Harry Reid Says He Won’t Seek Re-Election

First of all: YEA!
Secondly, I have to say the world of politics in the U.S. may possibly just get a little more sane...and a lot less partisan.
So much legislation was tabled, buried, and never brought up for a vote under Reid's tenure as Senate majority leader.
President Obama will most certainly miss his senatorial 'Wing Man'...but I doubt many more will mourn his political passing.

Let's take a stroll down Reid's controversy Lane:

Mitt Romney Paid No Taxes
2012-08-02
In July of 2012, Senator Reid was interviewed by the Huffington Post. In that interview, he asserted that he had been contacted by a source whom he found to be credible and told that Mitt Romney had not paid taxes for a ten year time period while he was employed at Bain Capital.rnSenator Reid also stated that Governor Romney's father would be ashamed at the fact that Mitt Romney had released only two years of tax returns as compared to his father's decision to release 12 years when he ran for Pr ...MORE (see link)

Bridge Earmark
2010-04-13
Senator Reid owns a great deal of land near Bullhead City, Arizona. In 2006, he sponsored an earmark to provide $18 million in funding to build a bridge to connect Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona. This bridge is near the property he owns and will undoubtedly increase the value of that land. Value of the landMore than 20 years ago, Senator Reid purchased 100 acres of land roughly 3-5 miles from Bullhead City, Arizona for a price of $150,000. His longtime f ...MORE (see link)

Negro Dialect
2010-01-11
In 2008 while speaking about Senator Obama as a presidential candidate, Senator Reid stated that Obama was a viable candidate because he was "light skinned" and had "no negro dialect unless he wanted one." Although Republican leaders called for his resignation, Senator Reid apologized to President Obama and African-American leaders and remained in power. Game-Change In January of 2010, a book about the 2008 Presidential election called "Game Change" ...MORE (see link)

Improper use of campaign funds
2006-10-17
For several years, Senator Reid donated funds from his re-election campaign to an employee holiday fund for the employees of the building where he resides. Although this appears to be in violation of federal election law and Senator Reid has reimbursed his campaign fund with his own money, Senator Reid insists the use of the money was legal. Federal election lawFederal election law permits campaigns to provide "gifts of nominal value" but prohibits candidates fro ...MORE (see link)

Coyote Springs
2006-08-20
Harvery Whittemore is a land developer, lobbyist, attorney, and one of the most powerful men in Nevada. His land-development ventures include casinos, hotels, shopping malls and Coyote Springs, a planned living community about 60 miles north of Las Vegas on 43,000 acres of desert land. Coyote Springs is located in a large valley on the border of Clark County and Lincoln County in Nevada and is slated to include 160,000 homes, twelve golf courses and several hotel-casinos. MORE (see link)

Association with Jack Abramoff
2006-02-04
Over the course of several years (2001-2005) Senator Reid collected nearly $68,000 in contributions from Abramoff's lobbying partners and clients. Senator Reid took actions to support positions on issues that Abramoff promoted as a paid lobbyist. Senator Reid received money from Abramoff associates after opposing a minimum wage law in the Marianas which was defeated in the Senate. He also wrote letters and spoke out against the creation of Native American casinos which would ha ...MORE (see link)

General Petraus
0000-00-00
As debate over the success or failure of the war in Iraq increased, Senator Reid repeatedly questioned the credibility of the commander of forces in Iraq - General Petraus. He noted that he would not believe the General if he reported that the war in Iraq was going well and noted that the General, and numerous other officials - including the President - knew the war was lost. CNN InterviewIn an interview on CNN in April of 2007, Senator Reid claimed that General Petraus had told US so ...MORE (see link)

www.thepoliticalguide.com...

WASHINGTON — Senator Harry Reid, the tough tactician who has led Senate Democrats since 2005, will not seek re-election next year, bringing an end to a three-decade congressional career that culminated with his push of President Obama’s ambitious agenda against fierce Republican resistance.

Mr. Reid, 75, who suffered serious eye and facial injuries in a Jan. 1 exercise accident at his Las Vegas home, said he had been contemplating retiring from the Senate for months. He said his decision was not attributable either to the accident or to his demotion to minority leader after Democrats lost the majority in November’s midterm elections.

“I understand this place,” Mr. Reid said. “I have quite a bit of power as minority leader.”

He has already confounded the new Republican majority this year by holding Democrats united against a proposal to gut the Obama administration’s immigration policies as well as a human-trafficking measure Democrats objected to over an anti-abortion provision.

“I want to be able to go out at the top of my game,” said Mr. Reid, who used a sports metaphor about athletes who try to hang on too long. “I don’t want to be a 42-year-old trying to become a designated hitter.”

FULL Article:
www.nytimes.com...

