To the editor:

How should we judge Harry Reid? (“Questionable leadership,” Journal-World, April 7)

Recent notable Senate leaders include Howard Baker, Bob Dole (Republicans), Robert Byrd, George Mitchell and Tom Daschle (Democrats). They led when the opposition was firm but loyal, compromises to achieve good public policies were possible and leaders could work together across party divisions.

That changed in 2009 following President Obama’s election. From the start, congressional Republicans vowed to attack Obama and oppose all his proposals. In 2010, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell declared their objective was to make Obama a one-term president. There would be no compromises, no efforts to work across party lines to address the urgent financial crisis catastrophe.

Harry Reid faced implacable, unrelenting partisan obstruction. In spite of this, the momentous achievements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the  ACA (Obamacare) and Dodd-Frank financial reforms, among others, passed the Senate and were accomplished.

All recent Senate majority leaders have had strengths and weaknesses — even the esteemed Bob Dole had significant flaws — but none faced the partisan, Republican vileness that Reid has.

Harry Reid may be quirky and not a welcoming personality, but by his accomplishments he is one of the outstanding leaders in recent history. The writer’s myopic, crazed and obsessive loathing of Obama does not justify a misguided assessment of Harry Reid.