Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Mason ReidMellman: Are independents really so independent? CBC's pivotal role on infrastructure underscores caucus's growing stature Bottom line MORE (D-Nev.) called the GOP presidential field “losers” and compared Sen. Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellStandoff scraps quick deal on Senate defense bill before Thanksgiving On The Money — House Democrats ready to Build Back Better McConnell, Schumer hunt for debt ceiling off-ramp MORE (R-Ky.) to a “lump of coal” in a Wednesday interview.
Reid said he wasn’t worried that Hillary Clinton doesn’t have a significant challenger in the Democratic primary.
“I am not a big fan of primaries,” he said. “I don't think they help, especially when you're someone as noted as Hillary.”
He was less kind to the Republican contenders.
“I don't really care,” he said, when asked about the GOP field. “I think they're all losers."
Reid said McConnell, the Senate GOP leader, thinks coal is “the salvation of the world.”
Reid told CNBC that he wouldn’t criticize McConnell for sending a letter to governors saying that the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate regulations were illegal.
“I don’t criticize McConnell for doing that,” Reid said. “He comes from a coal state. I don’t mean to be mean spirited, but he is a lump of coal. He believes that coal is the salvation of the world. I don’t believe that.”
Reid, who will retire at the end of this Congress, also accused Sen. John McCain of having a bad temper, though he said the Arizona Republican gets over it.
“It wasn’t long ago he came to me on the Senate floor, and he said, ‘What you just did, I’m going to come to the floor and kick the s--- out of you,’” Reid said.
“And I said to him, ‘John, if I were in your position I would do the same thing.’”
