I was listening to snippets of the Angle/Reid debate and was extremely interested in Harry’s answer to Angle’s question about how he managed to accumulate his wealth:

I think most everyone knows I was a very successful lawyer. I did a very good job in investing. I’ve been on a fixed income since I went to Washington. I’ve lived off of what I made in the private sector. I put my five kids through 100 semesters of school, and I paid for every penny of it. So her suggestion that I made money being a Senator is simply false, and I’m really disappointed that she would suggest that.

He didn’t deny being wealthy, so we have to assume that Angle was telling the truth there. That said, it just doesn’t add up.

• Harry’s father was a miner — a very noble profession and I only mention it to highlight the fact that Harry was not born into “family money”.
• He was born December 2, 1939 and I assume he spent at least 8 years obtaining that law degree… considering that he first received an A.A., then a B.A and finally his J.D. — the latter while working for the capital police.
• His political career began in 1964 as the Henderson City Attorney. Assuming he went to college when he was 18 and spent 7-8 years in college, this was probably his first job after completing his J.D.
• From 1964 until now, he has served in political positions except for a few years for which I can find no information: ’66-’69 and ’75-’77.

  So Harry would have us believe he became wealthy by smart investing and whatever income he received during those five years he wasn’t in public service?

  This is just another one of those cases where a politician wants to believe that the rest of us are idiots.

  References:
  Transcript of the Harry Reid-Sharron Angle debate, Oct. 14, 2010
  Harry Reid