The Dean in Winter

Did David Broder hear that Bill Moyers wasn't planning to include him in his indictment of the Washington press corps? Perhaps so, which would explain why Broder, the "Dean" of the corps, seems to be angling to get in on the next go round, demonstrating that he could be as out of touch and irrelevant as the best of them. He went on Bob Edwards's XM radio show on Monday and attacked Majority Leader Harry Reid as an embarrassment to his party. In reference to Reid's comment that the war in Iraq has already been lost, Broder predicted:

I think at some point down the road the Democrats are going to have to have a little caucus to decide how much further they want to carry Harry Reid. They've got able people on the Senate side and they don't have to put up with this kind of bumbling performance forever.

There's no real factual basis for this opinion, and it's not clear what's so embarrassing about Reid stating a view shared with a majority of the American people. Maybe it's something that only elite pundits can recognize.

But if the radio interview weren't enough, Broder made sure his view was right there in black and white for all to see. Calling Reid "The Democrats' Gonzales," Broder devotes his column on Thursday to everything that's wrong with Harry Reid.

Here's a Washington political riddle where you fill in the blanks: As Alberto Gonzales is to the Republicans, Blank Blank is to the Democrats -- a continuing embarrassment thanks to his amateurish performance.

If you answered "Harry Reid," give yourself an A. And join the long list of senators of both parties who are ready for these two springtime exhibitions of ineptitude to end."

The Democrats in the Senate choose their own leader. If they wanted Reid out of power, all they have to do is make the decision. It could get messy and a bit embarrassing, but the Repubs rid themselves of Trent Lott without a whole lot of problem a few years ago. So why are they running to David Broder to tell him that they're unhappy with Harry?

Perhaps they didn't. There's no reason to think no one might be spinning on this, but every single one of the Democratic senators put their name to a letter that appeared in Friday's Post. It said, among other things:

We, the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, contest the attack on Sen. Harry Reid's leadership by David S. Broder in his April 26 column, "The Democrats' Gonzales."

In contrast to Mr. Broder's insinuations, we believe Mr. Reid is an extraordinary leader who has effectively guided the new Democratic majority through these first few months with skill and aplomb.

. . .
Finally, in this age of scripted politicians speaking only to their base or claiming that they "don't recall" anything, the fact that Mr. Reid speaks his mind should be applauded, not derided. His brand of straight talk is honest, comes from the heart and speaks directly to the people.

In contrast to the Republicans who are willing to go on the record against Gonzales, Broder has no Democratic senator willing to criticize Reid. I'm sure Broder will (if he hasn't already) write it all off to politics, but then everything can be excused by politics when it comes down to it, can't it?