Reid axes New Orleans fundraiser

WASHINGTON -- Another work weekend is keeping Sen. Harry Reid off the campaign trail.

Reid said Thursday he has canceled a fundraiser brunch that was set for Saturday in New Orleans. His disclosure came after Republicans demanded Reid keep the Senate working through a second consecutive weekend.

Reid, the Senate majority leader from Nevada, took to the Senate floor and blasted Republicans for trying to "embarrass or denigrate" him.

"I think that this debate has really come to a point that I've rarely seen in the Senate -- in fact, I've never seen it," Reid said. He said he would never make insinuations about fellow senators and fundraisers."

"Any events I had scheduled this weekend have been canceled," Reid said. "Events I had last weekend had been canceled. Four or five of them."

Reid kept senators in session last weekend, working to complete a massive health care overhaul by Christmas. With the health bill temporarily tied up, Reid floated the idea of allowing senators to go home this weekend if Republicans would agree to speed votes on an unrelated appropriations bill.

Republicans, who are trying to kill the health bill, refused to go along.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Republican leader, suggested Reid was eager to leave town.

"Republicans are prepared to provide a platform for the debate as long as it takes," McConnell said. "We expect to be here this weekend and we look forward to it.

"I know people have fundraisers because they are running for re-election and people have other important things to do, but there is nothing more important to do than this," McConnell said.

"It's really hard to understand why, after spending all of last weekend in session and voting and debating, that somehow the majority leader would want to take this weekend off, and yet still finish up by the end of next week," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Reid said he thought it was reasonable to take a break. "I thought it would be appropriate because we've worked pretty hard here to have a day or two off," he said.

The New Orleans event was to be hosted by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and political consultant James Carville, and was to be held at the home of wealthy investor David Voelker, chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported tickets for brunch with Reid were to cost $1,000 to $4,800. Tea Party organizers were preparing a protest march on the event, dubbing it the "Streetcar Named Retire."

Expecting a tough race for re-election in 2010, Reid has mounted an energetic fundraising campaign.

He has raised close to $13 million, and had $8.7 million on hand as of Sept. 30, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 775-687-3901.