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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has apologized for remarks he made in 2008 calling now President Obama a ‘light-skinned’ African American with ‘no negro dialect’, referring to his electability.  The comments were brought back into light because of the release of a book detailing the 2008 race to the White House.

Republicans are calling for the senator’s resignation, and discussion has turned to what the remarks mean for Reid’s future as Senate leader and his chances of reelection.  

We look at perspectives from The Wall Street Journal, FOX News, MSNBC and CBS.

Jerry Seib of The Wall Street Journal gives his three points on why Reid’s Senate leadership position is different from those caught in similar situations in the past.    

“The first is they did very fast, very rapid, very intense damage control over the weekend. Secondly, his party is staying behind him. And third, President Obama really needs him right now.  Senator Reid put together the 60 votes for health care.  He’s going to be the guy who needs to keep those 60 votes together while it goes through conference and final passage.”    

While the media are doubtful Reid will be ousted as majority leader, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough suggests that the comments will further weaken Reid’s chances of reelection this year and hurt the Democratic party.  

“Harry Reid has a higher disapproval rating in Nevada than does John Ensign.  He is getting pounded by three unknown Republicans. If Harry Reid were interested in what’s best for the Democratic party, he would say, like Chris Dodd, 'I’m not running for reelection.'  He would allow a strong Democrat to get in that race and start raising money right now so Democrats could win Nevada, and he would let Chuck Schuman step in as majority leader.”

FOX News and CBS disagree over the larger effect Reid’s remarks will have on the Democratic party.

FOX News: “I think this is a much bigger point of what’s happening.  You are watching a party on the verge of collapse right now. You are watching Dodd resign last week, you’re watching other senators resign, and now you’re watching another implosion by their leader Harry Reid.”

CBS News: “This time you have a White House that does need Harry Reid right now. So I think that Reid will survive as the Democratic leader in the Senate. However, this is going to make it much harder for him to get reelected out in Nevada…I think this is more trouble for Harry Reid than it is for the White House at this point.”

So what do you think? Will Reid remain a viable leader in the Senate, and should he seek reelection in light of his comments?

Writer: David Goldstein
Producer:Nathan Giannini