Which way does the Truckee River flow? Who's the nation's most famous Snake Oil Salesman? Who's Harry Reid's newest favorite challenger? Reid on!

Nevada First:Sharing The Love. After the lashing DC and the northeast took at the hands of Hanna, you may have had enough water talk. But, if you hang around Nevada politics long enough, you quickly become an expert on water. Water usage, water rights. Water. Last week, Harry Reid, along with representatives from Nevada, California, and the federal government, met just north of Reno for the signing of the Truckee River Operating Agreement. Here’s what’s at stake: “Under the agreement, California will get two-thirds of Lake Tahoe's water to Nevada's one-third, while Nevada will receive 90 percent of the Truckee's water to California's 10 percent. It also calls for Nevada to get 80 percent of the Carson River's water to California's 20 percent.” Behind the agreement: Lawsuits going back a century. And Harry Reid, who laid the groundwork for the agreement 18 years ago with the Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act. There’s an old saying in Rural Nevada: “Politics STARTS at the waters edge.” And thanks to Harry Reid’s ability to work across party lines - and his patience - the TROA will help development along the Truckee.

Blue-vada. The Weekly Reid’s been hyping the new registration numbers for the NV Democratic Party for months. And we’ll keep hyping them all the way through to November 4th.Here’s the latest: 565,855 Democrats. 489,802 Republicans. That’s 76,000 more Ds than Rs. In Washoe County - where the Presidential election may very well be decided - we’re only down by 5,217. But take heart - 12 months ago that number was 16,000. We’ve made tremendous gains in the reddest parts of the state.

Must Reid:We’re Baaaaaack! Traffic in DC just got a whole lot worse. There are a lot more suits on the Metro. Recess is over and the Senate reconvened yesterday afternoon. So what’s on hand this week? What will the Democrats bring to the floor? And what will Bush-McCain Republicans try to block? Here’s the Weekly Reid’s forecast for the coming week:
1. DOD Authorization. There’s no fooling around here folks. Our troops need to be equipped with everything they could possibly need in the field. And the Democratic Party is ready to give it to them. Before recess, the GOP refused to allow the DOD reauthorization to come to the floor for a vote. Yesterday, however, the motion to invoke cloture passed 83-0 (they quickly slipped back into their obstructionist ways by blocking attempts to move on the Highway Trust Fund bill - this is a big deal folks). For you C-SPAN junkies out there - look for Armed Services Chair Carl Levin to make another emotional appeal to Senate Republicans to put aside their partisan agenda and stand up for our troops. (Did you miss his last appeal? Read it here. Key line: “This cannot just be another vote, another vote which divides us Republicans from Democrats….This is not our bill. This is their bill. Let's vote to take it up and set a place, a firm place, where we can protect the men and women in uniform.”)
2. Energy. Energy! ENERGY! Here we go again folks. Another round of debate on critical legislation freeing us from dependence on the oil oligarchs who are draining the pockets of middle class Americans. There’s a lot of background discussion among senior Hill staffers on what exactly will come to the floor, and under what conditions a vote will occur.Democrats are using the Gang of 16 proposal as a starting point - What matters most is that the American people understand the Democratic party is standing up for them. Standing up to obstructionist Republicans. Standing up to (in the words of Harry Reid) “third world thugs, whose only virtue is their control of petroleum-based energy.” We've given Republicans 17 opportunities to lower astronomical energy prices. Their response? Drill! Drill! Drill! Drill! That's it. Like a CD stuck playing the same 3 seconds of your least favorite song. 

Hard Hitting. Know why Gov. Palin went out of her way to mention Harry Reid in her speech to the GOP last week? It’s because of Harry Reid’s speech to the Democratic National Convention. Did you see it? If you didn’t, you should watch it here. Or read it here. He takes John McCain and Bush Republicans to task for their years of failed energy policies. A few key grafs:

“Senator McCain and the Republicans have centered their answer to our vital energy needs on one solution: off-shore drilling. Senator McCain calls for it in every speech; his party has demagogued the issue in both houses of Congress.
 
So, is off-shore drilling energy policy or snake oil? Let’s review the facts. White House analysts, congressional analysts, and the oil industry all agree that off-shore drilling won’t add one drop to our energy pool for at least ten years. The way things are going now, in another ten years we won’t need more oil; nobody will be able to afford it.

[snip]

But even if Doc McCain’s magic off-shore oil elixir won’t work, will it do any harm?
 
The answer is, we just don’t know, and neither does he. It might not ruin tourism in the Gulf or on the California coast. It might not destroy vital fisheries. It might not pollute our waterways.

Nobody really knows. But kindly old Doc McCain would like to sell it to you anyway.
 
The simple fact is that the promise of more oil isn’t part of the solution; it’s part of the problem. At best this is an 18th century answer to a 21st century crisis; at worst it’s pure baloney.”

Baloney! Get that? Now, the Weekly Reid loves baloney and mustard on white bread as much as the next first grader, but a baloney energy policy -  based not on reality, but on election year politicking? When it comes to solving our country’s energy crisis, John McCain doesn’t have any of the answers. Well, in fairness, he does have one answer, and it’s George W. Bush’s as well: drill. That’s not the change we need; that’s more of the same.

Harry Reid’s been working with policy experts, business and labor leaders, as well as his colleagues in the Senate, to craft an energy plan that will set our country down the path to energy independence. A lot of the ideas were discussed in his speech, and a lot were covered in depth at the Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas last month. Read up on them - change is gonna come.

Reid’s Watching:Profiles in Courage. Challenging an incumbent Senator isn’t easy. And taking on one of Washington’s most entrenched incumbents is event more difficult. But this weekend, two papers profiled our challengers who are doing just that. One from the NYTimes, profiling Jean Shaheen, and another from the Charlotte Observer about Kay Hagan’seffort to unseat Liddy Dole. Both Jean and Kay are making their case to the voters - and their opponents are running hard away from the Republican party of Bush-McCain obstructionists. With a combined 60 years in Washington, that’s probably a harder task than Kay and Jean have.

Georgia on his mind. Close your eyes and go back to the fall of 2002. Think of one race that enraged you more than any other. Picture the one television ad that boiled your blood. Chances are, you’re all thinking of the same race and picturing the same ad. Saxby Chambliss won his Senate seat by smearing one of the finest American heroes to ever serve in the Senate. And now, Sen. Chambliss is in a fight for his political life. Jim Martin’s behind by a mere six points. He’s Harry Reid’s newest favorite challenger, and he’s committed to helping Jim raise some dough to take back Max Cleland’s seat. If you’re in DC on September 24th, Harry Reid would love for you to join us for a luncheon with Jim Martin. See the invite here.

Ad Watch: Two great ads for you this week. Tom Udall in New Mexico reminds voters why the Democrats are best prepared to address the national energy crisis. And Dina Titus, running in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, introduces voters to her mother - who taught her what’s worth fighting for.