The Power of Spin-Doctoring

So my dad sent me this email. As it turns out, it was clever enough for me to post. Now, don’t get me wrong, my dad has the awesome kind of wit that’ll bludgeon you with a cudgel made of sewn-together animal puns and leave you unconscious and drowning in a puddle of mud, but it is a generally accepted rule that anything received via chain email is blog post poison.

None the less, the fantastic level of spin in this story got my advertising sell-it-any-way-you-can juices vibrating so savagely that I just had to post it.

"Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree.  She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.  Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor. 
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory: 

“What? No! We’re just taking your measurements. For a gift tie. Made of rope.”

On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription:  'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times.  Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.' 

So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle. 

Senior Senator Harry Reid, seen here, trying to hide an erection

Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:

"Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the  Montana  Territory.  His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad.  Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad.  In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency.  In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed." 

NOW THAT's how it's done, Folks! 

That's real POLITICAL SPIN!" (sic - text, not photos and captions)

Note: The Congressman in the story is now a Senior Senator.

Also note: Absolutely none of this story is true.