The Nevada Democratic ex-US Senator and Majority Leader was 82….
A combative but soft-spoken former amateur boxer, Mr. Reid displayed an economy of personal magnetism and embraced the art of the scrappy insult. Columnist Molly Ivins called him “charismatically challenged.” Obama, a friend and political ally, euphemistically remarked on his “curmudgeonly charm.”
Mr. Reid was never a commanding presence before a crowd or on television. Sometimes he was barely audible, and he tended to litter his speeches with awkward pauses. But he was the consummate inside player, exercising his political and legislative skills behind the scenes….
Thank you Harry Reid for your role in passing the ACA. Yesterday I had a wellness visit with $0 copay and scheduled a colonoscopy that will also have $0 copay as both are preventative measures.
Reid was raised in a desert home with no plumbing. His dad was an alcoholic and his mom took in laundry from brothels to make extra money. He was an amateur boxer before becoming the soft spoken Senate leader.
Like Bob Dole who passed earlier this month both were giants of the Senate who led uniquely American lives. And will be missed.
Obama would not have been President without old lovable Harry, he said so himself.
Harry was particularly tough on other Members of the Mormon Church who he felt were hypocrites. I particularly liked that about him.
I just learned that Harry Reid put himself through George Washington Law School by working as a Capitol Police Officer.
I remember Reid as a skilled Đeal-maker who usually worked behind the scenes to get things done.
I didn’t know about Reid working his way through law school.
I was fortunate enough not to having had to do that.
Law school is a big enough challenge ,particularly the first year, without having to worry about a job.
He was a smart guy and being a cop he had a chance to see things from both sides….
Looking back on it, it seems his commentaries on now Senator Romney and his brand of entitlement class Republicanism during the ’12 campaign hold up quite well.
Reid didn’t do anything to Romney that Romney didn’t do to Trump.
Romney said that there would be a bombshell if Trump’s taxes were released. Romney suggested that it could be that Trump wasn’t as wealthy as he says he is, or perhaps he didn’t pay much in taxes or because he didn’t give much to charities as he claimed.
Recall how Romney was upset with Reid because of Reid’s accusations, but then after criticizing Reid, Romney criticizes Trump in the exact same way that Reid criticized him.
Snd yet there is at least one hypocritical “Republican” we all know who won’t criticize Romney, but has regularly criticized Reid for doing what Romney later did. I wonder why?
Romney said he would release his taxes when they were complete and he did. He had paid his taxes, which was not in doubt at the time a claim was made. Not even a remotely close comparison to Trump who has continued fighting to release his taxes. Facts matter.
There is more to the story but I am not the kind of person who speaks ill of the recently deceased. Using the passing of someone else as a political ploy to attack someone else is also something I have a hard time understanding.
It should be noted that Reid recently had said that he had asked for a mutual friend to arrange a meeting with Mitt Romney which he referred to as a “make up session.” He said it was a nice meeting and that Mitt Romney is a “very very fine human being.”
So even that small act of contrition towards the end of his life speaks well about Reid. More people should be willing to own up for mistakes and try to make them right. It is doubtful that Donald Trump or someone else we know will ever do that in regards to things they have done.
Very true on all counts. Appreciated reading that.
If the comments made by the late Senator almost a decade ago aged well, why not make note of it in discussing his passing?
It is amazing to me that someone his age actually lived as long as he did with such a deadly illness as pancreatic cancer. Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, almost a year younger than Reid, only made 20 months with the illness., which by itself is still quite a lot.
Nobody with a sense of decency, literally nobody, thinks that those comments “aged well” or that this was a good thing for Reid. He was roundly criticized for it as he deserved to be, It will be part of his legacy. The fact that he offered a private apology over it, as I mentioned, is a positive reflection on him.
When someone of influence passes, it is better in the short-term to focus on the positive aspects of their life and what they accomplished and that should be first and foremost.
Romney only released two years of tax returns, here is a more complete summary of what happened:
https://www.factcheck.org/2012/07/romney-and-the-tax-return-precedent/
We can all understand that Romney’s humiliation of what would be found if released his taxes had to be much greater than just being accused of hiding things.
You are linking to something from July 2012.
He released his taxes in September when they were available. He paid millions of dollars in taxes. He did not ever “not pay his taxes.”
Calm down and think before attacking.
The whole controversy between Reid and Romney took place in the summer of 2012, so I am not sure why you feel providing information of what was happening at the time is not relevant. If my recollection is correct, Romney eventually released only three years of tax information.
