Dennis Myers, Commentary

In the 1980s there were a number of substantial news stories on the mob connections of U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada. The Miami Herald in 1981, the Wall Street Journal in 1983, and Mother Jones magazine in a cover story in 1984 all published major reports.

A month after the Mother Jones story appeared, Mike Wallace said “60 Minutes” was working on a similar piece and that it could change the outcome of the 1984 presidential election.

To me, the comment indicated Wallace’s lack of political savvy. The notion that another negative report on the lousy company Laxalt kept could defeat Ronald Reagan’s presidential candidacy was far-fetched.

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