Absolute a**hole' or honest?

So, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) labeled Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) "an absolute a**hole" at a fundraiser Monday.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Is he?

In what may become a semi-regular feature on TheBlaze Blog, let's take a look at Reid's past comments to evaluate whether he's "an absolute a**hole" (AA) or simply honest.

THE TIME Reid said Mitt Romney's "poor father must be so embarrassed about his son." (Reid was referring to tax policy proposals by Romney during the 2012 presidential election.)

VERDICT: It's never a good idea to invoke someone's parent as an insult, especially when that parent is dead, as Romney's father George is. Definitely an AA moment for Reid.

THE TIME Reid told a TV news technician that he had "terrible breath."

VERDICT: This is a tough one. It's hard to alert someone they have something on their face, let alone a foul smell emitting from his mouth. But this can also save someone from a lot of embarrassment. For this one, we say Reid was simply honest.

THE TIME Reid complained about Washington, D.C., visitors that he could "literally smell" when they took tours of the Capitol in the summer.

VERDICT: Between the sewage and suffocating humidity, D.C. is an admittedly smelly place in the summer. But everyone smells when they've been outside and while Reid may work in the Capitol, it's not his home. It's a public place for everyone to enter and see. He was being an AA.

THE TIME Reid told former President George W. Bush that his dog was "fat."

VERDICT: Calling a dog fat isn't so bad in itself because dogs don't speak English. But calling a dog fat in front of its owner should be avoided, as dogs are possessions and you shouldn't insult anyone's possessions. For this, Reid was an AA.

@eScarry