The Real Harry Reid

This quote came from an editorial by the publisher of the Las Vegas Review Journal in the August 30th edition:

---

“On Wednesday, before he addressed a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce luncheon, (Harry)Reid joined the chamber's board members for a meet-'n'-greet and a photo. One of the last in line was the Review-Journal's director of advertising, Bob Brown, a hard-working Nevadan who toils every day on behalf of advertisers. He has nothing to do with news coverage or the opinion pages of the Review-Journal. Yet, as Bob shook hands with our senior U.S. senator in what should have been nothing but a gracious business setting, Reid said: "I hope you go out of business."”

The online muckraker Politico was one of the avenues for the story to spread worldwide, but true to its roots, Politico was quick to buy the Democrat soft-pedaling, “Clearly he wasn’t serious,” quoting from an email hastily sent by Reid aide Jon Summers. Was Reid only joking? Bob Brown doesn’t think so, neither do other Nevadans who have run afoul of the Reid political persona. The other part Politico got wrong was its description of the writer of the opinion piece. Sherman Frederick is the publisher, not just a writer of editorials. It says so at the bottom of each of his columns. One public servant who experienced the real Harry Reid is Mike Montandon, the past Mayor of North Las Vegas. Montandon was term limited out of office. If the limits did not exist he would have that job for life if the people of that city had their way. When he took over the reins of that city in the late nineties, North Las Vegas was little more than the Las Vegas’ valley’s “north town”, a dumping ground for the poor and indigent. The area was so gang and crime ridden that the police would not even answer calls to some neighborhoods. Montandon began working with local business, and in the case of this writer, a few helpful members of the Nevada legislature to turn the city around. Now North Las Vegas is one of the more attractive zip codes in the valley, especially for start up businesses. However, back in 1998 things were a bit different. In 1998 John Ensign was challenging incumbent Senator Harry Reid and both men were looking for municipal endorsements. Ensign asked politely. Reid, however, worked politics in a different fashion. He walked into the mayor’s office and demanded Montandon’s endorsement, threatening to “destroy the city” if he did not get what he wanted. Reid supporters will cry foul at this, but Mike Montandon related this tale to me firsthand. That is a picture of the real Harry Reid. Here is a question, how does a man who has only worked outside of the public trough for one year of his professional life become one of the wealthiest members of the US Senate? The current salary for Senate members is $174,000 per year. They have received raises over time, so that figure is considerably higher than when Harry was a freshman in 1987. 2009 back to 1987 equals 22 years. If he did not spend a penny, with conservative interest his bankroll would be about 5 million, but being a globetrotting member of the senate is expensive. Many, including Reid maintain more than one home, and these are not cottages. So, where’s the money coming from? I can tell you from personal experience that, if the politician is willing, gifts flow into the office on a daily basis. Now for me, I was a state representative in a minor role. Imagine what comes in to the office of a US Senator. Imagine if you’re the Senate Majority Leader... No wonder Harry is willing to move into the arena of threats and intimidation to keep his office. But that way of doing business has its downside. Right now Reid’s approval rating is around 37%. His only declared GOP challenger, Danny Tarkanian is polling 11 points higher, and Reid’s challenger has yet to hold public office. The good Senator is carrying a boat load of baggage and at a guess, more skeletons in his closet than the diggings in Egypt. He was implicated in the Abramoff scandal, remember. Abramoff indicated that Harry asked for $30,000 in campaign contributions. Based on how we are told he conducts this type of business, one can imagine that being more of a demand with consequences attached. Currently, very expensive campaign ads in favor of Harry Reid are being broadcast on our local stations and are also filling entire pages of the Review Journal. A full page ad, especially with color, is not cheap in the RJ. This is the paper Reid wants out of business, the one running his ads. This is also typical of Reid. The Review Journal prints far more liberal agenda pieces than not. About the only bit of conservatism I read in its pages these days are Fredericks’ sporadic columns and the all too few pieces dotted here and there in the Opinion section from outside sources like George Will. The letters to the editor, chosen by an RJ editor, read like the writings of Marx and Engles, and you know that email box isn’t filled with one-sided letters. Also, political cartoons are limited to those that support the Obama agenda, so what’s the complaint Harry? Harry Reid wasn’t joking when he told Bob Brown that he wanted the Las Vegas Review Journal to go out of business. He was expressing exactly the same opinion felt deeply by every other liberal out there. Dissention, even when it is limited to only a couple of paragraphs hidden within and entire newspaper, must be stamped out. Voltaire said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Voltaire was known far and wide as a confirmed liberal and in fact, a favorite of the “free thinkers” of the sixties. That quote was widely repeated by liberals during previous administrations. Civil rights? What civil rights? Harry isn’t saying.