Spokesman: Gibbons ‘made mistake’ over Reid car bomb
Published Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 | 5:29 p.m.
Updated Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 | 9:04 p.m.
Gibbons on Nevada Newsmakers
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Gov. Jim Gibbons on "Nevada Newsmakers" on Monday.
Gov. Jim Gibbons today repeated his belief on a Nevada political show that the bomb in Harry Reid's station wagon in 1981 was a telephone book in a shoe box. The development came a week after Gibbons' claim was widely dismissed and the Reid campaign provided police reports and bomb squad log disproving the theory.
His spokesman later today said Gibbons "made a mistake." Dan Burns said Gibbons had heard from someone last week -- he didn't know who -- that it was a shoe box with a phone book in it.
Gibbons made a point of repeatedly saying he had read about the shoe box with a phone book in it in the police report.
On Sam Shad's "Nevada Newsmakers" show on Monday, Gibbons was asked by co-host Ray Hagar about the claim he originally made on a conservative Las Vegas radio show.
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Ray. If you read the report, and I hope you read the police report. Did you read it? Did you read it?" he asked Hagar, who replied he did. "It didn't say car bomb. It said it was a shoe box with a phone book in it. The last time I defined bomb, it wasn't a shoe box with a phone book in it. If it is, Nextel is a weapon of mass destruction proliferator, because that is not a bomb."
The police report from 1981 has no mention of a phone book or a shoe box. Gibbons later repeated on the show, "I read the report, and the report said it was a shoe box with a phone book in it."
"That's not what I read," said Sam Shad.
"I was looking at the report that said it wasn't a bomb," Gibbons replied.
"I guess we'll agree to disagree on that."
Burns, Gibbons' spokesman, said a lot of people were talking about the incident last week after Sue Lowden, a Republican challenging the Senate Majority Leader, chuckled when asked if she recalled the incident and said she couldn't recall it happening.
Reid had mentioned the incident in one of his early television ads as proof that he drove the mob out of the gaming industry when he was head of the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Burns said, "The larger question is, there was no bomb in the car? And who said the mob did it?"
The police report listed the incident as an attempted homicide. It described the electrical device as "a wire leading from the distributor to the fuel tank." The bomb squad report described it as similar to an earlier attempt on another gaming commission member "but a little more sophisticated in that a ground was provided this time."
Reid’s campaign responded by calling Gibbons' assertion a "flat-out lie." The campaign said Lowden, who appears on "Nevada Newsmakers" on Tuesday, should “call Jim Gibbons out on it.”
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OMG, who really cares?
what a scum bag that little gibbons monkey is...
has there ever been a governor with less leadership skills...
who the hell believes a single word that comes out of that little gibbons monkey's mouth...
and what about the stupid pathetic lying republicans...
the truth just keeps getting in the way of their propaganda...
who the hell would join the stupid pathetic lying republican party these days...
only l-o-s-e-r-s!!!
He said he read that.
He can read?
Who knew?
Gibbons is like the rest of the Republican Party of today, they make stuff up about their opponents because they have no legitimate and truthful things to say that would harm the opponent.
They have done nothing but badmouth the other party and instead of offering worthwhile positive programs that would help the people, the taxpayers, all they do is stick up for the wealthy and big corporations.
Gibbons is and has been a terrible Governor and fits in well with people like Ensign and the rest of the GOP. They should change their initials to DNP, the Do Nothing Party.
vpin. You are so right on. The Democrats are very concerned about the well-being of the middle class and the poor. Morally they are clearly above reproach. The Democrats are the ones who will save this country, they truly care about us. They never stoop to badmouthing the other party. I'm so glad they are in power.
Nobody gives a crap about harrys car bomb.
I'm always amused at how Republicans consistently fail to do even BASIC research before they go on radio or television shows and make complete fools of themselves. One would think Jim Gibbons learned a lesson about research after his shameful plagiarism incident was exposed a few years back, but apparently he hasn't. What a buffoon.