No, you consistently remember things wrong about Mitt Romney such as his impeachment vote and that he strongly favored an independent 1/6 Commission.
There is literally no defense for what Reid did, which he apparently recognized towards the end of his life. I was not about to bring that episode up here right after his passing. There is no comparison whatsoever either between what Romney said about Trump’s taxes, although Trumpists are likely to claim there was.
Romney released his taxes after they were complete. It takes rich people longer to get them done. He released 20 years of summaries of his taxes. It showed he paid millions of dollars, every year, in taxes. If anything, he overpaid his taxes as a Presidential candidate because he did not deduct as much for charitable donations as he was entitled to.
Here is a comprehensive review of his taxes from the time:
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/DC-Decoder/2012/0921/Yes-he-s-rich.-Mitt-Romney-finally-releases-his-tax-returns
A wealthy politician, who like Trump, has never released any tax returns whatsoever:
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
I’m glad for both men that Romney and Reid “made up”– but the fact Americans are covered and benefiting from the ACA is much more important to Reid’s legacy.
According to many Democrats and Trumpists alike, the ACA is heavily owed to the achievement of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Well when Mitt passes many years from now I will give him credit for his part in it being passed.
Even though Romney opposed ACA.
Very true Zreebs, his hypocrisy on that issue is truly a black mark against him.
Opposing ACA or Obamacare is a matter of principle. People are free to disagree with it. I think he was right.
He also was able to point to an accomplishment though in his state that greatly extended coverage. Clearly, it was an issue that mattered to him. Unlike some, I do not think Romneycare and Obamacare were similar. Romneycare was a much better idea.
The sputtering Democrat Congress should now help American families by passing Senator Romney’s legislative proposal:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/thesenator-who-could-rescue-bidens-agenda/2021/12/28/a47eeb9c-67ef-11ec-9390-eae241f4c8b1_story.html
You don’t understand how business works, so you can’t comprehend why is so impractical for a company with employees in many states to have to be be familiar with entirely different healthcare rules in different states. We need a uniform national system, and not a patchwork of state systems. Although it was the best we could get at the time, the ACA is not good enough either, and the lack of a national healthcare system has hampered our ability to handle Covid-19 as effectively as it should have been.
So, you are in favor of Medicaid for All, ie Sanders?
Yes, and furthermore I believe that in the long run, it would be less expensive than what we have now.
Yo Z?
Aren’t top dollar HR people supposed to be able bring in staff to handle healthcare benefits, no matter where the employee is?
I mean companies have people ALL over the planet and they get it done, Right?
It is very expensive from an employer’s perspective. Don’t underestimate the benefits of standardization.
I’m glad they made up too Scott, Harry was always like that.
I need to go, it’s almost midnight in Spain, a Socialist country that is taking this new variant seriously with an outdoor mask mandate, and I have a drive tomorrow up North.
Have a good night everyone.
And just where is that great Republican alternative to the ACA? I’m so glad Trump and the GOP failed at that one. As are millions of Americans.
One thing I noticed in the past few days. At my docs office yesterday I paid zero dollars for my copay and could pick my doctor.
A few days before Christmas I was shopping for my nieces and noticed that despite the right wing freakout last winter Dr. Suess books were readily available for purchase.
Republicans run on dumb shit that doesn’t really happen. Democrats need to do a better job of pointing that out as well as reminding people of the good stuff that actually benefits the people who freak out on Facebook over the dumb shit Ted Cruz Tweets about that never comes to pass.
You don’t have to answer this as it may be a personal matter, but are you on Obamacare instead of being covered through your employer? Was that a choice?
I am paying $25 co-pay for primary care doctor and $40 co-pay for specialists as part of my HMO and I have had a whole lot of doctors visits in recent months.
Should I be doing something else for coverage?
Maybe they will be sending you a bill for the co-pay later?
I’m on my employer’s insurance. No copay for preventative stuff like wellness visits and colonoscopy.
So one free physical a year I assume. I thought I had that too but I got a bill for the co-pay for that. Maybe I should question it.
I don’t honestly know though what any of that would have to do with the ACA or Obamacare in regards to the co-pays and the colonoscopies (so scary that my old friend from school who went on to be very well-known in the sports journalism world died yesterday from colon cancer at 44)
There was private health insurance through employers long before it. Most people prefer that (though I would prefer greater options for private plans untied to employment) During the last Presidential election, several Democrats stated they were in favor of eliminating all private insurance and putting everyone on Medicaid.
Romney proposed and signed into law the very bill that Obama care was based on and then repudiated it all for political opportunity. Mitt Romney is a rank and white bread opportunist who totally embarrassed himself for an attempt at political gain.
