Sun editorial:

A malicious attack

Critics falsely suggest Reid is playing racial politics over vacant Senate seat

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

The bid in Illinois to fill the Senate vacancy left by President-elect Barack Obama has turned into a circus with many unfortunate story lines. Among the most ridiculous suggestions is that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is playing racial politics in an attempt to fill that seat.

Chicago newspapers reported over the weekend that Reid had urged Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the vacancy with either Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who is white, or Illinois Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth, who is Asian-American, rather than three possible black candidates. Blagojevich wound up appointing Roland Burris, a black man and former state attorney general. Burris supporters and some Republicans accused Reid of meddling in the process by citing racial preferences.

In an interview Sunday on the NBC News program “Meet the Press,” the senator said: “To suggest anything racial is part of the Blagojevich spin to take away from the corruption that’s involved his office in Illinois.”

Reid, other Senate Democrats and Obama would like Blagojevich to resign because of the governor’s arrest last month on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and bribery for allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat. They also wanted the governor to refrain from naming Obama’s replacement.

No one who has followed Reid’s decades of exemplary public service could conceive of him being a racist. For example, longtime Las Vegas residents will recall that it was Reid who convinced then-President Bill Clinton to nominate Johnnie Rawlinson in 1998 to a U.S. District Court seat, making her Nevada’s first black female federal judge.

To her credit, Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden came to Reid’s defense Sunday, saying, “You can call Harry Reid a lot of things, and I’ve called him my fair share. But ‘racist’ is certainly not one of them.”

Reid, in fact, has spoken positively about Burris and about other black lawmakers who were potential Senate appointees. We couldn’t agree more with Lowden when she said that to suggest Reid is “not comfortable around black people and wants to keep the Senate ‘lily white’ is absurd on its face and thoroughly offensive to all Nevadans of every political stripe.”

Indeed it is.

Discussion: 15 comments so far…

By Future2012

1/6/09 at 7:12 a.m.

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The LV Sun says "No one who has followed Reid's decades of exemplary public service could conceive of him being a racist." That is just not true.

The LV Sun and the NY Times are the last news organizations that continues to be an apologizer for Harry Reid.

If this had been about a Black Republican the LV Sun would not bother to apology.

Deny, Deny, Deny or is it Sick, Sick, Sick Harry Reid would not have this problem if he would stay out of other State's business.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now fancies himself as "The National Democratic Kingmaker" having long directed Nevada politicians such as Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Commish Rory Reid our future Governor.

Harry Reid has made his millions with shady insider land deals and that gratuitous book advance. But more "power" is what he seeks.

But while Harry Reid said "Gov. Blagojevich's efforts to try to tarnish others while the cloud of suspicion continues to grow over him are shameful, as are his efforts to further betray the public trust and sow seeds of division,"

Harry Reid has gotten caught on tape in the growing south-side of Chicago machine politics.
Reid has since said Blagojevich leaked the conversation and was distorting the details of the call to deflect attention from his own legal problems.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid didn't want Black Rep. Jesse Jackson in the Senate, a point he made clear to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in a conversation about filling Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Nevada Democrat made a call to Blagojevich on Dec. 3 to discuss the seat vacated by the president-elect, Reid spokesman Jim Manley confirmed. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that during their discussion Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones. Six days later, authorities arrested Blagojevich for allegedly trying to sell Obama's seat.

Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero says the call shows Reid has a conflict of interest in vowing not to accept black former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris for the seat.
Reid is clearly opposed to Illinois selecting their own Senator and as a racist - blacks need not apply.

Meanwhile Harry Reid has decided that he has to delay any "Stimulus II" package so he can sort out the Democrats.

The recession started 13 months ago in December 2007. Harry's "Stimulus I" package failed.

Get to work Harry
By azsk8fan

1/6/09 at 7:43 a.m.

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Hey, the country elected the first BI-RACIAL president so now it's time for all this 'just because I'm Black' nonsense to stop, once and for all. GET OVER IT!
By jfnance32

1/6/09 at 7:44 a.m.

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Blacks have greatly suffered in the US. First, they were slaves. Then, they were given second class citizenship. Then, they had to endure racism. There suffering has been great reduced.

Obama was the only black in the US Senate. It makes sense that he is replaced by a black.

Reid put the thumbs down on 4 black candidates. Surely, one of them is qualified.

The people on the left have this logic that says anybody that opposes gay marriage rights is a bigot. If honestly applied then Reid should be a bigot in their eyes. He supported Nevada's gay marriage ban. He is still against gay marriage.

Turning down 4 blacks can not help Reid in this area.

If this was a Republican Senate Majority Leader then I am confident that in big bold letters the Las Vegas Sun would have accused him of being a bigot.
By redferret

1/6/09 at 7:48 a.m.

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You know future, recycling the same tired blogs is getting old.
By Future2012

1/6/09 at 7:54 a.m.

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Just the Facts

It hurts but just the facts

The recession started in December 2007 and Harry Reid is stopping black former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris at the Senate door.

Harry get to work on the peoples business.
By redferret

1/6/09 at 8 a.m.

