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Sunday, July 15, 2012 | 2 a.m.
On Thursday, Harry Reid was mad (or so it seemed). And when Reid gets mad, Reidisms follow.
The Senate majority leader has made many off-the-cuff comments over the years that have raised eyebrows, evoked guffaws and, occasionally, sparked outrage (calling George W. Bush a “loser” in 2004 comes to mind.) But rarely has the majority leader packed so many Reidisms into one day and of varying types as he did Thursday in talking about Olympic uniforms, Mitt Romney and Shelley Berkley.
If you want to know why the majority leader’s staff has a private prayer group (“Our senator, who art in Congress, careless be his tongue …”) and has a special “Reidism alert” button on their BlackBerrys, consider:
“The USOC should be embarrassed, they should be humiliated. ... Our athletes should not wear clothes manufactured in China.”
This was part of Reid’s rant against the United States Olympic Committee for allowing America’s athletes to commit the unforgivable sin of wearing Ralph Lauren uniforms made in China. Forget the obvious inanity of this attack — where do the Clothes Police draw the line and with whom?
But how does Reid make the case for being apoplectic about this scandal of mammoth proportions when he is as enthusiastic as ever about his Chinese billionaire friend, Wang Yusuo, making a fortune by building a solar plant near Laughlin — an enterprise that coincidentally now employs his son, Rory Reid, as a lobbyist?
And when is Reid going to let the Nevada gamers have it for investing so much money in China that could have been used to reinvigorate the Nevada economy?
No, let’s save our ire for Olympic uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren but — the horror! — made in China.
“(Mitt Romney) not only couldn’t be confirmed as a Cabinet secretary, he couldn’t be confirmed as a dog catcher. Because a dog catcher — you’re at least going to want to look at his income tax returns.”
Those comments, as reported by the Sun’s Karoun Demirjian and others, came a day after Reid declared Romney could not get confirmed as a Cabinet secretary because of his reluctance to release more of his tax returns. I understand that Reid relishes playing the attack dog for national Democrats on Romney, but this one does not hunt.
No, I don’t mean that dog catchers don’t actually need to be confirmed. Nor do I want to argue about whether presidential candidate should be browbeaten into releasing tax returns — while Romney’s date of withdrawal from his Bain Capital may be germane, I’m not sure his tax returns are. (Maybe Reid should agree to release his wardrobe — any Ralph Laurens made in China? — if Romney agrees to hand over his IRS documents.)
We get it — Romney is super-rich and the Democrats want to rub that and his offshore accounts in his face to win the support of middle-class families. But to sneer at Romney by using the dog catcher line is to show a level of viciousness that, I think, too often populates rhetoric from a left that has lost too many message battles and prefers ad hominem attacks to defense of policy initiatives.
“If you are from Southern Nevada, everyone knows she is married to a nephrologist.”
That was Reid on a conference call with reporters Thursday defending Rep. Shelley Berkley on allegations she helped her kidney doctor husband by her actions as a congresswoman. That’s an obviously false statement. But even if I give Reid latitude for exaggeration, it is an absolutely ludicrous defense of Berkley.
A very small percentage of Southern Nevada’s 2 million residents know a lot about Berkley, much less about what her husband does for a living. And even if they did, how does that immunize her against disclosure and perhaps less activism on issues that could affect her own pocketbook — the issues the House tribunal is exploring?
Reid later went on to produce another Reidism — in this case, another obvious prevarication — when he said he was “glad this is all out in the open,” echoing the Berkley campaign line that has to be one of the most unbelievable in history. Yes, happy days are here again when the House Ethics Committee announces it is forming a special investigative subcommittee after every Democrat votes to move forward with a more extensive, subpoena-laden probe. Maybe Dean Heller should be the one to drop out because things are going so well for Berkley.
Folks, I understand the need to be a good soldier in politics as well as the imperative for a leader to be the partisan sniper. But Reid’s loose Thursday lips, entertaining and amusing though they may be for us Fourth Estaters, are part of the dumbing down and nastying up of politics, where truth is not valued but discarded and civility is not strained but trashed.
