OPINION: How can anyone defend Harry Reid?

Of the many conservative letters I have written, I am amazed that one ill-informed liberal (Al Weed, Inter Lake, May 31) would seize on my accusation that one of the most dishonest members of the Senate, Harry Reid, lied from the Senate floor about Gov. Romney not paying taxes. 

Here is Sen. Reid’s exact quote referring to an anonymous former investor in Romney’s investment company who called Reid’s office:

“Harry, he didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years.” Reid continued, “He didn’t pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that’s true? Well, I’m not certain. But obviously he can’t release those tax returns. How would it look?... You guys have said his wealth is $250 million. Not a chance in the world. It’s a lot more than that. I mean, you do pretty well if you don’t pay taxes for 10 years when you’re making millions and millions of dollars.” 

In fact, good old Harry said it twice on the floor of the Senate, then released a statement saying it a third time. He knew this to be a lie because the governor did release his 2010 and 2011 tax returns in which he paid $1.9 million and $3 million in taxes. 

Weed doesn’t bother to mention Harry’s response this year to CNN’s Dana Bash when asked if he regretted the false smear. “Romney didn’t win, did he?” Harry said with a smile.

So, Al, the next time you want to attack a conservative for pointing out a dishonest liberal, try to find a liberal worth defending. There must be at least one. Harry, with his bullying, crooked land deals making him a multi-millionaire, pay-offs to his family members for cheap campaign gifts or his total obstruction of the Senate is not worthy of your support. 

Of course, Weed’s ending comment, “Physician heal thyself,” a biblical quote, has nothing to do with medicine or my being a physician. Rather it advises us all to attend to our own defects as well as the faults of others. Sage advice for us all, though much easier for a conservative than a liberal! —P. David Myerowitz, Columbia Falls