Romney to Reid: Put up or Shut Up

[Vel]

How sad is it that Harry Reid used the Senate Floor to spread gossip for the Obama campaign. I was under the impression that it was a Senate ethics violation to campaign from inside the Senate.
I intend on calling Harry Reid's office tomorrow and letting them know my opinion of the filthy way that our public facilities are being used. I also plan to call my own senators and demand that they formally protest Harry Reid using the Senate floor in a campaign speech for Obama. I hope that thousands of others also call and voice their opinion of the slander of a citizen coming from a seat of government power.

Reid's statements aren't slanderous and I seriously doubt that they violate any rule of Senatorial ethics. I suspect you are not familiar with the type of discourse which has more or less routinely passed through the Senate floor.

As an aside, even if Reid's remarks from the Senate floor would normally be slanderous he could not be successfully sued. Congress has passed laws that renders its members largely immune from slander and libel suits stemming from remarks they make as part of their official duties (see, eg, Court says Murtha can't be sued - John Bresnahan - POLITICO.com). That's part of the reason that Joe McCarthy was able to make so many false and defaming accusations without facing legal consequences.

What part of Harry Reid's official duty was it to demand Romney's tax forms from the senate floor?

 

[Ragnar]

Someone just called me to say
that Reid beat his children when
they were small

Then Democrat logic necessitates that the burden of proof to disprove that statement falls on Harry Reid.

 

[Black_Label]

Can you imagine leaders of a political party, POTUS and Senate Majority Leader behind outright lying scumbags?

Yes, that was what the entire W admin was all about.

 

[Sallow]

Someone just called me to say
that Reid wears lady's underwear

And he probably finds them quite comfortable.

No doubt you would know that

Well my girlfriend does too.

What's your boyfriend think?

 

[Vel]

Someone just called me to say
that Reid beat his children when
they were small

Really? Someone just told me that Harry Reid is getting paid by the Obama campaign to spread rumors about Mitt Romney.

Really

someone just called me to say
that Reid smokes crack

I heard he gets it from some Obama supporters in Chicago. Obama won't share the DNC money with him so he can't afford coke.

 

[DontBeStupid]

Wait ... wait ... do I have this right?

Romney: I refuse to release any more tax returns.
Reid: That's because you didn't pay any taxes!
Romney: Yeah? Prove it!

 

[Sallow]

Can you imagine leaders of a political party, POTUS and Senate Majority Leader behind outright lying scumbags?

Yeah..nothing like lying about an entire country then invading it...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzrJwzYBUkU]Bush: "Mission Accomplished" -- REAL Speech - YouTube[/ame]

Then spiking the ball!

Good stuff..man!

 

[Neotrotsky]

I heard from an unnamed source
that as a child, Harry Reid would torture small
animals

 

[BreezeWood]

Reid: 'Romney is hiding something' - UPI.com

Reid: 'Romney is hiding something'

Reid's Thursday statement revived a criticism that Romney has not followed through on a promise he made to an ABC News reporter "that he would check his tax returns and let the American people know whether he ever paid a rate lower than 13.9 percent. One day later, his campaign raced to say he had no intention of putting out any further information.

"It's clear Romney is hiding something, and the American people deserve to know what it is," Reid said. "Whatever Romney's hiding probably speaks volumes about how he would approach issues that directly impact middle-class families, like tax reform and the economy. When you are running for president, you should be an open book."

In a conference call Wednesday with Nevada reporters, Reid said the burden of proof is on Romney to show he paid taxes.

It's clear Romney is hiding something ...

Romney has no choice but to show his returns or have Reid continue the debate - either way he comes out the loser.

 

[Ragnar]

Wait ... wait ... do I have this right?

Romney: I refuse to release any more tax returns.
Reid: That's because you didn't pay any taxes!
Romney: Yeah? Prove it!

No.

Romney will release two years of tax returns. Reid will continue to make baseless accusations.

Reid doubles down on Romney tax charge - News - ReviewJournal.com

"I am not basing this on some figment of my imagination," Reid said in a telephone call with Nevada reporters. "I have had a number of people tell me that."

Asked to elaborate on his sources, Reid declined. "No, that's the best you're going to get from me."

"I don't think the burden should be on me," Reid said. "The burden should be on him. He's the one I've alleged has not paid any taxes."

 

[Sallow]

I heard from an unnamed source
that as a child, Harry Reid would torture small
animals

Yeah..but they were in Al Qaeda..

John Yu and Antonio Scalia said it was okay..

 

[candycorn]

How sad is it that Harry Reid used the Senate Floor to spread gossip for the Obama campaign. I was under the impression that it was a Senate ethics violation to campaign from inside the Senate.
I intend on calling Harry Reid's office tomorrow and letting them know my opinion of the filthy way that our public facilities are being used. I also plan to call my own senators and demand that they formally protest Harry Reid using the Senate floor in a campaign speech for Obama. I hope that thousands of others also call and voice their opinion of the slander of a citizen coming from a seat of government power.

Reid's statements aren't slanderous and I seriously doubt that they violate any rule of Senatorial ethics. I suspect you are not familiar with the type of discourse which has more or less routinely passed through the Senate floor.