Isn’t there a Reidism for that?
Reid upset about outsourcing. Really
- The Obama stimulus Gave $2.4 billion stimulus program to support battery production sent nearly half of its money to foreign firms, including two South Korean companies that used their awards to hire foreign nationals in Michigan.
- As Obama was doling out over $2.3 billion in clean energy manufacturing tax credits that were supposed to create jobs in America, $880 million went to foreign firms. Worse still, some of those same recipients are now closing up shop and shipping jobs overseas.
- SunPower Admits That Some of the Solar Panels for the $1.3 Billion Stimulus Backed California Solar Valley Ranch Will Be Manufactured At Their Facility In Mexico Rather Than Their Facility In California.
- ABB Inc. Received Over $16 Million in Stimulus Funds to Create Green Energy Manufacturing Jobs, the Company Has Laid Off Workers in the U.S. and Transferred Work To Mexico.
- GM has over 200,000 employees overseas and is expanding plants in China. GM is expanding their China Buick car factories. 7 out of 10 GM cars are made outside the US.
-------
Besides Obama and General Motors and Chrysler outsourcing cars and parts to foreign countries Obama is outsourcing the k-rations food for the US troops.
Seems that Obama has awarded a $10 billion K-rationing contract to Dubai-based Anham FZCO and Nertherlands-based Supreme Foods to supply food to Afghanistan troops. Supreme food is still in a over charging penalty situation. Anham has a $25 billion automatic rollover provision for the next five years. Further the food will not be from America.
Don't count of GREAT Senator out, you detestable little media yip-dog...REID has held his own, whether in the ring, as a cop, or in the Senate, YES Harry Reid got the Olympics to make the uniforms in the USA and that did put a little focus on "made in the USA" clothes. Maybe it helped a little.
Also, Romney could not get elected dog catcher because the dogs know about the "on the car roof strap job" he pulled with poor Rufus the dog (RIP). The dogs would get together and show Mandate Mitt who is BOSS.
So once again Reid has come out on top.
How have your lives changed in Nevada since Senator Reid become leader of the Senate in 2007?
1. Apparently JR cannot distinguish the difference between U.S. money and products being made in China and Chinese money being spent on projects being made in the U.S.
2. Romney's tax returns are relevant to the decision making process of voters. Where is his money kept? (Nice hasty generalization fallacy.)
3. Curiously, how does one disclose properly in this case? What do they say and to whom do they say it?
These are the relevant questions. Stop trying to dumb down your readers.
Romney had Iranian investments and that is why he won't release his tax returns.
Sad, very sad. Find me a democrat, any democrat, that has a working knowledge of economics. You wonder why we're broke? We've taxed our economy into dysfunction. Government payments cannot replace private enterprise--those receiving social welfare benefits do not replace workers with earned income. Mistaking that is the fuel behind continued and inappropriate cuts to employee payroll taxes while SS and Medicare are fiscally challenged.
I'm real tired of Jon Ralston's constant hate on
Senator Reid. Is he a progressive or a rabble-rouser?
Mr. Ralston
I bet dollars to doughnuts you voted for Harry. And the rest of us have to suffer under the consequences of your bad choice. I think there should be a tax levied on people who vote for candidates they later find reason to rue..as you rue Harry..and as I do..
That said.. I have been collecting "obamanisms" lately.
Obamaisms: you know, people like your "stubborn Uncle Jim who watches fox"
Obamaisms: "You didn't build it" (therefore you should pay for the privilege of using it) to a group of business owners, referring to the infrastructure and why business owners should pay more in taxes.
As for "civility" there was never a nastier, dirtier, vile, dishonest campaign than the one Harry Reid launched against Sharon Angle. The Fourth Estate reported Reid campaign's insinuations, half truths, distortions and out-of-context statements as "gospel truth" news. The Fourth Estate justified their bias and smear as "protecting the public" from an "unfit" candidate rather than reporting objective truth and letting the voters decide.
In Fact..this smear campaign against Romney looks like a Reid dejavu all over again..I have thought that Obama is using Reid as his campaign advisor on how to smear early, smear big and smear smear smear..
