Reid calls Bush 'a loser,' calls White House to apologize

[Dali Llama]

Reid calls Bush 'a loser,' calls White House to apologize

By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA
Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid called President Bush "a loser" during a civics discussion with a group of teenagers at a high school on Friday.

"The man's father is a wonderful human being," Reid, D-Nev., told students at Del Sol High School when asked about the president's policies. "I think this guy is a loser."

Shortly after the event Reid called the White House to apologize, his spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said. Reid spoke with Bush adviser Karl Rove, asking him to convey the apology to Bush, who was traveling in Europe.

The Nevada Democrat expressed "regret for the comments, that it was inappropriate," Hafen said. Reid was giving a late speech in Salt Lake City and was unavailable for comment, she said.
 
The White House said Friday night it had no immediate comment.

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee, Brian Jones, called Reid's comment "a sad development but not surprising from the leader of a party devoid of optimism, ideas or solutions to the issues people care about most."

Reid visited the school to discuss Congress and the debate over judicial filibusters. He repeated that the Senate will be brought to a standstill if Republicans change the rules regarding filibusters to hasten the approval of Bush's judicial nominees.

Hafen said Reid told the teenagers that if Republicans change the filibuster rules, then they can "no longer count on Sen. Reid working with them on the president's agenda."

Reid's comments were first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on its Web site.

[magooch]

Oh yeah, like ole Harry is working with the majority party--right.

[Leverdude]

I dont see why he needed to apologize.
If thats his opinion then he oughtta stand by it. Unfortunately its hard to find what these guys opinions really are, both Republicans & Democrats. They speak an opinion & if its not well recieved say, I'm sorry & its ok.

 I'd respect more a man of integrity who's opinion need not be withdrawn because someone finds it offensive, than one who gives his opinion & retracts it because he offended someone he dissagreed with.

Anyway, this fellow has shown his true color much more IMO by appologizing than by calling Bush a loser.

[ironglow]

Reid says that if the Republicans use the "Constitutional option", they cannot expect Harry Reid to help put through Pres. Bush's agenda...
   
     Whooeee...what part of Pres. Bush's agenda have ANY of the Democrats tried to help put through ?

[doc_kreipke]

I'd say Reid sure as heck needs to apologize ... to the parents of those kids. He was supposed to be teaching them.

Hijacking a civics class to engage in a name-calling level political hissy fit shows a complete lack of integrity.

[jh45gun]

Speaking of Loosers I have heard of Bush never heard of Reid so he must be a looser if you can look at it that way as he evidently is not well known out side of his state. But then nothing supprises me of what the democrats will stoop to these days.

[ShadowMover]

If there was ever a case of the pot calling the kettle black, this is it.  Harry is a political hack who has all his kids into politics, and managed to make himself a multi-millionaire while 'serving' the public.  This is not meant as an agreement with anything Bush II has done, but that's a different thread. Harry barely hung on last election, only because an underfunded Republican ran against him. Harry was picked by the local 'powers that be' so he only got token opposition, and still almost foundered.

[ironglow]

...And "Dingy" Harry had his kids on his campaign payroll for big bucks....just like Tom Delay..