NY Times columnist: Feud between Harry Reid, Mitt Romney is symptomatic of a broken system

Our take: In light of the ongoing spat between Harry Reid and Mitt Romney, Columnist Frank Bruni decries a political climate wherein serious allegations can be levied without any evidence or factual substantiation. Spew first and sweat the details later, or never. Speak loosely and carry a stick-thin collection of backup materials, or none at all. Thats the M.O. of the moment, familiar from the past but in particularly galling and profuse flower of late.

FOR the dwindling few out there who still believe that big accusations require a little foundation and that truth as opposed to conjecture matters, heres an update:

As last week drew to a close, Harry Reid, the Senates Democratic majority leader, had backed up his claim that Mitt Romney didnt pay taxes for a 10-year period with absolutely nothing more than some vague reference to some unnamed guy who said something of the sort to Reid during some phone conversation some time ago.

Read more about Mitt Romney and Harry Reid on The New York Times.