Once upon a time, voters in the Battle-Born State made better choices. Reid is sitting in the seat occupied by Pat McCarran (D-Nev.), who headed the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee's probe into Soviet espionage and subversion in the 1940's and 1950's. McCarran also pushed through Congress the Internal Security Act of 1950, which created the Subversive Activities Control Board to investigate subversive activities--something we could use today in the fight against Islamist terror--and the Walter-McCarran Act, which restricted immigration. Las Vegas honored Mc Carran by naming its airport after him--which was appropriate, since he wrote many of our aviation laws.
Reid also occupies the seat held by Paul Laxalt (R-Nev.), one of President Reagan's staunchest supporters.