Posted on 05/29/2006 11:31:18 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Senate leader took free boxing tickets
By JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid accepted free ringside tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission to three professional boxing matches while that state agency was trying to influence him on federal regulation of boxing.
Reid, D-Nev., took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 as he was pressing legislation to increase government oversight of the sport, including the creation of a federal boxing commission that Nevada's agency feared might usurp its authority.
He defended the gifts, saying they would never influence his position on the bill and was simply trying to learn how his legislation might affect an important home state industry. "Anyone from Nevada would say I'm glad he is there taking care of the state's No. 1 businesses," he told The Associated Press.
"I love the fights anyways, so it wasn't like being punished," added the senator, a former boxer and boxing judge.
Senate ethics rules generally allow lawmakers to accept gifts from federal, state or local governments, but specifically warn against taking such gifts — particularly on multiple occasions — when they might be connected to efforts to influence official actions.
"Senators and Senate staff should be wary of accepting any gift where it appears that the gift is motivated by a desire to reward, influence, or elicit favorable official action," the Senate ethics manual states. It cites the 1990s example of an Oregon lawmaker who took gifts for personal use from a South Carolina state university and its president while that school was trying to influence his official actions.
"Repeatedly taking gifts which the Gifts Rule otherwise permits to be accepted may, nonetheless, reflect discredit upon the institution, and should be avoided," the manual states.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Yeah, it was a 'Fact Finding Mission'. God, I am tired of this Bull$hit! Except for very few, the entire Congress is corrupt.
Being a vet (Navy), in my eyes there is no greater dishonor than selling out your countrymen for money, which is exactly what most of our 'elected leaders' are doing.
Disgusting.
He is a Democrat. This is ok. Move on. Dot org.
which is fine - if you pay for it yourself. It isn't as tho' we don't pay you enough.
Now, first thing Tues morning we will see you brought up on ethics investigation.
OH, no - I forgot, You're a democrat...move along
.
Unless it's from your momma most gifts from tickets to ink pens are agenda driven IMO. This doesn't sound like a big deal to me.
Notice how this has become his full name now?
Coming from the mouth of this POS????
I never is, if it's a democrat. If he were a republican, he'd already be swinging from the yardarm.
De Lay = bribe
Reid = nada
You don't see the constant double standard as a 'big deal"?
Now that is some lame explanation Harry. Still driving all the business you possibly can to your family's firms?
Calling him Larry constantly might eventually get a rise out of him.
It should be easy; no gifts should be allowed as they all are designed to influence. Heck, I take a very dim view of lobbying being allowed at all, since when lobbyists influence legislation, it means that individual citizens' and states' representation is being reduced.
But, it's probably not possible that Congress would ever take away its own perks.
Yeah..."taking care of business" required him to sit in front row seats at a fight...sheesh.
This guy is so corrupt, and he just stands up in the Senate, day after day, and accuses Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rummy of being responsible for any and all wrongdoing in the world..
There seems to be a "culture of gotcha" going on in Congress. It cracks me up the way the drug addicts in the MSM and in the DemocRATic party continue to accuse President Bush of dividing America. Obviously, those pinheads don't read or watch their own news and read their own press releases. The DNC and the MSM are the ones who divided this country. Denying that fact is the mother of all lies.
Republicans are their own worst enemy. If they would stand up with a "yeah, so what" attitude and ignore this crap and refuse to address petty issues, they would be better off IMO.
Depends on the fight...but, more than likely, YES, they were probably worth a few thousand, at least.
Sport of Kings, indeed.
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