Harry Reid on Southern Nevada standoff: 'this thing is not over'

[alp227]

Last week's standoff between Southern Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and the Bureau of Land Management "is not over," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told a gathering of students, professors and political candidates Monday at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Reid, speaking at an event hosted by The Young Democrats, declined to go into detail about the controversy that has emerged from Bundy's long-standing refusal to pay federal grazing fees for his cattle. Reid also gave short answers on the subject before the students and faced questioning from a non-student who was highly critical.

"I have been very clear in saying this thing is not over, OK?" Reid said as he was walking out the door of the meeting room at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. "It's not over. You can't have someone violate the law. I have said that many times."

On Saturday, federal land managers abruptly ended a roundup of cattle on public land in southern Nevada owned by Bundy, citing a "serious concern" for the safety of employees and the public after hundreds of Bundy supporters, some of them armed, came to the ranch to confront the federal officials.


...

Kim Kollman, who later identified himself as a former teacher at Truckee Meadows Community College, confronted Reid during a question-and-answer session over the issue.

Citing Reuters News Service, the Drudge Report and another website, Kollman asked Reid if he was in collusion with his son and the "Communist Chinese" to forcibly remove Bundy from his property to help bring more solar energy to Southern Nevada. Kollman said Reid was "papering over" the question of possible collusion.

full: http://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2014/04/14/reid-bundy-standoff-thing/7718089/

As Conwebwatch notes, not even Breitbart.com of all sites is buying this Harry Reid developer conspiracy theory:

Despite the obvious partisan gain to be had if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s son Rory (a failed 2010 Nevada gubernatorial candidate) had somehow been involved in a “land grab” affecting the Bundy family ranch operation—the facts just do not pan out as such. Indeed, Rory Reid did in fact have a hand in plans to reclassify federal lands for renewable energy developments. Just northeast of Las Vegas and Nellis Air Force Base, plans were drawn by Reid allies to potentially develop 5,717 acres of land for such use. While it would be fair to claim that such activity was in Bundy’s relative neighborhood, the federal lands once leased by the family were more than 20 miles away, east of Overton, Nevada. Contrasting maps offered by InfoWars and those entered into federal court record prove such a theory to be a stretch.

The Reno Gazette-Journal article goes on though:

The new head of the Bureau of Land Management, Neil Kornze of Elko, was named to his new post just days before the Bundy-BLM standoff. Before moving to the BLM, Kornze served as senior policy adviser for Reid, working on public lands issues.

Some Republicans balked at Kornze's age of 35 during hearings, according to the Washington Post. Yet Kornze earned Senate confirmation with a 71-28 vote on April 8. Reid referred to Kornze as " somebody that is just perfect for the job," after he received Senate confirmation as BLM director.

Here's the roll call. Reid's fellow senator from Nevada, Republican Dean Heller, voted to confirm Kornze. 15 other Republicans also voted for Kornze.

(Edit) Snopes has an entry re Harry Reid/Chinese solar/Nevada/Bundy.

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Bet the house on this bunch of

TAKERS(Bundy Bunch)going bye bye down the road. This is all about smearing the Harry. Nice try by the TeaBillies,ain't going to work. Pay attention to the maneuvering by Mr. Reid on the Senate Floor. These militia and Bagger groups are going to pay big time. Interesting.

Have met the new BLM fellow. He is the man for the job,very environmentally tuned in. He recognizes the need for shutting down all grazing in the Gold Butt area. The land needs to be idled,it's in bad shape and it's going to be many years before it stabilizes.