| Author | Message | ||
     Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 7284 Registered: 10-2001  |
disgrace...The Democrats will have to ask that he step down as minority leader. This is unacceptable. Can you believe he's actually defending his actions?  libs. bunch of liars. Associated Press Writer ` WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who has criticized Republican ethics, accepted free ringside tickets to three professional boxing matches from Nevada officials who were trying to influence his federal legislation regulating the sport. Reid, D-Nev., took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission as he pressed legislation to increase federal oversight of boxing, including the creation of a government commission. Reid defended the gifts, saying they would never influence his position on the boxing bill and that he was simply trying to learn how his legislation might affect an important home state industry. "Anyone from Nevada would say I'm glad he is there taking care of the state's No. 1 businesses," he told The Associated Press. "I love the fights anyways, so it wasn't like being punished," added the senator, a former boxer and boxing judge. Senate ethics rules generally allow lawmakers to accept gifts from federal, state or local governments, but specifically warn against taking such gifts -- particularly on multiple occasions -- when they might be connected to efforts to influence official actions. "Senators and Senate staff should be wary of accepting any gift where it appears that the gift is motivated by a desire to reward, influence or elicit favorable official action," the Senate ethics manual states. It cites the 1990s example of an Oregon lawmaker who took gifts for personal use from a South Carolina state university and its president while that school was trying to influence his official actions. "Repeatedly taking gifts which the Gifts Rule otherwise permits to be accepted may, nonetheless, reflect discredit upon the institution, and should be avoided," the manual says. Several ethics experts said Reid should have paid for the tickets, which were close to the ring and worth between several hundred and several thousand dollars each, to avoid the appearance he was being influenced by gifts. Two senators who joined Reid for fights with the complimentary tickets took markedly differently steps. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., insisted on paying $1,400 for his ticket when he joined Reid for a 2004 championship fight. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., accepted free tickets to another fight with Reid but already had abstained from taking any votes or actions on the boxing bill because his father was an executive for a Las Vegas hotel that hosts fights. In an interview Thursday in his Capitol office, Reid broadly defended his decisions to accept the tickets and to take several actions benefiting disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's clients and partners as they donated to him. "I'm not goody-two-shoes. I just feel these events are nothing I did wrong," Reid said. Reid had separate meetings in June 2003 in his Senate offices with two Abramoff tribal clients and Edward Ayoob, a former staffer who went to work lobbying with Abramoff. The meetings occurred over a five-day span in which Ayoob also threw a fundraiser for Reid at the firm where Ayoob and Abramoff worked that netted numerous donations from Abramoff's partners, firm and clients. Reid said he viewed the two official meetings and the fundraiser as a single event. "I think it all was one, the way I look at it," he said. One of the tribes, the Saginaw Chippewa of Michigan, donated $9,000 to Reid at the fundraiser and the next morning met briefly with Reid and Ayoob at Reid's office to discuss federal programs. Reid and the tribal chairman posed for a picture. Five days earlier, Reid met with Ayoob and the Sac & Fox tribe of Iowa for about 15 minutes to discuss at least two legislative requests. Reid's office said the senator never acted on those requests. A few months after the fundraiser, Reid did sponsor a spending bill that targeted $100,000 to another Abramoff tribe, the Chitimacha of Louisiana, to pay for a soil erosion study Ayoob was lobbying for. Reid said he sponsored the provision because Louisiana lawmakers sent him a letter requesting it. Abramoff, a Republican lobbyist, has pleaded guilty in a widespread corruption probe of Capitol Hill. Reid used that conviction earlier this year to accuse Republicans of fostering a culture of corruption inside Congress. AP recently reported that Reid also wrote at least four letters favorable to Abramoff's tribal clients around the time Reid collected donations from those clients and Abramoff's partners. Reid has declined to return the donations, unlike other lawmakers, saying his letters were consistent with his beliefs. Senate ethics rules require senators to avoid even the appearance that any official meetings or actions they took were in any way connected with political donations. Reid said he never would change his position because of donations, free tickets or a request from a former-staffer-turned-lobbyist. "People who deal with me and have over the years know that I am an advocate for what I believe in. I always try to do it fair, never