I wish Harry Reid was an adult

Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

On Wednesday the unbelievable news came in that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and fellow Senator Dick Durbin had a cordial chat today with Roland Burris, the now apparent Illinois junior Senator. From the NYT:

Following a private 45-minute meeting with the former state attorney general, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, and Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said that they were open to recognizing Mr. Burris’s appointment as long as he meets a series of conditions.

This is mere days after Reid boldly claimed the Burris wouldn't be seated, as reported in the Washington Post:

Following Burris's selection, Reid and his leadership team issued a statement saying anyone appointed by Blagojevich "cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated."

Reid apparently came to his senses after Senator Diane Feinstein, who as head of the Rules Committee publicly supported seating Burris.

This isn't the first time Reid put his foot in his mouth and picked the wrong fight.

So my question is: is this guy an adult? His self-empowering rants include past comments that President Bush is a "liar" and a "loser," and that he "can't stand" McCain, who "does not have the terperament to be president." Jon Ralston calls Reid "a complex politician with a mixed and sometimes contradictory set of traits — unassuming, wry, Machiavellian, meddling, partisan, bipartisan, careless, careful, focused, foggy."

It is not that I have any grave objections to the policy outcomes Reid has overseen during his time as Majority Leader; my objection is that this loose cannon might spoil the non-partisan, level-headed vibe that Obama hopes to use to pass effective, concensual legislation. Mr. Reid, please think before you open your mouth...