Is the December, 20, 2002 Harry Reid quote about Trent Lott's resignation a Hoax?

I can't find the original AP story about Harry Reid claiming that.....

"He had no alternative," the Nevada Democrat and Senate minority leader said. "Senator Lott dug himself a hole and he didn't dig it all in one setting. He dug it over the years. And he couldn't figure out a way to get out of it."

Asked if the episode would serve as a warning to weigh his own words carefully, Reid said: "You play how you practice."

Quote:

"If you tell ethnic jokes in the backroom, it's that much easier to say ethnic things publicly. I've always practiced how I play."

It sounds fake, and I can't find it on google. I suppose it is possible that it appeared in a smaller, local paper and never made it onto the internet. However, if that is case, show a picture of the article as it appeared in the newspaper back then.

For now, I am calling the quotes a hoax.

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