Former Republican Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico is persona non grata with his onetime bosom buddy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Reid, a Nevada Democrat, is apparently livid over Domenici's admission that he fathered a secret love child in the 1970s with Michelle Laxalt, daughter of then Nevada Sen. Paul Laxalt.
Even mentioning Domenici's name is difficult for Reid.
During an interview this week with the
Las Vegas Review-Journal, the majority leader was asked about mental health legislation and Domenici’s involvement on the issue.
"I don’t mention Domenici's name anymore because of what he did to Michelle Laxalt," Reid told the newspaper.
Reid, who served side by side with Domenici for 22 years, also revealed how he refused a visit from his former friend.
"I wouldn’t let him come and see me. But anyway, that's another story," Reid told the Review-Journal.
Domenici, reached by the Albuquerque Journal, said he was taken aback by Reid's snub.
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"I’m surprised he had anything to say about this matter that happened 35 years ago," he said.
But Domenici is hopeful that fences can be mended one day.
"I’m sorry for what happened 35 years ago, and I look forward to any opportunity to talk with him about these matters," he said.
Domenici and Michelle Laxalt disclosed their relationship to the Journal in February. At the time of their relationship, he was 46 and she was 24.
The former senator, who retired in 2009, insists he kept their relationship and its consequences a secret at the request of Laxalt.
The pair came forward because they feared their secret was about to be leaked in a bid to smear Domenici.
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