CNN on Tuesday brought out from retirement former longtime Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid, to trash his old foe, current majority leader Mitch McConnell, for daring to criticize Biden’s promises of massive policy changes. At points, Reid became a little irritated with King, reminding him with all the power Democrats held, that getting Biden’s agenda accomplished would be no problem for the closely divided Congress.
King started off by urging Reid to attack McConnell for warning Democrats that Americans didn’t vote for “sweeping ideological changes,” Biden’s already promised as president. King asked Reid if Biden should just ignore Republicans and do whatever he wants, a bit ironic considering CNN's obsession with calling Trump an authoritarian dictator over the past four years:
Listen to this, he's already trying to set the stakes saying, ‘hey, wait a minute, don't try to do too much, Joe Biden.’ [plays clip] What's your advice to the President-Elect? This time tomorrow, President Biden. Do you go gingerly, do you try to compromise, or do you say, ‘I won the election, here is my climate change bill, here’s my new immigration plan, sorry we won. Deal!’
Reid didn’t directly answer, but assured King that Democrats would have no problem getting whatever Biden wanted passed in Congress:
I think it's really a good deal that we pick up those two seats in Georgia. Sure, it's 50-50, but I've been there, I've done that. Remember, every one of the committee chairs is going to be a Democrat. We have Kamala Harris who will break any tie, so I think that we should understand that all the hearings will come from democratic chairs. There will be no hearings that will be initiated by the Republicans. So I think that Joe Biden is in good shape knowing the Senate as well as he does, knowing the executive branch of government. He served there eight years. I think he's well equipped to be one of our fine, fine presidents.
But King kept fretting about Mitch McConnell obstructing Biden. He asked, “Can he cooperate with Joe Biden?” adding about McConnell signaling he was open to impeaching Trump: “Can he cooperate with Joe Biden under these circumstances or is shoving Trump to the sidelines part of trying to prove himself to the Republican base?”
Reid responded, "I've already said that McConnell is not dumb, but he's made some big mistakes," he said referring to the "one term president" comment and "opposing everything Obama tried to do." He encouraged King again that "Biden is well equipped to move forward and get a lot done."
The CNN anchor threw out one more last desperate suggestion for Democrats to ram through legislation: getting rid of the filibuster. King lamented to Reid that Democrats needed to convince Biden that he can’t expect to work with Republicans:
As you know, there are a lot of progressives who in this campaign said ‘let's get rid of the filibuster. Done. We can't have it anymore.’ Joe Biden, you served with him for decades in the United States Senate. His first instinct is to say, let me try. I believe in tradition. I don’t want to do that. I’m an institutionalist. Let's try first to see if we can get things done. Would you put a clock on that? Would you tell Joe Biden, okay, that's what you want to do. I know you respect the institution. I give it, what, two months, three months, two weeks, three weeks? Or what should he do?
The former senator testily responded, “John, you realize that I have written an op-ed for the New York Times and other publications saying that time for the filibuster has passed. It's not a question of if it's going to go away, it's a question of when it's going to go away.”
Reid went on to say that Democrats should humor Biden at first but, he reassured King, Democrats could easily get rid of the filibuster:
Now, I know that Joe has said that he's going to get the Republicans to work with him, and that's typical of Joe Biden. He's a man that tries to get along with people. I think he should get--have a couple, three months, but there's going to come a time when a decision is going to have to be made. Remember, to get rid of the filibuster takes a simple majority vote.
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Read the relevant transcript below:
CNN Newsroom
1/19/2021
JOHN KING: Our next guest knows more than a little about the challenges of trying to get big things through a closely divided Senate, and he knows firsthand the job switch Senator McConnell faces this week. Let's welcome the former Democrat Senator Harry Reid in Nevada. Senator, it's good to see you. I hope you're doing well. You do know what it's like to go from a majority leader to a minority leader. As majority leader, Mitch McConnell has said, ‘Mr. President send up judges, we will confirm them. Mr. President, we will get things done.’ Listen to this, he's already trying to set the stakes saying, ‘hey, wait a minute, don't try to do too much, Joe Biden.’
