Harry Reid’s Dirty Doings
Check out this story from the LA Times Business section this morning. Desert Connections
This is a story about how Harry Reid’s involvement with a developer, Harvey Whittemore, and how he used his influence to get a real estate development, Coyote Springs Valley, going. In exchange, Reid was given campaign contributions and his sons’ careers in the legal profession were given a boost.
One of the most inhospitable places in the country, Coyote Springs Valley is so barren that, until recently, its best use was thought to be as a weapons test range.
Yet the valley — an hour northeast of Las Vegas — is on its way to becoming a real estate development of historic proportions, with as many as 159,000 homes, 16 golf courses and a full complement of stores and service facilities. At nearly 43,000 acres, Coyote Springs covers almost twice as much space as the next-largest development in a state famous for outsized building projects.
By comparison, Irvine Co., one of Southern California’s largest developers, controls about 44,000 acres in Orange County.
Helping make Coyote Springs come alive was an alliance between a multimillionaire developer and one of the highest-ranking members of Congress: Nevada Democrat Harry Reid, the Senate minority leader and a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. . . .
Over the last four years, Reid has used his influence in Washington to help the developer, Nevada super-lobbyist Whittemore, clear obstacles from Coyote Springs’ path.
At one point, Reid proposed opening the way for Whittemore to develop part of the site for free — something for which the developer later agreed to pay the government $10 million.
As the project advanced, Reid received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Whittemore. The contributions not only went to Reid’s Senate campaigns, but also to his leadership fund, which he used to help bankroll the campaigns of Democratic colleagues.
Whittemore also helped advance the legal careers of two of Reid’s four sons. One of the two, Leif Reid, who is Whittemore’s personal lawyer, has represented the developer throughout the Coyote Springs project, including in negotiations with federal officials.
It’s a long article, but it should make your blood boil when you read how that conniving, sniveling little abomonation of a man worked the system to get this project going. Now if he was a Republican, this would be front page news and called a scandal. Democrats would be screaming culture of corruption.
Posted by COgirl
August 20th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
The Culture Of Corruption Redux
When the Democrats adopted the “culture of corruption” meme as their campaign theme earlier this year, we noted that the culture hardly respected party lines. The leader of the Senate Democratic caucus, Harry Reid, took contributions from clients of …
August 20th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
Dear COgirl
I’ve been writting alot of my ‘righties’ and blogs about this phrase that has been bandied for years on Talk and the blogsphere and its about the ‘Left always getting a pass’. This article is yet another of those instances albiet it was written in a ultra-left paper. We all know too well that if it was say the ‘Evil Rove’ or whomever, it would be beaten to death like the Plame deal.
No matter how much of a farce the Plame deal was and as often as it has been exposed and debunked the damn Drive By Media (thank you Rush) continues to beat it. Like (ahem) Sheehan. And that is one person that *needs* a beating.
So along with exposing the left how about calling them to accountabilty? And how do we do that? I think the additional pressure has to come from the Hill itself. I make calls all the time. I’m forced retired through a disability. So I have the time and long distance rates are cheap and I call the Hill all the time.
Imagine (no song intended) if this powerful blogosphere, in addition to being the excellent alternate media that it is, got on the phone and called too? P-O-T-E-N-T!
Thank You for your commitment of helping to keep this government in the ‘Right’ hands.
Smacking Down the Moonbat, Nutroot,
Looney Left On a Daily Basis,
With A Little Help From My Friends,
LLoyd
Proud Member Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
August 20th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Lloyd, always glad to meet another member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. This story was buried in the business section of the LA Times. Surely the editors realize that it could be damaging to the left and that’s why it was buried.
I’m trying to spread the word about the story. Captain Ed picked it up and Instapundit picked up his story. I’ve written other blogs, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News to try to get this story out there. We should be calling for Reid’s head.
Spread the word and keep the conspiracy alive.
August 20th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Both parties are hypocrites. The memetic strands chosen by the Democrats are on equal footing with the moral hypocrisy of many on the right. Come on. You don’t fight one pole by hitting it with another.
I respect your attacks on some of these Democrats. But, frankly, to do so while advocating politicians on the right who do precisely the same thing is laughable.
August 20th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
I hear what you’re saying. The problem is that one gets publicity and the other does not. If we’re going to be fair about this, then both sides have to be exposed. The left does a great job of exposing the right. Now it’s time for the right to expose the left.
August 20th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
Are you kidding? The right has done, and continues to do, an intense job of “exposing the left.” Sometimes deserved, sometimes not. Just off the top of my: Exposing left-wing bias in the media, Clinton, Jefferson, among others. Your partisanship is blinding you to this.
And do you really think, e.g., Delay’s tactics and misdeeds are getting *that* much airplay? If the American public really knew the nature of Republican K Street they’d realize that shocking numbers of Capitol Hill politicians care nothing for individual people.
