Hapless Harry opens mouth, inserts both feet

By Michelle Malkin  •  May 19, 2009 07:36 PM

Cue “Had a Bad Day:”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid became the latest Democrat to stray into rhetorical trouble Tuesday, botching statements on three subjects in one news conference—including the fragile health of the chamber’s most senior members.

The Nevada Democrat reported that one of them, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., was absent because he was receiving a new round of treatment for his brain cancer. Asked if the cancer was in remission, Reid replied, “As far as I know, it is, yes.”

Kennedy’s office refused to confirm Reid’s comments or make any statement in response, the public silence a classic Washington disavowal.

Reid also flubbed statements on Robert Byrd’s health and the Senate Dems’ position on Gitmo detainee funding:

Even the post-gaffe handling of Reid’s remarks was awkward. Spokesman Jim Manley, who previously worked for Kennedy for years, swept through the press gallery to clean up after his boss. He retracted Reid’s assessment of Kennedy’s condition. He clarified Reid’s comments about the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Manley’s job was no fun at that moment, a reporter observed.

“Not so much,” he said.

Most competent Congress ever!

***

Previous today: They’re sick of Harry Reid, too

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Comments


  1. #1
    On May 19th, 2009 at 7:39 pm, Ragspierre said:

    Idiots, thieves, and liars…

  2. #2
    On May 19th, 2009 at 7:40 pm, MES401067 said:

    Just keep on talking Harry.Maybe you and Nancy can do a speaking tour.

  3. #3
    On May 19th, 2009 at 7:47 pm, nbarry said:

    It’s been said that a gaffe is when a politician against his better judgment tells the truth.

  4. #4
    On May 19th, 2009 at 7:52 pm, JustAThought said:

    I can only hope that the rest of my Nevada neighbors help me vote this tool into oblivion.

  5. #5
    On May 19th, 2009 at 8:06 pm, Regulus said:

    Reid, Pelosi, Biden and Hope-a-Dope are perfect examples of what happens when you get a free pass from a friendly media for so long — after a while, you just start “hip-shooting” with your words, because you think that nobody can touch you.

    George Bush was no friend of the English language, but the number of actual gaffes he committed was quite low — minuscule, in fact, when compared to the donks who were/are constantly calling him an idiot. And the reason was simple: Bush knew that he had to carefully choose his words before a relentlessly hostile media.

    In the same way that libs think that they’re “helping” minorities by treating them like infants, the media thinks it’s “helping” donks by refusing to call them to account when they shoot off at the mouth. In both cases, they couldn’t be more misguided in their notion of “altruism.”

  6. #6
    On May 19th, 2009 at 8:11 pm, rowsdower said:
  7. #7
    On May 19th, 2009 at 8:21 pm, 24Klady said:

    I just lost a submission – anyone else having the problem? Received the dreaded error page?

    The jest of that was:
    Why are the two spokesmen for the party suddenly acting like they are brain damaged? I don’t recall any of them being camera shy before – now, they can’t string a complete sentence together without flubbing their lines before a camera. You would think their poll numbers were in the tank? We’re all missing the bigger picture or something evil this way cometh.

  8. #8
    On May 19th, 2009 at 8:24 pm, d1carter said:

    The real question: Is Harry in remission?

  9. #9
    On May 19th, 2009 at 8:33 pm, swede said:

    24Klady said:
    Why are the two spokesmen for the party suddenly acting like they are brain damaged?

    Suddenly? Seems a chronic condition to me. Nanny just messed with the wrong folks this time. HER calling the CIA liars? Reid is just out to lunch as usual.

  10. #10
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:15 pm, behiker said:

    He just couldn’t stand it that Nan was getting all the attention.

  11. #11
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:28 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    A rare trifecta. One more and he would have “hit for the cycle”. That’s more rare than a perfect game!

  12. #12
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:30 pm, Bruce said:

    I think Harry Reid is an embarrassment to himself, his voters, his constituents, his state, the Senate, the USA… and the entire human race.

  13. #13
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:36 pm, oldcollegeguy1980 said:

    A favorite quote of mine from Harry Reid is about where he learned to swim.

    From his book “The Good Fight”….,

    “As a boy, I learned to swim at a wh*@ehouse.”

    That Harry, and we wonder how he got to where he is today.

  14. #14
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:39 pm, Hangfire said:

    And now he works in a whorehouse.

  15. #15
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:45 pm, tarpon said:

    Is this the face of a failed Democrat?

  16. #16
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:50 pm, jangar said:

    Hapless Harry opens mouth, inserts both feet

    Here’s hoping he chokes.

