Senator Reid Accepted Free Boxing Tickets

While Sen. Harry Reid was pushing legislation to increase government oversight of boxing that included a federal boxing commission, he accepted front row tickets to three boxing events. Of course he maintains that he was in no way influenced by receiving tickets worth an estimated $1400 each. He even makes the claim that the citizens of Nevada would be happy to know he was on the job attending those events.

"Anyone from Nevada would say I'm glad he is there taking care of the state's number one businesses," he said.

Oh I'm sure there are plenty of people in Nevada who are just feeling warm and fuzzy because their Senator is busy looking out for the interests of the electorate in the front row of a boxing match 90% of those citizens could not afford to attend. He would never allow such gifts to influence his decisions, it's just part of the job of being Senator to get down there and see the problem up close. He wouldn't want the poor citizen to be exploited by the boxing profession.

With all the criticism the Senator has heaped on Republicans over the issue of ethics he has little room to now say he is above reproach for accepting gifts from people looking to influence legislators. The man donating the tickets to Sen. Reid made no bones about what he wanted.

Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission when Mr. Reid took the free tickets, said one of his desires was to convince Mr. Reid and Mr. McCain, who were pushing legislation to create a federal boxing commission, that there was no need for the federal government to usurp the state commission's authority.

"I invited him because I was talking with his staff" about the legislation, Mr. Ratner said. "This was a chance for all of my commissioners, who are politically appointed, to interact with them. It was important for them to see how we in Nevada did things." He added that he hoped the two senators, at the very least, would be persuaded to model any federal commission after Nevada's body.

Mr. Reid said he remembered talking to Mr. Ratner briefly at the fights and knew Mr. Ratner was working with his Senate staff on the federal legislation.

If the Senator is not guilty of violating Senate Ethics Rules, he is guilty of raw arrogance. In that he is not alone. Arrogance afflicts elected officials at all levels. From Capitol Hill to the town councils we are daily reminded of the public servants who think it's the public who serves them. Sen. Reid it so overcome by a sense of his own importance that a good wood shampoo may not be sufficient to give him a clue.

Basil's



politics ethics