Quiz Question: Who's the bigger waste of skin --former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich or the guy he appointed to fill Barack Obama's senate seat, Roland Burris? Actually it's a trick question, because the right answer is: Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid.

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Quiz Question: Who's the bigger waste of skin --former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich or the guy he appointed to fill Barack Obama's senate seat, Roland Burris?

Actually it's a trick question, because the right answer is:  Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid.

All the too-long-running Blago & Burris show needs now is to have “Bring in The Clowns,” playing on a  loop in the background. And there are clowns aplenty. Clowns to the left of us. Clowns to the right. And all of us stuck in middle.

Blago and Burris are what criminal psychologists call, “high functioning sociopaths.”

The latest clown to jump into the ring with these two high-functioning sociopaths is Harry Reid, a guy who likes to see himself as a tough former boxer who can both take and land a punch. Well, he must have fought in the powder-puff division.

Since his elevation to Senate Leader Harry Reid has shown himself to be a one-man Chinese fire drill. From day one of the Blago/Burris affair Reid has run one way, the other, then back again, all without  effect.

First Reid put on his stern church-lady face, stomped his little foot before the TV cameras and stated that, no way, no how would he seat Burris as a member of the US Senate.

A few days later he welcomed Burris with open arms.

Then, when Burris' alibi fell apart this week as we learned he actually did agree to pay to play, calls for Burris' resignation grew to a deafening chorus, even in Burris' hometown paper.

Harry Reid jumped out of the car once again and started running in place:

"Now there's some question as to whether or not he told the truth," said Reid, said in what can only be described as an understatement.  "We're just going to wait and see what's going to happen,” Mr. Action Packed said, because, “It's not for me to say that he lied. I don't know if he lied or didn't. Right now, he's a member of the Senate."

A big hand of applause for street fighter Harry “Rocky” Reid – who floats like butterfly, stings like a... butterfly.

(Hey, is this the same Harry Reid who, during the Bush years, used to decry the Republican “culture of corruption?” Yes, yes, I believe it is.)

Harry Reid, you need to understand, is the product of old machine Democrat, “my turn” tradition. It's a process that all but guarantees a member will rise to the top if he/she simply does what they are told, doesn't get caught by the media doing something unseemly and, most important of all, is able to get reelected enough times to become a House or Senate fixture. Having any principles whatsoever is a handicap in this process as principled stands make enemies. (The GOP runs under the same system, by the way.)

A principled Democratic Senate Leader would immediately demand an expedited investigation of the Burris affair by the Senate Ethics Committee, which should lead to his immediate expulsion from the US Senate. But hasn't called for an investigation, which he certainly would have if Burris were a Republican.

But – and here's where the lack of principles comes in handy – Reid doesn't want Burris thrown out right now because that would almost certainly lead to a special election to replace him. And, with Illinois voters rightly fed up with their corrupt politicians, an election to replace Burris could produce, shall we say, “unpredictable results.” With the Democratic majority in the Senate hanging by a thread, Reid just can't bring himself to do the right thing – as usual.

I see.

Memo to The Democratic Party

Hello.... remember us. We're the folks who put Barack Obama in the White House and more Democrats in Congress in a decade or more. Yes, that would be who we are.

The reason that happened is because we know the difference between real change and same-old, same-old. We voted in record numbers for change. Your Harry Reid is the poster child for same-old, same-old.

 Why didn't you take the cue from the last election and replaced Reid as Majority Leader with someone who possesses real principles and a spine? Someone we can believe in.

Which begs the question... a question that's now front and center in our minds; whether Reid's inability to do the right thing is just him, or a reflection of the Democratic party itself. Is Reid just being Reid,  following orders?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Anyway, back to the “we won” message. That would be pronounced “WE” won. The Democratic party was the recipient of our largess, in both money and votes last November. Our money and our votes. And we're still out here. We didn't just fold up our tents after the election and go back to being lazy and stupid. We're still here. at the bulwarks, pitchforks in hand ready to smite the next MoFo who causes America misery and/or embarrassment.

And Harry Reid is both.

So, (got a pen and pad?) good, because here's what the “Change we can believe in” mob out here wants to see out of you, and fast:

   1. Dump Harry Reid as Majority Leader and replace him with someone with a spine, someone like Obama ally Dick Durbin.
   2.  Do whatever is legal to get Roland Burris out of the US Senate so he can get back to Illinois to continue work on his mausoleum.

Now, is that so hard? Think you can handle that? If not, let us know and come 2010 we'll replace you with folks who can.

P.S. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, you've heard that threat before. But this is not “before” anymore. This is now... this time it's for real. Just ask the depleted ranks of Republicans across the aisle from you.

Oh, and more and more of us are registering independent, by the by. So don't hang your future on the old rule that, since the only other choice is voting Republican, and we won't. Because these days, it's all about choice – Obama was a choice – McCain was not, Hillary was not. We made a choice that broke a 200-year mold. So don't count on winning our votes by default. We've tried that, and all we got was Harry Reid.

One last thing. We're in a bad mood out here in recession-land. And you never want to pick a fight with folks who have less and less each day to lose.

Authors Bio:

Stephen Pizzo has been published everywhere from The New York Times to Mother Jones magazine. His book, Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans, was nominated for a Pulitzer.