Feingold Does About-Face, Tells Reid He Supports Him
Less than 24 hours after publicly saying he was unsure whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) should resign over his use of racially insensitive language, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) has privately assured Reid of his support.Feingold’s about-face should help shore up Reid’s standing with Democrats — Feingold is the only Senate Democrat so far to express anything short of full support for Reid since news broke over the weekend that Reid referred to President Barack Obama in 2008 as a “light skinned— black without a “Negro dialect.—When asked whether Reid should step aside as leader, Feingold on Monday told ABC affiliate WISN: “I’m thinking about that, and we’re going to be getting together as a caucus next week and the topic will come up. I have not decided whether these comments merit that or not. They’re very unfortunate. They should have never been said. So, I need to think about it.— Reid has since apologized for the remarks, and Obama has accepted the apology. Other prominent black leaders have also expressed support for Reid, and most believe he will hold onto his leadership post. Perhaps the bigger issue for Reid, however, is his 2010 re-election bid. Reid faces a potentially brutal battle to secure a sixth term.