MITCH MCCONNELL: The elections did not hand any side a mandate for sweeping idealogical change. Americans elected a closely divided Senate, a closely divided House and a presidential candidate who said he'd represent everyone.
JOHN KING: What's your advice to the President-Elect? This time tomorrow, President Biden. Do you go gingerly, do you try to compromise, or do you say, ‘I won the election, here is my climate change bill, here’s my new immigration plan, sorry we won. Deal!’
HARRY REID: Well I was interested in hearing Mitch McConnell talk about what's caused the riot in the Capitol, the direct blame he attributed to the president. I think of all things working with McConnell, the many years that I have, he can be accused of a lot of things, but one of them, he's not dumb. I think he realizes that Trump is a drag on the Republican party, and I think that was the opening salvo for Mitch McConnell to disengage from Trump, to try to reestablish and rebrand the Republican party. I think it's very clear to me that I think the glass is half full, not half empty. I think it's really a good deal that we pick up those two seats in Georgia. Sure, it's 50-50, but I've been there, I've done that.
Remember, every one of the committee chairs is going to be a Democrat. We have Kamala Harris who will break any tie, so I think that we should understand that all the hearings will come from democratic chairs. There will be no hearings that will be initiated by the Republicans. So I think that Joe Biden is in good shape knowing the Senate as well as he does, knowing the executive branch of government. He served there eight years. I think he's well equipped to be one of our fine, fine presidents.
KING: You mentioned that you believe Mitch McConnell sees the critical imperative of trying to push President Trump to the sideline of the Republican party. However, with the midterm elections two years away, you've been through this before, the next election cycle starts immediately and with the 50-50 Senate, McConnell has twenty Republican-held seats on the ballot two years from now. Can he cooperate with Joe Biden? You remember famously the remarks he made in the Obama administration was he thought his priority was to make him a one-term president. Can he cooperate with Joe Biden under these circumstances or is shoving Trump to the sidelines part of trying to prove himself to the Republican base?
REID: I've already said that McConnell is not dumb, but he's made some big mistakes. When Obama was elected, he came up with two conclusions. Number one, he would not be re-elected. He failed at that miserably, but they would oppose everything Obama tried to do. Now that they succeeded. In spite of that, we had a rule change here and there. We were fortunate in being able to elect some Democrats that no one expected us to be able to do that, and we were able to get a lot done. In fact, some say Obama's first term as president during his first Congress was the most successful Congress in the history of the country. So I think that Biden is well equipped to move forward and get a lot done.
KING: As you know, there are a lot of Progressives who in this campaign said ‘let's get rid of the filibuster. Done. We can't have it anymore.’ Joe Biden, you served with him for decades in the United States Senate. His first instinct is to say, let me try. I believe in tradition. I don’t want to do that. I’m an institutionalist. Let's try first to see if we can get things done. Would you put a clock on that? Would you tell Joe Biden, okay, that's what you want to do. I know you respect the institution. I give it, what, two months, three months, two weeks, three weeks? Or what should he do?
REID: John, you realize that I have written an op-ed for the New York Times and other publications saying that time for the filibuster has passed. It's not a question of if it's going to go away, it's a question of when it's going to go away. You cannot have a democracy, a legislative body that takes 60% of the votes on everything. What McConnell has done is turned the Senate into nothing more than a manufacturing site for judges. They don't do amendments, they don't do bills, and I think that the filibuster's going to go away. Now, I know that Joe has said that he's going to get the Republicans to work with him, and that's typical of Joe Biden. He's a man that tries to get along with people. I think he should get--have a couple, three months, but there's going to come a time when a decision is going to have to be made. Remember, to get rid of the filibuster takes a simple majority vote.
