Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal Two protesters in opposition to the war briefly interrupted an organized protest of more than 50 people outside Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Carson City office Thursday. The protest was organized by Americans to Oppose Harry Reid Pact, who works in conjunction with Move America Forward.
More than 50 people holding signs calling him a "pinko" and a traitor held a rally outside the Carson City office of Sen. Harry Reid on Thursday.
The protest, one of several that took place at the offices of Senate Majority Leader Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was organized by Move America Forward, a Sacramento-based group of military families and administration supporters dedicated to countering anti-war activism.
Protesters in Carson City said they rallied partially because of comments made by Reid recently in which he said the U.S. had lost the war in Iraq.
"Our basic message is that Harry Reid doesn't represent the values and views of Nevadans," said Eric Odom, conference director of the Conservative Leadership Conference. "We are showing our disdain for his statements about how the war was lost."
The protest was organized locally by Americans to Oppose Harry Reid Pact, which works in conjunction with Move America Forward.
Richard Disney, a 2006 Republican candidate for Nevada State Assembly District 26 was among those at the rally.
"It's important for the nation to know the people of Nevada oppose these statements. That people are opposed to this both in Nevada and on a national level," Disney said.
The protest drew harsh comments from the Democratic Party as Douglas County Party Chairman Gim Hollister and Carson City Party Chairman Steve Platt issued a statement Thursday afternoon.
"Cheap political stunts by a California Republican group that make a mockery of the toll this war is taking are not helpful to the troops who are serving oversees or the families of the missing," Platt said.
Norma Kennemer and her husband, Ron, of Silver Springs, joined the rally with signs telling Reid to get "lost" and asking if he was a senator or a traitor.
"We feel very strongly that to make a remark like 'the war is lost' is at a minimum counter-productive," Mrs. Kennemer said.
The protesters also called on Sen. John Ensign to address the issue.
"We have a petition on our Web site asking Ensign to withdraw from his gentleman's agreement and speak out against this," Odom said.
The protesters said they welcome the chance to sit down and discuss his actions with Reid.
"We would ask him to take his comments back, apologize to America and stop giving the enemy things to use against us," Odom said.
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.