Integrity, honesty and credibility took a hit last week, thanks to former Senate leader Harry Reid and Sabrina Erdely, a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine.

Reid was asked by a news journalist if he regretted making a false accusation against Mitt Romney in the midst of the bitter 2012 presidential campaign. Even though he had no evidence to back up his charge, Reid announced on the Senate floor that word was out that Romney hadn't paid any taxes for 10 years.Romney produced tax returns showing he had paid his taxes, proving Reid a liar. When a journalist last week told Reid some people called it McCarthy-like to use the Senate pulpit to make false accusations, Reid said he had no regrets."Romney didn't win did he?" Reid replied.Some liberals simply dismissed it as hardball politics that has always a part of presidential campaigns. White House spokesman Josh Earnest declined to comment "for something that's three years old."Many on the right blasted Reid's pompous attitude. Wayne Rogers, the former actor actor/director/screenwriter who's now a television investment strategist, called Reid "a scumbag politician" who "stands for the worst things that we have in this country guy who will stand up on the floor of the Senate and deliberately lie to the American people."Thankfully, Reid announced he is not running for re-election, so 2016 will end his three-decade career of bloviating in the Senate.Rolling Stone magazine also made headlines on Sunday when it retracted a discredited story about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity house. The author, Sabrina Erdely, also released a statement of apology. The magazine, however, refused to take any disciplinary measures against her, the editors or fact-checkers.Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a statement that the erroneous story has done "untold damage to the University of Virginia and our commonwealth as a whole."In addition, he said the false account has been a dangerous distraction from real efforts to combat sexual violence on our college campuses.The fact that no one would be fired at Rolling Stone is shameful and a stain on responsible journalism.The obvious lack of conscience and morals by government leaders and journalists should concern us all.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com