No it wasn't funny then, it isn't funny now..and Reid is foul, trash mouth dirty politician..
Look, I thought Senator Reid's comments about the Olympic uniforms was ridiculous too, but I also thought it was just a politician taking advantage of an opportunity. Which other's like Chuck Schumer and Speaker Boehner have also expressed 'outrage.'
As far as Congresswomen Berkley, I'm having a hard time figuring out what she did that hasn't already been done by every other person in Congress. I guess she just did badly.
Dean Heller would be a complete disaster for the state of Nevada. If Democrats were dumb enough to run a candidate who is guilty of ethics violations than shame on us.
Sorry Jon but you're wrong on this one.
Harry Reid is the best Senate Majority Leader in
my lifetime.
Thank God that we have PRESIDENT OBAMA, V.P. JOE
BIDEN AND HARRY REID standing up against these
greedy, heartless republicans, who destroyed our
middle class and economy by sending our jobs to
COMMUNIST CHINA.
I can think of a lot worse words for these
heartless republicans.
I back Harry Reid 100%
KEEP GIVING EM HELL, HARRY!!!
LIVE BETTER/WORK UNION!!!
Teamster:
Isn't the teamster's union suing Obama for insourcing teamster jobs to Mexican nationals under Billy Clinton's NAFTA?
Thank you, Jon, for saying the emperor (there is little doubt Harry has far more power than Obama) has no clothes!
"Mr. Ralston, I bet ... you voted for Harry. And the rest of us have to suffer under the consequences of your bad choice."
Hilariously, Nevada teabaggers are still whining about Harry Reid's thorough smackdown of 41-to-Angle, who was possibly the worst candidate for US Senator in our nation's entire 236-year history.
Memo to baggers: Get over it. 41-to-Angle has. She's back home in Reno living off her husband's union-negotiated BLM retirement pension that they receive after his long career as a government worker.
Harry and BHO both need to go quietly into the night.
Neither have a clue...
http://m.nydailynews.com/news/politics/u...
President Obama is now telling business owners they owe their success to his government -- saying "if you've got a business, you didn't build that." these are business people that take personal and financial risks and work 20 hour days to start a business. And Obama says they only get ahead because of Obama handouts.
Oh, pulleeze...
Hey, Jon; you are walkin' a MIGHTY FINE LINE...
You tink' you are God's Gift to Gab-dom?
Have you actually watched tape of your show lately?
New Obama ad: "Romney is not the solution. He's the problem."
Ouch. The wannabe outsourcer-in-chief is the next John McCane.
Yes, he does seem to fade in and out of sanity more frequently in the past. And, yes, he does go off on these meaningless vandettas against totally trivial issues. And, no, having a unanimous indictment by both Democrats and Republicanns for serious ethical stumbles on his hand-picked candidate for the Senate is not a reason to obfuscate the real issue at hand.
More serious is the question if he is no longer capable of handling the demands and rigors of the office he holds. I point in particular to over 300 bills that are waiting for a vote and the inability to pass a budget since who remembers when.
The country needs better; it deserves better; it cannot function until there is a better person in that chair.
Rush Limburger was for Nafta-shat-ya as well. Reid was against it.
Reid has knocked Ralph Lauren off his polio pony and has vanquished the evil doer. Romney, the dog torturer, has not taken a position on the uniforms. He wimped out and is not a man. Jon Ralten should investigate Bain, and Iran contra, along with Howard Hughes.
Our glorious Senator Reid has won the battle once again and Jon has been reduced to a carping magpie on the sidelines of politics. Three cheers for Harry Reid.
Harry Reid has basically destroyed Las Vegas. From running the Mob out of town to selling our economic engine to the Indians, the guy is a one man wrecking crew.
Where are the jobs Obama and Reid promised? Where is the deficit reduction Obama and Reid promised? Where is the transparency Obama and Reid promised? Where is the national budget?
Adelson under investigation! Check out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16... . Will Romney give back Adelson's money?
