Fightin' Harry Reid Not Backing Down

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated he spoke with someone who claimed Mitt Romney hadn't paid taxes in 10 years.

Reid suggested that Romney’s decision to withhold tax information would bar him from ever earning Senate confirmation to a Cabinet post. Then, Reid recalled a phone call his office received about a month ago from “a person who had invested with Bain Capital,” according to The Huffington Post. 

Reid said the person told him: “Harry, he didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years.” 

“He didn’t pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that’s true? Well, I’m not certain,” Reid told HuffPo. “But obviously he can’t release those tax returns. How would it look?”

Good question, Harry. It would look pretty shitty, especially considering Romney's tax plan would give even more tax cuts to the have mores, and cut social and medical programs to pay for it. The burden of proof is on Romney. He can shut down all of those claiming he's got something to hide by releasing his returns. It's really that simple.

Reid's comments have caused an apoplectic fit among the right, with RNC Chairman calling Reid a "dirty liar" on the Sunday talk shows. I would take their protests seriously if they hadn't been so completely silent on the Birther issue looking the other way when anyone in their party asked for proof of President Obama's citizenship.

Well Reid and his office aren't backing down just because poor, little Reince Priebus and Lindsey Graham get their panties in a knot calling Reid a liar. In fact, it's only gotten harsher.

“They’re a bunch of cowards, and they’re avoiding the issue,” said David Krone, Reid’s chief of staff, in an interview with POLITICO on Sunday night. “Lindsey Graham, Reince Priebus — they’re a bunch of henchmen for Romney, and they’re all reading off the same talking points. They couldn’t hold a candle to Harry Reid.” 

Krone added: “What Harry Reid said is the fact of what he was told. To turn it around, all their childish rants this weekend about calling Reid a ‘liar’ and all that, it just shows you how scared they are that Harry Reid was telling the truth.”  

As far as I'm concerned, it's political gamesmanship. This time though, the GOP is crying foul because they're on the short end. So if the GOP has been unwilling to publicly put the Birther issue to rest once and for all, if they continue to embrace the Tea Party when Tea Party leaders insist that President Obama release his medical records to prove he's not a gay crack addict, if they're willing to call Harry Reid a liar but keep mum on Mitt Romney's blatant lie that the Obama administration is trying to suppress the military vote in Ohio, then game on, motherfuckers.


(Cross-posted at ABLC)

Petty, But True

Oh, Rachel.

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S#*! Sarah Palin Says (Pants On Fire Edition)

In the aftermath of Christine O'Donnell's black magic coming out party, she has canceled a scheduled appearance on Face The Nation tomorrow morning. You'd think that a rising star like O'Donnell would take advantage of the national exposure and show her prowess in front of the camera, speak the courage of her convictions in her stance on the issues and garner even more support and donations for her campaign.  But, no. Delaware needs her, she says.  Or maybe she's heeding the advice of a certain someone who suggested she go on Fox News to let viewers know what she stands for.

So leave it to the Mama Grizzly herself to defend her Eve Harrington with a Tweet attack against CQ Politics.



The nerve of CQ Politics to railroad Christine O'Donnell like that. I mean, who could have advised her to go on Fox News? Oh... right. It was SARAH PALIN.



Granted, she didn't say "only" Fox News, but she didn't mention that she should go on other networks or even "lamestream media" in general.  Easier than shooting moose in a barrel.

ADDING... O'Donnell has also canceled an interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.

[Campaign spokeswoman Diana] Banister said she was unaware of the previous commitments when she booked O'Donnell for the shows. She said she canceled with Fox News late Friday and with CBS early Saturday.

"We felt really bad," she said, adding the campaign apologized profusely for canceling at the last minute. Banister said O'Donnell would be pleased to appear on any Sunday news shows in the future.

Well played, Christine. Obviously, if Delaware needs you, you can't be available for Fox after canceling with Bob Scheiffer.  I'm eagerly awaiting her first Sunday appearance.  Any takers on when that might be?

But It's Not About Racism (The Dan Rather Edition)

Seriously, Dan Rather? Is this the first metaphor that came into your mind? You couldn't use "can't punch his way out of a paper bag" or "can't hit the broad side of a barn" or "couldn't hit the water if he fell out of a boat"? Nothing like that? The first thing that came out of your feeble brain was this?!

"...part of the undertow in the coming election is going to be President Obama's leadership, and the Republicans will make a case, and a lot of independents will buy this argument, 'Listen he just hasn't been...' Look at the health care bill. It was his number one priority, it took him forever to get it through and he had to compromise it to death, and a version of 'Listen, he's a nice person, he's very articulate' this is what's going to be used against him. But he couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic."

I'm watching this clip over and over and trying to wrap my head around Rather's rambling. Is he stating that this will be the Republican argument or was that last line a little joke gone wrong? I think it's the latter, which is very sad indeed.