Harry Reid's 'crazy' defense of cowboy poets
The Senate Majority Leader frets that Republican spending cuts would mean the end of Nevada's beloved annual cowboy poetry festival

The video: Yesterday on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) tossed Republicans a juicy, "crazy" bone, complaining that a "mean-spirited" Republican bill to cut $57 billion from this year's budget would spell doom for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in his home state. (See Reid's poetic Senate floor moment.) Pointing to the National Endowment for the Arts, which is on the GOP chopping block and helps fund the poetry festival, Reid said: "Had that program not been around, the tens of thousands of people who come there every year would not exist." Just who are these cowboy poets? Watch a video from this year's festival, below:
The reaction: "If Democrats are unwilling to abide belt-tightening on federal subsidies for regional cowboy poetry festivals, that tells you everything you need to know about their seriousness on spending," says Guy Benson at Townhall. Yeah, "if the taxpayer-subsidized cowpoke poetry (cowpoketry?) festival is the best example the Senate Majority Leader can find to illuminate the devastation that GOP cuts would bring to bear, we may be getting somewhere," says Kyle Wingfield at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I mean seriously, Reid's plea was "comedy gold." Wait, "hold your horses," says Ian Crouch at The New Yorker. Reid's plea was certainly snark bait, but the festival actually does bring thousands of people, and their tourist dollars, to the town of Elko, Nev. See these cowboys wax poetic:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How will the next pope change the Catholic Church?
Talking Points Conclaves can be unpredictable
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Conspiracy theorists circle again following RFK file release
The Explainer Both RFK and his brother, President John F. Kennedy, have been the subjects of conspiracies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
7 equestrian activities for when you feel like horsin' around
The Week Recommends These graceful animals make any experience better
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK