Harry Reid: "I can't stand McCain"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

What's missing: "...but if he's elected I'll do whatever he wants."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/21/reid-i-cant-stand-mccain/

(CNN) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and John McCain have never exactly enjoyed a close relationship, but the Democratic leader was exceedingly blunt Wednesday in his assessment of his colleague from Arizona.

"I can't stand John McCain," Reid flatly told his hometown paper, the Las Vegas Review Journal in comments published Thursday. The Nevada Democrat also said he had recently expressed that sentiment to Democrat-turned Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, an ardent supporter of McCain who has agreed to speak at the Republican convention early next month.

"He (Lieberman) said 'I know you feel that way,'" Reid also told the paper.

The top Senate Democrat also said McCain is wrong on a host of issues and "does not have the right temperament" to be commander-in-chief.

McCain, who has long highlighted his willingness to work with Democrats across the aisle, was slightly more gracious towards Reid in an interview with Politico Wednesday detailing his pledge as president to work with congressional Democrats.

"I will go to see the speaker of the House and the majority leader of the Senate — I assume that that would be Sen. Reid, I hope not, but I think that’s probably the reality of this election — and I would say, 'Let’s have an agenda, let’s work together," he told the publication.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Joe Lieberman's role in the Senate next year, Reid suggested he would welcome him back to the Democratic caucus.

"All my close votes, he's always with me, whether it's the budget or energy issues," he said of Lieberman. "No matter what it is, he's always with us. He just does not vote right on Iraq. … Why would I want to throw away a good vote?"

[DFW]

1. Let Lieberman "vote right" with us--if Obama is elected, his Iraq stance won't matter anyway

And after the election, our majority in the Senate will be such that
we will not have to accord him the committee chairmanship he so dearly
covets just because he "used to be" one of us. He is supporting McCain
in the presidential election. That, and that alone, should be reason enough
to strip him of any kind of chairmanship as long as we hold the majority
in the Senate. If McCain gets in, and the Republicans pull off enough of
their "surprise upsets" to get a majority in the Senate (won't happen,
this is just a "what if"), how long do you think it would take for Lieberman
to start to caucus with the Republicans instead, if it meant he kept his
committee chairmanship? More or less than 15 seconds?