74-year-old Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suffers from dementia. He’s spent half a century in politics. You may feel for him, but it’s time for him to retire.
Reid has a growing tendency to forget basic facts. If this is due to dementia, he should leave public office because it is not fair to those of us who are paying him to work efficiently. However if he does not have dementia, then he is simply dishonest.
“I have to be very honest,” “To be honest,” and “If you want my honest opinion, and I know you do,” are some of Reid’s favorite ways to begin sentences. Yes, we do want him to be honest, but lately he’s been either severely forgetful—or deceitful.
Reid began his stint in politics when he was 28 years old. His term ends in 2017. He has already announced that he plans to run for re-election! Millennials like myself need to speak up and make sure that he is not re-elected and ideally retires early because each day he’s in D.C. is a setback to our future.
Reid’s Dementia on Climate Change
Sen. Reid’s Twitter page is his go-to-place to pontificate about the pending threat of man-made global warming. Reid takes his job as a public servant very seriously, which is reflected in his choice of a Twitter background image. Palm trees sway and the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign soars behind Reid—whose sunglasses, pinstripe suit, impish smirk and hands pulling at his lapels make you wonder if his role model is pop star Usher.
On May 7, 2014, Reid tweeted three profound observations:
@SenatorReid: I agree with the Kochs that they are not experts on climate change and that climate change should be based on sound science.
Analysis: As far as we know, the Koch brothers have never claimed to be experts on climate change; they do not feign to be scientists. No one is debating whether “sound science” should be the basis for discussions related to the weather.
@SenatorReid: While the Koch brothers admit they're not experts on climate change, they are experts in CAUSING IT.
Analysis: Sen. Reid corrects himself and then digs his hole deeper. Sound, objective scientists have found there to be no clear evidence that humans are responsible for climate warming, as I share in my forthcoming book. So, using logic, we can conclude that whatever the Koch brothers, or any other humans, do—it is not contributing to harmful climate change.
@SenatorReid: Kochs are waging war against protecting the environment. Meanwhile, they're one of the most toxic air polluters
Analysis: The above tweet linked to an article from the Political Economy Research Institute showcasing Koch Industries investments in energy or mining companies and alleging that in 2010, Koch Industries received a Total Air and Incineration Toxic Score of 1,237,328.
1,237,328 is a number, sufficiently large enough to freak people out—particularly the Millennials who Democrats desperately need to win the 2016 election. However, this score gives us no insight into the number of jobs created; contributions to GDP, or improvements in the overall quality of life for scores of Americans due to the innovation of Koch Industries.
The “Glass Ceiling”
Reid likes to scare Americans, particularly young Americans, into believing that he—who has spent nearly 50 years NOT working in business—understands how to create high-paying jobs more than entrepreneurs like the Kochs.
@SenatorReid on April 9, 2014: I'm shocked. RT @thinkprogress: Women criticizing equal pay have something in common: Funding from the Kochs
Analysis: The above tweet linked to an article in Think Progress claiming that groups such as Heritage, the Manhattan Institute, the Independent Women’s Forum and Concerned Women for America receive funding that is tied to the Kochs.
Great. Thanks, Captain Obvious Reid. How is this relevant? There is absolutely nothing in the Think Progress article to show that either: 1.) The Kochs are disreputable individuals or 2.) The Kochs pressured these organizations to dismiss the “glass ceiling” theory in order to obtain funding.
As a woman who has worked in the historically male-dominated industry of commercial real estate, I am happy to report that there is no such thing as a glass ceiling. However, if a woman believes there is a ceiling and that all men are against her, she will create a ceiling for herself by seeing herself as a victim rather than as a leader.
You don’t even need to take it from me and my anecdotal experience as a businesswoman. Take it from the facts compiled by Mark J. Perry and Andrew G. Biggs who artfully debunked this myth in the Wall Street Journal.
Obamacare:
A little-known fact about Reid is that when he was called to cast his vote for Obamacare on Christmas Eve of 2009, he actually said “no” before he quickly changed his vote to “yes.” He later quipped to the New York Times: “…I was just in dreamland.”
Nearly five years later, Reid is still in “dreamland.” He recently said on the Senate floor: “…there’s plenty of horror stories [about Obamacare] being told; all of ‘em are all untrue. But they’re being told all over America.” Except for the fact that the stories were true, as I wrote here.
Reid should seriously consider recovering from his dishonesty, I mean his “dementia,” by retiring to Fabulous Las Vegas. He can sit poolside, sip margaritas and tweet if he’d like—but he needs to pass the gavel on to the next generation.