"Reid embraces Tea Party candidate" has Dinner With Rand Paul

[Kotin]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/23/reid-embraces-tea-party-candidate/


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid attached action to his bipartisan rhetoric by meeting with a Tea Party-backed candidate.

In an interview on CNN's "John King, USA" set to air Thursday, the Nevada Democrat said he had dinner with Rand Paul, the Republican Senator-elect from Kentucky who won a highly contested race in November.

"I find him to be a very, very sincere person," Reid told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. "I think that he's not going to be the flamethrower that people think he is."

Discussing another Tea Party-backed Senate winner, Reid said he isn't worried about Mike Lee of Utah. He called the Republican a "fine young man."

The senators will take office in January on the heels of major Democratic losses in the House and Senate. In the same interview, Reid emphasized the importance of compromise, saying divided government doesn't mean you "can't get things done."

[MRoCkEd]

"I think that he's not going to be the flamethrower that people think he is."

I hope he's wrong!

[ctiger2]

Rand's good at playing possum.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/species/graphics/opposum5.jpg

[Matt Collins]

Sounds like maybe he's trying to marginalize Rand?

[Fozz]

I hope he's wrong!

I hope Rand is a responsible flame thrower. I want him to shake things up, but I don't want him to embarrass himself, because the future of this movement depends in part on his reputation.

[Original_Intent]

Reid must believe you should buy someone dinner before you try to screw them.

I think he owes every American dinner a few times over.

[sailingaway]

Reid must believe you should buy someone dinner before you try to screw them.

I think he owes every American dinner a few times over.

He should make TSA live by that motto....

Rand IS a very sincere person. He wants to accomplish things. That isn't how the media portrayed him, and if you read the left spin media about Rand, you wouldn't recognize him. Reid might have been surprised.

[economics102]

As much of a cynic as I am, I'm not going to read something negative into this. I think it's great that they had dinner. This all strikes me as perfectly positive.

You don't want Rand to have the reputation of being a flamethrower. We don't want him seen as another Jim Bunning (not that I don't like Bunning, but his political image marginalized him). We want Rand to be seen as the honest guy in the Senate who really has the American people's back and will stand up for us when nobody else does. That, and we want him to be seen as an inspirational leader of a movement.

So, Harry Reid of all people saying he's sincere and not a flamethrower is great. Not seeing a downside here.

[speciallyblend]

As much of a cynic as I am, I'm not going to read something negative into this. I think it's great that they had dinner. This all strikes me as perfectly positive.

You don't want Rand to have the reputation of being a flamethrower. We don't want him seen as another Jim Bunning (not that I don't like Bunning, but his political image marginalized him). We want Rand to be seen as the honest guy in the Senate who really has the American people's back and will stand up for us when nobody else does. That, and we want him to be seen as an inspirational leader of a movement.

So, Harry Reid of all people saying he's sincere and not a flamethrower is great. Not seeing a downside here.

^^^^^^^ this is what i am feeling!! I just hope Rand doesn't get sucked into the dark side of the gop!! I hope people understand the dems do not matter in reforming the gop until they register republican!

[dannno]

I hope Rand is a responsible flame thrower. I want him to shake things up, but I don't want him to embarrass himself, because the future of this movement depends in part on his reputation.

Ohhh no...

I thought you were going to give this up after the election....

[Sola_Fide]

How many "Rand sold out" threads are going to come out of this?

[Aratus]

mitch mcconnell practically voted for the START treaty when he did not come down on the GOP moderates
the way dick nixon would have. obama has had a most productive lame~duck session and he does not look
like an idiot to his own left wing. for harry reid to sense rand paul is a civilized human being is to again say
that rand paul can be quite personable in polite conversation. i had the impression that he is not a facade
given to a double~speak when i met him outside faneuil hall in 2oo8! he had talked about his own parents
to some of us who were quietly hovering near the entryway to that ancient building in the heart of boston.

[Ninja Homer]

"I find him to be a very, very sincere person," Reid told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. "I think that he's not going to be the flamethrower that people think he is."

I think this comment shows that he discovered Rand isn't the evil incarnate that the leftist media made him out to be.

[sailingaway]

I think this comment shows that he discovered Rand isn't the evil incarnate that the leftist media made him out to be.

It would be really hard to be the evil incarnate that the leftist media made him out to be....

[K Elaine]

I think there probably should be more socializing among them. The people who go to Washington will get a sense of who they are dealing with. But like all dates, some people are good actors. I get the sense Rand knows he doesn't know who a person is after just one dinner.

specially blend, I am laughing every time I look at that elephant on the tramp. That's a good picture for this topic, too.