And a lot more trouble than most people imagine.

I'm a little hamstrung here - I'm currently writing a book on Democratic corruption and Harry Reid already rated a full chapter, plus dishonerable mentions elsewhere in the book. With the latest revelations of shady land deals and misappropriation of campaign funds, I've just got more to write about - but this also means that I'm not going to comment in depth on the Reid issue here on this blog, or any of the other blogs I write for.

Reid has cultivated a reputation as a hard-nosed man who fights for the little guy - but what has been missed in the Reid story is how he's been given a free ride by patronage in the political system and as he rose to the top, he took his friends and family along for the ride. Reid started out as a solid member of blue collar Amerca, but he left that behind decades ago and has wallowed in the grey muck of power politics since the 1970's. The long and short of it is that Reid, with his children and in-laws involved in lobbying and with his "Searchlight Leadership Fund", has become a mere nexus of money, power and influence - a place to go if you want to scratch a back and get scratched in return. There is no hard center to Reid, all that matters is power - and the mother's milk of power, money.

Republicans like Tom DeLay resigned over far less than Reid is currently accused of - but he will, like all liberals, cling desperately on to power as long as he can, and regardless of the consequences to himself or his Party. Reid is one of those sad creatures who self-worth is defined by how many people jump when they shout. To leave the world of politics, for a man like Reid, is to leave everything worth living for. The worst thing which can happen to Reid at this point is for the Democrats to win a Senate majority next month - but Reid won't care about what is coming down the pike, and he'll play this out as long as it lasts.

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