Future:
I read that speech by Obama "You Didn't Do It." I imagined a group of people in my business being the audience. I winced..It is the most uninformed, ignorant and insulting speech I have heard...it is ..shameful for an elected official to have so little knowledge of business, taxes and government..and to reduce the issues to "bumper sticker" sloganeering for an agenda
I thought..who would I rather listen to or have as a speaker to a group of business leaders ? Romney who has a very sophisticated knowledge of business or Obama's silly, "You didn't do it?"
Lost Throes:
Campaign issuses are "yadda, yadda, yadda." The fact is I would rather have Angle, a teacher with a husband who works for BLM, is Washington than Reid who hasn't been out of the beltway for years.
I think Angle would have a more informed take on Nevada than Reid.
Last Throes..
The Angle/Rieid election to me was a choice between two visions..Reelecting an experienced operative, cunning, ruthless Reid as Pope of the Byzantine Beltway ..or Mrs. Angle Goes to Washington
For the Fourth Estate to engage in smear and bias was annoying and distracting...and it is undeniable that the Fourth Estate did so..
Reid is ..Pope of the Byzantine Beltway but how is that working out for Nevada?
Holy Moly..Harry Reid just said "Angry Old White Men"
The democrats had best hope he was givng a 4th of July speech to the AARP about Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franscis Marion, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin and Lightfoot Harry Lee or he is in some deep deep trouble!
Pinky is one move away from an assisted care and thinking facility.
I'm sorry folks, but your 'trusted comments' thing ain't working, you need to re-think that. It is almost impossible to actually engage with anyone here.
For example, 'mikegino' is full of it, doesn't know what he or she is talking about. I will be happy to explain why if I can actually see his or her rebuttal, but because of this inane policy, I'm betting I'm not going to see this rebuttal.
The bottom line is this.....
Harry Reid got the job done.
The 2014 Olympic uniforms WILL BE MADE IN THE U.S.
The anti-American republicans can eat crow.
When Romney was asked what he thought about the
uniforms being made in China, he said,
"I'M NOT GOING TO WEIGH IN ON THAT".
WOW!!!!
NO GUTS ROMNEY.
THANK YOU HARRY REID!!!
HARRY REID IS THE MAN!!!
And even worse....
When Romney ran the Olympics, the U.S. team wore
uniforms MADE IN BURMA!
OUTSOURCED AGAIN!!!!
Harry being Harry.
Harry being a doofus. But I repeat myself.
Now Obama's campaign is whining about Bain Capital outsourcing jobs? Are they just congenitally stupid?
Don't they think we remember that Obama's "job creation czar" is one Jeffrey Immelt, head of GE - the same company that sent their manufacturing to China (that's outsourcing in extremis) and PAID NO TAXES!!
Ralston asked:
"This was part of Reid's rant against the United States Olympic Committee for allowing America's athletes to commit the unforgivable sin of wearing Ralph Lauren uniforms made in China. Forget the obvious inanity of this attack -- where do the Clothes Police draw the line and with whom?"
I say:
You draw the line in the Olympics with our Olympians and for our own clothing manufacturers. The sin sits not with the athletes but by the USOC with Willard leading the way when he "saved" oh so vewwwy pwoudly the Olympics in Salt Lake Mormon City and his athletes gots their uniforms offshored too.
Are you becoming a lousy American Jon?
"Harry Reid is the best Senate Majority Leader in
my lifetime."
- teamster
Either teamster is 7 years old or he thinks Reid is better than Tom Daschle, George Mitchell, Robert Byrd, and Mike Mansfield (and possibly LBJ, if he over 50).
Really? Big loss of credibility on that one.
Jon, this is the best column you ever wrote.
ScottNV......
My credibility stands tall, thank you.
HARRY IS THE BEST.
And over many years, my political picks have been
right on the mark.
I say Harry Reid and the Democrats heep the
Senate this year and PRESIDENT OBAMA is
re-elected.
Let's hear your picks?
correction..
Democrats KEEP the Senate this year.
Jeez John when Reid was running his corruption only made him more colorful to you. A little late now.