Campaign criticizes Lowden for reaction to 1981 bombing attempt against Reid
The campaign of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is lashing back at potential challenger Sue Lowden for comments she made about a failed attempt to bomb Reid in 1981.
In July of that year Reid, formerly chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, discovered the engine of his family car, the vehicle his wife used to transport their children, was rigged in an attempt to make the gas tank explode.
On a radio show with host Heidi Harris on Wednesday, Lowden a former television journalist, said she had never heard of the attempted bombing as Harris seemed to be questioning the veracity of Reid's claims.
The two women discussed other bombings then Harris remarked that perhaps Reid was trying to claim another bombing was directed at him, which prompted laughter from Lowden.
On Monday Reid's campaign made a Web ad that criticized Lowden for not knowing about the bombing and for her laughter regarding the incident.
"Attempted car bombings should not be the punch line of a political attack," Reid campaign manager Brandon Hall said in a press release announcing the Web ad.
Lowden consultant Robert Uithoven responded to Reid's ad thusly, "This is the kind of Harry Reid desperation one would assume if it were October 2010, not October 2009. He can go ahead and talk about himself and decades-old news stories, but I think voters are slightly more concerned about our current unemployment rate, their access to affordable health care and the fact that Nevada ranks 50th of all 50 states in federal stimulus funding."
Uithoven also said Lowden didn't recall the bombing attempt on Reid but added, "she doesn't think car bombs are a laughing matter."
Uithoven also said it was a Reid supporter who recently stated the Reid campaign would "vaporize" the eventual Republican nominee.
