Ever since the Abramoff scandal rained crap on many GOPers, the Republican establishment and their colleagues in the press have been looking for the equivalent level of corruption in Democrats.  They think they’ve found it.

The headline reads "Reid Accepted Free Boxing Tickets While a Related Bill Was Pending":

Senate Democratic Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) accepted free ringside tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission to three professional boxing matches while that state agency was trying to influence him on federal regulation of boxing.

Reid took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 as he was pressing legislation to increase government oversight of the sport, including the creation of a federal boxing commission that Nevada’s agency feared might usurp its authority.

Except it’s not that bad.  TPM Muckraker explains that "there is an exception for gifts from governmental agencies (like the Nevada Athletic Commission) in the Senate ethics rules. So there is nothing untoward about Reid having accepted the free tickets."

Moreover, Reid voted against the legislation for which the Commission was seeking his support.

Now, to be sure, this has the appearance of impropriety, and perhaps Reid should have been smarter.  (There’s no doubt he would not do this in a post-Abramoff world).  But it’s hardly comparable.