Oust Harry Reid - Please !

In the November 2nd election, the state of Nevada did a favor for all Americans -- sort of.   They defeated teabagger idiot Sharron Angle, and that was something that needed to happen.   She would have been an unmitigated disaster as a United States Senator.   But in doing so, they had to send Harry Reid back to Washington.

Now Reid might be barely acceptable as an ordinary senator, but the odds are he will be re-elected as majority leader for the Senate Democrats.   And as a majority leader he is an utter failure.   It is thanks to the leadership (or lack of it) of Harry Reid that the health care bill wasn't nearly as good as it should have been and left the insurance companies in charge of American health care decisions instead of doctors.

It is also due to the weak-kneed leadership of Harry Reid that the Wall Street regulation bill fell far short of the reforms that were needed.   And it was Harry Reid that let other bills die because the Republicans whispered "filibuster" and he was too scared to dare them to carry out a real filibuster.   Reid is the dictionary definition of spineless leadership.

In a perfect world, the Senate Democrats would oust Reid from his leadership position and put a strong leader in his place -- someone who knew how to play the hardball brand of politics being displayed by the Republicans.   I have nothing against fair compromises, but the Republicans haven't had to compromise with Reid in charge of Senate Democrats.   They just say "boo" and the Democrats fold like spineless wimps.

But this isn't a perfect world, and it looks like the Democrats will re-elect Reid to his position of majority leader.   And I don't think Reid has the political courage or strength to stop the right-wing nonsense the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will be funneling into the Senate.   There is already talk of giving in to the Republican demand for new tax cuts for the rich (even though a majority of Americans oppose that).

I don't know if it has any chance to succeed, but Politics Plus has started a petition drive to oust Harry Reid from his position as majority leader.   They are asking anyone who lives in a state with at least one Democratic senator to sign the petition asking them to vote against returning Reid to his leadership petition.   Here is the text of the petition:

"Harry Reid has been such a weak majority leader that voters have come to think of Democratic as the party of spineless weakness.  We need a majority leader who will fight for progressive values, not cower in fear at the first threat of Republican opposition.  Please join us in petitioning your Democratic Senator(s) to replace Harry Reid with a Senator with the courage to stand fast against Republican assaults on our Constitution, our freedom, and our well being."


I can't sign the petition because my state doesn't have a Democratic seantor, but I urge you to sign it if you can.   Senate Democrats will need some strong leadership for the next two years, and with several bluedogs in the Senate, they may even need to be brave enough to use the filibuster themselves.