So glad Harry was around to make sure he didn’t get to the White House.
Although you can draw a straight line between Romney’s loss and the rise of today’s QOP. In many respects his loss led the way for Trump, the base was tired of only hearing from dog whistles, they wanted red meat.
Of course you are overlooking the concept of federalism. What Romney signed into law was related to one state and according to the best needs of that state. That is how many things are done.
I hope that when one day Keith faces the end of his life, as Harry Reid did, he will take steps to acknowledge and make amends to those he has likely hurt through his words and actions, and bullying, and no, I do not even mean myself.
I wish the same for a former friend of mine, but like with the boy in the bubble I don’t even dare give a weighty voice to that hope.
Harry and Mitt’s reported making up should be the end of this conversation.
You consistently accuse people of saying things they didn’t say. As I previously acknowledged, I did incorrectly say that I thought Romney voted against the January 6 Commission, but I doubt I ever said he voted against impeachment.
Releasing tax summaries is different than releasing taxes, which is likely why Reid’s comment is widely viewed as having hurt Romney during the campaign.
This was an entire topic that there was no need bring up today, but you chose to do so yourself. I feel like you have dug a whole over it.
The bottom line is that Mitt Romney did everything completely 100 percent appropriately related to paying his taxes. That was proven. The claim that he had not, was a lie that Reid admitted he made up solely to try to hurt Romney. For that, Reid was roundly criticized by all but the most shortsighted of political tribalists, especially after Reid said publicly that he was glad he did it.
However, Reid appears to have at least offered somewhat of an apology privately to Romney over this. I assume the details of this are between them but it was a positive for Reid to state that they had that sort of conversation and to end it by praising Romney as a person.
Why in the world are you on this kick about Romney’s taxes?
I brought it up, not Zreebs. Maybe I should have just left well enough alone, and I would have certainly if I’d known of the make up between the two.
ok, glad you can acknowledge that now SE.
But the facts of that whole story are clear enough, even without any sort of conversation between the two.
There may be much to admire about Reid’s life-story and those who share his political beliefs are certainly free to admire him for that, but the “Romney taxes” thing was not his finest hour at all.
CG’s obsession with Keith continues. Will CG make amends to Keith when he is about to die?
“He” as in me or him. Who is going first in this scenario?
No need on my part and I said for him to not bother with me. I believe there are likely others who he has hurt more directly and to a greater extent.
Those who enable bullies, or make excuses for them, be they Trump or others, also should think about why they do what they do.
I see you harassing Keith much more than the reverse. I honestly don’t recall some of these things you accuse him of. Keith has both publicly and privately denied many of your allegations. He calls you by a name you don’t use at least online and that seems to be a recurring beef with him, even though you weren’t always offended. You volunteered that you are Cisgendered, so I assume the C does not now stand for “Cynthia, but I could care less even if it did.
Keith does not reveal other personal information about you that you reveal about him, and I am pretty sure he knows stuff about you that you would not want revealed.
Why don’t you drop this unnecessary and recurring battle with him? I am amused by some of the conflicts on this site, but your battle with Keith is not one of them, and it has gone on too long.
And I would prefer if Keith did not provoke you by calling you “Craig” or whatever.
Firstly, I have not volunteered that I am cisgendered. I said I identify as male. I am fairly sure I have never discussed my genitals on a political blog and do not care about others on them either. So that’s that. Nothing else is really relevant.
My “beef” with Keith does go back a long time. All things considered, I think I have shown great restraint. I deliberately avoided posting his last name years ago, but he openly uses my full name. As I have said before, if he does that, I can use his also. I have absolutely nothing to hide as it relates to politics or anything in that realm, which is a difference from his history, and there is certainly not anything that he “knows” about me.
Years ago, long before I knew who he was, other than his bragging about being a high-level government official who secretly hated his Republican boss (which we now know was the Secretary of Transportation), he looked up my political donations and posted on P1, the name of my then employer and what my job description was. I was a bit more open about my last name then, so I am somewhat to blame, but that was a pretty unethical thing to do. In personal emails to me during this time Zreebs, you would reference where I worked and what you thought my job was, so clearly this was something that you and Keith had discussed.
Also Zreebs, you and others on here, have no problem at all with the fact that for the past 9 years Keith has said that because I voted for Mitt Romney, I am akin to a Nazi sympathizer. Now, perhaps you do not agree with that, but you have no problem with him saying that to me, let alone the millions of other people that slur would have to include.
