Reid Rips "old Doc McCain's" Energy Policy

DENVER -- He may be keeping a low profile at the Democratic convention, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid emerged Wednesday night to rip into Sen. John McCain for selling ”snake oil" on energy issues.

Channeling his small-town Nevada roots, a folksy Reid took McCain to task for championing offshore drilling as a solution to rising gas prices.

“Even if Doc McCain’s magic off-shore oil elixir won’t work, will it do any harm?” asked Reid. “Nobody really knows. But kindly old Doc McCain would like to sell it to you anyway.” 

Some in the crowd strained to hear the soft-spoken Reid as he tried his hardest to rally the crowd with some jabs at McCain, especially the not-so-subtle reference to McCain's age.

In a preview of the coming congressional fight over energy policy, Reid said McCain and his Senate GOP colleagues have “demagogued” the issue of oil drilling, offering it as the only solution to rising gas prices.

While other speakers have taken shots at McCain throughout the first three days of the convention, there were still some grumblings in the convention hall on Wednesday that not enough Democrats were following Reid's example and attacking McCain.

“In this speech Senator Reid did what others haven't: offer an honest assessment of President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Senator McCain,” said one senior Senate Democratic aide.

Aides said Reid  himself put in long hours honing the speech, keeping the Obama campaign waiting until the very last minute to turn it over for vetting.

Reid also got in a few shots at McCain earlier in the day in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun.

"There isn't a Republican serving in the Senate that's happy he's the nominee,” he told the paper. “Now, they're all supporting him, but I'll tell you they have told me. I've had Republican senators tell me they don't think they'll vote for him."

Reid has never been shy in telling people McCain doesn’t have the “temperament” to be president. The Crypt wonders how “old Doc McCain” will respond the next time the two meet in the Senate.