Reid to Romney: You’re On Your Own

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/reid-to-romney-youre-on-your-own/

Reid to Romney: You’re On Your Own

By David M. Herszenhorn

If Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader and a practicing Mormon, feels any brotherly love toward former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, the Republican presidential candidate who plans to address his own Mormon faith in a major speech this week, Mr. Reid gave no hint of it on Tuesday.

Mr. Reid, who has been in Congress for nearly a quarter-century, was asked by a reporter at a news conference if he might have any advice for Mr. Romney about explaining the Mormon faith to voters. Not only did Mr. Reid have no advice to offer but he also said that he had no particular desire to ever meet Mr. Romney face to face.

“Well,” Mr. Reid said, “I believe Mitt Romney, who’s a man I’ve never met — don’t particularly want to:evilgrin: — a man I’ve never met, that I would hope that his running for president would be determined on his politics and not his religion.”

Mr. Reid added: “He can give his speech and handle it however he wants. I can’t give him any advice in that regard.” Further proof, as if there was any doubt, that political beliefs are the ties that bind in the spiritual center known as Washington.

Mr. Romney in his much-anticipated speech on Thursday will address potential suspicions about his Mormon faith. He will give the address, titled “Faith in America” about 80 miles from the site of a speech that Senator John F. Kennedy gave addressing his Catholic beliefs during his own campaign for president nearly 50 years ago.

An aide to Mr. Reid confirmed later that the majority leader has no reservations whatsoever about a Mormon in the White House, but it’s Republican beliefs that he finds suspicious and in conflict with his values.

Mr. Reid, of course, has more than enough presidential candidates to choose from in his own caucus. They include a Methodist (Hillary Rodham Clinton), two Catholics (Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Christopher J. Dodd) and a member of the United Church of Christ (Barack Obama). Devout Democrats all.

is not bad. Not bad at all.