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NORM: Harry Reid writes of 'lots of fights'






Compromise wasn't in Harry Reid's vocabulary while growing up.

In Nevada mining towns, you learned to fight first and talk later.

Even if you were taking on the son of your elementary schoolteacher or your future father-in-law.

The U.S. Senate majority leader doesn't pull any punches about his brawling reputation in his upcoming autobiography "The Good Fight -- Hard Lessons From Searchlight to Washington."


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  • The schoolteacher's son annoyed Reid one time too many.

    "He knew his mother would always treat him differently and this delighted him to no end," Reid said. "One day I'd had enough ... Right there in the classroom, I beat the crap out of the kid, in front of all the other students and his own mother. I did such a good job beating him up that I broke my hand on his hard head ... It hurt, but I was still pretty happy."

    When he informed his father, Reid said he "wasn't bothered at all that I had started the fight ... He simply said, 'Next time, keep your fist closed.' That was it. No doctor, no ice ... I got into a lot of fights after that, and I always kept my fist closed."

    Reid took up boxing in high school at Henderson, he writes, "so that I could channel my brawling instincts into something more respectable. But in the meantime, I got myself into more fights."

    The battle royale came when he was a college freshman. He and his high school girlfriend, Landra Gould, were still seeing each other, much to the chagrin of her chiropractor dad, who despised Reid because he wasn't Jewish, according to the book.

    "College hadn't cooled the relationship, it had intensified it. We were going to be together and there was nothing her father could do about it. Of course he didn't see it that way. She was living under his roof."

    The father met Reid at the door and told him to stay away from his daughter.

    "I was there to pick her up," Reid writes, "and he was blocking my way, talking too much. He started pushing, and I threw a punch, and then the whole mess spilled out into the front yard.

    "It wasn't a fair fight -- he was smaller than I was ... I turned around and found Landra by my side. We got in that car and we took off."

    They eloped in 1959 when she was 19 and he was 20. They will celebrate their 50th anniversary next year.

    SIGHTINGS

    At the UAW-Dodge 400 NASCAR race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: NFL Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, country stars Blake Shelton and Danielle Peck, Mayor Oscar Goodman, Pro Bowl kicker Shayne Graham of the Cincinnati Bengals, 1955 Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine, automaking legend Carroll Shelby, Smashmouth frontman Steve Harwell, and Carrot Top. ... At Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Saturday: NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and his wife, Chandra, model/actress Angie Harmon and her husband, Jason Sehorn, ESPN's Marty Smith, and Mark and Tammy Dyer, former owners of the NASCAR Cafe (Sahara). ... Regis and Joy Philbin, celebrating their 38th anniversary at Picasso (Bellagio) and the Danny Gans Show (Mirage) on Saturday. They met when both were working with "The Joey Bishop Show." ... Rapper Fabolous, performing a one-hour set Saturday at Poetry nightclub (Forum Shops at Caesars). Also at Poetry: Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter and former NBA standout Gary Payton. ... At Pure nightclub (Caesars Palace) on Saturday: New York Giants star Michael Strahan, poker player Jamie Gold and MTV reality stars Brody Jenner and Frankie Delgado. ... At LAX nightclub (Luxor) on Saturday: Illusionist Criss Angel, NFL players Brandon Lloyd (Washington Redskins) and Brandon Johnson (Arizona Cardinals), and former NBA star Payton. ... Choreographer Trace Ayala, dining Saturday at Company American Bistro (Luxor). ... At Hogs & Heifers on Saturday: Poker stars Doyle and Todd Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Clonie Gowen. ... Members of music group Mighty Mighty Bosstones, stopping by Ghostbar (Palms) on Saturday. ... "American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe, dining Saturday at N9NE steakhouse (Palms). ... Pittsburgh Steelers teammates Willie Parker and Casey Hampton Jr., stopping by the Playboy Club (Palms) and Moon nightclub (Palms) on Saturday with ex-Steeler Clark Haggans.

    THE PUNCH LINE

    "Great day for Katie Holmes! Rumor has it she is expecting again. She told a friend she expects to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet. She may be just talking about Tom Cruise." -- Craig Ferguson

    Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.

