Dick Batchelor and Harry Reid: Champ & Chump
Champ
Dick Batchelor: Twelve years ago, this consultant and former state legislator spearheaded a successful campaign to earn voter approval for a half-penny sales tax in Orange County to build and renovate public schools. While six earlier tax proposals had failed, the Batchelor-led effort in 2002 won with 60 percent of the vote. With a long list of schools to finish and the tax set to expire in 2015, he stepped forward again to be point man on the campaign to extend the levy. And this time, it got nearly 64 percent approval. Quite an encore for Batchelor — and another victory for schoolkids.
Chump
Harry Reid: The U.S. Senate's top Democrat embarrassed himself and his party recently when he made racially offensive remarks at an Asian Chamber of Commerce event, including this doozy: “One problem I've had today is keeping my Wongs straight.” Yuk, yuk. Reid later apologized, saying “Sometimes, I say the wrong thing.” Sometimes? Other casualties in the career catalogue of public insults from the Nevada five-termer have included African Americans and Hispanics. Democrats who are quick to blast any hint of racism from Republicans might want to re-evaluate their own Senate leader.