Lunchtime! And that means it’s time for another heaping helping of Quick Hits! Today we discuss the curious appearance of George Harris on a Republican fund-raiser invitation, the Republican tax relief plan, Harry Reid’s affection for the corrupt, and the next president of both UNLV and the nation. Enjoy!

• Which of these is not like the others? We had to laugh at an invitation to a Nevada Republican Party fund-raiser at Cili at Bali Hai. The $250-per-person reception is hosted by a spate of top GOPers including state Sens. Bob Beers, Mark Amodei and Randolph Townsend, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, Assemblyman Garn Mabey, U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons and George E. Harris.

Whoa. George E. Harris? You mean the George E. Harris who couldn’t get an anti-tax petition on the ballot in one of the most anti-tax states in the union after a tax debate roiled the media for months? Who hasn’t been on the victorious side of a political battle in living memory? Who publishes Liberty Watch The Magazine, a publication that brought racist columnist Ken Ward back to town? Who is perhaps the most reliable barometer of political events — in reverse. People literally ask him views about what’s going to happen in order to learn what’s not going to happen? George E. Harris, the punchline to a thousand Nevada political jokes?

That George E. Harris?

We had no idea the GOP was so strapped for cash. Seriously, guys, if you need $20 until payday, we can spot you. We know you’re good for it. Well, most of you.

• The rich get richer. If the word on the street (well, actually, the word from the combined Brookings Institution and Urban Institute tax policy shop ) is to be believed, the House-approved tax plan will return an average of $20 in tax relief to the middle income family, which as we know is not enough to fill the gas tank of our trusty Honda.

But that tiny percentage of households making more than $1 million per year will get $42,000 in tax relief.

And the government won’t collect $69 billion over the next five years, under the plan, which was supported by U.S. Reps. Jon Porter and Jim Gibbons. That’s $69 billion that could have gone toward shoring up Social Security (we hear lots of Baby Boomers are getting ready to retire soon), a real Medicare prescription drug plan or even restoring slashed student loan money.

If you think $20 versus $42,000 isn’t very fair tax relief, we know a couple of gals — Jill Derby and Tessa Hafen — who might want to talk to you about that.

• Oh, you’ve got to be kidding. We originally missed the story inside Wednesday’s Review-Journal in which U.S. Sen. Harry Reid had something nice to say about convicted felon and corrupt politician Dario Herrera. Or perhaps we just didn’t want to believe what we were reading.

“I think he’s young enough when he finishes whatever punishment the court metes out to him that he can still contribute to society,” Reid said.

Oh, no. We listened to Reid once on Herrera, and he turned out to be a bribe-taking crook who lied to everybody, Reid included. The good senator may choose to believe in the power of redemption in Herrera’s case, but we’re not buying it, and nobody else should, either.

But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that Reid has unwisely opened himself to legitimate attacks from the Republicans on ethics. “At what point does Harry Reid’s absurd hypocrisy on corruption become total disconnect?” asked Tucker Bounds, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, in the Review-Journal. “His refusal to denounce convicted felon Dario Herrera is second only to his relentless attacks on corruption despite his own dies to Jack Abramoff.”

We hate to admit it, but we agree with a Republican named “Tucker.” What has the world come to?

• Drop and give me 25! So it looks like the next president of UNLV is going to be retiring Lt. Gen. Bill Lennox, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. That’s got to be quite a transition, from heading an institution that turned out the likes of Gens. Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas McArthur, Omar Bradley and George S. Patton, Jr. to an institution churning out tomorrow’s pit bosses, middle managers and casino flacks.

Only kidding. UNLV is a fine school, and it’s only getting better.

Unlike Gen. Michael Hayden, USAF, Lennox will retire from the Army before taking over at UNLV. (Hayden plans to keep his stars when he rides the elevator to the top floor of Langley.) But we wonder if a military man like Lennox will thrive in a university system populated by oddball characters who can barely prove they’ve been to college, much less should be running one. And by “oddball characters” of course we mean regents.

It’s a far cry from training up the officer corps of the future, that’s for sure. But at least the presidential search committee didn’t recommend a Marine general officer for the job. There’s only so much reform UNLV can take. Now drop and give us 25, maggots, and count ‘em off! We can’t hear you!

• And finally today, President George W. Bush on a trip to Florida recommended his brother, outgoing Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, for the presidency.

And here we thought the entire country had already been screwed, blued and tattooed. Is there really anything left for ‘ol. Jeb to screw up?

We know it’s against your better judgment, America, but maybe you should look outside the Bush family for your next president? We won’t go so far as to say vote for a Democrat; that might be too much. But at least get somebody in there who cares at least as much about healthy Americans as he does about people in persistent vegetative states, like Terri Schiavo. We’re just saying…