Gibbons did not read the police report. He lied again. This guy can not tell the truth about ANYTHING.
Who really cares??? I mean really people. Let's remember something, we have probably the worst senator in office in the United States, Harry Reid. Let's send a loud and clear message to the Reids for that matter, that both him and his son, they need to go. A new day is beginning in that we won't have these two to screw up our state any longer. Nevada needs and deserves fresh new leadership. I encourage everyone to support their opponents. Let's get them out of our politics once and for all next year!
I WAS a "listener" and "member" of the "public radio" station until Dan Burns got on his knee pads.
If the mob wanted Reid dead, he would be. Come on folks, the mob wouldn't miss if Reid was such a "threat" to them.
and birdie..(being an independent myself)who would join the republican party these days? All the democrats who are jumping ship thanks to Reid, Pelosi and the messiah Obama...
2zero:
You are confusing Dan Burns and Dave Berns.
The LV conservative (questionable) radio talk show host referenced in this story is...?
Do you think this shameless host needs more free PR even though this last round confirmed once and for all that her head is empty? Correct. No brain. Nada. Not a trace.
But there is a larger and more embarrassing item hanging over the head of this radio station.
Of all the radio stations in southern Nevada this one currently ranks a dismal #19. Hold your laughter, it gets better.
Being #19 and NOT #1 is one reason why any reference to being #1 in promotional copy should be omitted.
Who would they be they kidding? The audience?
The same audience of which they have so little respect for they have yet to air corrections?
Beware, there are sneaky ways of being #1 without really being #1.
Perhaps they are number #1 with people who call in.
Heard any of these callers?
Most sound like poorly rehearsed plants. The one's we heard were not very bright. When describing these callers I would suggest using the words "incredibly stupid." But hey, if the people running the show are brainless then it is in the radio staffs best interest to always avoid taking calls from anyone who sounds smart or anyone with an IQ over 50 who could easily call-out the twisted content from the self-hating host.
When promoting the show I thought I heard the word "top."
Top? Top of what? They don't tell you. I guess they are hoping you will fill in the bank. OK. So are they suggesting I am to forget all about the on-air errors, childish name calling, empty content, wrong information, false facts, and make some giant leap into believing they are at the top of their game?
What I could believe is that they top the list of consistent stupidity. Or, top of the list of radio show hosts "desperate for attention." Any attention. After all you bore us daily with your dysfunctional rational when reacting to news stories we can only assume this insanity stems from not getting enough hugs as a kid from Mommy. So get help. Seriously. GET HELP.
With the huge out pouring of recent criticism, this station was hit over the head with what justifiably calls out this on-air host for an unapologetic and immature callousness neatly wrapped with ignorance. Yet, I suspect a #19 station will stop at nothing and continue to toss out any decency and forgo judgment in the desperate attempt for attention. Why not? Worked for the drug addicted Limbaugh.
No one wants to be #19. But it's their hopeless attempt to climb out of the ratings gutter that has already shown what low self esteem and little self respect these creepy hopefuls have.
To put this 19th position into perspective; more people would hear this radio show if the host stood on her front doorstep and used a mega phone.
It is comforting to know how smart the majority of Las Vegas radio listeners are when it comes to tuning-out the empty, useless, hateful chatter.
To say "Gym Gibbons made a mistake" is simply redundant.
His picture literally SCREAMS mistake! Mistake! Mistake!
How the he11...does Gym Gibbons HAPPEN? Electorate????
A phone book in a shoe box! Why would a United States Senator have a phone book in a shoe box in a car. If you have seen the inside of the autos that are used by the Senators and the brief cases used by the Senators you have to admit that the old phone book in a shoe box theme is really way out in the Twilight Zone.
Caroll;
Being #19 in the Las Vegas Radio market is akin to using 2 tin cans and some string. Literally.
It's like 2 listeners.
Man, more loss of creditability (if that's even possible) by the one we idiots put into the Governor's office. Shame on us.