Battle Born Blogs

I just discovered I'm a Battle Born Blog, courtesy of D.C. Thornton. I'll be sure to return the favor of blogrolling him, and as time permits review the other Battle Born Blogs to see which of my fellow Nevada bloggers need some daily clicking.

Speaking of Battle Born blogging, here's a link to a Review-Journal article about Harry Reid announcing he is creating a blind trust. If you have been following the recent Bill Frist scandal at all, you'll recognize the phrase because Frist may or may not be in trouble for ordering the sale of stock in his own blind trust. (For a great, reasonably neutral primer on the Frist scandal, check out Ace of Spades). Is it just a coincidence that Reid is a) formally announcing that he's creating a blind trust of his own, and b) coming to Frist's defense?

From the Review-Journal:

"Hafen said Reid moved to establish a blind trust well before Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., came under investigation for management of his trust holdings.
...
"Reid defended Frist in comments made to Roll Call. 'I know he wouldn't do anything intentionally wrong,' he said."

First, Hafen could be literally correct, yet still misleading, if Reid heard rumblings about Frist's problems before the technical beginning of any official investigation. Second, Reid's defense of Frist is very carefully crafted to suggest a bit of a defense for himself, should anyone start to raise eyebrows, and simultaneously a subtle bit of condescension. "Billy tries to be good, but he's a little too stupid to manage something complicated like stock..."

For the record, I don't want to sound like I'm defending Frist. He may have committed a crime, and he may not have, and I seriously don't care one way or the other. I suspect most conservatives feel the same way. After trying to diagnose Terry Schiavo by watching video footage of her, and then supporting federally-funded stem cell research, he managed to kill his own credibility from both directions within a short period of time. I've got nothing emotionally invested in the guy, and I don't think Republicans are any less likely to fudge on the securities laws, so he's just not in a position to garner much sympathy.