Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Reid stages talkathon on Senate floor to protest GOP leadership

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., reads from his book, "Searchlight, The Camp that Didn't Fail," on the floor of the Senate Monday afternoon. Reid talked for more than 8 1/2 hours to protest how the Republican majority has been running the chamber. REVIEW-JOURNAL

WASHINGTON -- The Senate ground to a halt Monday when a peeved Sen. Harry Reid began talking and refused to stop.

Angry over how the Republican majority has been running the Senate, the Nevada Democrat and minority whip claimed the floor at 1:18 p.m. Other than fielding occasional questions from other Democrats, he spoke for more than 8 1/2 hours, leaning at times on his desk but remaining on his feet the entire time to avoid losing his right to speak.

"The Senate is a body where one person can throw a monkey wrench into it, and a monkey wrench is being thrown today by the senator from Nevada," Reid said.

His action forced delay in a spending bill for the Commerce, Justice and State departments.

The monologue kicked off what was shaping into a particularly contentious week of partisan battle. Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., scheduled a 30-hour round-the-clock discussion starting Wednesday evening to protest Democrats holding up four of President Bush's judicial nominees.

That angered Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Reid, the Democrats' second-ranking Senate leader. Reid told reporters Friday the Republicans had "amateur leadership," and that time debating judicial nominees would be better spent passing bills.

As the Senate convened on Monday, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., defended Frist and said Democrats were being "petulant." He said Frist has delivered a budget resolution and more appropriations bills than the Democrats did last year when they ran the Senate.

After McConnell finished, Reid took the floor and didn't let go.

"We cannot be treated as nothing," Reid said of the Democrats.

"The majority has to work with us or nothing gets done," he said, referring to rules that allow any senator to bring the Senate to a halt.

Reid said Democrats and Republicans had agreed to work on Monday and Tuesday, Veterans Day, to vote on appropriations bills in the interest of adjourning by Nov. 21. Normally the Senate would have recessed for the holiday.

"But all of a sudden, I turn around and a hot poker is stuck in my eye," Reid said, when Republicans scheduled the 30-hour judicial debate for later in the week.

Through the day, the 63-year-old Reid talked about global warming, the minimum wage, and President Bush's management of the economy. He talked about Nevada's potential for renewable energy exploration and how he and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., work together to select federal judges for the state. He talked about how he likes McFlurries at McDonald's.

He talked about Wal-Mart and immigration. He talked about Nevada job training. He talked about the Cuyahoga River catching on fire and how that prompted Congress to pass the Clean Water Act.

At 6:30 p.m., he began reading from the book he wrote about his hometown: "Searchlight, The Camp that Didn't Fail." He started on Page One.

Most of the day, Reid spoke to a nearly empty chamber. As the evening wore on, other Democrats stopped by. Reid stood throughout his remarks because under Senate rules, another senator could be recognized if he sat down.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.