Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Reid criticism of Bush resurfaces

Senator cuts off reporter's question

Harry Reid Senate Democratic leader refuses to retract calling Bush a liar

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid's provocative criticism of President Bush appears to be getting in the way of efforts by the Senate Democratic leader to promote other issues.

During a news conference Monday to advance an agenda on matters facing U.S. families, Reid testily cut off a reporter's questions about his descriptions of Bush as a liar and a loser.

"I know you hate to give up on that," Reid said. "I apologized for the loser. I haven't for the liar. But with all due respect to you: Maybe you could come up with something else."

When the reporter, Ed Henry of CNN, tried to follow up by asking Reid whether it is helpful to call the president a liar, Reid snapped, "I answered the question."

While Reid has said it is time focus on important legislation, his remarks about Bush continue to be a topic of interest and comment.

Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said Sunday on television that he was "disappointed" by Reid's past remarks.

"To call the president of the United States a liar or loser, I really don't think is becoming of the Democratic Senate leader," Mehlman said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Reid also is the subject of a story in the June 16 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, in which he had the following exchange with an interviewer:

Q: You've called Bush a loser.

Reid: And a liar.

Q: You apologized for the loser comment.

Reid: But never for the liar, have I?

On April 22, Reid said Bush lied to him when the president said he would stay out of the Senate dispute about judicial nominations.

On May 6, Reid told a group of students at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas that Bush was a loser. Reid apologized later that day

At Monday's news conference, Reid said he wanted to focus on a "positive agenda" addressing health care, jobs, the trade deficit and education.

At one point, Reid began tearing off pages of a calendar and said Congress had done nothing this year. He did not mention legislation on bankruptcy reform and class action lawsuits, which he had cited earlier this year as signs of progress.

Reid seemed in no mood to joust with reporters. He was asked about comments last week by Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who had said a lot of Republicans "have never made an honest living in their lives."

"I think that's something you can spin in your columns and stories," Reid told the reporters.