Harry Reid: McConnell 'tried to make love to the tea party, and they didn't like it'

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on Monday told activists that Democrats had a better chance at maintaining a majority in the Senate because Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had "tried to make love to the tea party, and they didn't like it."

Speaking to the nonprofit group Organizing for Action (OFA), Reid noted that a poll earlier this year found McConnell was tied at 45 percent with Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes.

And Reid said that it was good news that tea party groups were expected to endorse millionaire businessman Matthew Bevin's bid against McConnell in the Republican primary.

"He got a primary opponent today," Reid explained. "He tried to make love to the tea party, and they didn't like it. Because now, the tea party has a candidate against him in the primary."

The Nevada Democrat also warned that Republicans "always know" that he can make unilateral changes to the filibuster rules if President Barack Obama's nominees continued to be blocked after a bipartisan compromise last week.

"The president will be only as strong as his Congress," Reid said. "So, you've got to do everything you can to help Nancy Pelosi elect more House members to get rid of this stuff have going on in the House, which is really hard to understand."

"And remember, the strength of the president is in the mighty Senate. We have to have enough to stop McConnell and what he doesn't do."

Watch this video from Politico, broadcast July 22, 2013.

(h/t: Politico)