied.

WATCH:

Comments

[DofG]

Again, where were all these checks and balances when GW & DC was using 9/11 as a pretext for the Iraq War. Where was all of this oversight when the "unitary executive" decided to violate FISA, torture, and out a CIA field agent. This is the sort of hypocrisy at the highest levels of government that allowed Al Capone to affirm the validity of his criminal enterprise. Remember, our system of government is rooted in British Common Law, with Greco-Roman influences, along with all their equivocations, and duplicities. The problem isn't that our politicians are so corrupt, but that we-the body politic are also corrupt, and gullible.

Obama is smart; and knew from the beginning that he could count on the Republicans to be obstructive. But he also knew that he could not count on everyone in his own party to help him with his agenda. I've said this before. Those people who think that the president can be "played", on both sides, better get real. He might have an easy going style, but he also has a fire in his belly. Just look at the speech he gave at the NAACP. Chris Mathews and his panel spent all their time analyzing the obvious stuff (the problems of Blacks in America!) but missed the more, subtle, oblique parts of the speech that were much more significant.

We need to see, and listen with a different understanding- an understanding that will never come from those "talking heads"!

[Bobzmcishl]

Reid and Ensign are vying with South Carolina for the state with the two worst senators .

[owsua]

This will be horrific if it is passed. There are better solutions to this mess. Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Franke, Chris Dodd and my states own Jeff Bingaman are going to pay sorely next year I pray for their performances.

[Chaimirija]

11/19/08
If a new healthcare policy will require insurance companies to accept everyone, regardless of preexisting conditions, these companies want the government to require every American to buy coverage, or suffer a tax penalty. The board of the America's Health Insurance Plans endorsed such an arrangement this week, offering support to an impending change from the current system. The president of the group said:


We're going to provide all the technical background that we have assembled, all the experience we've assembled at the state level, and we're going to work very hard with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. We want to make sure that whatever reforms are advanced, no one falls through the cracks.

[SCG]

Did Reid fog the mirror today?

[Levity]

Reid is both incompetent and immoral -- a daily reminder that no matter how poorly the Republicans do, the Democrats are always poised to self-destruct. Its Senators have actually picked Harry Reid to lead them - more than once.

When asked, Jon Stewart had to answer as politely as he could that Senator Reid was his worst, stupidest guest in 11 years of Daily Show interviews.
http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2009/06/24/jon-stewart-calls-harry-reid-his-worst-guest/

Try to sit through the clip of Senator Reid if you want to see why:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-may-5-2008/senator-harry-reid

Now that he's not busy threatening innocent Uighers who spent 6 years locked up in Guantantanamo, Reid is stumbling around imagining he's leading his party, accidentally attacking Obama and his health care plan.

[rigmoten]

Ben Nelson better vote for cloture, vote against the bill if you must, but let the bill be voted on.

[steve-annie]

Sen. Reid can rail all he wants to ... progressives are going after the Blue Dogs. MoveOn has already conducted a membership vote that resulted in a large majority in favor of running ad campaigns in the Blue Dogs' home states to let their constituents know they are standing in the way of real healthcare reform. If they keep up their obstructionist ways, I have no doubt that MoveOn and other groups will be campaigning for primary challenges by progressive Democrats as they come up for re-election.

[Philip Combs]

Wanna bite dem Dawgs. Bite 'em....Grr­rrrrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrr­rrr.....BI­te 'Spineless' Reid too....

Grrrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrr­r.....!

[LolaB]

Time for Reid and Pelosi to be replaced. Call your Senators please.

[Tommygun264]

Reid can be replaced by the Senators. However, Pelosi can only be replaced by her fellow Representatives.

[DemCentrist]

Obama is a gangster

[Philip Combs]

DemCentrist is an @hole!

[DemCentrist]

Obama is a hood

[Tommygun264]

Why make a reasoned argument about principles when you can just call names. Take it back to the third grade playground, hater.

[sosi]

senator for sale, closeout, obo! http://boldprogressives.org/PublicOption/factsheet.html

[StPeteDave]

They're all for sale. I'd like to put a for sale sign on the front of the capitol building, take a picture of it and spam it all over the world.

[Mekarri]

I already donated money for more ads.

[mediamarv]

Instead of worrying about Dems, Reid is supposed to be working against Republicans who are blocking most of Obama's health and energy agenda. Now, I know that would require real work, but that's what being the Senate Leader does.... I wish he would hurry up and realize that.

Is there a strong progressive Dem opponent who could run against him next year? He's had his chance and done nothing with it. Buh-bye Harry!!

[CanadianBeef]

Harry doesn't understand that some people put principles before party. If the party doesn't follow your principles, you let 'em have it, no mercy. Progressives KNOW that Republicans are against their causes. Why should they tolerate the same treatment from the other party, too?

[CaptainSunshine]

Reid and Bayh are obstacles to achieving healthcare reform.