Reid: Can’t live with him? Can’t live without him?

The Washington Post in a front page story today takes a stab at explaining the quandary of Sen. Harry Reid and how the most powerful senator in Washington is facing the fight of his political life back home.   

"For most of his adult life, Reid's objective was to keep growth happening" in Southern Nevada, the Post reports. "After his 1982 election to the House, he worked with ..... state leaders to build the infrastructure needed to support the development of Las Vegas into a tourist mecca and retirement oasis.

When the state's economy crashed, "Reid responded by becoming Nevada's sugar daddy... The economic stimulus bill brought $1.5 billion to Nevada in Medicaid, education and transportation funding, and included a provision aimed at thwarting thousands of layoffs at Harrah's Entertainment, the state's largest private employer.

"Supporters speak of Reid's possible defeat with an air of disbelief. The miner's son didn't go off to Washington and forget where he came from. If anything, Reid has become too invested in his home state, and consequently receives an outsized share of the blame."