What Speaking Truth To Power Really Looks Like
August 30th, 2009 at 12:08 pm by BrianAfter some unprovoked attack on one of its Director of Advertising, The Las Vegas Review-Journal promises not to be a lickspittle minion to Herr-y Reid:
This newspaper traces its roots to before Las Vegas was Las Vegas.
We’ve seen cattle ranches give way to railroads. We chronicled the construction of Hoover Dam. We reported on the first day of legalized gambling. The first hospital. The first school. The first church. We survived the mob, Howard Hughes, the Great Depression, several recessions, two world wars, dozens of news competitors and any number of two-bit politicians who couldn’t stand scrutiny, much less criticism.
Yet, as Bob shook hands with our senior U.S. senator in what should have been nothing but a gracious business setting, Reid said: “I hope you go out of business.”
Nice thing to say in the middle of the first wave of the Harry Reid / Pelosivic / Obonga Depression don’t you think?
On Wednesday, before he addressed a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Reid joined the chamber’s board members for a meet-’n'-greet and a photo. One of the last in line was the Review-Journal’s director of advertising, Bob Brown, a hard-working Nevadan who toils every day on behalf of advertisers. He has nothing to do with news coverage or the opinion pages of the Review-Journal.
I seem to recall much handwringing and gnashing of teeth when the not-yet President told a not-yet Vice President which League of Asshole it is that Adam Clymer plays. So how does this direct threat from the Senate Majority leader play with the usual champions of Free Speech and Free Press?
(Ed: In restrospect, Major League Asshole Clymer has since published a fawning biography of Teddy Kennedy.)
Or, in light of Obonga’s Orwellian “Diversity Czar” is in favor of limiting diversity of opinion as much as possible (like his hero Hugo) in addition to wanting the power to shut down the Internet?
We’re still here doing what we do for the people of Las Vegas and Nevada. So, let me assure you, if we weathered all of that, we can damn sure outlast the bully threats of Sen. Harry Reid.
Such behavior cannot go unchallenged.
No citizen should expect this kind of behavior from a U.S. senator. It is certainly not becoming of a man who is the majority leader in the U.S. Senate. And it absolutely is not what anyone would expect from a man who now asks Nevadans to send him back to the Senate for a fifth term.
If he thinks he can push the state’s largest newspaper around by exacting some kind of economic punishment in retaliation for not seeing eye to eye with him on matters of politics, I can only imagine how he pressures businesses and individuals who don’t have the wherewithal of the Review-Journal.
For the sake of all who live and work in Nevada, we can’t let this bully behavior pass without calling out Sen. Reid. If he’ll try it with the Review-Journal, you can bet that he’s tried it with others. So today, we serve notice on Sen. Reid that this creepy tactic will not be tolerated.
We won’t allow you to bully us. And if you try it with anyone else, count on going through us first.
That’s a promise, not a threat.
And it’s a promise to our readers, not to you, Sen. Reid.
Strong closing. Wow. I’m defending a newspaper in the 21st Century as saying something relevant. I think I need to mark my calendar.
After all, it’s been about 11 months since I’ve actually heard a newspaper speak truth to someone in power.
August 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Greetings:
“High Noon in Vegas”, Act 1, Scene 2.
Alternative ending: “Someone get a rope.”
August 30th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I’d add “when the clock strikes high noon” but it’s so hard to tell the clock strokes from the daily strokes that have damaged Harry’s brain.
Either way, he’s fighting time and we know who always wins that battle.
It’s more like Tom Daschle the Sequel. Majority leader thrown out on his ear after turning hard left due to a brief frotteuristic encounter with Power.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Give these goofy bastard socialists a little power and before you know it they believe their own hype. Dashole II,after having his ass handed to him, will not return to Searchlight, NV, but will be ensconsed on K Street with fellow travelers selling out what is left of our country. I look forward to more stories from the LVRJ tracking this POS and his hubris..
August 30th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
“I think I need to mark my calendar”
As we say in racing, “Put a ring around it!”
August 30th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
During Dirty Harry’s last re-election campaign I had business in Reno. Big signs everywhere with his leering mug, and a single word – “Independent.” Shazam, he get’s re-elected, and next thing you know he’s “Partisan” – Senate Majority Leader. Made me puke on reflection.