Are you ready? Good.
In response to David Broder’s Thursday column about the horrible job Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) is doing as Majority Leader – a sentiment likely an overwhelming majority of Americans share – Senate Democrats actually wrote the Post a complaint letter.
I kid you not.
As the Post didn’t feature this correspondence on the front page – instead including it with the other four “letters” published that day on page A22 – and since Broder wasn’t asked to make a correction or retraction, it doesn’t seem that this puff piece, hysterically titled “Sen. Reid’s Fine Leadership,” was taken very seriously (emphasis added throughout):
We, the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, contest the attack on Sen. Harry Reid's leadership by David S. Broder in his April 26 column, "The Democrats' Gonzales."
In contrast to Mr. Broder's insinuations, we believe Mr. Reid is an extraordinary leader who has effectively guided the new Democratic majority through these first few months with skill and aplomb.
Doesn’t it make you feel safe knowing that people who believe Harry Reid is “an extraordinary leader who has effectively guided the new Democratic majority through these first few months with skill and aplomb” are in charge of the Senate while our nation is at war?
Regardless of the answer, the letter humorously continued:
The Democratic caucus is diverse, and Mr. Reid has worked tirelessly to make sure that the views of each member are heard and represented. No one ideology dominates the caucus, so that a consensus can be reached and unity achieved. It is hard to imagine a better model for leadership.
There’s only one conclusion that can possibly be reached from that last sentence: these folks lack imagination.
Because Mr. Reid has the support of members of the caucus, is a good listener and has an amazing ability to synthesize views and bring people together, the Senate has accomplished a great deal during his time as majority leader. Armed with his years of service in the Senate and with a mastery of procedure, Mr. Reid has led the chamber with a slim majority and a minority that is, at times, determined to stop legislation with which it disagrees.
Yes, that’s what extraordinary Congressional leaders do, especially ones whose Party is currently the majority: they block legislation.
How truly sad for our nation that one of the two major Parties actually believes this absurdity so much so they would put it in writing and send it to a leading newspaper so that it can be published for posterity.
Of course, this is another example of the extraordinary hypocrisy that exists today between the left and the media that supports them.
After all, David Broder is an outspoken member of the left who rarely has anything good to say about the right. Unfortunately, when he deigns to write something that actually challenges someone in "the club," he will be hounded by those normally applauding his every word.
The message to liberal media members from Paul Begala's attack on Thursday, as well as this letter from the Senate Democrats Friday, is very clear: Your membership can be revoked at any time without warning. As such, you better keep all opinions about fellow members that don't fit our agenda to yourself.
Dontcha love it?
*****Update: Glenn Reynolds has a great suggestion for Broder: "I'd respond with a column on Harry Reid's land deals." Yes, that would be great.
