His position as majority leader has brought Nevada nearly $662M in federal earmarks, ranking him #6 in the Senate, FY 2010, for the number of earmarks he got for his state. This is according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.
The only senators who got more special project funding than Reid were senior members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee whose members (including Patty Murray) aspired to membership partly for purpose of bringing home the most earmarks.
Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee analyzes that:
"Harry Reid brags about his clout and what he's done for Nevada, but the reality is that since he's been majority leader, the unemployment rate in his state has gone from 4.5 percent to 14.2 percent."Nevada also had the highest rate in the nation of home foreclosures during the first half of this year.
Earmarks for Nevada would drop if Reid loses, but that may be for the best. Many across the country see earmarks as taking federal tax dollars wastefully to support pet projects, often at expense and against what's fair for the nation as a whole. The system of preferential members receiving earmarks should, therefore, be reformed. Sharron Angle, a fiscal conservative, opposes earmarks in the belief that federal spending must be curbed.
A little more about Harry Reid
--Though Reid claims to be a defender of the Second Amendment, the Gun Owners of America rated him with an 'F.'
--Reid described himself as pro-life, and he voted in opposition to Roe v. Wade. However, he later supported Embryonic Stem Cell Research and voted to use taxpayer dollars to fund overseas abortions. Last year, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) opposed the abortion language contained in the "manager's amendment" filed by U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid.
The NRLC endorses Sharron Angle:
"Angle is challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who is the author of the recently enacted health care legislation that will provide government funding for health plans that pay for abortion on demand, and promote the rationing of lifesaving medical treatments."--In 2007 he was ranked the 10th most corrupt person in Washington by Judicial Watch:
"Over the last few years, Reid has been embroiled in a series of scandals that cast serious doubt on his credibility as a self-professed champion of government ethics, and 2007 was no different. According to The Los Angeles Times, over the last four years, Reid has used his influence in Washington to help a developer, Havey Whittemore, clear obstacles for a profitable real estate deal. As the project advanced, the Times reported, 'Reid received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Whittemore.' Whittemore also hired one of Reid’s sons (Leif) as his personal lawyer and then promptly handed the junior Reid the responsibility of negotiating the real estate deal with federal officials. Leif Reid even called his father’s office to talk about how to obtain the proper EPA permits, a clear conflict of interest."Reid has received over $60,000 from groups related to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, including about $50,000 from Native American gaming interests. Native American tribes that were clients of Abramoff donated money to Reid after Reid's votes produced favorable results for them.
Too funny - Phony Soldier Incident
Almost three years ago, Senator Reid took up a cause he thought would bring kudos to Congress and shame to a controversial talk show host, none other than Rush Limbaugh. The Senator drew up a letter to Mark P. Mays, Chairman-of-the-board and CEO of Clear Channel Communications (Rush Limbaugh's chief patrons), demanding that Rush apologize for remarks about 'phony soldiers.'
In composing the letter, Reid evidently didn't listen to what Rush said but instead gathered accusations based on analysis by Media Matters for America. As if basing a letter on phony information wouldn't prove to be embarrassing enough, Mr. Reid obtained the signatures of forty (including Patty Murray as secretary Democratic conference) of his Senate colleagues on his accusatory letter and read the letter aloud on the floor of the Senate.
What those congressmen didn't realize is that the 'soldiers' Mr. Rush had alleged to be 'phony' weren't soldiers at all. They were certain persons who falsely claimed to have served in Iraq, persons who ended up being tried and convicted for misrepresentation of service and drew prison sentences for their conduct.
After Rush Limbaugh obtained the letter, he didn't react as Reid must have anticipated. Much to everyone's surprise, he publicly exhibited it to an audience in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 11, 2007.
The next day in another surprising move, Rush placed the signatured letter for sale on eBay where it ultimately sold as a valuable and unique piece of history, setting a record for the most expensive charity auction in the records of eBay ($2.1 million).
Rush donated the entire proceeds to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, and included a matching contribution of his own.
On October 19, 2007, Senator Reid spoke on the floor of the Senate, suggesting that he had spoken to Mr. Mays personally about the prospect of the public auction and had expressed doubts that such an auction would fetch more than a trifling sum.
Rush played the recording of Mr. Reid's remarks on his radio program, scoffing that Reid was trying to say he was in on Rush's idea for the auction all along. See timeline. See copy of letter.
Strategy against Angle
As Harry Reid's opponent, Sharron Angle is being painted as kooky, looney, and out of the mainstream.
She has been criticized because during a debate last May she said, "We need to phase Medicare and Social Security out in favor of something privatized."
She has said she wants to keep giving full benefits to seniors and others who have paid into the system, but she also wants to let young workers opt out and open personal retirement accounts.
She also called the Reid-led health care overhaul as "classic Harry Reid following Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals playbook."
Reid's strategy against her is to use TV ads night after night, emphasizing those kind of comments in order to raise doubt about her as a candidate.
See: Sen. Harry Reid: $1 Million in Shady Land Deal
No comments:
Post a Comment