take advantage of people on purpose," he said. Asked if he would have done anything differently, the Senate Democratic leader said his only concern was "the willingness of the press ... to take these instances and try to make a big deal out of them." Several ethics experts said they believed Reid should have paid for the boxing tickets to avoid violating Senate ethics rules. Bernadette Sargeant, a former House ethics lawyer, said the Senate would have to examine the specific facts to determine whether Reid violated the gift ban. She said the clearer ethics issue involved Reid's obligation to avoid the appearance that the free tickets and his official duties were connected. "From what you are describing, it is such a huge risk that a reasonable person with all the relevant facts would say this creates the appearance of impropriety," she said. "The more cautious thing, the more prudent thing would be to either pay the tickets or fair market value or not accept the tickets in the first place." Attorney Marc Elias, who has represented Democrats in ethics cases and was asked by Reid's office to call the AP, said he believed Reid should not be penalized for trying to help his state. "There are varying degrees of gift givers," Elias said. "There is a difference between a gift from a state entity and a gift from a savings and loan." Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission when Reid took the free tickets, said one of his desires was to convince Reid and McCain that there was no need for the federal government to usurp the state commission's authority. At the time, McCain and Reid were pushing legislation to create a federal boxing commission. "I am a states rights activist and I didn't want any federal bill that would take away our state rights to regulate fights," Ratner said, adding that he hoped McCain and Reid, at the very least, would be persuaded to model any federal commission after Nevada's body. Reid said he remembered talking to Ratner briefly at the fights and knew Ratner was working with his Senate staff on the federal legislation. The legislation ultimately failed to pass in Congress. McCain's office said the Arizona senator felt an obligation to pay for the ringside tickets he got from the Nevada commission to attend the Oscar De La Hoya-Bernard Hopkins championship match in September 2004. "Senator McCain has always paid for his own tickets to boxing matches and sees no reason to change that," aide Mark Salter said. Ensign's office said he attended one fight in the last couple of years with Reid and accepted the free tickets from the commission. But his office said Ensign already had removed himself from the boxing legislation that would have affected the Nevada commission. Kathleen Clark, a Washington University of St. Louis congressional ethics expert, said Congress should re-examine the exemption allowing gifts by state and federal and local governments because they too can have interest in influencing federal lawmakers like Reid. "I think he would want to be above approach even when it's from a state commission and not a private lobbyist," Clark said. "I don't think we should make any assumption about a government. The fact is government agencies can act as proxies for different interests. Here it happens to be the Nevada boxing commission, and I would guess it is aligned with certain industry groups." (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV 05-30-06 0309EDT | ||
| notehead Supporter Username: Notehead Post Number: 3334 Registered: 5-2001  |
Yeah. He took some boxing tickets. Shouldn't have done it. I'm glad that our elected leaders are getting this kind of scrutiny, but does this compare even remotely to the kind of corruption we've been seeing in the GOP? | ||
| Eats Shoots & Leaves Citizen Username: Mfpark Post Number: 3397 Registered: 9-2001  |
The trip of a thousand miles starts with the first free ticket (although I doubt this was the first, or the last). Reid sounds really lame in his defense of his actions--given that the Dem's key campaign plank in 2006 is going to be "Trust us, we're not like them" you would think he would have the brains to have simply said, "oops" and paid the commission back for the tickets and travel costs. But, no, he comes across sounding like a skinflint piker who values free tickets more than he does a clean reputation. Pretty pathetic, if you ask me. Notehead, I disagree with you on this one. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Very sad state of affairs for this country. | ||
| Dr. Winston O'Boogie Citizen Username: Casey Post Number: 2143 Registered: 8-2003  |
Yup, you can probably buy him with a couple boxing tickets. | ||
| notehead Supporter Username: Notehead Post Number: 3336 Registered: 5-2001 |
ESL, I agree that Reid looks like a big ol' hypocrite. As a former boxer, he was apparently unable to do the right thing in this instance... this particular gift was just too tempting to pass up. He's a moron for not paying for the tickets and it's surprising that he didn't at least have the wits to do the right thing after he went to the fights. But this ethical breach compared to what we've seen from the GOP is like jaywalking compared to a homicide. | ||
| Dr. Winston O'Boogie Citizen Username: Casey Post Number: 2144 Registered: 8-2003 |
