Republicans to Reid: Resign for 'Game Change' Comment

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2010— -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's controversial comment to authors of the forthcoming book "Game Change" about President Obama's race might become a game-changer of its own.

News that Reid praised Obama's electability as a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one" could weaken the political influence of the Nevada Democrat.

Reid is a key Obama ally who already faces a tough re-election battle in his home state.

Obama, who has accepted Reid's apology for the comment, needs a strong Harry Reid to help him pass health care legislation, a jobs bill, energy legislation and funding for the war in Afghanistan, among other legislative priorities.

"I accepted Harry's apology without question, because I've known him for years. I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice, and I know what's in his heart," Obama said Sunday.

The president and other Democrats have signaled that the comment, which Reid made to authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in the midst of the 2008 presidential campaign, are no big deal.

"It definitely was in the context of recognizing in Sen. Obama a great candidate and future president," Virginia governor and Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine said Sunday.

Some conservatives have also come to Reid's defense, including columnist George Will, who said on "This Week" Sunday that he didn't find a "scintilla of racism in what Harry Reid said."

But other Republicans said mild treatment of Reid's comment on race amounts to a Democratic double-standard.