Uh oh. Harry Reid attempted to bring the high heat in the health care debate, comparing conservatives who are blocking health care reform to those who dragged their feet on emancipation and equal rights. The GOP wasn't exactly thrilled about it. From Politico:
"Reid started by mimicking Republicans whom he claims have said: "'Slow down, stop everything, let's start over."
"You think you've heard these same excuses before? You're right," he continued. "In this country…there were those who dug in their heels and said, 'Slow down, it's too early. Let's wait. Things aren't bad enough' " - about slavery.
When women wanted to vote, he went on, opponents said, " 'Slow down, there will be a better day to do that — the day isn't quite right.' "
He finished with: "When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today."
Reaction was swift. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who is black, questioned Reid's state of mind — and demanded an apology.
“Harry Reid is under immense pressure to pass this 2,000 page experiment on our nation’s health – an experiment that creates a new $1 trillion dollar federal entitlement program by cutting $500 billion from Medicare, all at a time when our country is in miserable debt and facing an extreme job crisis. The pressure has apparently led Senator Reid not only to make offensive and absurd statements, but also to lose his ability to reason… Having made this disgraceful statement on the floor of the United States Senate, Mr. Reid should immediately apologize on the Senate floor to his colleagues, to his constituents, and to the American people. If he is going to stand by these statements, the Democrats must immediately reconsider his fitness to lead them.”
Read more of the GOP reaction at Politico
Wow. You'd think Reid called the GOP a band of Muslim non-citizens hell bent on killing senior citizens.