what "ethical breach?" let me get this straight. it's not against Senate ethics rules to accept gifts from a government agency. and then, after accepting the tickets, Reid still pursued legislation in opposition to the Nevada boxing commission's wishes. yeah, this looks pretty bad, ethics-wise. | ||
| notehead Supporter Username: Notehead Post Number: 3337 Registered: 5-2001 |
Well, I think accepting the tix was a bad move, considering that Reid was involved in decisions involving boxing. Even though he was apparently not swayed as a result of the gift, it was inappropriate to take it. Just because it was technically allowed doesn't make it right. But, again, I don't see this as a big deal. | ||
| Dr. Winston O'Boogie Citizen Username: Casey Post Number: 2145 Registered: 8-2003 |
it doesn't look good, but that's the worst you can conclude about it. | ||
| notehead Supporter Username: Notehead Post Number: 3338 Registered: 5-2001 |
But Doc, Straw says that Reid ought to step down for this!  | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 7286 Registered: 10-2001 |
He may have no choice. The Dems cannot continue calling the GOP the party of corruption with Reid leading the way. It's kind of like Byrd calling someone a racist or Richard Nixon calling someone a crook.. Reid's arrogance and ignorance is certainly an eye opener. We knew the guy was a dunce but this just takes the cake. | ||
| Dave Supporter Username: Dave  Post Number: 9634 Registered: 4-1997  |
boring (I mean boxing) | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 7289 Registered: 10-2001 |
It would be like Al Gore calling someone boring. It would be like McGreevey calling someone a rest stop toilet licking freak. It would be like John Kerry calling someone a flip flopper. It would be like John Edwards calling someone an ambulance chaser. It would be like Nancy Pelosi calling someone a poor public speaker. It would be like Bill Clinton calling someone a wife cheater. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 11663 Registered: 5-2001 |
This is just the beginning. Their is a K Street lobbying firm handing out free boxing tickets all over the Hill. This will be big. My sources tell me that Reid is in big trouble with "the boys" who run the boxing industry since he failed the first test of a bought politician, which is to stay bought. I suspect the boxing industry released this story to embarass him before the final coup de grace. Believe me, this is going to be bigger than Watergate. There is a massive conspiracy that will make Abramov look like a two cent player. Joe Izuzu | ||
| notehead Supporter Username: Notehead Post Number: 3340 Registered: 5-2001 |
Would it be like W calling someone an out of touch incompetent? Would it be like Rummy calling someone a delusional warmonger? Would it be like Condi calling someone a tool? Would it be like James Inhofe calling someone a smug moron? Would it be like Mike Brown calling someone an unqualified poseur? Would it be like John McCain calling someone a self-righteous buttkiss? Hey, this is fun! | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 7292 Registered: 10-2001 |
Would be like Ted Kennedy calling someone a drunk and a murderer. Would be like Patrick Kennedy calling someone a drunk. Would be like Hillary Clinton calling someone else a stock cheat. Would be like Torricelli calling someone a disgrace. Would be like Jimmy Carter calling someone weak. Would be like Howard Dean calling someone dangerous. Would be like Dan Rather calling someone dishonest. | ||
| joel dranove Citizen Username: Jdranove Post Number: 532 Registered: 1-2006 |
This is interesting. Next! jd | ||
| themp Supporter Username: Themp Post Number: 2963 Registered: 12-2001  |
"stock cheat"? It was a commodity scandal. Duh. | ||
| ae35unit Citizen Username: Ae35unit Post Number: 78 Registered: 2-2006  |
If I understand this correctly, Reid took the tickets from the boxing commission that he voted legislation against. If it was wrong, and as I understand it, there was no legal issue, but if it went against the spirit of what is correct, I'd rather have made that transgression, than to have lied in order to send our nation to war killing scores of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children and American soldiers. To guys like Strawberry, killing children in the name of America = taking boxing tickets. Shameless. | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 7297 Registered: 10-2001 |
here we go again. Libs who can't stay on topic..Go somewhere else..This is about Reid, not Bush.. libs.. | ||
| themp Supporter Username: Themp Post Number: 2964 Registered: 12-2001 |
Let's see if Reid gets indicted. Since this wasn't a violation of ethics rules, and he voted against the group that gave him the tickets, I'm not sure what the next developmental step in this story will be. It will bounce around in the sad echo chamber of the right wing dumbosphere, and a few idiots will bring it up for the rest of their lives. | ||
| ae35unit Citizen Username: Ae35unit Post Number: 79 Registered: 2-2006 |
