Harry and John: A tale of two senators

Here in Nevada, both U.S. senators are considered good representatives. But last week showed how difficult the national stage can be for both John Ensign and Harry Reid.

Reid, the Democratic majority leader, and Ensign, the head of the Senate’s Republican Campaign Committee, each acted as if those national roles are far more pressing than anything facing the little ole Battle Born district they share.

Reid took issue with radio blowhard Rush Limbaugh, while Ensign was forced to answer national media questions that somehow implied Larry Craig’s conduct was his responsibility.

Both cases, of course, simply show the hyper-fascination with all things election-related inside the Beltway.

Reid chose to enter the Limbaugh fray only because he saw it as an excellent opportunity to raise money from the left for next year’s elections.

Why else would his repudiation of Limbaugh’s metaphorical description of a combat veteran as suicide bomber be sent in a blast e-mail from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee?

When Harry Reid sends an e-mail with the subject line “Rush Limbaugh” to the MoveOn.org ranks, it’s an even bigger wallet opener than the heart wrenching photos of malnourished African children with big eyes and bulging stomachs.

The sound of cash registers must have been ringing in the ears of his staff when they hit “send.”

This is the safest thing Reid has done for his party since taking power to great hype in January. Democrats have proven incapable of answering the voter’s will on Iraq, and in many ways, have been more disappointing than those who simply blindly support the foreign policy disaster.

But it’s more important for Reid to be seen as tough on Limbaugh, the pill popping, thrice married symbol of family values, than on the administration’s bungling of Iraq.

Last week he urged the public to complain to Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays, in an effort to draw an apology from someone for saying only “phony soldiers” oppose the war while real soldiers don’t.

“I normally ignore Rush Limbaugh, but his comments last Wednesday went too far for me to remain silent,” Reid said in the e-mail. ” It’s one thing to call me ‘Dingy Harry’ — it’s another to insult our men and women in uniform, calling those who oppose the war ‘phony soldiers,’ as Rush did during his Sept. 26 broadcast.”

Since MoveOn’s “General Betrayus” ad drew condemnation from some Republican senators, 41 Democratic senators had to sign a letter condemning Limbaugh.

Nothing like shoving Iraq further into the abyss.

Meanwhile, Ensign had another tough week in one of the nation’s most thankless jobs — trying to get more Republicans elected to the U.S. Senate.

Republican senators continue to drop like flies. Pete Domenici of New Mexico announced he wasn’t going to run again due to health issues.

It’s amazing more fiscal conservatives don’t acquire dementia after a few terms with the Capitol Hill budget busters.

So Ensign now finds himself with another tough seat to defend. Democrats are also hoping to pick up a seat in Colorado, where Wayne Allard is retiring.

Chuck Hagel and John Warner are also saying goodbye and drawing sizeable interest from Democratic candidates for both the Nebraska and Virginia seats.

Republicans have to defend 22 seats next year, and the retirements will make it almost impossible. It’s one thing to run a Domenici with 35 years experience and support throughout the Land of Enchantment. It’s quite another to float a relative unknown.

But Ensign didn’t find his way into the news last Thursday because of Domenici’s announcement. He was asked to respond to a judge’s decision that Idaho Republican Larry Craig cannot withdraw his guilty plea in a sex sting case.

Ensign told Congressional Quarterly on Thursday that Craig should have kept his promise to resign if the judge didn’t permit the plea change.

But Ensign didn’t just plead with Craig to resign his seat after losing the court ruling, he added the threat of public ridicule in the form of a Senate Ethics Committee investigation.

“I think it would be a mistake to put the Senate through an ethics investigation process that could potentially lead to public hearings,” Ensign said. “It’s embarrassing for the Senate. It’s embarrassing for our party. It’s going to be obviously, I think, potentially very embarrassing, further embarrassing, for his family. I think that he should do the right thing and keep his word.”

That’s four “embarrassings,” one “investigation” and one “public hearings.”

There’s a guy Ensign would gladly trade to have a Domenici, Warner or Hagel on the ballot next year.

Not only are his incumbents jumping ship, Ensign can’t seem to find many financial life preservers these days. The Democratic committee has already raised twice the amount he has for next year’s races.

During the recent August recess there were at least four major fund-raisers in the Silver State for Sen. Chuck Schumer’s committee.

Reid is laughing all the way to the bank as he — who has used the words “loser” and “liar” to describe the president — asks with a straight face for an apology from Rush for using the word “phony.”

I’m guessing he’s been too busy to purchase “political hack” Alan Greenspun’s book.

At least he can raise money with Limbaugh. Poor Ensign can do nothing but raise more trouble for Republicans thanks to Craig.

Back here in Nevada, we’re just trying to raise their attention.

Erin Neff’s column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at (702) 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.