All I take from this is he is quitting because he won't be at the top anymore. I would bet if it was still a democratic majority he would run for re-election. Also glad to see him go. Sore loser...



On a side note: There should be an age cap. How do we let people not long for this world decide our future? I believe the older these politicans get the more they're worried about leaving a legacy instead of actual positive change.

I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with the "cash for greencards" fiasco that is making the rounds and going to be investigated now that the Repubs hold the reins.

Nope, he just knows when enough is enough. That's the ticket.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Good, get the hell out of here scumbag. Go take your pension (which you don't deserve AT ALL), do your stupid keynote speaker events and stay out of sight. I like how this comes out right after the Immigrant Visas Scandal came out. Traitorous S.O.B. needs to stay out of policymaking. I'm just sad he's not being forcibly removed via the authorities... dirtbag.

Lol, can you tell I don't like Mr. Reid? Because I don't...

now if nancy pelosi, dianne feinstein, charles rangel, maxine waters, and there are a few others, would follow suit,maybe we could get something done.

a reply to: Passive To expand upon your thought. I have thought that Term Limits is the best way to go. That way there is always fresh faces in Congress and Senate. IMO there should be no one there for more than 3 or 4 Terms.


If I could figure out how to keep these politicians from drawing a retirement check from the government that would be even better. Some politicians stay for 1 or 2 terms and leave with a hefty retirement check. These people should have only a individual retirement fund only.

Someone should start a White House Petition asking for him to take Pelosi with him.

I wonder if that "treadmill" beating him up had anything to do with this decision?

It would be nice if EVERYONE took their leave so we could start over with a clean slate minus too many career politicians.

Good. The guy is a friggin' toad. Hopefully this opens the floodgates and he'll take some more of these ancient left wing morons like Pelosi and Feinstein with him.

Imaging the look on "Dirty Harry" when he saw Cliven Bundy's left hook coming!

a reply to: IAMTAT
I wonder if Harry's 'workout accident' had anything to do with this decision? I am thinking on the lines that he didn't really have an accident, not that he did and it has affected his health to the point that he will no longer be able to scam the taxpayers from his Senate seat.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Almost 2 years away. Big deal but thanks for the warning.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie
Agree with that list . I know you said a few more. Even though I am a conservative , lets go for McCain , Boehner , and a few more on that side .

a reply to: here4this

i'm a firm believer in term limits. any and all that's been there longer than two need to go.

Who ever said he never did anything good for the country? lol.

Good riddance. Let's just hope he's replaced with someone decent...

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: IAMTAT
I wonder if Harry's 'workout accident' had anything to do with this decision? I am thinking on the lines that he didn't really have an accident, not that he did and it has affected his health to the point that he will no longer be able to scam the taxpayers from his Senate seat.

I say the "injuries" and "accidents" are all fake.

Reid is deflecting his jealousy away from the November Democrat slaughter and from all his criminal scandals.

I also think this "announcement" is step 1.

Step 2 is to resign soon.

Factitious disorder

Factitious disorder symptoms involve mimicking or producing illness or injury. People go to great lengths to avoid discovery of their deception, so it may be difficult to realize that their symptoms are actually part of a serious mental disorder.

Harry will have an extremely lucrative consulting gig teaching future Democratic Senate leaders how to manipulate Senate rules for political leverage and cover. He was one of the best at it. That said..good riddance. Hope Pelosi,Boehner and Mitch makes the same choice. Worst Congressional leadership ever on both sides of the aisle.

a reply to: xuenchen

You think he is wearing sympathy glasses?

I have no proof, but I think Hilary sent her goons over to beat him up after he was too slow to tell her that he would support her candidacy in 2016.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: xuenchen

You think he is wearing sympathy glasses?

I have no proof, but I think Hilary sent her goons over to beat him up after he was to slow to tell her that he would support her candidacy in 2016.

Yes I believe the whole thing is fake.

But the Hillary angle is definitely possible.

I also think Hillary has the same sympathy syndrome.

Her "injury" may be fake too imo.

In fact, with the recent Hillary exposures, watch for some new medical problem or injury to appear out of nowhere.

Feeling paranoid, wonder if he knows problems in America are coming to a head and he's getting out before it hits the fan.

This won't be popular, but whatever. I grew up in Nevada with Reid as my senator. I've worked on his campaign numerous times, and vividly remember the election posters of him. He was absolutely fantastic for the state of Nevada, which being a Senator is his primary job. When he became the majority leader I was overjoyed. He wasn't really all that great in the position though, he's much more of a do'er than a leader. So I never would have minded someone else challenging him.

I'll be sad to see him leave the Senate because he was very good at what he did, but at the same time he's choosing to leave rather than being forced out through a political challenge and in a world without term limits that's a big statement. In the end this choice makes me respect him more.