Reid coddling Ensign, AP learns

The Associated Press has a story today on Harry Reid's care and feeding of John Ensign:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The home state of the Senate Democratic leader might not seem like the best place to be a first-term Republican senator up for re-election. But Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., is finding he could hardly ask for a safer haven.

In the piece (no link yet, was forwarded via e-mail) Reid rationalizes away Ensign's impending cakewalk to re-election, saying, "We've got other places where we're going to focus our attention."

Reid was effectively unopposed in his re-election bid last year, and the story hints that there might be a non-aggression pact between the two. Ensign denies it:

"We don't say anything negative about each other. That's the only agreement we have," Ensign said...

...But Reid's apparent reluctance to work against the junior senator is a major factor in keeping the field clear, analysts agree.

"The most powerful Democrat in the country is essentially saying that in my home state, I cannot find a Democrat to run against John Ensign. I mean, it's laughable," said Jon Ralston, a nonpartisan Nevada political analyst who writes a column in the Las Vegas Sun and produces a daily political newsletter. "I guarantee no one has a chance to beat John Ensign without Harry Reid's help. And he's not going to help..."

The AP claims that the Reid-Ensign relationship has helped protect the gambling industry, which is probably true. But the wire service also claims that the relationship "has helped the state fight the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump." That's disappointing because as loyal Gleaner readers know, Ensign campaigned in 2000 vowing that by virtue of being a Republican, he could secure support from fellow Republican senators in the fight against Yucca. And then he failed.

The Gleaner's moonlighted column in the R-J last month, which blasted Reid for giving Ensign a free ride, ended like this:

Nevada's Democrats should be pressing for Harry Reid to explain why he is harboring a known Republican senator in his own state, and why that's good for the party, Nevada or the nation.

The AP story may finally have the explanation, not from Reid, but courtesy of political insider and occasional Democrat Billy Vassiliadis. "I think that they're hearing a lot of positive reinforcement from the contributors and the other spheres of influence in Nevada saying this is working, don't screw it up you guys, keep working together."

Translation: The Reid-Ensign non-aggression pact is awfully peachy for that teeny tiny sliver of juiced-up bidness types and political hacks who constitute "contributors and the other spheres of influence."

Reid and Ensign's cooperation may be great when it comes to securing tax relief for hotel-casinos or facilitating land grabs for the growth industry. But if Reid thinks Ensign's primary role in the U.S. Senate is to serve as Reid's pet Republican, he's wildly, spectacularly missing the point. Ensign is first and foremost a good little go-along get-along GOPbot, a loyal right-wing soldier in the culture wars and an unwavering supporter of the despicable pro-corporate, anti-you agenda pushed by his Republican masters--an agenda, by the way, that Reid frequently attacks as immoral policy pursued on behalf of rich and powerful special interests. At times, it's almost as if Reid sincerely feels that the GOP agenda is bad for the country and the people in it. At times, it's almost as if Reid means it.

But obviously he doesn't, or he wouldn't be coddling Ensign so tenderly in the folds of his skirt.

Comments

[Diogenes]

What kind of minority Senate leader does the Demos have if in his home state of Nevada Reid interests are not even on the level of turning his Red State into a Blue State. But then again, it only has the 5 electorial votes that gave Bush the Presidency. I must be missing something. Why isn't he supporting a movement to upgrade Shelley Berkley to the Senate? Let's see six year term in the Senate, four years to go for Reid (2010) and if Ensign wins, six years to 2012. By that time Rory will be groomed to take over. Wake up Nevada, you are being sold down the river.