Reid Sides With Clinton; Says Prolonged Race Is "Great" For Democrats

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) became the third top Democrat in less than a week to defend Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) decision to stay on in the presidential race. Reid said in a television interview over the weekend that the protracted primary season has been "great" for voters, and that Clinton's statements touting her support among white voters had been misconstrued.

"I disagree that this fight has hurt the party," Reid said on 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos' on Sunday. "I believe it's been great for the country.... [voter registration among Democrats in ] Arkansas has gone up 18 percent; in Kansas, 2,500 percent. In Nevada, for the first time in a generation, Democrats lead Republicans by tens of thousands of votes; in Pennsylvania, for the first time in the history of that state, more than 4 million registered Democrats. And the same is going to happen the next two or three weeks."

"President [Bill] Clinton didn't get the nomination until June 2nd. So, I think we should just relax a little bit," he also said.

When asked about the former first lady's controversial comments during a USA Today interview that said Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) support among "working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again," Reid said Clinton had been misconstrued.

"I am confident that she meant nothing," he said. "I think it was taken wrong."

Reid's remarks follow those made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), who both said in separate statements last Wednesday that Clinton should not drop out and that the Democratic race should continue.