Desperate Harry Reid puts his own career first by pandering to Nevada's numerous hispanic voters

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, trailing in polls in heavily Hispanic Nevada, wants to pursue legislation to provide legal status for many unlawful immigrants before the Senate tackles a climate change and energy bill and as Democrats defend their congressional majorities ahead of the November congressional elections.

Reid broached the change of priorities during a meeting this week with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to two Democratic officials familiar with the developments.

Pelosi has long said the Senate must vote before the House on an immigration bill.

"When you're ready with one, we will take it up," Pelosi says she told Reid.

The slow-moving Senate is far from being ready for debate on either issue. And it's not clear Democrats could muster the 60 votes this year or next to block Republican filibusters of either bill. The president's party traditionally loses seats in midterm elections.

Reid's seat in particular is in peril. The four-term senator, 70, is well-financed and faces only token opposition in the June primary. But independent surveys indicate he is running behind lesser-known Republicans and is battered by the state's double-digit unemployment and record bankruptcies.

In Nevada, 26 percent of the population is Hispanic, according to the census.

Zuckerman: Obama ignored main issue, pursued "revolting" and "corrupt" course on priorities

He’s misjudged the character of the country in his whole approach. There’s the saying, “It’s the economy, stupid.” He didn’t get it. He was determined somehow or other to adopt a whole new agenda. He didn’t address the main issue.

This health-care plan is going to be a fiscal disaster for the country. Most of the country wanted to deal with costs, not expansion of coverage. This is going to raise costs dramatically.

In the campaign, he said he would change politics as usual. He did change them. It’s now worse than it was. I’ve now seen the kind of buying off of politicians that I’ve never seen before. It’s politically corrupt and it’s starting at the top. It’s revolting.