Themp, educate me, I never saw anything definitive that any scandal indeed took place. In those days, I don't know about now, a customer would open a commodities futures contract with $5,000.00 and a line of credit to a cash account that responded to daily margin calls. The idea that someone could make $100,000.00 from a $5,000.00 investment, albeit with much more money at risk, is perfectly feasible. Did anybody prove anything took place except that she made a lucky bet? As for Straw's laundry list, he's got nothing. Notehead's got "Would it be like John McCain calling someone a self-righteous buttkiss?" Fabulously on target. | ||
| themp Supporter Username: Themp Post Number: 2965 Registered: 12-2001 |
Well, a scandal took place, but no one proved any crime took place. I really don't know muych about commodity markets and how they work. No one has been too successful at making the Clinton look like they were motivated by personal gain, since they didn't spend too much energy on investing and didn't make much money. Here's a reasonable overview: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/whitewater/stories/wwtr940 527.htm | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 5037 Registered: 5-2001 |
As always with Strawberry, there is one and only one relevant factor and everything else is embellishment. Reid is a Democrat. Period. Why do we (or I) even respond to his one-note caterwauling? | ||
| The Notorious S.L.K. Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1529 Registered: 10-2005 |
ae35unit- Can anyone of you anti-war folks not compare everything to the Iraq War, especially with half-truths? This is getting ridiculous now. You sound like a skipping record... If Harry Reid did someting wrong then he should be held accountable. If Bush did something wrong then let him too be held responsible. Three independent investigatiosn cleared him of any lying but you still throw out the same old same old "Bush is a liar" BS. oh by the way, "scores of thousands?" I can't tell if it's the bad grammar or the melodrama that annoys me more. -SLK | ||
| Rastro Citizen Username: Rastro Post Number: 3256 Registered: 5-2004  |
Melodrama, perhaps. But not poor grammar. | ||
| Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 9640 Registered: 4-1997 |
OK, we'll shift to the Iran-Contra Affair. | ||
| llama Citizen Username: Llama Post Number: 789 Registered: 5-2001  |
After 9/11 all Bush's Bin Ladin buddies got a free US escort outa here no questions asked. Wonder what kinda dealings merited that use of US taxpayer money? But of course that's not as significant as boxing tickets in the eyes of a right wing extremist. | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 7301 Registered: 10-2001 |
boring (as usual) | ||
| ae35unit Citizen Username: Ae35unit Post Number: 80 Registered: 2-2006 |
SLK, I had to respond, first of all, I'm not anti war at all. I'm anti avoidable wars of choice based on lies. I personally think that Afghanistan should have been turned into a valet parking lot for Hawaii, and the Taliban should be sitting in Guantanamo instead of a bunch of guys picked up on sweeps who were in most cases never a threat. I don't understand why you think invading the wrong country after we were attacked and diverting our resources in such a way that we are now militarily hamstrung is on any level a success. The way that Strawberry framed his original attempt at a commentary suggested to me that he thinks there is an overall ethics problem with "liberals". I feel my comparison of that boxing ticket nonsense to the depths of treachery that is everyday life for this administration, which you condone, is appropriate. Rastro took the words out of my mouth on the other comment- "Melodrama, perhaps. But not poor grammar." | ||
| The Notorious S.L.K. Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1533 Registered: 10-2005 |
ae35unit- Points taken. But please allow me to repeat myself: "If Harry Reid did someting wrong then he should be held accountable. If Bush did something wrong then let him too be held responsible. Three independent investigatiosn cleared him of any lying but you still throw out the same old same old "Bush is a liar" BS." I find it astonishing that many of you posters on the left and right find it surprising when a corrupted politican makes the headlines. Remember folks, we are still talking about POLITICANS here. You can't compare a war to boxing tickets, how silly. -SLK BTW, I never heard "scores of thousands" used in such a way, my goof.... | ||
| notehead Supporter Username: Notehead Post Number: 3355 Registered: 5-2001 |
Is ANYONE here surprised that corrupt politicians make headlines? Obviously, they regularly do, and they should. Thank God for the fourth estate. SLK, where do you come up with this stuff? | ||
| cjc Citizen Username: Cjc Post Number: 5658 Registered: 8-2003 |
llama -- it was Bin Laden's extended family as I recall, and their evacuation from the US was approved by your buddy Richard Clarke. You know -- the one who said Osama would "boogie to Baghdad" if we attacked him in Afghanistan despite the fact that there's supposed to be no link between a secular state and a religious fanatic who will do business with whoever he needs to do business with to keep the Caliphate on track. Hillary didn't make lucky bets. She had an Arkansas crony manage her account. This management wasn't illegal, it's just not something the average Joe could get where I they park successful bets in one account (Hillary's) and the losers in the accounts of common folks. | ||