And I don’t deny we’ll soon find several Democrats in this mix.
Your partisanship is what surprises me.
August 20th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Why would the partisianship of any member of the blogging team on this blog surprise you? The blog is called Hang Right Politics for a reason.
Actually, from reading your comments you sound partisan for the Dems, which is OK, but at least admit it. If I’m wrong then you stand in the middle of the road and we all know what happens when you stand in the middle of the road: you become road kill—irrelevant, ignored except at election time. As the saying goes, lead, follow or get out of the way—but don’t stand in the middle of the road!
August 20th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
A bit of frankness:
Jeanette your responses are kind of scary. First, you justify irrational partisanship. Second, you pretend that naming your site according to partisanship somehow excuses it.
I’m a bit liberal on social issues, but probably a bit conservative on economic issues. I think, generally, the “system” — both the media, government, and its relationship to each other — is really completely out of whack with the needs of normal, workaday folks.
Taking up a pure party-based perspective, in a tow-the-the-line kind of way, in my opinion is really nasty to the well-being of this country.
I think people should vote for candidates based on issues. Things like Delay’s tactics, or even lately Dean’s and Kerry’s exhortations for Lieberman to step down because he’s “hurting the party,” are complete crap. Both sides. Crap.
Thanks for taking me seriously at least. Roadkill or not.
August 20th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Mr. Dale,
I am a partisan republican because I feel the republicans best represent my views politically. DeLay is accused and not yet found guilty. He may be, but under our system of justice he gets the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Mr. Jefferson may be innocent and should not be presumed guilty until proven to be in a court of law.
Neither of these men do or have represented me in Congress.
For the record, I consider myself to be more liberal on social issues than probably any other member of this blogging team, but the issues of importance such as national security, morality, keeping the state out of the church (and they insert themselves via the courts), I’m for a judicial system that has judges or justices who interpret the constitution and don’t make up law from whole cloth.
These are just some of the reasons I’m a partisan republican, but I have been known to vote for democrats, admittedly mostly when they have no opposition. My partisianship stems from being born Indian on a reservation that is an island. It was the republican legislators in the state of Maine 50 years ago who allowed my tribe to spend its own money to build a bridge so people wouldn’t die or put their lives at risk when the ice first formed or was melting in the spring. It was the republican legislators in the state of Maine 50 years ago who removed us from the classification of “paupers” and gave us the vote.
That’s only some of the reasons I’m a partisan republican.
August 20th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
As an addendum to my previous post: the democrats who ran the state prior to the republicans would dole out our own money from lands sold and refused to let us have enough to build a bridge. My family were very instrumental in cultivating the legislature and it was the republican side of the aisle that was more sympathetic to our cause. They cared whether or not an Indian drowned in the Penobscot River due to thin ice. The democrats didn’t. As a result, I was raised to appreciate the republicans and reciprocate with my vote. They earned my vote and have done nothing to make me change my mind.
What Nixon did was wrong, but all republicans are not Nixon and I can move on from there and I have. I was very disappointed in him because I worked hard to get him elected way back as a pre-teen in 1960.
August 20th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
You just stated reasons for voting for particular Republican platforms and proposals. That’s great. But both you and COGirl have made it clear that Republicans ought to be supported because they’re Republicans…not because they hold particular values. Casting everything in talking points about “left” and “right” is simplistic and harmful. I know you guys talk about issues here and there — but everytime you do it’s embedded in this horrible partisanship that’s really bad for the issues themselves. It assumes that there are only two programs of political solution to all problems.
And Delay’s tactics were not all (yes, right now, allegedly) illegal. His K Street approach to hiring in lobbying firms is widely known — and while not illegal, it was in my opinion horribly damaging to the political process, particularly from the perspective of individuals (e.g., his “catch and release” technique in the House as well). Delay *did those things.* He’s actually proud of them. It’s gross. However, many Democrats play the same game. It’s the system. It’s what we have to work with.
And while you guys play the party game, you play right into their hands. I think it’s sad. I mean, calling out Rush on Reid’s misdeeds as if Rush were some kind of moral right-wing hero is pretty sick. His and other radio shows (including Air America Radio!) are terrible for political discourse!
Anyway, I gotta get a bus for many hours now so I won’t be able to check the comments till tomorrow. I’m traveling from Austin to Memphis. Wish me luck. Argh.
Thanks for the chatter. Was fun.
August 20th, 2006 at 7:11 pm
Best wishes on your trip. Please read again, this time taking the time to understand, why I am a republican. DeLay is not and has never been my representative in Congress. I am not blindly partisan the way you describe. I actually know why I’m a conservative republican and it’s not because it’s in vogue.
August 20th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
The Crooked Man
When the same name keeps appearing in scandal after scandal, one should ask “Why?” From early connections to organized crime figures in Las Vegas, to accepting several donations from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s clients and interceding on thei…
August 21st, 2006 at 9:44 am
Excellent article, COgirl! Way to go!
