Reid Gets Prime DNC Slot To Talk Energy

Barack Obama has chosen Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to carry the Democratic party's message on energy policy, giving Reid a prime Wednesday speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention.

Reid will join a heavy hitting lineup that night that includes Bill Clinton, whomever Obama chooses as his vice president,, Bill Richardson and Joseph R. Biden (D-Del.).

"One of the greatest security challenges facing the country today is reducing our dependence on oil, especially from foreign sources," the Democratic National Committee said in a release. "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will discuss Barack Obama’s plans to make America more secure by investing in smart energy policies."

Reid is clearly trying to elevate his stature on the energy policy issue, and is hosting an Aug. 19 clean energy summit in Las Vegas, and he has been consulting with oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens about alternative energy technologies in recent weeks. 

But his planned DNC speech will also be fodder for conservatives who have had a field day mocking Reid's "oil makes us sick" comments.