Under Siege

(Fox News) - Washington Post columnist David Broder, considered the dean of American political journalists, is under harsh attack from the left for a recent column in which he criticized Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Broder, who is generally liberal, cited Reid's statement that the war in Iraq had been lost. Broder wrote — "Not since Bill Clinton famously pondered the meaning of the word 'is' has a Democratic leader confused things as much as Harry Reid did with his inept discussion of the alternatives in Iraq." And — "The Democrats deserve better, and the country needs more, than Harry Reid has offered as Senate Majority Leader."

50 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus wrote a letter to the post defending their leader, saying, "The fact that Mr. Reid speaks his mind should be applauded, not derided."

Democratic activist Paul Begala called Broder "George W. Bush's housebroken lap-dog," and said his column was "a bed-wetting tantrum." Broder tells Editor & Publisher that he wouldn't change anything in his original column — and said tongue-in-cheek that he is "astonished and delighted" that the 50 Democratic senators "spontaneously" came up with their letter.