‘Reid Challenge’ bests one contender — next?

Finally, the first taker on my Sen. Harry Reid challenge.

You may remember a few weeks ago I asked in a Sunday column, "Shall we give Harry the boot?". It was a 600-word masterpiece questioning the assertion made by some in Nevada that we must — must! — re-elect Sen. Harry Reid to the U.S. Senate in 2010 because it would be foolish to throw away all the power he has amassed.

I said: "So what?" How has Harry used that power to benefit Nevadans, who last I checked were his constituents.

I think it's a fair question for Reid and all who serve the Silver State in Washington.

Not surprisingly, on Sunday, Sun editor Brian Greenspun was the first to take a public whack at my "Reid Challenge."

And all I can say is for Reid's sake, I hope he has better defenders lined up. Brian first spent valuable space taking unwarranted cheap shots at me. Then he got sidetracked with a dubious interpretation about how my very good friend Chic Hecht knocked off the "powerful" Sen. Howard Cannon. But in the end, he never answered the question.

I asked "So what?" to the assertion that we must re-elect Harry Reid because it would be foolish to throw away all that power.

Brian answered: We can't throw away the power of Harry Reid because it would be foolish to throw away the power of Harry Reid.

Jeez, Brian. If you're going to take the test, take the test. Don't unwittingly make my point for me.

Look, ladies and gentlemen of the Silver State, I like Harry and respect his accomplishments. Every time I drive through Searchlight, I say to myself: Who'd a thunk it. I have as much a cordial relationship with him as a publisher of a good newspaper can/should have. We don't agree on much politically these days, I'll admit, but we've been of like mind on some key issues over the years.

I get that Harry Reid is a longtime senator from Nevada. I understand that he's probably the most powerful man in Washington ever to hail from Nevada. He has a big office. Mucho staff. He can even pick up the phone and talk to Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Emanuel.

But, on behalf of Nevadans who deserve better, I must press forward and insist: "So what?"

Look, if I'm off base in suggesting that Reid's Washington power and perks have not translated accordingly to the lives of Nevadans, then I hope somebody will set me straight and take me up on my "Reid Challenge."

Somebody, I hope, who makes more sense than my ink-stained compatriot at the Sun.

(PS: The Sun's top "news" story, right next to Brian's column, is about as shameless as it gets. The poor reporter, who I am sure is glad to have a job and no doubt was ordered to spin the story this way, tries to excuse Reid's performance in delivering funds to Nevada. It is agenda-driven campaigns like this that over the years have made the Sun little more than a sideshow in Nevada.)