Reid: "Don't pick on (Adelson). He's not in it to make money."

That's what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said during an interview with MSNBC's Chuck Todd that will air Friday morning.

You see, that’s what distinguishes Adelson from the evil Koch brothers: They are greedy and Adelson is ideological.

And if you don’t believe that – that is, you are alive – then consider Adelson also has one other thing the Kochs don’t: Nevada residency. And he may be the only human being who could change the calculus for Reid’s re-election bid in 2016.

If anyone holds his enemies closer better than Reid, I’d like to know who.

(Don't forget that in march Reid referred to Adelson as his "good friend." And Adelson has told me he respects Reid. They have long had a quiet, backchannel relationship.)

The incredible exchange with Todd on "The Daily Rundown" is below, courtesy of MSNBC:

CHUCK TODD:

01:22:25;10         --you have-- you have spent a lotta time on the Koch brothers.  And a lot of people have-- have noted how much time you've spent on the Senate floor talkin' about the Koch brothers.  And-- and I understand why you're focused on them.  They're spend-- they're the-- sorta the face this year of the outside money from the Republican side.  But what makes them worse than, say, a Sheldon Adelson-- amount of money, or Michael Bloomberg, or George Soros, or Tom Steyer?  There's a lotta billionaires throwin' money--

                                SENATOR HARRY REID:

01:22:51;24         First of all--

                                CHUCK TODD:

01:22:51;29         --into the campaign.

                                SENATOR HARRY REID:

01:22:52;16         --first of all, understand these are the two richest people in the world.  And they are in it to make money.  That's their whole goal here, is to add zeros to their billions.  And I don't think that's the case with any--

                                CHUCK TODD:

01:23:07;05         You don't think that's the case with Adelson, for instance?  He spent--

                                SENATOR HARRY REID:

01:23:09;12         No, I-- I-- I know--

                                CHUCK TODD:

01:23:09;05         --$100 million in 2012.

                                SENATOR HARRY REID:

01:23:10;14         --hey, I know Shel--

                                CHUCK TODD:

01:23:10;23         And I know you (UNINTEL).  Yeah.

                                SENATOR HARRY REID:

01:23:11;11         --I know Sheldon Adelson.  He's not in this for money.  He's got-- he did not (UNINTEL) money.  He's in it because he has certain ideological views.  Now, Sheldon Adelson, social views are in keeping with the Democrats on choice, on all kinds of things.  He just got a beef with-- organized labor a few years ago.  And he previously was a Democrat.  So, Sheldon Adelson, don't pick on him.  He's not in it to make money.  The-- the Koch brothers are in this, folks--

                                CHUCK TODD:

01:23:40;07         You believe they're f-- in it for-- for personal profit--

                                SENATOR HARRY REID:

01:23:42;13         Yes.  Yes.

                                CHUCK TODD:

01:23:42;14         --and that's why they're doin' it?

                                SENATOR HARRY REID:

01:23:43;10         And I've talked about it.  I've used their name on the floor lots of time.  And I continue to use it.  On climate change, for example, University of Massachusetts determined they're one of the worst polluters in America.  In fact, they pollute more than-- Exxon-- General Electric, Dow Chemical, and on and on.

01:24:03;03         They are-- they are-- they are in it to make money.  Anything that affects their bottom line, they oppose it.  I spoke on the Senate floor today.  They have warned Republicans, "You do anything that's green, we will oppose you."  How's that?