- The Washington Times - Tuesday, August 25, 2015

LAS VEGAS — President Obama on Monday night said he and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid must “deal with the crazies” on a host of issues — including the nuclear deal with Iran — over the next 16 months, before both men leave their respective offices and “ride into the sunset.”

At a fundraiser for the Nevada Democratic party, Mr. Obama — who earlier in the day spoke at Mr. Reid’s clean energy conference here — praised the senator and said they must work together to advance a shared agenda.

“It’s hard for me to express how much I love Harry Reid, but it’s easier to do it in a room of people who love Harry Reid. Harry and I drove over here together and we were doing a little reminiscing, and then figuring out how we’re going to deal with the crazies in terms of managing some problems. And then we talked about riding off into the sunset together,” the president said. “Everything I’ve accomplished, I’ve accomplished because Harry Reid was there by my side. And I am forever grateful for his friendship and his strength, because the thing about Harry is he’s a great politician but he’s also a man with a lot of backbone and is willing to do hard things when it’s required, and that’s what you want out of a political leader.”

Mr. Obama is, among other priorities, trying to rally Congress in favor of his highly controversial nuclear deal with Iran. His “crazies” remark may have been a reference to Republicans, and perhaps some Democrats, who have come out against the agreement and are actively trying to torpedo it.

Monday night’s fundraiser raised money for the Nevada Democratic party and U.S. Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto, specifically. She is running to replace Mr. Reid, who will retire at the end of his current term in 2017.

Tuesday morning, opponents of the Iran agreement blasted the president for his rhetoric at the fundraiser.

“First, he likened opponents of his deal to Iranian hardliners chanting ’death to America’ and now, in an even lazier line of attack, he’s simply resorted to calling us ’crazies.’ That incendiary rhetoric cheapens our political discourse and ignores the real concerns that Americans of all political persuasions have about the implications of this far-reaching deal,” said Rep. Diane Black, Tennessee Republican.

• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

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