Once More, on Harry Reid

Last updated on: January 1, 2022 at 6:37 pm by Dan Peterson

Once More, on Harry Reid 2022-01-01T18:37:55-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The official portrait of then Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)
(Wikimedia Commons public domain photo)

***

Because of a grave defect in prudence and common sense, I’m now going to return to the subject of the late Latter-day Saint Senator and Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV). (See my prior post here.) This will provide yet another opportunity for intemperate haters to comment. However, although I’m a generous and forgiving host, I will not tolerate very much of their vitriol. (I’ll partially explain why, below.)

First of all, here is a quintet of relevant links that I recommend:

LDS Church News: “Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dies at age 82”

Deseret News: “One of the nation’s most powerful politicians was also a steadfast ‘home teacher’ at church: Harry Reid’s legacy started with his rise from poverty in rural Nevada, eventually becoming the U.S. Senate majority leader.”

Deseret News: “Sen. Mike Lee: Missing my friend, Harry Reid”

National Review: “Eric Holder Misses the Point on Harry Reid’s Legacy”

Deseret News: “Longtime Nevada Sen. Harry Reid remembered as ‘the embodiment of the American dream’: The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called Reid ‘a devoted and capable public servant who was dedicated to his family, his faith, and his country’”

Once again, let me say that, as a serious free market conservative and a federalist, I differed very much politically from Harry Reid. And there were certain things that he did and said — notably (but not only) his wildly false statement about Mitt Romney’s supposed non-payment of taxes, for which he not only never apologized but of which he actually appeared to be proud — that I found and find reprehensible.

And yet I heard very good things about him, as well, from people whom I respect and from some who had plenty of reason to see him negatively yet did not. (Please, if you haven’t, take a look at Senator Mike Lee’s comments, to which I provide a link above.)

Finally, I want to share a statement that has long appealed to me. It comes from the unfortunately named Quintin Hogg (1907-2001), Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone**,** and specifically from page 10 of his book The Case for Conservatism (Penguin, 1947):

Conservatives do not believe that political struggle is the most important thing in life. . . . The simplest among them prefer fox-hunting — the wisest religion.

What exactly did he mean? I don’t think that he was really talking about fox-hunting — of which, by the way and for the record, I’m neither an enthusiast nor a supporter. Rather, I think, he was saying that genuine conservatives believe that a large part of life, and in many ways the most important part of life, has nothing to do with politics. Real conservatives want to preserve the sanctity of genuinely private life. A common battlecry on the Left has long been that “everything is political.” To which the proper response, and certainly an authentic conservative response, is that no, it’s not. Faith, friendship, kindness — these and many other things transcend politics.

That’s one of the reasons that I oppose the demonization of Harry Reid for political reasons.

Previous Post

December 29, 2021

Harry Reid RIP

Next Post

December 30, 2021 Keith Olbermann gets into his version of the holiday spirit with regard to Mitt Romney's family

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did King Nebuchadnezzar order everyone to worship?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A lion A golden statue The sun His crown