Home manage Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue

sponsored by
News


Column on Reid sparking response

Thousands post about dust-up with senator

RELATED STORIES




The headlines say no one reads newspapers, but the flap between Sen. Harry Reid and the Las Vegas Review-Journal tells a different story.

More than 4,700 readers from across the nation posted online comments to the Sunday column by Review-Journal publisher Sherman Frederick, who alleged Reid threatened the paper by wishing it would go out of business.


Most Popular Stories
  • 'YOU DON'T BLOW A BUNCH OF CASH IN VEGAS ...': Obama remark reopens wound
  • LAUGHLIN EDGEWATER: Two dead in casino car crash
  • NORM: Ad's Strip scenes raised eyebrows
  • Shutting down the Ritz
  • Shutting down the Ritz
  • Former commander of USS Cole considers run against Reid
  • NORM: $1 million wager on Super Bowl approved
  • Tourist describes chaos as car plows into Laughlin casino, killing two
  • Tourist describes chaos as car plows into Laughlin casino, killing two
  • IMAGES FROM 1860S: Photos show historic Nevada
  • Fighter battles rare disease that shatters mixed martial arts dream
  • Flood advisory for Las Vegas Valley




  • The piece also quickly generated about 75 letters to the editor and coverage by the New York Times, Politico, CNN, Fox News and other news organizations.

    In the column, Frederick responded to comments Reid made to Bob Brown, the newspaper's advertising director, before a Chamber of Commerce lunch Wednesday at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas.

    "I hope you go out of business," was how Brown recounted the comments to Frederick, who responded in his weekly column.

    Frederick characterized Reid's statement as "a full-on threat perpetrated by a bully who has forgotten that he was elected to office to protect Nevadans, not sound like he's shaking them down."

    The column circulated on the Internet Sunday and, following a link by the Drudge Report, led to a frenzy of news coverage and more reader responses on Monday.

    "Just when I gave up on the printed media a gutsy paper stands up to a bully from Washington. Whether Republican or Democrat, these pompous thugs need to be thrown out," wrote one responder identified as Edward.

    Other online comments said that Frederick blew Reid's remark out of proportion, and they criticized the newspaper.

    "His statement does not seem like a threat at all," wrote one person identified as Arthritis. "If your publication makes these broad inferences with no evidence, perhaps it should go out of business."

    Reid spokesman Jon Summers said the flap was overblown.

    "Clearly he wasn't serious," Summers said. "Once again, the editors at the Review-Journal got it wrong."

    Reid and the Review-Journal have had a mixed relationship. The paper endorsed Reid in 2004, but in 1998, it endorsed his Republican opponent, then-Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev.

    Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.

    Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites

    Leave Your Comment 197 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

    Cary Brus wrote on October 09, 2009 05:32 PM: Review-Journal: thanks for having the cajones to stand up to Reid. He needs to go away. You are one of the few papers worthy of your 1st Amendment protection.
    Holding Reid accountable does everyone in the U.S., not just Nevada, a great service.
    Thanks.
    A Wyoming Reader


    T W Keeley wrote on September 13, 2009 10:22 AM: I know very little about Sen Reid, but I do know he is holding the whole country at ransom over the safe disposal of nuclear waste. I hope I am wrong, but he seems like a very selfish man in charge of the Senate. It takes a BIG man to be a big man and in my opinion this comment to the Review-journal shows again that Sen Reid does not measure up.


    Mike wrote on September 11, 2009 09:43 PM: The story seems far fetched, but this type of behaviour is consistent with the other things Harry has done in the past.


    Greg wrote on September 07, 2009 12:29 PM: Sherman Frederick comes across as a child ranting, or an adult whose paper is fading in relevance, sans local entertainment reporting and marketing, someone who is reaching and grasping as a businessman-opportunist for mindless, conflict-seeking chatter, anything to sell one more newspaper, and put in some kind of anti-change Republican Party message.

    The status quo been the kind of relationships and mindsets that sustained his paper's revenues for a good number of years. Big pants in a small, locked up town, but now perhaps today's newfound Pretender, which singer Jackson Browne originally wrote and sang about in the mid 70s with regard to new suburbia along the freeway. Today's pretender is older, whitebread, and increasingly (1) negative, (2) frustrated and (3) irrelevant.

    Old school newspaper man? Hardly.

    They would have congratulated BYU on a big upset win over Oklahoma, allowing Senator Reid to enjoy the outcome on a Sunday devoid of pitching sand, inviting anyone within earshot to come wrestle in the sandbox.


    mindy lu wrote on September 07, 2009 09:37 AM: We can only hope the RJ won't waste any space on positive words about Reid. I'm sure they won't make a dollar on print ads from Senator Reid. Nevadans want Harry Reid out so desperately they'll vote for anyone with a half-way decent platform. Face it, Harry, you're old and your time has come and gone. Time to go back to Searchlight and blend in with all the locals. I'm sure you don't know a soul in your "hometown".


    Tom from MN wrote on September 04, 2009 09:17 AM: And the response from the Reid camp is "Clearly he wasn't serious?" Give me a break. I can't imagine going to anyone - friend or foe and making a laughable response that they should go out of business, especially in this economic climate, and intend it as a joke.

    The only joke I see is on Harry-the-ego for a newspaper finally having the guts to call this clown out. Good luck getting rid of him though, I’d bet Nevada has so much pork funneling through this guy, my 1040 bill has personally bought a monument with Reid’s name on it – and I’m from MN! Thank you LVRJ for speaking out.

    How about an article on our MN senators and their closed town-hall meetings ? There is no media in our state that has the courage to stand up to this corrupt DFL machine.


    brian wrote on September 02, 2009 06:07 PM: Lets get Reid and all the other money hungry democrats outta there!!! NOBAMA!!!


    LAFEDUR wrote on September 02, 2009 05:53 PM: I now believe that as long as I don't write anything positive about Sherman Frederick, my comments won't be published.That shows that you don't like to be criticized.Where is your honesty? Don't forget that the Nevada demographic has changed for ever. This is my third time trying to voice my point. You have tried to make people think (dummies) that Las Review Journal is not a Republican Newspaper or unbiased and independent, like your NIXON/DIXON POLL putting unknown Tarkanian ahead of Reid.I can't wait until we re-elect Reid again, as an effective senator, who has worked tiredlessly to promote Nevada's course.
    I will only give you any credence or credibility if you can talk about the Nevada's INEPT Senator Ensign. He is in Washington representing his pocket and GOP donors and not Nevada. You have a great Senaor Reid who has consistently worked hard to put Nevada on the national map and yet your intense hatred has blinded you so much that one day you will be given a pink slip and return to the Republican establishment.
    In a nutshell, Sherman, when you can trust your wife with Ensign for a week or two in a hotel, then come back and write us your observation.
    If you have the gut to publish this, then I will list and contrast achievements by Senator Reid against other Nevada senators in the last 30 years.


    BigDarkie wrote on September 02, 2009 04:05 PM: It be da Booshes fault. Fo real!


    Buzz Daly wrote on September 02, 2009 09:59 AM: Sherman? No wonder he's such a fragile little wimp.

    Real Vegas Newsmen are named Bill, or Hank, or Ned.

    What a whiner.

    Boo Hoo.


    Read All Comments