Harry Reid Continues Obama’s Assault On The Vegas Economy

Posted by: Tristan

As the senior Senator from Nevada, it would surprise most to know that Harry Reid is following President Obama’s example and attacking business in his own state, albeit in a more acute fashion. In an editorial, Las Vegas Journal-Review owner Sherman Frederick took Reid to task for a statement he made at a Las Vegas meeting.

On Wednesday, before he addressed a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Reid joined the chamber’s board members for a meet-’n'-greet and a photo. One of the last in line was the Review-Journal’s director of advertising, Bob Brown, a hard-working Nevadan who toils every day on behalf of advertisers. He has nothing to do with news coverage or the opinion pages of the Review-Journal.

Yet, as Bob shook hands with our senior U.S. senator in what should have been nothing but a gracious business setting, Reid said: “I hope you go out of business.”

Later, in his public speech, Reid said he wanted to let everyone know that he wants the Review-Journal to continue selling advertising because the Las Vegas Sun is delivered inside the Review-Journal.

Why is Reid looking out for the Las Vegas Sun?  Possibly because it is a paper he quotes in the biography section of his own website.

The Las Vegas Sun newspaper summarized Reid’s story by saying that he “has gone from underdog to Senate’s top dog.”

Frederick raises some questions about Reid’s behavior in regards to other Nevada companies.

If he thinks he can push the state’s largest newspaper around by exacting some kind of economic punishment in retaliation for not seeing eye to eye with him on matters of politics, I can only imagine how he pressures businesses and individuals who don’t have the wherewithal of the Review-Journal.

Fortunately, Harry Reid seems to be following in the footsteps of the last Democrat Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle, who might have been popular among Democrats in the Senate, but was substantially less so among his voters.  Emily Miller lays out Reid’s political misfortunes at Politics Daily.

As I wrote last week, the paper conducted a poll showing Reid — who is up for reelection to a fifth term in 2010 — would lose to either of his potential Republican challengers if the election were held now. The poll shows that Nevadans favor Republican Danny Tarkanian over Reid, 49 percent to 38 percent, and Republican Sue Lowden over the incumbent, 45 percent to 40 percent.
The poll also showed that Reid’s approval ratings are very low, with 50 percent of voters saying they have an unfavorable view of him and only 37 percent of respondents with a favorable opinion.

Harry, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.