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May. 27, 2008
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JOHN L. SMITH: Harry Reid's memoir reveals a lawmaker forged by the bouts of life

JOHN L. SMITH
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An aura of rock-ribbed pugnacity pervades the pages of Harry Reid's memoir, "The Good Fight: Hard Lessons From Searchlight to Washington."

But after reading the book a couple of times, I get the sense there's a fight preparation going on just beneath the surface of the compelling story of the scrawny kid from Searchlight who became a giant in the U.S. Senate.

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    • The book succeeds on two levels: first as a compelling memoir and second as a work of political inoculation. The writing is deft and spare and at times painfully revealing, and Reid made the right decision when he selected Esquire executive editor Mark Warren as his co-author.

    Writing a book is about making choices, and "The Good Fight" glimmers with memorable anecdotes and scenes as stark as a Searchlight summer. While most political biographies are so full of hot air and self-importance that they produce measurable greenhouse gases, at times Reid's story feels like it was run through the typewriter of Erskine Caldwell.

    Reid has long reminded reporters of his early years as a boxer, but his fighting spirit wasn't developed at a local Boys Club. It was born of hunger in Searchlight, where his father was a hard-drinking miner and his mother helped put food on the table by tending to a local brothel's laundry. No matter what level of success he'd eventually achieve, and even his critics must admit his rise to the top of American politics is truly remarkable, Reid's character wasn't shaped by the Ivy League, but as the son of a calloused, irascible drunk who eventually committed suicide. And the hunger of the sons of hard-drinking men is rarely sated.

    But Reid's story, as I measure it, is more than an at times heart-wrenching memoir. It's also an antidote to whatever venom his political detractors have planned for him.

    If a man's strength is best measured by the size and tenacity of his enemies, Reid has picked up some powerful foes on his way to becoming Senate majority leader.

    If those enemies planned to take a shot at him with a critical biography -- I'm betting they do -- they'll have to work hard to counter the straight-talk literary style and depictions of the extremely colorful characters and events described in "The Good Fight."

    For however much Reid has been pining to tell his life story, it was wise of him to get it in print before someone from the other side did.

    It's better for Reid to explain his longtime friendship with controversial lawyer Jay Brown than leave it to his enemies. It's better to have Reid describe the limitless loyalty of former boxer Gary Bates than allow an outsider to paint the picture. It's better for Reid to tell the stories of Jack Gordon and Frank Rosenthal. And it's far better for Reid to state the facts about his "Cleanface" episode than leave it to those who would like to embarrass him.

    When a Kansas City mob insider at the Tropicana was captured on an FBI wiretap referring to Reid as "Mr. Cleanface," it set off years of controversy and investigation. At the time, Reid headed the Nevada Gaming Commission.

    After a number of embarrassing headlines, the issue was resolved, and Reid survived.

    Reid writes, "Working on a full-time basis, the Cleanface investigators spent more than one thousand man-hours over five months reviewing every vote I cast as commissioner and interviewing my colleagues, clients, and friends to prepare a 77-page report for the Gaming Control Board chairman, Richard Bunker, who had replaced (Phil) Hannifin. An outside accounting firm submitted all files related to my corporate and personal financial matters. Every rock they saw, they picked up and turned it over, twice. In February 1980, Bunker held an hour-long press conference to announce that the investigation had completely cleared me of any wrongdoing. But the ordeal had taken its toll. Terrible claims had been released by federal agents without a shred of substantiating evidence that created, in Bunker's mind, 'an aura of distrust.' To me, the whole period was the worst time in my life."

    It might have been the bloodiest bout of Harry Reid's incredible career, but as we learn from "The Good Fight," the Senator from Searchlight can take a punch and come back swinging.

    John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295.



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    les wrote on August 10, 2008 10:59 PM: When the smoke clears it gets down to this dingy harry is no boxer.he is a coward hiding behind gangsters,hiding behind whores.He has done nothing as a senator,but nobody thought anything about it.He just hung out and voted with the party without question.When thay made him leader he was lost.All he new for sure if he hated Bush and said .That was enough to make the liberals happy


    pete wrote on May 27, 2008 12:32 PM: john in your artical you mentioned a number of embarrassing headlines about the mobster harry reid.truth is a few negative articals were printed about reid,never a headline.harry put the word out and the author was gone .check it out.


    walt wrote on May 27, 2008 11:28 AM: SOCIALISTIC MISCREANT.HOW MANY OF HIS KIDS WORK FOR LOBBYISTS.LIKE PIGS AT THE PUBLIC TROUGH.


    GOD wrote on May 27, 2008 11:00 AM: Jack and Howard... you said it perfectly.

    Crazy Harry Reid has done nothing for this state and has taken everything for himself. He's an embarrassment for Nevada, the U.S. Senate, the U.S., and his corrupt family.

    Any mention on his ill-gotten business gains? How about his father's suicide or his mother's work at the brothel in Searchlight?


    Paul wrote on May 27, 2008 10:52 AM: Harry does a great job of presenting the federal government to Nevadans. Problem is we need someone who presents Nevada to others in Washington DC. Harry became a Beltway Boy many years ago and writes books like this to keep his Searchlight Son image going for the next election.


    Mark$ wrote on May 27, 2008 09:38 AM: The US Senate is right now voting another absolute ton of money, hundreds of billions this country does not have and cannot afford to waste, for BushCheney's insane campaign of mass murder in Iraq that has absolutely nothing to do with American freedom & security. And instead of spending every waking minute to stop this travesty, which he better than few Americans actually has the power to do, Harry Reid will be chuckling away at a book signing on West Charleston tomorrow. Shame on John L. Smith for yet more nonsense journalism that trivializes & ignores what is really going on in our dying country.


    DWK wrote on May 27, 2008 09:09 AM: Wow! I’ve heard of “man love” but this thing between you two is ridiculous. My friends on both coasts call him “Wacky Harry”, and to me he just an embarrassment. In 1998 Ensign lost to Reid by only 428 votes. Shills like you will not make a difference for long.


    howard wrote on May 27, 2008 08:46 AM: With the price of land going down in Las Vegas Harry had to find a new scam. Get a ghost writer to put together a bunch of drivel and then sell 25 copies to every library in the land. Then run the money through some BS foundation and spread it around to all of the Reid mafia. I must admit I am disappointed in Mr. Smith. Apparently he has become like Erin Neff or one of those clones over at the Sun. Harry has been a disaster for Nevada and the USA.


    LVNV wrote on May 27, 2008 08:19 AM: Can anyone confirm that Harry Reid was in fact a boxer? I have been trying to verify this for years and I have not been able to find anything to back up this claim. I would like to belive it...but since there is no record...no proof...and nobody in the entire state of Nevada that can vouch...I call BS.


    Jim Nance wrote on May 27, 2008 07:58 AM: Reids family members are lobbyist in DC.

    They make millions of dollars a year.

    Uhmmmmm.....I wonder if Reid was not the most powerful Democrat in DC if they would be making so much money.


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