Reid Mentions Iraq Almost Every Day

As Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV) gets first shot at the microphone on the Senate floor each day and most mornings find him mentioning one thing: The war in Iraq. Sometimes Reid speaks of security-related legislation or issues directly related to the war and other times he simply expresses sentiments that reflect his sorrow about the quagmire we -- and our troops -- now endure in the Middle East.

On Tuesday morning, Reid stepped up to the podium and talked of nine recent American deaths in Iraq and the death of his own brother years ago:

"Every morning I get up and do my exercise. It takes me about an hour to go out and do what I do in the morning. This morning was very cold. I listen to the radio. I listen to the news every morning. It is with a heavy heart that I finished my exercise this morning and came into my home and got ready to come to work.

"Nine American soldiers were killed in Iraq yesterday. I don't know how many were wounded. I don't know how many were grievously wounded. But I have to focus on those nine soldiers and their families.

"I am fortunate. I am one of four sons. My brother Dale died as a young man, and I still have not gotten over my brother Dale dying at 46, 47 years old. I know his death is not comparable, of course, to these valiant soldiers who were killed in Iraq yesterday, but he is still my brother and I still feel very badly.

"I can't imagine how the nine soldiers' families feel today. Some of them have not yet been notified that their loved one has been killed, but most of them by now have been notified. This is a reminder of what is happening in Iraq thousands of miles from here but affecting the lives of everyday Americans.

"The current approach isn't working. We need to change course in Iraq."

And, with that, Reid went about the business of getting the Senate moving back in the right direction.