Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, the U.S. Senate’s majority leader, recently said brothers Charles and David Koch of Wichita are “about as un-American as anyone I can imagine.”

He also accused the Kochs of “spreading lies” about President Obama’s health care plan, saying ads sponsored by the Kochs are lies and that the brothers “are immoral and dishonest.” He added, “It’s time that the American people spoke out against this terrible dishonesty of these two brothers.”

The natural reaction from such charges would be to fight back, but such actions would merely elevate Reid in the eyes of those who share his opinion.

The best course of action for the Kochs or their representatives would be to merely ask the Nevada senator to identify and refute the so-called “lies,” and if he is serious about the matter, he should back up his claims with specific information.

Or, perhaps the best thing the Kochs can do is not respond.

Instances such as this should cause those interested or concerned to take a close look at the individual making the charges and judge the character, record and mission of that individual.

The Kochs don’t need defending. The businesses they own are among the nation’s finest and most productive, providing employment for hundreds of thousands of people. Also, they have been among the country’s most generous in their philanthropic giving to a wide variety of programs and institutions.

Sen. Reid may not like the advertisements and messages paid for by the Kochs, but he exposes his thin skin and political blindness when he suggests the Kochs are “un-American,” dishonest and liars.