Last week, a jury of valley residents validated the stench that surrounds former Clark County Commissioners Dario Herrera and Mary Kincaid-Chauncey by finding them guilty of a combined 30 counts related to public corruption. Although the evidence proved both defendants used their elected offices to leverage favors, Herrera's appetite for power, extra-marital sex and cash was particularly disgusting.

It would be hard to imagine anyone defending the 32-year-old Herrera, especially his one-time mentor and political guardian, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. After all, Sen. Reid has barked for months about the need to end the "culture of corruption" that taints politics today. What harsh words would Sen. Reid, who thrust Herrera onto the national stage four years ago by making him a congressional candidate, reserve for a man whom a jury deemed crooked?

"I'm not going to pound on Dario. He's had enough pounding," Sen. Reid said Tuesday. "I think he's young enough when he finishes whatever punishment the court metes out to him that he can still contribute to society." The senator described Herrera as having "great talent" and a "tremendous intellect."

If Nevada's senior senator wanted his rhetoric about GOP corruption taken seriously, he would have rebuked Herrera's behavior as the kind of conduct he and his party will not tolerate. Sen. Reid could have expressed his gratitude to the Clark County voters who, in addition to re-electing him in 2004, kicked Herrera out of politics in 2002. He could have said he would have nothing to do with Herrera or anyone else who uses public office for personal gain.

Instead, Sen. Reid sent Herrera the equivalent of a Hallmark card, even after it was revealed that one of his aides escorted Herrera from the federal courthouse immediately after his conviction to spare him from the gantlet of journalists seeking his reaction. How can Sen. Reid be seen as someone capable of cleaning up corruption when a member of his own staff does favors for felons?

The senator's tough talk is a partisan joke. If Sen. Reid can't walk the walk on corruption, he should find a new talking point.