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There you go. Write something original. Otherwise when all you do is repost the same tired junk, you look fanatical and single minded to a fault. I don't care if you rant about Reid, I just care if you aren't original enough to write something new each time. I get it, and I read it well enough the first time.
By Future2012

1/6/09 at 9:35 a.m.

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"I get it, and I read it well enough the first time."

Yes but you refuse to remember
By redferret

1/6/09 at 9:53 a.m.

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No I do remember. I'm tired of seeing the same or slightly modified posting. Mix it up, and do more. The other option is to stay the course and look like you have an unreasonable ax to grind or that you're stalking Reid.
By azsk8fan

1/6/09 at 10:41 a.m.

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They're not prepared to approve anyone Blago appoints - regardless of their skin color - it's all about Blago's dirty politics and backroom dealings - typical Crook Country politics. It's not about race at all.
By Future2012

1/6/09 at 11:46 a.m.

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"you're stalking Reid"

It not hard there is so much bad about Harry Reid.

"we lost the war" Reid said

What is Harry's Reid position on Clinton bean counter Leon Panetta as head of the CIA. Leon is white.

Any time a company brings in a bean counter to head an organization you know they are going to shut it down

Democrats cut the intelligence community community during the Clinton yeas when Peon was chief of staff. Look what that got us.

Now that Bush has started to build it back up Leon is back to eliminate it.
By jfnance32

1/6/09 at 12:01 p.m.

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Reid has done some good things either as the majority leader or the minority leader.

During his reign, we got two new excellent Supreme Court judges.

He helped get the original Iraq War resolution passed.

He properly did not try to get a bill pass that called for the immediate removal of US troops in Iraq.

FISA was recently re-authorized with a few changes.

He properly resisted a push for impeachment or other "criminal" investigations of Bush and his administration.

He joined hands with Bush and worked hard to get a bailout bill generated and passed for those elite financial institutions.

He has not tried to pass a law to shut-down GITMO and he has not tried to pass a law to give full American legal rights to those at GITMO. In fact, he helped pass a law that gave legislative authority for the Bush administration to conduct military tribunals for the bad guys at GITMO.

He is against gay marriage and he supported the Nevada's ban on gay marriage.

Reid has done some good.
By Future2012

1/6/09 at 1:09 p.m.

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Question: What is Harry Reid's position on intelligence?

Answer: I do not need any intelligence.

John Brennan, Obama's chief intelligence adviser and anticipated CIA chief, was recently forced to withdraw his name. There was no drumbeat of opposition to Brennan from the front pages or on cable. Rather, the pick was torpedoed by the blogosphere.

"Apparently there is a lot of pressure on the Obama team from a blog saying that Brennan couldn't be made the director of the CIA because he was involved in torture and renditions, which he wasn't," said Mark Lowenthal, former assistant CIA director.

The turn of events only emphasizes the influence of the Internet on the operation of a president-elect whose campaign was powered in large part by the Web.

Tim Roemer, D-Ind who served on the 9/11 Commission. Very very savvy Panettas skill, his budget acumen, his knowledge of Washington.....

Democrats cut the intelligence community during the Clinton years when Leon was chief of staff

What does Leon know

Lets start with what are Leon's favorite tunes.

U.S. military interrogators have often blasted music at detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. According to the British law group Reprieve, these are among the songs they have used most frequently:
"Enter Sandman," Metallica.
"Bodies," Drowning Pool.
"Shoot to Thrill," AC/DC.
"Hell's Bells," AC/DC.
"I Love You," from the "Barney and Friends" children's TV show.
"Born in the USA," Bruce Springsteen.
"Babylon," David Gray.
"White America," Eminem.
"Sesame Street," theme song from the children's TV show.
Other bands and artists whose music has been frequently played at U.S. detention sites: Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Don McLean, Lil' Kim, Limp Bizkit, Meat Loaf, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tupac Shakur.

Will Leon stop the I-tunes
By jfnance32

1/6/09 at 1:31 p.m.

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Leon was there when the Clinton adminstration started the program of rendition to send captured terrorist to countries that torture.

I guess the left must love Leon.
By Future2012

1/6/09 at 1:59 p.m.

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Leon was there

The CIA watchdog report, completed in June 2005 and kept classified until 2007, indicates that the CIA's analysis of Al Qaeda before Sept. 2001 was lacking.

No comprehensive report focusing on Bin Laden was written after 1993, and no comprehensive report laying out the threats of 2001 was assembled. "A number of important issues were covered insufficiently or not at all," the report found.

Iraq intelligence was found to be no better.

Today even Clinton's freewheeling FISA foreign intelligence Echelon data gold mining of the late 90's is under attack (Echelon http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/0...) .
By getalife

1/6/09 at 10:44 p.m.

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Harry, Harry, Harry

Hey here's a question for you. How can I become one of the slimy lawyers you associate with.

I promise I won't work hard, will keep my mouth shut and keep on raking in the taxpayers money.

All the while I will pretend I don't know you and register as a republican to throw the media off our trails.

Oh and one more thing, whenever Yucca mountain is brought up I will spread fear and panic among my friends and tell them not to believe science but believe you, an uneducated hick from Searchlight.