I also enjoyed the great discussion with Mr. Dale.
August 21st, 2006 at 11:11 am
Great scoop, COgirl! I’ve driven through this part of NV - very forbidding country. Desert.
It makes as much sense as building houses in Death Valley - which isn’t that far away, BTW.
Something for nothing - that’s how you always find a crook - he wants something for nothing. I can imagine that Harry Reid has been working deals like this for some time now under the cover of a friendly press.
The reason we rightly suspect that corruption falls more heavily on the left side of the aisle is the coverage in the press.
The case isn’t proven on DeLay, and had to be brought by a judge shopping democrat DA - and isn’t it peculiar how it smacks more of revenge for redistricting TX than corruption? The charges have to do with campaign financing, not bribery in office or influence peddling which apparently the Senate Minority Leader Reid is doing.
As long as the press sublimates democrat corruption unless forced by a tide in the ’sphere, the corruption on the left side will go on with a false (or not) sense of impunity.
Under those circumstances it isn’t difficult to conclude that corruption exists more on the left than the overly scrutinized right, in spite of the larger number of right legislators.
Abramoff knew well enough how to spread the wealth. If he’d kept his exploits on the left, his crimes could have gone on in perpetuity.
August 21st, 2006 at 11:52 am
This is the 3rd time I’ve started to post here (”post in haste, repeat in leisure” perhaps?). This is what troubles me: why do we think the left controls the media and the left thinks the right controls the media? Isn’t it possible we’re all wrong and the media only seeks sensationalism because of the real threat of the blogshere? Didn’t we get excessive coverage on bimbogate, that whitewater thing and even Monicagate under Clinton. Didn’t the press practically accuse Gary Condit (?) of killing Chandra Levy? (”Momma, don’t let your babies grow up to be Washington interns”) I don’t listen to radio, but I thought there were more conservative talk shows than liberal talk shows. I don’t watch tv news, so I can’t address that. However, doesn’t the print media just attack anyone in power, therefore Republicans? Since the Republicans are in control of the Legislative and Executive branches, shouldn’t we expect more attacks because we have more successes? I agree with the posting and I thought Mr. Dale added a fresh prospective, plus I’m always glad to see new people here.
I agree with COgirl’s posting except I think the bottom line is fear of us as bloggers and fear the print media is a relic of the past. Therefore, the issue may be money rather than politics. We are a threat to their prosperity. The days of William Randolph Hearst are over.
August 21st, 2006 at 11:56 am
[…] davidm: This is the 3rd time I’ve started to post here (”post in haste, repeat in leisure” perhaps?). This is what… […]
August 21st, 2006 at 1:06 pm
David,
87% of practicing journalists are registered democrats.
And that’s just one of a great many arguments about the reality of left bias in the media.
Ever hear of Bernard Goldberg? I democrat who wrote “Media Bias” with several documented cases.
I think your assumption that because the lunatic left thinks the media is biased puts us on equal footing starts from the wrong premise and assumes that their arguments have the facts.
Hard to believe that such a small percentage of conservatives could ’sway’ the media - statistically highly improbable.
August 21st, 2006 at 3:54 pm
Kathy-I think you missed my point. I said “the left thinks” etc….I did not say the views of the left were correct. I think WE are the real threat to the print media. Although I also think we are the subject of more attacks because we wield the power.
August 21st, 2006 at 6:36 pm
Sorry, David, media bias is a sore spot with me. I am especially angry with them re this topic, because I believe Reid feels the press will ignore dem scandals or barely mention them. If Hastert hadn’t argued about William Jefferson, nobody would have heard about the money-in-the-freezer-legislator, and I’ve suspected that was Hastert’s rationale - so the press would spotlight his reasoning. It barely dented their slant on the story.
Corruption is a two party issue. There are bad dems and bad republicans. While I’m right there cheering when the Duke Cunningham’s get their walking papers, I believe democrats should be equally excoriated and cast out. In McKinney’s case, Jefferson’s case - looks like the voters will have to do it.
At any level of power, corruption is what a free press is supposed to expose. When it only opts for half its job, corruption redoubles on the other side.
It’s maddening. And the press is not doing its job. They fail miserably.
August 21st, 2006 at 9:35 pm
No problem, Kathy. I see media desperation along with media bias. It rather delights me to know the blogosphere is the real threat to the print media and they don’t know it and would never admit it. They think we can’t live without newspapers and they’re wrong!
August 21st, 2006 at 10:16 pm
David, I think you are exactly right about that. They fear the blogosphere. The thing is, they could regain credibility by reporting fairly. But they pick and choose whatever favors the Dems and leave the real juicy bits to US! The more they do it, the weaker they become. It’s a classic death spiral!