Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, battling for his political life against bad odds, has doubled down on his role in health care reform even though Nevadans aren’t fans of the new law. Reid is up on statewide television with ads that champion health care reform, speaking to the camera and showcasing three residents who would be helped under the changes in the measure.
“Some told me reform wasn’t politically smart but I believe it’s right for Nevada,” Reid (D-NV) says to the camera, adding a smile. The three 30-second ads signal a new strategy for Reid as he defends the overhaul of the health care system and while one of his potential Republican opponents twists herself into knots over some unfortunate comments about bartering for medical care. It’s also raised some eyebrows in Washington as most political chatter and even television advertising spending has shifted to financial reform. Reid also seems to be the only Senate candidate currently campaigning on the air on health care reform.
The current TPM Poll Average of this race shows Reid losing to all of the GOP hopefuls. In a matchup with Sue Lowden (R) she has 52.6 percent and Reid has 38.3 percent.
At a briefing with reporters hosted by the Christian Science Monitor Thursday, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn mocked Reid for having spent $2 million so far on ads, saying he thinks Reid “does not appear to have moved the needle at all.” Cornyn told the Washington Post this week the GOP would love to knock Reid from power as a “trophy” win for the Republican Party this fall. It wouldn’t be the first time. Democrats were crushed when the GOP unseated then-Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) in 2004.
“Taking on the insurance companies was hard but letting them cut people off when they were sick is wrong,” Reid says in one ad, which you can view below. In another, he says a small business owner named Ron “is why I fought for reform.”
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