Harry Reid touches all the bases in RJ interview

You never know what you'll hear during a sitdown with U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, but it's usually entertaining and almost always newsworthy.

Still rocking the Roy Orbison shades following a January exercising accident in his home that resulted in a serious eye injury, Reid's delivery has always been more Steven Wright than Henny Youngman. But the very low-key senator from Searchlight, who now lives in comfort in Anthem, still landed some punch lines — and punches, too.

Reid met with a roomful of Review-Journal scribes Wednesday for a brown-bag lunch at the newspaper. He touched on a wide variety of topics, shadow boxed with the Koch brothers and Senate Republicans, and once again pronounced the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository project dead. (Yeah, walking dead.) He also went to great lengths to take no definitive stand on the Iran nuclear deal. It turns out he expects the Democrats to retake the Senate in the next election cycle, too.

Reid had plenty to say about the potential of renewable energy and took a jab at NV Energy's push to shelf rooftop solar, but he received no questions about the upcoming National Clean Energy Summit 8.0.

But perhaps Reid's most interesting comment was the apparent attaboy he gave mouthy Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, whom the senator praised as a man who at least spoke his mind. The fact that mind is a very troubled place went unspoken.

"I think Donald Trump speaks for the Republican Party," Reid deadpanned, noting that the candidate had "hit a nerve" and hadn't been roundly vilified by his fellow candidates. "... I believe we need more people like him speaking their minds."

Son Rory Reid was a successful Clark County commissioner and made an unsuccessful run for governor, but as for another Reid entering the election arena any time soon, don't count on it, he said. "None of my other boys are interested as far as I know."

From the big empty splendor of the 700,000-acre Basin and Range National Monument that President Barack Obama signed into existence under the Antiquities Act, to bouquets for local slugger Bryce Harper and the prospects of Las Vegas landing an NHL franchise, Reid held forth.

He also expressed support for removing marijuana from the federal government's list of dangerous drugs that have no medicinal use. That change would go a long way to enabling states to continued to legalize medicinal marijuana without concern for federal law enforcement intervention.

As ever, Reid couldn't resist jabbing at the Review-Journal's conservative editorial policy, which has beaten him like a $10 snare drum over the years. He let on that he'd been reminded by staff not to snipe at the paper's politics, and almost took the good advice.

At one point Reid took time to acknowledge the Review-Journal's excellent senior editorial writer Glenn Cook, with whom he shares so little in common, and ended the hourlong journalistic jam session by actually lauding the conservative's writing talent.

Cook was last seen being treated for shock at a local infirmary. His recovery is expected to take several weeks.

ON THE BOULEVARD: Obama is scheduled to give the keynote at the Aug. 24 clean energy summit at Mandalay Bay. He's expected to join the chorus touting the $6 billion invested in renewables in Nevada... Readers of Paolo Bacigalupi's ripping new novel "The Water Knife" will surely notice the fictitious Southern Nevada Water Authority czarina Catherine Case shares several trait in common with former SNWA powerhouse Pat Mulroy. ... Strip Diva Frank Marino, currently at The Linq, is marking 30 years performing on the Boulevard. That's a lot of well-worn high heels, man.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Reach him at 702 383-0295, or jsmith@reviewjournal.com. On Twitter: @jlnevadasmith.