I honestly think that if somebody said something like that so completely out of line about you or some others here, I would at least say something to come to their defense. I think I did that for you specifically when “NYCMike” briefly posted here. But maybe I am just too generous of a person. After all, the other side might be “evil.”
Finally, when I have been active here, I definitely make a lot of posts about a lot of things. The percent of of times I would mention anything to do with Keith would be an extremely low percentage of the posts. He posts far less but makes reference to me somehow in a majority of his posts. I think the “obsession” runs the other way. I am also fairly sure that whenever I mention him, it is only after he makes some sort of ridiculously unfair reference or statement about me. Maybe that makes me guilty of “taking the bait”, and I should be better, but to me, it is standing up to a bully. I sense that you were perhaps bullied in your past and had bad experiences with them. Bullies should be stood up to. Just look at Donald Trump, whom Keith is very much similar to in many ways.
I am going to *try* to take another break from this blog stuff for a bit, at least a few days. I hope everyone has a better 2022 than 2021 was, especially myself.
You did self-idenify as “cisgendered”. I don’t usually use that term, although I know what it is. I remember that post of yours because it wasn’t that long ago. You also volunteered that you were not a “birthing person”. And other than repeating what you said, I am sure I never used that term in my life.
Why are you bringing up your genitals? No one accused you of ever discussing them. I have no idea what you think I said?
I have no idea where you worked and I don’t think I ever did, although I have an idea of the type of job you do. I don’t recall how I know that (or why I think I do).
I suppose there were times of my youth that I was bullied, but I don’t think of my youth that way. I am more likely to remember being an awful basketball and tennis player both in my youth and in an adult league. I suspect you were bullied a lot more than i ever was because you talk about bullies a lot more than anyone else I know or knew.
I honestly don’t recall what NYCMike said about me. It is very possible I never saw it. I don’t read every post that is made here. But now I am curious. I assume it was offensive. Perhaps you could email me what you recall he said? I don’t recall Keith calling you a nazi sympathizer although I recall you complaining that he did. I don’t know what you said that would have prompted that alleged reaction from Keith, but I can’t criticize Keith for a comment I don’t recall he even said. Maybe you or Keith can discuss it further if the spirit moves you?
I don’t see what the concept of “federalism” has to do with health care.
That point totally escapes me.
Is there are different standard of health care because one lives in Massachusetts or Albama or Hawai’i.What is it.
The plain fact is that Romney’s plan in Mass. and Obamacare were vert similar with only relatively unimportant differences.Romneys opposition was purely political.I understand that as there is no way a R could have been the nominee supporting Obama s signature domestic accomplishment.
I always thought and still do that Romney was a decent and honorable person.Certainly compared to that bunch of Trumpites which constitute almost the entire Republican caucus in the Senate ,he stands out as a beacon of uprightness.
I talk to doctors every day for work and I can’t imagine many would be thrilled to have health care more managed at a state level. Having medical licenses be a state issued entity is already enough of a hindrance for those who wish to move or practice in another state.
Then there’s the matter of those who live in one state and work in another. Illinois is a five minute drive across a bridge. If Missouri charged co-pay or deductible for preventative care (like in pre-Obama days) and Illinois did not guess where I am going to the doctor?
Around my way Scott?
Doctor’s are increasingly becoming employees of large hospital centre health care groups….
While I do not begrudge anyone for favoring a more leftist option in 2012, we should perhaps all look back now and realize that had Mitt Romney been elected in 2012, we would be in much better shape today.
For one thing, Donald Trump would still be doing reality shows and perhaps contributing to Democrats. The damage that Trump did to our democracy and society is profound. Of course, Mitt Romney was one of the rare Republicans who from the very beginning consistently stood in opposition to those major transgressions, despite the political cost.
Romney also would never have allowed Russia to harm America the way it did, despite the fact that his warnings were scoffed at by his political opponents in the other party.
Of course one can think that Mitt Romney had the wrong ideas as it relates to policy. That is what democracy is about, but there should not really be any debate that Romney is as Harry Reid recently described him, ” a very, very fine human being.”
Romney grinned and took Trump’s endorsement in 2012.
But now we’re supposed to buy CG’s revisionist history that Mitt stood up to Trump “from the very beginning”.
Gimme a break!
In some defense of CG’s crush, losing the Presidency can cause one to rethink their priorities.
So had Mitt won what else would he have done to appease Trump to prevent a 2016 primary challenge?
CG wants us who voted for Obama to feel guilty for somehow creating Trump. Anything to deflect the blame from the GOP which is wholly responsible for DJT’s rise to power.
