More sliming …this time by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:
“Harry Reid made a statement that is true. Somebody told him. It is a fact,” Pelosi told The Huffington Post in a Sunday interview.
The Democratic leaders are both dirty on this one. Both Democratic leaders know exactly what they are doing – Leader Pelosi knows that she is loosely (irresponsibly) using the phrase “it is a fact” hoping the casual reader/listener will be misled – misled into thinking that the fact is about whether Gov Romney filed tax returns. Yes, Senator Reid claims someone told him – but we know what Leader Pelosi is up to with this statement. It is transparent.
What Leader Pelosi is covertly doing with “it is a fact” is attempting to mislead the casual viewer / reader into thinking that what “is a fact” is Senator Reid’s underlying claim that Gov Romney did not pay taxes. It is not a fact. It is merely Senator Reid’s accusation….and since he refuses to source his accusation, it can only be seen as an effort to slime. You don’t say something that explosive, anonymous and uncorroborated about someone else – especially a political opponent for office – unless your motive is bad. If he has proof – that’s different – he should step up and prove it. But so far he refuses to supply it. He prefers to slime.
Leader Pelosi is crafty on this one — I think she is hoping her loose use of the phrase “it is a fact” will misled the casual reader/listener into believing that the underlying remark by Senator Reid about Governor Romney not paying taxes is a fact. She tries to give herself cover by “somebody told him” making her literally correct — but she knows the effect of her remark. For her, it appears a dirty game and she is playing it. It is the game of the definition of “is.”
If her intention were noble and not dirty, she would have added something to the effect that no one knows if Senator Reid is making it up or not since he refuses to name his source. She could also encourage Senator Reid to either stop with the anonymous source sliming or to step up and name the person so we can investigate. Anonymous sources are unfair.
As an aside, I think Gov Romney should disclose more tax returns — for political reasons and not because he is required to do so. There is no such requirement to disclose but it would be a smart political move to put this to rest. Disclosure does that. I realize that is what the team of Pelosi and Reid are trying to do – smoke out the returns – but Gov Romney should rise above their petty political behavior. Many voters may want to know more about his financial history and it may have some bearing on whether they think he does know business or not.
But superseding my view that he should disclose his returns is my disgust for Senator Reid and now Leader Pelosi’s behavior. Sliming someone with inuendo and anonymous sources is gross. They both know it but yet continue to do it and now even team up to spread it more. It speaks volumes about them.
You all can hate lawyers in the courtroom — but lawyers in the courtroom are never this dirty. We have rules to prevent using anonymous sources to slime and the rules are enforced.
PS- I wrote yesterday about my objection to the similar sliming Huma Abedin took last week — innuendo and no facts. (Plus, I know Huma professionally and the allegations are outrageous.)
