Reid: 'Angry old white men' trying to buy elections

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says a group of "angry old white men" is bankrolling conservative outside groups that are spending millions to influence the fall elections.

"If this flood of outside money continues, the day after the election, 17 angry old white men will wake up and realize they've just bought the country," Reid said on the floor. "That's a sad commentary. About 60 percent or more of these outside groups' dollars are coming from these 17 people. These donors have something in common with their nominee. Like Mitt Romney, they believe they play by their own set of rules."

Reid's heated rhetoric comes as Senate Republicans are poised to reject a Democratic bill to require outside groups to disclose the names of their contributors. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called the bill a distraction intended to "create the impression of mischief, where there is none."

(Also on POLITICO: Democrats push for campaign finance disclosure, again)

