Senate majority leader off to a rocky start

Washington: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, hoped his party would come out of the gates hot this year, but this was not what he had in mind.

Trying to unveil his 10 most important pieces of legislation on Wednesday, Reid instead found himself under fire for his handling of the appointment of former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama.

After Reid batted aside yet another question about his decision to back off of his opposition to Burris' seating in the chamber, an aide barked out "last question." Finally, from the back of the press scrum, came a query about the agenda.

"Oh, great question," Reid said with relief.

Problems

This was supposed to be a year of triumphs for Reid.

Bolstered by the addition of at least seven Democrats to his caucus and an incoming Democratic president, Reid enjoys a stronger hand than any Senate leader in almost 30 years.

But since Obama won the election and the Democratic caucus grew to a minimum of 57 seats, with two more likely joining him soon, Reid has endured a series of stumbles that demonstrated the limitations of his newly expanded powers.

There is little question that some of Reid's problems are of his own making, a product of his shoot-from-the-hip style and penchant for bold declarations that do not always pan out.

Illinois Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich, despite the impeachment and legal proceedings he faces and over the objections of Obama and Reid, selected Burris to fill the final two years of Obama's Senate term. After unequivocally opposing Burris' selection, Reid backtracked Wednesday amid a minor revolt from his Democratic colleagues and laid out a path for his appointment.

But Reid brushes aside the critics, pointing to the electoral successes his caucus has enjoyed in the four years since he took over as a minority leader.

"I've got 59 senators now, so I'm not doing too bad," he said.

The only complaints he has heard, Reid said, are from Democrats who are now crowded together on their side of the Senate chamber.