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    DJ2 wrote on March 03, 2008 08:23 PM: I'm having difficulty understanding how such a hot-headed ruffian was tagged with the diminutive nickname of "Pinky", as he was so affectionately called by his fellow down-home,star-struck Searchlight acquaintances on syrupy after syrupy commercial aired during his last campaign.

    While the majority of Harry's campaign propaganda has since become a blur, that one commercial featuring Searchlight locals giggling about how they call Harry "Pinky" was so nausiating SWEET, that I've remained forever scarred by it.


    KB wrote on March 03, 2008 08:18 PM: Reid has always seen himself as something he is not. His nick name was "Pinky" no tuff guy is tagged with that kind of nick. He wasn't able to see the truth then and he can not see it today.


    Anthony wrote on March 03, 2008 06:33 PM: A chiropractor in searchlight? Sure there was, anoter load of garbage from the best con man in the History of Nevada. Move over Mob and bow to Harry. Just shows how strong the good ol boy hick vote is.


    Rotten wrote on March 03, 2008 04:59 PM: HARRY "PINKY" REID shuts down Yucca Montain Repository.
    A dump with nothing in it. Give em Hell Harry! A knock out punch!

    PINKY JUNIOR,(RORY) allows developer, (PARDEE HOMES)(in his district) to build 917 homes right next door to THE MOST TOXIC WASTE DUMP IN THE HISTORY OF NEVADA. AN UNLINED DUMP THAT LEAKS INTO THE LAS VEGAS WASH AND LAKE MEAD EVERYDAY. 47 MILLION CUBIC TONS OF TOXIC WASTE.

    720 acre site. Opened in the 1950's. Abandoned by Silver State, now Republic, in 1993. WHY? Federal Standards forced them to comply. TOO COSTLY TO COMPLY. They bolted. Unidentified toxic waste. Cancer Causing waste. A New Love Canal.
    Developer isn't disclosing the danger to the New Homeowners. NO DISCLOSURE.
    I sat through there sales pitch.

    You think that Endoscopy Center scandal is a Public Danger?

    Did you know that a school is going up right next to it? Way to go Ruffles!

    Criminal Investigation should be immediate. Who's in charge of this disaster? PINKY? If your out there... PHONE HOME. RORY is in his locker again.
    Why does RORY continually get a FREE PASS in this Great State of Nevada? Look up DUMPCO on the internet.
    E.P.A has been fighting with the County for years. County screwed up and signed off on it in 1994. Republic walked away with a 15 year extension.
    RORY and PINKY have both been taking money from Silver State, now Republic, for years. Campaign Cash.

    I wonder if they have any land investments around that Sunrise Landfill Toxic Waste Disater.
    It's not a disaster waiting to happen.
    It has already happened.

    September 11, 1998.

    It broke open during a rain storm and deposited TONS of Unknown Toxic Waste into our drinking water supply. The damage is irreversible. The Wash has never been cleaned up. PHONE HOME, PINKY, IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR WONDREFUL STATE!


    M. McNight wrote on March 03, 2008 10:48 AM: Harry Reid has been a complete failure to the nation(lowest congressional rating ever), and to the state of Nevada.

    Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in the country, as the Majority Leader of the Senate, when is Harry gong to bring home the bacon?

    Rather than raising taxes in Nevada, we need federal funding for schools, highways, and a mass-transit system(mono-rail) to California to alleviate our freeway congestion.

    The residents of Clark County are cocked-n-loaded, when is Harry going to pull the trigger and bring-home-the-bacon?


    laguna wrote on March 03, 2008 09:31 AM: Reid is such a low class bully. We are about the same age and size and I wish he would take a punch at me.


    Tom, Burbank wrote on March 03, 2008 09:22 AM: One day the citizens of Nevada will have enough of Scary Harry and beat him up at the polls. May it be soon.


    Grim Reaper wrote on March 03, 2008 08:36 AM: Ernest Borgnine is still alive? I was looking for him.


    Billie Dee W wrote on March 03, 2008 08:35 AM: I thought Sehorn and Angie Harmon broke up?


    John Boy wrote on March 03, 2008 08:33 AM: Harry Reid a brawler? Ha! Ha! Now I've heard everything!


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