    “As a boy, I learned to swim at a wh*@ehouse.”

    Lame attempt at impersonating Clinton.

    He just couldn’t stand it that Nan was getting all the attention

    Lap dog.

  17. #17
    On May 19th, 2009 at 9:53 pm, jangar said:

    “As a boy, I learned to swim at a wh*@ehouse.”

    Did he just admit that his mother worked the night shift?

  18. #18
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:04 pm, PatriotRider said:

    Hey, quit bagging on LGM’s object of worship. You’ll hurt it’s feelings.

  19. #19
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:04 pm, Republicanvet said:

    On May 19th, 2009 at 8:21 pm, 24Klady said:

    The jest of that was:
    Why are the two spokesmen for the party suddenly acting like they are brain damaged? I don’t recall any of them being camera shy before – now, they can’t string a complete sentence together without flubbing their lines before a camera. You would think their poll numbers were in the tank? We’re all missing the bigger picture or something evil this way cometh.

    They’re all under the evil spell of TOTUS. Without TOTUS, they have become nothing.

  20. #20
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:10 pm, GladzKravtz said:

    Arrogance

  21. #21
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:15 pm, valleygreaser said:

    Did he just admit that his mother worked the night shift?

    Did I wander into the Perez Hilton site by mistake?

  22. #22
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:25 pm, chapoutier said:

    So….

    One can type “whorehouse” without triggering the filter, but “p0ker” is verboten.

    Yet another mess from the Bush admin. Obama will have to clean up.

  23. #23
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:30 pm, madmonkphotog said:

    Sounds like Dirty Harry forgot to take his brain(less) pills.

  24. #24
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:34 pm, jangar said:

    Hey, quit bagging on LGM’s object of worship. You’ll hurt it’s feelings.

    Don’t care.

  25. #25
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:44 pm, swede said:

    Yet another mess from the Bush admin. Obama will have to clean up.

    Yeah Chap, he’s doing a real spiffy job cleaning up the Bush deficit. And fixing up the national security. I feel so much safer. But that’s only because I bought more guns.

  26. #26
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:47 pm, chapoutier said:

    But that’s only because I bought more guns.

    You can also choose to buy butter. Or so my high school econ teacher said.

  27. #27
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:54 pm, swede said:

    Chap, Butter raises my cholesterol, while guns actually lower my tension. My guess is your econ teacher was a socialist. Thus your hippie world view.

  28. #28
    On May 19th, 2009 at 10:58 pm, chapoutier said:

    My guess is your econ teacher was a socialist

    We don’t have socialists in Lowville, NY. He was however my tennis coach. And the hot tub on his patio in the middle of winter several years after I graduated from HS was the site of the strangest, craziest night of my life. It, btw, did not involve my econ/tennis coach directly in any way.

  29. #29
    On May 19th, 2009 at 11:06 pm, swede said:

    We don’t have socialists in Lowville, NY.

    I see. I understand there are no gays in Iran either.

    At any rate, please do not elaborate on the hot tub incident, unless it involved supply side economics in some manner.

  30. #30
    On May 19th, 2009 at 11:07 pm, Bruce said:

    Should either of those cretins die – the dems would have them stuffed so they don’t lose the votes.

  31. #31
    On May 19th, 2009 at 11:08 pm, chapoutier said:

    At any rate, please do not elaborate on the hot tub incident, unless it involved supply side economics in some manner.

    I am really tempted to make a “trickle down” joke, but will try to maintain a modicum of propriety.

  32. #32
    On May 19th, 2009 at 11:26 pm, swede said:

    Bruce said:
    Should either of those cretins die – the dems would have them stuffed so they don’t lose the votes.

    I suspect Harry passed away sometime after the “war is lost” incident. Looks like a corps, but with less personality.

  33. #33
    On May 20th, 2009 at 2:37 am, Papa Louie said:

    Harry Reid became the latest Democrat to stray into rhetorical trouble Tuesday, botching statements on three subjects in one news conference

    Speaking of Harry Reid, Dennis Miller had him pegged just a few days ago when he said, “His whole career is a typo.”

  34. #34
    On May 20th, 2009 at 9:44 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    Well Chappy buy your butter now–it too will get awful expensive under Obamics 1 and ll. Bring a cooler–there won’t be any AC in Obama’s cardboard cars.

  35. #35
    On May 20th, 2009 at 9:56 am, no2pcbs1 said:

    reid the idiot in motion is the true picture of the liberal (progressive) party. still evolving from ameoba stage.

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