Should Reid resign?

[WI_DEM]

Poll question: Should Reid resign?

I've seen some posts suggesting that he should. What say you? and if you vote "YES" could you also post the name of the Senator who should be put in his place-- who could have made it possible for 4 Dem senators not to vote to confirm Alito and could have persauded those who did vote "NO" but didn't support a filibuster to have supported a filibuster--who could take over for Reid who would have accomplished this?

[unblock]

1. BUSH should resign, along with his whole criminal gang!

[wuushew]

2. Why even insist on Minority/Majority leadership positions?

such a role is not mentioned in the Constitution, rather it is a party invention dating from the 1920s. How about a more inclusive process like rotating membership or decision by committee?

[JeffR]

5. Great idea

[Nutmegger]

14. Didn't one of the Federalist Papers discourage parties?

Number 10...or 24?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Good fucking god no!

Have we all become labotomized or something? What the fuck, people?!

[WildEyedLiberal]

17. One doesn't need to be lobotomized to think Reid's performance is poor

I have thought Reid inadequate for a long time, and yesterday merely crystallized my opinion of him. He is a caucus leader who cannot hold together the caucus on any vote of importance, including but by no means limited to Monday's dismal performance. It is partly a matter of ideology; why is a conservative Democrat leading the caucus of the liberal party? Do you see the Republicans nominating Lincoln Chafee or Olympia Snowe for leadership roles? Hell no; they pick hardcore 100% party warriors safely entrenched in their seats who are capable of carrying out the party's agenda balls-out. We haven't had a Congressional leader like that in a long time, and sorry, Reid comes nowhere close to fitting the bill.

[donco6]

27. I agree 100%

For some reason, we tend to put forward the wimpiest leadership.

I don't see how Dean and Reid can be on the same team - they are polar opposites wrt personality.

[MADem]

4. The Judiciary Committee Democrats should have led the charge

Only Ted, with help from his junior Senator partner, had the guts....

Reid is a prolifer; he always has been. Trying to get him to shift is like trying to reason a dog into not barking....

[wisteria]

7. I am beginning to think they purposely down played the hearings.

It had already been decided not to fight this nomination to strongly.

[MADem]

23. Maybe they are thinking Stevens won't make it till 08

So they are holding their fire till then. But I do wish they had worked the liberal GOP types over a bit more...especially the ones who aren't too thrilled with the Monkey because of his BRAC policies and other issues.

[Wordie]

10. I respectfully disagree regarding Reid.

We have a skewed view of the world sometimes, here at DU (I don't mean this a criticism aimed just at you - I have it too). It's not surprising really; we hear from people who are left... and lefter... and leftest. The rest of the political spectrum isn't reflected here, and so sometimes it's easy to not understand why those who represent us aren't speaking out the way we'd like them to. I really understand the impatience; I feel it too. But to attack a Senator who took the courageous stand of voting "NO" on the filibuster is a big mistake, imho. One of the reasons the Dems have so much trouble in the first place is this propensity toward friendly fire (we are the more compassionate party, just not always toward our own).

The way that the average DUer sees things just isn't the way much of the country sees it - yet. We are making progress, but if you go to fast and get too far out ahead of the public, you lose. Look at how badly Kerry and the Dems got bashed in the msm over the filibuster. Reid has his hands tied in many ways that have nothing to do with his capacities as a leader, but instead have to do with the large majority the Republicans hold, and the (supposedly left wing) media (which clearly needs to change).

No more friendly fire, please. Why advocate a melt-down of the party, when we are just beginning to make progress? The filibuster was a great step in the right direction.

[MADem]

22. Are you saying Reid should have led the charge, when he was OK

with the up-or-down vote aspect? I am saying anyone who thought Reid would do anything other than what he did does not understand that the guy is a conservative, pro-life Democrat. Prostitution and gambling are one thing (states' rights issues, those) and anyone who expected Reid to move on this matter was whistling past the graveyard.

That said, the Democrats who sat on the JC should have joined with Ted. Ted was the only one who spoke up, and Kerry helped. Had more JC Dems piped up and motivated, the filibuster might have succeeded.

Where you get the idea that I am attacking Reid, I have no clue. I am saying he is what he is, and anyone who expects that particular tiger to change his stripes is obtuse as to his stances on issues.

[Wordie]

26. My apologies if I misread, but thread is entitled, "Should Reid resign?"

So maybe I read more into your comments because of that. There have been so many calls for Reids resignation, and so many negative comments, that I guess I read what you wrote from that perspective, assuming you were agreeing (with the OP, apparently) that Reid should go. I am troubled by the negative comments about Reid, as after all he did vote against cloture and against Alito as well.

Again, my apologies.

[wisteria]

6. No, but he shouldn't just cavalierly expect that we will not be a force

in the future when we disagree with a position or tactic. I think he "mis underestimated" us this time.

[mattclearing]

8. More Dem bashing.

Bush should resign.

[donco6]

9. Resign from Dem leadership, yes. Senate seat, OCN.

Reid's leadership and strategy are both weak and utterly ineffective. He's got to go.

[WildEyedLiberal]

11. Agreed, We need a blue state reliably liberal leader

Durbin would be the logical choice since he is currently the whip

[donco6]

15. Yes - a good choice

I just think someone needs to be held accountable for this piss-poor performance.

[formernaderite]

21. Durbin, I agree

he has sounded consistently more like a democratic leader over the last weeks than Reid has.

[jfalchion]

25. i agree

:kick:

he doesn't have fire in the belly

he doesn't realize what the stakes are

he has got to go

:kick:

i want Schumer to take over

stop this crapping around

[Ksec]

12. Why?

Hes been part of the Dem comeback. Hell no .

[stray cat]

13. I think Reid is doing well

DU loved him a month ok, not even the base expresses much loyalty. If DU doesn't agree all the time why do we expect our leaders to always be in agreement - just because republican senators follow Bush blindly doesn't mean blind followers are a virtue,

[demosincebirth]

16. I agree, Sen Reid is doing a fine job.

[Kralizec]

19. He's a 'fraidy cat. The Democrats don't support The People.

It's that simple. They lost their bravery long ago.

The Democrats need someone with balls, but again, they are afraid to choose someone like this.

Afraid. Afraid. Afraid.

[WI_DEM]

20. Who is the Dem with balls in the Senate who could have

convinced all these democrats to filibuster?

[jsamuel]

18. Funny, I don't see very many posts with the name of a replacement

Exactly! Keep Reid where he is.

[donheld]

24. I voted to keep Reid where he is but

It would be fun to see what Barbara Boxer would do in his position.

[ulysses]

28. I don't know that it matters.

There's a lot more work to do than will be done by replacing the minority leader.

[saltpoint]

29. If they call me up, I'm going to prefer Dick Durbin to lead Senate

Democrats. Absent that unlikely scenario, I don't have a good reason for disliking Harry Reid. And it's still fairly early in his tenure as minority leader.

[gulfcoastliberal]

30. No doubt, he's worse than Daschle.

He's a pro-life Mormon who will be happy to see a woman's right to choice eliminated.