Reid uses op-eds to assail Romney, Heller

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid penned a pair of op-eds in Nevada papers today -- one to go directly after Mitt Romney and the other to promote renewable energy while firing a parenthetical barb at Sen. Dean Heller.

The pieces in the Sun and the Gazette-Journal are the latest examples of an aggressive partisan who seems to miss the hurly burly of the campaign season.

The Sun op-ed attacks Romney over the 47 percent video and -- again -- his tax returns, saying his release of "a measly two years" was "one big head fake." Reid has not let up on Romney despite that release and a general accounting of previous returns -- the majority leader has said he has a source who says Romney has not paid taxes for 10 years, which now seems not to be true. But that has not caused any retreat from Harry "I have nothing to lose" Reid.

(For the record, his spokeswoman has told me: "I think it’s pretty clear in Sen. Reid’s statements that he is talking about tax returns before Romney started running for President, since at the time the original comments were made, Romney had released his 2010 taxes and said he was releasing his 2011 ones before October.")

But that explanation -- and it is, to some extent, contradicted by the record -- has not dissuaded commentators from eviscerating Reid and demanding his Senate colleagues censure him. But, it seems from this op-ed: Reid just doesn't care.

The Gazette-Journal piece uses today's Geothermal Resources Council and the Geothermal Energy Expo to promote wind and geothermal energy but, shockingly, to deride Romney again. And then this on therenewable-energy production tax credit: "While some Senate Republicans, including Sen. Dean Heller, have voted against extending this critical tax credit...."

Reid is now using every venue -- in state and in DC -- to take on Heller. I'm not sure I've ever seen him be a surrogate to this extent.

He must really love Shelley Berkley.