"Don't lump me in with Jack Abramoff. This is a Republican scandal." HARRY REID

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., plans to take on Republicans in their own backyards when he visits five "red states" next month to promote a theme that Republican-led Washington is corrupt and needs to be cleaned up, a spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.

Reid, the Senate minority leader, has scheduled a three-day tour with stops in Phoenix; Denver; Salt Lake City; Pocatello, Idaho; and Omaha, Neb. All are in "Republican red" states that President Bush carried in the 2004 election.

"He wants to take his message to some of these red states that the Democrats want to clean up Washington," spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said. "He will be talking on the theme that America can do better and just letting these red states know who the Democrats are.

"The primary message will be the corruption in Washington and needing to change Washington," Hafen said.

Hafen said plans were being made for the trip, which was reported in Roll Call, a newspaper that covers the inner workings of Congress.

Hafen confirmed Reid will be the keynote speaker at a Democratic banquet in Pocatello on Jan. 11.

Also, Hafen said Reid will be accompanied for at least part of the trip by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., who was the only Democratic Senate challenger to win in a Republican state in 2004.

Republicans took a dim view of Reid's planned tour.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a statement advising Reid to "pack warm clothes because you may get a chilly reception."

In recent public appearances and interviews, Reid has sought to draw attention to scandals where Republicans have been major players, such as the indictment of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, the investigations of lobbyists Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon and the arrest of David Safavian, a top procurement official in the Bush administration.

Reid called the Republican-led Congress "the most corrupt in history" during a Dec. 18 appearance on Fox News Sunday.

On the show, Reid dismissed suggestions he also had benefited from contributions from Abramoff clients. The lobbyist is being investigated by the Justice Department for possibly steering payoffs to members of Congress.

"Don't lump me in with Jack Abramoff. This is a Republican scandal," Reid said, adding he never met Abramoff nor received money from him.