Harry Reid stands up for Christmas!

By Brent Budowsky - 12/16/10 01:40 PM ET

Republican Sens. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and Jim DeMint (S.C.) owe Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Christians throughout America a big apology for their hilarious attack using Jesus to justify obstructing the Senate. Reid won't get an apology. But he disposed of the issue quite well himself.

Let me raise a much larger issue here.

Democrats and progressives should reach out to all religious denominations in a dramatic effort to unite Americans to help the poor, as Jesus taught so often.

I will leave it to conservative Republicans like Kyl and DeMint to make Christmas a partisan issue, and to Rush Limbaugh and other conservatives to attack the pilgrims on Thanksgiving, accusing them of being socialist.

As Butch said to Sundance: Who are these guys?

Didn't Jesus say we should sell our possessions and give the proceeds to the poor? Do Messrs. DeMint, Kyl and Limbaugh believe Jesus was a socialist?

Didn't Jesus teach that the last shall be first and the first shall be last? While I support the tax-cut deal, isn't there something wrong when the wealthiest among us receive huge tax cuts while the hardest hit who have been jobless for more than 99 weeks receive nothing? Would Jesus approve of this? I think not.

Didn't Jesus say the peacemakers are blessed? This alone may not justify supporting START, but how about the support from the long list of generals, admirals, Cabinet members, chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO commanders, and officials from Republican administrations over two generations who support START and the verification procedures it will revive?

I would be glad to debate the teachings of Jesus any time and any place with Kyl, DeMint and Limbaugh. My counsel to other Democrats is to join this debate, long overdue, about faith and flag.

Let’s end 2010 and begin 2011 by resolving to work with all believers of all faiths to help the poorest among us, as Jesus taught and the pilgrims believed in the name of faith, flag and family.

I would like to see President Obama translate his devout personal Christianity into a broad national commitment to help the poor, which is the common cause of the great faiths of the world.

I would like to see Democrats work to mobilize leaders of all faiths in the coming year, on behalf of the common cause that they share.

I will leave it to Sens. Kyl and DeMint to try to claim that Santa Claus supports filibusters, and leave it to some of their brethren on the right to attack the pilgrims on Thanksgiving Day. They represent the same mentality of those on the far right who attacked Ronald Reagan for being an appeaser when he changed the world by negotiating with Gorbachev.

In the meantime, it was good to see Harry Reid standing up for Christmas. Jesus taught that we should help the poor, the hungry and the hurting. Jesus did not mention filibustering the Senate in the Sermon on the Mount.