Some interesting stuff in a Gannett interview with Harry Reid. The Senate majority leader says immigration reform should be relatively easy to pass, and that's he's more concerned about health care.
Q: With more Democrats in the Senate and the House and a Democrat in the White House, how do you see congressional efforts playing out on such issues as health care and immigration?
A: On immigration, there's been an agreement between (President-elect Barack) Obama and (Arizona Republican Sen. John) McCain to move forward on that. ... We'll do that. We have to get this economy stuff figured out first, so I think we'll have a shot at doing something on health care in the next Congress for sure.
Q: Will there be as much of a fight on immigration as last time?
A: We've got McCain and we've got a few others. I don't expect much of a fight at all. Now health care is going to be difficult. That's a very complicated issue. We debated at great length immigration. People understand the issues very well. We have not debated health care, so that's going to take a lot more time to do
It's worth remembering, of course, that President Bush also supported immigration reform, but didn't have the political capital to get conservative Republicans in line on the issue. Reid seems to be betting that under Obama, conservatives will hold their fire on immigration in favor of fighting to the death on health care.
--Dana Goldstein