| Joe Citizen Username: Gonets Post Number: 1242 Registered: 2-2004 |
You can't compare a war to boxing tickets, how silly. You're right. One is trivial the other isn't, though I can't help but chuckle every time I think of Bush's gag a few years ago when he was pretending to be looking for WMD under his desk. That GWB is a real killer. | ||
| themp Supporter Username: Themp Post Number: 2975 Registered: 12-2001 |
Case closed. Marc Ratner, then executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission] said Tuesday the seats Reid and McCain got weren't tickets available to the general public but "credentials" the commission gives only to public officials hoping to observe the commission's activity. Skip Avansino, current chairman of the athletic commission and a commission member since 2002, said Reid, McCain and the athletic commissioners sat on folding chairs in a small, cramped area, not in the posh ringside seats for which pricey tickets are sold.... Boxing promoter Bob Arum said Reid and McCain also sat in ticketed seating at about three matches each but paid for their tickets "invariably." Arum said McCain and Reid's seats at the Hopkins-de la Hoya fight, on the other hand, were credentials from the commission, not tickets from Arum. But McCain, who brought his wife to the fight, sent Arum a check for the price of two ringside seats. Arum said he didn't know what to do with the money. "Those credentials cannot be sold," he said. "There's no price on them. (They are given to) governors, attorney generals, boxing commissioners of other states. ... It's illegal to accept money for a credential." Arum said he couldn't accept McCain's money but McCain wouldn't take it back, so Arum donated it to Catholic Charities. | ||
| notehead Supporter Username: Notehead Post Number: 3369 Registered: 5-2001 |
So, Straw, what do you think now that this has come to light? Looks like there was really no misconduct whatsoever. | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 7306 Registered: 10-2001 |
Not convinced. Not the first time Arum or Ratner have lied. I guess all we need is Don King's word for the trifecta. libs. | ||
| Southerner Citizen Username: Southerner Post Number: 1099 Registered: 2-2004 |
I hope you Dems are ready. The campaign season is kicking up and the field of scandal and corruption is about to be joined. The clear field from which you Dems have been operating on lately is about to become real crowded once Rove gives the signal. Before you jump all over me, think about it for a second. The Repubs have taken a beating by you guys and all the accusations. Now, that the election light is starting be be seen at the end of the tunnel the Repubs will now engage. We have learned from you what makes headlines and we realize your hope of running on the "corrupt free" model is a good one. That is why the onslaught will commence soon. For you Dems who believe the poll numbers and the scandals will hand you Congrees, you are wrong. We are getting ready to engage and maintain control. It should be fun. May the best spinmeisters and the deepest pockets win (like in every U.S. election). | ||
| anon Supporter Username: Anon Post Number: 2734 Registered: 6-2002 |
Wait a second! Reid takes freebies to boxing matches because boxing is an important industry in Nevada? Isn't legalized prostitution an important industry in Nevada? And this guy is spending his time watching boxing?  | ||
| cjc Citizen Username: Cjc Post Number: 5661 Registered: 8-2003 |
Hey....they weren't tickets to be sold. I just gave them some seats at the 40 yard line of the Super Bowl and for some reason the a couple Senators thought they were worth money. Go figure. It's not like I could have sold those seats...er...excuse me...backstage passes....I mean, credentials.... for money on the street or anything. Reid said people would have been upset if he hadn't attended. I can see it now. The bell goes off for a De La Hoya fight (instead of, say, Grobnick versus Paluka) and someone says "Stop!! We can't start now. Where's Harry?" | ||
| themp Supporter Username: Themp Post Number: 2977 Registered: 12-2001 |
"The clear field from which you Dems have been operating on lately is about to become real crowded once Rove gives the signal. Before you jump all over me, think about it for a second. The Repubs have taken a beating by you guys and all the accusations." Absurd. You are slipping. You don't distinguish between "real" investigations by the FBI and attorneys general (Abramoff, Safavian, Delay, Noe, Wilkes, Wade, Cuningham, Claud Allen, Ed Buckham, John Colyandro, Brian Doyle (arrested on April 4th, 2006, faces seven counts of use of a computer to seduce a child and 16 counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor), Jim Ellis, Robert Fromm, Shaun Hansen, Chuck McGee (the former Executive Director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, pled guilty July 28th, 2004 to one count: Conspiracy to engage in interstate telephone communications with the intent to annoy or harass), Bob Ney, Scooter Libby, Larry Franklin ) and basically a big nothing. And Jefferson, who is only being defended by Hastert. How is Rove going to get all these investigations underway? You are now demoted from annoying but occasionaly perceptive hack to deperate fool. Lee surrendered on April 9th. You are overdue. |