Agreed.
Despite the many “whataboutisms “ thrown around here,the plain fact is that in 2016 the Republican Party ,with their eyes wide open ,nominated and then elected Donald Trump President of the United States.
Did some people who call themselves Democrats vote for him?Sure.Did some people who all themselves Republicans vote for Hillary Clinton?Yes.
So?
The fact remains that “but for” the Republican Party embrace of Donald Trump?He never would have been President.
Absolutely Jack…….
I’m jealous that your company considers colonoscopy preventative. I paid a fortune for mine last time I got one.
Scott?
You have damn good insurance …
On Obamacare ?
Screw the Republicans…..
I remember the reports about GOPer voters ON Obamacare saying they hated it out of the other side of their mouth’s….
Insurance that a large portion of his party wants to take away from him.
One would assume in most private companies the bosses get top shelf coverage and grunts get whatever they can push management to ‘allow’ them…
Heck?
Bosses probably do NOT pay for their health benefits….
‘What ME worry?”
No James. The bosses most likely have the same health coverage options as everyone else. Maybe they get other perks such as bonuses or free cell phones, but not different healthcare options. It would be prohibitively expensive otherwise.
Ok Z….
…’The bosses most likely ‘….
Highly compensated employees aren’t gone have their health insurance costs as part of their benefits package???
Yea Right?
Correct
Think of it this way. It doesn’t make sense to pay $10,000 for the extra administrative, programming and training costs that are only worth $3000 to the person. It would be easier and practical to instead give them a higher salary, or more vacation time.
I currently report to the #2 person in my company, and I previouslyserved on the Board of Directors for two companies (including one year as Chairman of the Board for one of them. I would know if the most senior people had different healthcare options.
It WOULD make sense to hire you Z from another company by offering him a $100,000 raise , a car, AND free medical Insurance….
Against a company that might offer ya $90,000 and YOU pay for the rest?
Of course “bosses” get the same health care options as other employees in the company. They have a contract with a health insurance provider. There is no special Boardroom Deal.
Perhaps a very rich CEO might opt out of health care coverage and any deductions and pay for all medical expenses out of pocket but that’s very different.
CG–this link explains how under the ACA private health plans are required to provide certain preventative care procedures with no cost sharing by the patient.
Oops. Here’s the link
https://www.verywellhealth.com/preventive-care-whats-free-whats-not-1739003
Something tells me Mitt Romney didn’t care as much about what Reid said about his taxes 10 years ago as CG does.
The worship CG has for Mittens and his car elevator is quite touching though.
I compared Reid and Bob Dole early in this thread–noting struggles both men endured in their lives before leading the Senate. Dole was known to have an acid tongue (remember his terse “stop lying about my record” line to GHW Bush in 1988)
Could you imagine CG’s response if someone similarly hijacked a post about. Dole’s death to make it all about some still living person of great wealth that Dole lashed his tongue at?
We’d never hear the end of it.
A great starting point Scott. I would bet a significant amount of money that when the two highest ranking elected Mormon officials in America had their “make-up conversation” it had nothing to do with Mitt’s taxes.
I thought old Harry was brilliant after Mitt played games with the release of his taxes by bringing the topic of offshore accounts up. Obviously everyone was very willing to believe that “car elevator Mitt” was stashing money offshore.
Obviously our friend Corey seems to think Harry atoned for his sins against Saint Mitt before he went to meet the Angle Moroni. I doubt that very much for many reasons, with reason number one being that politics ain’t beanbag. It’s cut throat. So, if atonement is on the table, then Mitt should apologize for his racist “I wish President Obama would learn how to be an American” campaign or his own amazing flip flop on health care.
Nope, the dreams of a return to the Bush and Romney salad days for the Republican Party are out of reach. Gone forever, and that really appears to upset our friend Corey.
He also appears to want an apology from me regarding imaginary insults and my disrespect of Republican appointed officials when I served in government. Why would I ever apologize for telling the truth?
It’s the same old shit from Corey over and over, he refuses to admit that the Republicans have been running racist campaigns for over 50 years and fueling white grievance and takes offense when called on it to the point he obviously feels the need to simply make shit up about me.
Do I have to go through the list of fantasy accusations again to see if anyone other than my accuser remembers?
If anyone cares just ask.
It’s late in Spain, we’re up in Basque Country and have a hike tomorrow.
Have a great day.
Harry Reid remembered by Obama, Biden, Pelosi and Schumer, in 180 seconds…
link to video….