The AP is
reporting that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) gave Christmas gifts to staff at his condo, including, gasp, his doorman. The gifts were $600 in 2002, $1200 in 2004 and $1500 in 2005 and came from Reid's campaign fund.
The AP report is, of course, the crack work of star reporter John "Oppo" Solomon. Now how, you might ask, did Soloman dig up this delicious dirt? FBI wiretaps? Whistleblower? DOJ search of Reid's office? Giftbaskets in his freezer? No, it was listed on the campaign reports that Reid filed with the FEC. You see this expense is a grey area and Reid's lawyers ruled the Christmas gifts were a legitimate expense.
This hit job follows Solomon's MO to a tee.
Incendiary headline? Check: "Reid used campaign funds for Christmas bonuses."
Misdirection intimating much larger scandal? Check: "Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid paid cash for a $750,000 condo at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives." The form of currency, amount he paid for the condo and the fact that it's at the Ritz-Carlton has nothing to do with anything -- it just sounds kind of fat-catish.
Reid admits wrongdoing? Check: "Questioned about the campaign expenditures by The Associated Press, Reid's office said Monday his lawyers had approved them but he nonetheless was personally reimbursing his campaign for the $3,300 he had directed to the staff holiday fund at his residence."
And, of course, the tie-in to previous, purposefully deceitful non-scandal? Check: "Reid also announced he was amending his ethics reports to Congress to more fully account for a Las Vegas land deal that allowed him to collect $1.1 million in 2004 for property he hadn't personally owned in three years."
Why is this news? God only knows. You might ask CNN and MSNBC, both of which have given high priority on their websites to this -- and all of Solomon's feeble attempts to smear Reid.
Here's the question the AP, CNN, MSNBC and every news organization printing this crap needs to answer: can you find a congressperson who doesn't have something like this hiding out in their disclosure forms? My guess is no. Campaign finance law and congressional ethics guidelines are complex and most politicians do their best to abide by them. Giving these pieces this high of a profile is somewhat akin to the New York Times writing about that speeding ticket I got last spring -- and running it on A1.
Of course the real loser in all of this is Harry Reid's doorman. There'll be no $50 gift certificate to Hammacher Schlemmer this year. Bah Humbug.