Georgiou evokes the wrath of Reid

Poor Byron Georgiou. He's lost his good name, any real chance at holding political office in the future and a spot on a corporate board. And that's just this week!

Such are the risks when you anger Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has released more destructive political power on Georgiou than he ever did on people running to unseat him.

Georgiou's unforgivable sin? He's running for U.S. Senate in a Democratic primary against a candidate Reid supports: Rep. Shelley Berkley. And Georgiou has ignored Reid's not-so-subtle hints that he should yield the field.

Georgiou announced his intention to run for the seat in March, before U.S. Sen. John Ensign had resigned in disgrace and before Berkley declared her intent to run. (Berkley, a loyal Democratic soldier, was waiting on Reid, whose blessing is essential for a race at this level.)  

When Berkley finally announced April 14, Reid endorsed her immediately. Asked about Georgiou, Reid simply declared "he stands no chance."

Translation: Now would be a good time to exit, Byron.

Reid's comments led some to conclude he considered Georgiou a threat to Berkley's candidacy, or at the very least, an expensive distraction. The fact that Georgiou was highlighted in news releases from the National Republican Senatorial Committee didn't help, either. (If the opposition is cheerful that you're in the race, you might wonder if you're helping the cause.)

But then came this week, when media leaks came fast and furious. Georgiou has tax liens! Unpaid bills! Angry investors! Ethical questions surrounding his service on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission!

Reid fanned the flames by saying he regrets having appointing Georgiou to the commission. (But not half as much as he probably regrets accepting Georgiou's money -- including nearly $5,000 to his own campaign. Reid said this week that Georgiou "misled" him is a confession that Reid didn't properly vet a candidate for a very important panel.)

Georgiou fired back, accusing Reid of spreading "falsehoods" and vowing to stay in the race. But when the AFL-CIO of Nevada -- a group that might have met with Reid a time or two -- held a news conference to denounce Xtreme Green Products for making stuff in China, Georgiou quickly stepped down from its board of directors.

Sources say Reid lowered the boom after hearing repeatedly that Georgiou was claiming the senator supports him for Senate. But Georgiou's camp denies that and wonders who would even believe it, given Reid's embrace of Berkley.

Reid would undoubtedly have cared little about Georgiou's sins -- whether real or not -- had Georgiou simply exited the Senate race, or better yet, never entered it. In fact, there's a good chance Georgiou could have secured Reid's blessing for a run for Congress (we'll have four districts soon) or the state Legislature (plenty of open seats as lawmakers jockey for higher office).

But by defying Reid, Georgiou has kicked the hornet's nest. He's fond of saying Washington doesn't get to decide who can run for Senate. And while that's true, the practical reality is the Nevada Democratic Party is a wholly owned Reid subsidiary, and Reid has decided -- correctly -- that Berkley has the best chance of defeating appointed U.S. Sen. Dean Heller.

So now what? If Georgiou steps away from the race, he'll admit that Reid scared him out, and he seems too proud for that. Moreover, the longer he survives the drubbing, the more he can tell himself he went nose-to-nose with Reid and is still standing. In that sense, Reid's cluster-bombing may be counter-productive.

Meanwhile, the Republicans (for once) seem to have their primary house in order. ...

Steve Sebelius is a Review-Journal political columnist and author of the blog SlashPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/SteveSebelius or reach him at (702) 387-5276 or ssebelius@ reviewjournal.com.