Sen. Reid corrupt?

arbilad · Head Chef

Sen. Reid corrupt?

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I'm not defending Reid but maybe it was a honest mistakes. I would hate to think a member of the church, even one I disagree with so much, would do something like this intentionally. Thus I'm going to withhold my wrath and indignation to see how this shakes out. Part of me wants to jump all over this because of the over the top Folley nonsense that the dems have been saying but I am going to take the high road until an investigation and determination is made by the proper authorities.

Jason

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

salesortonscom wrote:

I would hate to think a member of the church, even one I disagree with so much, would do something like this intentionally.

I don't know anything about it and am not taking sides one way or the other... but, the truth of the matter is there are people who are members of the church who have very poor business ethics and behave dishonestly every day if it means making a buck or two... Some of the worst employers I've had have been members of the church. And, some of the best employers I've had have been members of the church. Being a member of the church ensures nothing unless that individual actually does try to incorporate the gospel into their daily life.

But, that is nothing new, not a shocking revelation now, is it?

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I realize that members can be both good and bad just like anyone else. I too have had both good and bad experiences with employees who were members. I just don't want to be like everyone else in the world and immediately jump on this news and crucify the man before any government investigation has done. I refuse to play the political game even though the other side is always quick to do it. The sad thing was that my non-member dad was the first one to tell me about this news story this morning and he commented on how he was a fine member of "your church".

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Exactly. But, it does appear that despite whatever business arrangements were set up, regardless of reason, he and/or his staff failed a compliancy test with a pretty straight forward annual Senate ethics requirement.

For his personal sake, I hope it is just a case of slipping between the cracks on filling some forms. But, the truth of the matter is he has led so many politcal attacks against political opponents since becoming Minority Whip (or whatever his job is) that he a certain amount of the fallout is probably deserved.

arbilad · Head Chef

Cat, I guess that's basically what I'm trying to say - obviously nothing is proven, and false accusations get made in the political sphere all the time. But it is possible that it is true, and it does nothing good for his reputation to blow it off like that. It seems that it guarantees that even a non-story will become a story if you hang up on a reporter.

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I'm just a bit burnt out on the political vitriol. Like you said Cat, I hope it was just a case of some paperwork falling through the crack and one could easilly argue that Reid has and would be the first to jump on this if the shoe were on the other foot. I just can't wait until this election is over and things can go back to being normal again, whatever normal is now.

It does bring up though something else. How does bad behavior of some highly visible members hurt the church. I already shared my non member father's reaction. What do you think. I know if it was the Senator from the other side of the aisle that there would be story after story on the corupt mormon senator in every headline.

Randy · Senior Member

Perhaps there's more than one side to this story:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001782.php

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Well, there are always two sides to a story, but in this case, I don't think an article trying to discredit the original article as a form of damage control is it...

What are the actual facts? Did Senator Reid violate Senate Rules by not reporting this or failing to report it properly or not. That is all that matters right now. The credibility of one of the AP reporters who wrote the story is not.

Here is the actual article by the AP (ironic that I had to go to CNN... Fox doesn't seem to be saying anything about it...): http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/12/reid.landwindfall.ap/index.html

Aaaarrr! Now this be more my liking in politics...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,220305,00.html

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

Shiver Me Timbers I believe I've found me candidate! Give the other scallywags the black spot! Now if only we could get the Dread Pirate Roberts to run fer prezident. That would be a heck of a ticket.

-- Edited by salesortonscom at 16:14, 2006-10-12

Randy · Senior Member

Cat Herder wrote:

Did Senator Reid violate Senate Rules by not reporting this or failing to report it properly or not. That is all that matters right now.

Well that might matter to you, but I really don't care about technicalities. What matters to me is whether the senator was consciously attempting to pull a fast one, and I don't believe he was. Whether every i was dotted and every t was crossed just doesn't get my blood pumping.

I had the similar objections to the Tom Delay scandal and the Clinton bookkeeping scandals. I still don't know what whitewater and travelgate were all about to this day, and I really don't care. Ho hum.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Randy wrote:

Cat Herder wrote:

Did Senator Reid violate Senate Rules by not reporting this or failing to report it properly or not. That is all that matters right now.

Well that might matter to you, but I really don't care about technicalities. What matters to me is whether the senator was consciously attempting to pull a fast one, and I don't believe he was.

I'm not saying he did or didn't. I'm saying that this is the issue, not whether the reporter who wrote the story has credibility because someone from a partisan website has opinion or evidence that the reporter embellished facts on other stories.

As with the previous examples you brought up, it isn't necessarily about how serious the details of what happened are, it is a question of the individual's integrity. Senator Reid has led the charge numerous times in just the past year of bringing into question his political opponents personal integrity. Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that his foes are going to work at finding a chink in his armor. These men and women are supposed to be held at a high level of integrity and scrutiny. If they can't or it is shown they don't live up to that integrity, regardless of political affiliation, then they should not feel they are entitled to remain in office.

Jeffery_LQ1W · Senior Member

Randy wrote:

Perhaps there's more than one side to this story:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001782.php

You do realize that it is a democratic website? Note the number of republicans under investigation or hinted at with problems and the dearth of democrats with the same... Always check your sources.

Personally I could see it as an error, simply because I have seen such errors done before. Its like having two large jobs. Reid has his familial income to worry about, which he handles through trusts. But more to the point he also has a fractious party to oversee on both the state and federal level. Also a very very big thing to deal with.

Its not hard for things to slip through the cracks. A million dollars is pretty paltry since he could command much more if he chose, in legal ways for other things.

-- Edited by Jeffery_LQ1W at 10:17, 2006-10-13

Randy · Senior Member

Jeffery_LQ1W wrote:

You do realize that it is a democratic website? Note the number of republicans under investigation or hinted at with problems and the dearth of democrats with the same... Always check your sources.

O my goodness gracious sakes alive I hope none of the muck sticks to me.

Your point is well taken, but the article seemed credible to me. I don't think it hurts to see what people have to say no matter their agenda. If the lefties have dug up a nugget of truth I want to see it. On the other hand when they spout nonsense I want to know that too. Usually nonsense is obvious, but when it's not, perhaps y'all can show me. Pointing out the agenda of a writer may be helpful, but not decisive (and in view of the content of the article I do recognize that my comments here are not free of irony).

-- Edited by Randy at 12:07, 2006-10-13

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

This is all way to series for me. I'm heading over to the TGIF topic!

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

RE: Sen. Reid

Randy · Senior Member

RE: Sen. Reid corrupt?

WAGONMAN · Member

The AP is reporting that he had two other transactions that slipped his mind, fell thru the cracks or whatever. I guess the thing that galls me is if this were a Republican the Democrats, including Harry Reid, would be screaming for an investigation and the media would be in full cry.

arbilad · Head Chef

My feeling is that, guilty or not-guilty, Sen. Reid should be doing his darndest to remove even the possibility of the appearance of corruption. I can believe that perhaps Senate ethics rules are complex. But wouldn't it be easy to keep someone on staff whose job it was to keep track of that stuff? Heck, if his staff budget wouldn't allow for it, it sounds like he's well off enough to keep a lawyer on retainer with his own money.
Sure it's not fair that as an LDS Senator he's held to a higher standard. But the fact is that he is held to a higher standard. What offends me is that he treats it as a non-issue. Guilty or not, his public appearance of integrity should be important to him.

arbilad · Head Chef

Update to the story.

WAGONMAN · Member

The good senator just keeps racking them up. I'm still waiting for it to be a big news item. Does anyone really think that if it were Senator Hatch that it wouldn't be a front page story.