Must Be In The Front Row

Some Senators never learn. If you keep saying that you're the honest one with nothing to hide, or say that you're taking money out of the political process, don't go accepting free tickets to the Oscar De La Hoya-Bernard Hopkins championship boxing match in Las Vegas in September 2004 as you're in the process of considering legislation to regulate boxing. Or other boxing matches in Nevada without paying for the tickets.

It looks bad. Real bad.

And who exactly are the numbnuts who decided to take up the Nevada Boxing Commission on the tickets to boxing matches?

Harry Reid - Senate Minority Leader (D-NV)
and
John McCain - Senator (R-AZ)

Reid, D-Nev., took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission as he pressed legislation to increase federal oversight of boxing, including the creation of a government commission.

Reid defended the gifts, saying they would never influence his position on the boxing bill and that he was simply trying to learn how his legislation might affect an important home state industry. “Anyone from Nevada would say I’m glad he is there taking care of the state’s No. 1 businesses,” he told The Associated Press.

Sure, but that might very well violate Senate ethics rules on gifts. McCain, to his credit, appears to have paid $1,400 for his ticket. Reid has done no such thing. He says that he would "...never would change his position because of donations, free tickets or a request from a former-staffer-turned-lobbyist." Yeah, I'll buy that for a dollar.