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White House mum on Reid criticism of Obama
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STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated: Jul. 13, 2010 | 6:18 p.m.
WASHINGTON -- The White House on Monday chose not to respond to criticism by Sen. Harry Reid that President Barack Obama can at times be too soft on Republicans.
In an interview Friday, the Senate majority leader described Obama as "a person who doesn't like confrontation. He is a peacemaker and sometimes I think you have to be a little more forceful, and sometimes I don't think he is enough with the Republicans."
"On a few occasions I think he should have been more firm with those on the other side of the aisle," Reid told political pundit Jon Ralston on his television show, "Face to Face."
Asked about Reid's comments on Monday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs began to question whether they were taken out of context.
Assured they were not, Gibbs said, "I don't have anything to say."
The interview was conducted a few hours after Obama departed Las Vegas. At a political rally on Thursday and at a speech Friday at UNLV, Obama praised Reid and urged his re-election in December.
Ralston challenged Reid to name something on which he disagreed with Obama.
"Health care went on for many months," Reid said. "Much of that early scrimmaging was done in the Senate itself and the White House did not come in until later.
"Now, we came up with a great product and I'm sure he can look back and say, 'I was right.' But boy, for me down in the trenches, there was time when I wanted to keep the folks in the White House behind me."
When Ralston suggested Obama did not have political instincts to match Reid, the Nevadan said Obama "is a very strong man. He is calm, cool, deliberate. But sometimes I would like him to be confrontational. He isn't and that is who he is."
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
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Confrontational? Really Harry? When did Mr. Obama give you permission to say that? I find it hard to believe you would call someone out because they aren't confrontational. You have become so frail you can only find confrontation in trying to make a decision. I will show respect to my elder even though he refuses to show respect to his constituents and at least listen.
I've been waiting for days and STILL no one with praise for Angle? There just ain't enough hate in the people of Nevada for her to prevail.
I mean besides the fact that not liking someone, is NOT a reason to vote for their opponent.
Are the rats leaving the boat after all her brilliant statements?
Hard to defend someone who thinks your Grandma's social security is "welfare" isn't it? Or your's for that matter-you did pay in after-all.
(hold on, it's hard to read the words on my palm)OK got it.
Hard to watch the oil spill and think we owe BP an apology isn't it? How's that slushy fund,drilly thing working for ya?
When you look at your wives and daughters do you ever think about what it might be like to tell them-this is after they have ALREADY been brutalized, that they'll just have to make lemonade from the lemons that God gave them?
Thanks for the great choice teaparty-Harry wants to thank you too. If I was Reid's campaign manager I'd sponsor every speaking engagement for Angle that I could.
Dear poor tired teabaggers-I hope you have enjoyed your moment in the sun; frolicking around in you're revolutionary hats and carrying muskets and signs of Obama, and his family in Nazi uniforms. Many of you actually made it on TV bless your hearts. BUT YOUR 15 MINUTES ARE UP! By the time November gets here Angle will be ready to concede BEFORE the election. Rand Paul too. Americans do have short "sound bite" attention spans-but don't sell us to short-OUR MEMORIES AREN'T SHORT ENOUGH TO FORGET WHAT BUSH AND THE RIGHT-WING NEOCONS DID TO THIS COUNTRY. If you think we have forgotten that Obama inherited a job loss rate of 750,000 a month, you are mistaken; if you think we have forgotten Bush going to war by borrowing money from China so he could cut taxes for his "base" you are mistaken, if you think America has forgotten how insurance companies routinely dropped peoples health-coverage to keep a good bottom-line you are mistaken. By the time the election gets here and Veterans see what the Democrats have done for them, when seniors realize what the teaparty would do to SocSec. When HALF our population thinks about "making lemonade from lemons" with a rapist's child? when people come to realize that they can now breath a sign of relief not worrying about losing EVERYTHING if they get sick? I think this election is going to be a "slam dunk"(Bush's WMD war phrase,Oh ya we remember that too!). We remember what the GOP has done to our schools, we remember how the GOP wanted to keep our health-care on status quo, we remember how the GOP gave away the keys to big business, including the Supreme Court giving corporations the rights of a citizen so they can further corrupt our elections. We have SEEN the results of how they run government. AND WE REMEMBER!
Thank You GOP for giving us a senator who had an affair and had his parents pay off the husband. Thank you GOP for giving us a governor who will be or should be indited for perjury, corruption,spousal abuse,jury tampering, etc etc. Thank You GOP for funding our schools so well that we rank last in high school graduation rates and 48th overall. And a VERY big THANK YOU for making Nevada the envy of every good ole boy in South Carolina(the nations former leader in whacko politics) by giving us a senatorial candidate whose beliefs were such an embarrassment that the GOP pulled her website down after her election to hide them. Black helicopters, fluoride communist conspiracy's, second amendment solutions, hiding from the press like Palin, (they can't answer simple questions anyway, so no harm there) she has it all! Thank You GOP for making me so proud of being a Nevadan.
Why Sharon Angle deserves to beat down Harry "Mr. Transparency" Reid:
http://pajamasmedia.com/zombie/2010/07/14/sharron-angles-rape-abortion-position/
What planet does Prince Harry Reid live on? He seems to have "closed the doors of transparency" a little bit to long!
http://www.exposeobama.com/2010/07/14/harry-reid-illegals-dont-work-construction-jobs-in-nevada/?utm_source=Expose+Obama&utm_campaign=f4d4c08a03-EO_7_14_107_14_2010&utm_medium=email
The reference to Dirty Harry (the movie about MAKE MY DAY) and Harry Reid is not abusive!
The facts are Harry spoke disrespectful to people attending his townhall meetings!
The facts are--when Harry spoke about this President disrespectful--isn't abusive--IT IS A PROVEN FACT!
Dirty Harry is a user--an abuser--of the law and to his fellow constituents a back stabs his own President!
Dirty Harry has done all the above! Dirty Harry gets Dems behind closed doors and says: You MAKE MY DAY--or I WILL MAKE YOUR DAY! PASS THIS LEGISLATION OR ELSE!
Dirty Harry has won the prize for being more COCKY than the President--Emanuel and even PELOSI--
That is why Dirty Harry didn't listen to the concerns of the people of Nevada about Obamacare--spoke disrespectful to people who showed up at the townhall meetings!
It is in the best interest of the people of Nevada to make sure a man who thinks of himself so highly--SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SERVE BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN AROUND SO LONG--HE THINKS HE IS ALWAYS RIGHT! November is going to shock the cocky--the disrespectful Senators and Representatives--WON'T HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO RUIN OUR COUNTRY EVER AGAIN!
WHO CARES! THEY ARE BOTH LIMP-WRISTED!
This is great Obama and gang will call Reid a racist for challenging the White House, after all, when you disagree with this administration you are labeled as racist and Reid who has done the same labeling will call Obama and gang racist. This could really get funnier with more insane bullying than the democrats normally do.