As an aside, even if Reid's remarks from the Senate floor would normally be slanderous he could not be successfully sued. Congress has passed laws that renders its members largely immune from slander and libel suits stemming from remarks they make as part of their official duties (see, eg, Court says Murtha can't be sued - John Bresnahan - POLITICO.com). That's part of the reason that Joe McCarthy was able to make so many false and defaming accusations without facing legal consequences.

Reid is still in the wrong for going there with unsubstantiated anonymous BS.

But to your point, John McCain the other day was defending one of Hillary Clinton's aides in the well so it's not as if Senators do not go off the script. Content aside of course.

 

[Ragnar]

I heard from an unnamed source
that as a child, Harry Reid would torture small
animals

That is a lie. They were not that small.

 

[Dick Tuck]

Did Mittens tell InSeanity that he'd PROVE Reid is lying? All Mr. Etch-A-Sketch has to do is release his tax returns, and show his off-shore holdings. It seems pretty simple.

 

[Neotrotsky]

Someone just called me to say
that Reid beat his children when
they were small

Then Democrat logic necessitates that the burden of proof to disprove that statement falls on Harry Reid.

When even John Stewart mocks this whole
idea, you know the Left, except the real extreme ones,
will have a hard time pushing this idea


You, Harry Reid, Are Terrible

 

[Neotrotsky]

I heard from an unnamed source
that as a child, Harry Reid would torture small
animals

That is a lie. They were not that small.

I just heard from an unnamed source that
Reid had some illegal land deals

 

[ladyliberal]

How sad is it that Harry Reid used the Senate Floor to spread gossip for the Obama campaign. I was under the impression that it was a Senate ethics violation to campaign from inside the Senate.
I intend on calling Harry Reid's office tomorrow and letting them know my opinion of the filthy way that our public facilities are being used. I also plan to call my own senators and demand that they formally protest Harry Reid using the Senate floor in a campaign speech for Obama. I hope that thousands of others also call and voice their opinion of the slander of a citizen coming from a seat of government power.

Reid's statements aren't slanderous and I seriously doubt that they violate any rule of Senatorial ethics. I suspect you are not familiar with the type of discourse which has more or less routinely passed through the Senate floor.

As an aside, even if Reid's remarks from the Senate floor would normally be slanderous he could not be successfully sued. Congress has passed laws that renders its members largely immune from slander and libel suits stemming from remarks they make as part of their official duties (see, eg, Court says Murtha can't be sued - John Bresnahan - POLITICO.com). That's part of the reason that Joe McCarthy was able to make so many false and defaming accusations without facing legal consequences.

What part of Harry Reid's official duty was it to demand Romney's tax forms from the senate floor?

You could certainly argue that Reid should not have made the remarks he made, but as a legal matter I think the courts would give him broad latitude. He could say that he made his remarks because he saw it as his duty as a constitutional officer representing the sovereign state of Nevada (a state with plenty of people who would like to see Romney's tax forms) and I don't see a court disputing that.

In any event, I don't think that Reid would need to rely on the law as Murtha did, at least as pertaining to remarks on the Senate floor. Rather, he could simply point to the US Constitution, which says that members of Congress

...shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony, and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their attendance at the Session of their Respective Houses, and in going to and from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

 

[Article 15]

Wait ... wait ... do I have this right?

Romney: I refuse to release any more tax returns.
Reid: That's because you didn't pay any taxes!
Romney: Yeah? Prove it!

Lol yup

 

[Vel]

Reid's statements aren't slanderous and I seriously doubt that they violate any rule of Senatorial ethics. I suspect you are not familiar with the type of discourse which has more or less routinely passed through the Senate floor.

As an aside, even if Reid's remarks from the Senate floor would normally be slanderous he could not be successfully sued. Congress has passed laws that renders its members largely immune from slander and libel suits stemming from remarks they make as part of their official duties (see, eg, Court says Murtha can't be sued - John Bresnahan - POLITICO.com). That's part of the reason that Joe McCarthy was able to make so many false and defaming accusations without facing legal consequences.

What part of Harry Reid's official duty was it to demand Romney's tax forms from the senate floor?

You could certainly argue that Reid should not have made the remarks he made, but as a legal matter I think the courts would give him broad latitude. He could say that he made his remarks because he saw it as his duty as a constitutional officer representing the sovereign state of Nevada (a state with plenty of people who would like to see Romney's tax forms) and I don't see a court disputing that.

In any event, I don't think that Reid would need to rely on the law as Murtha did, at least as pertaining to remarks on the Senate floor. Rather, he could simply point to the US Constitution, which says that members of Congress

...shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony, and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their attendance at the Session of their Respective Houses, and in going to and from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

That might work in a court of law, but Reid needs to face the court of public opinion and the judgement of his peers in the Senate. No matter what side of the political spectrum you're on, this is unacceptable. If we in the public continue to allow such underhanded tactics and outright lies, then how can we ever expect decent people to run for public office? It's time for people to say enough is enough.

 

[Vel]

I heard from an unnamed source
that as a child, Harry Reid would torture small
animals

That is a lie. They were not that small.

I just heard from an unnamed source that
Reid had some illegal land deals

That's old news. Tony Rezko dumped that property for him a few years ago.