Nevada Caucus 2008

Nevada Caucus Information

2008-01-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

Nevada Caucus 2008 is no longer active. However, I did notice that the visits to the blog have jumped in recent weeks mostly due to internet searches. I'm still writing about the caucus at My Silver State, Nevada's first progressive community blog. For all the latest on the caucus check out My Silver State.

Diary Contest - Who's Your Favourite Presidential Candidate

2007-08-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

We do hear a lot from the campaigns and their staff why their candidate is the best and why we should support them.

But what about you?

Who do you like? Who is your favourite Democratic presidential candidate? During the month of August we're looking to hear from you. Tell us why you like Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, or Bill Richardson.

All you have to do is register at My Silver State (if you have not already done so), log in and click "new diary" on the menu in the right sidebar. Writing a diary is relatively easy. All you have to do is type what you have to say, click preview and, if it looks okay, publish it. So even if you haven't done this before you shouldn't need to worry about that.

The rules are simple: you can remain anonymous or not, that is totally up to you, but we do limit this diary contest to Nevada residents. So please state in which city or county you live.

The best diaries will be promoted to the frontpage. Even though My Silver State only got started about three weeks ago, we already have a little less than 1,000 visitors per week with about 2,000 page loads. So at least several hundred visitors, if not more, will get to read what you have to say. You can write your diary in any way that you like. It's totally up to you. We just ask you to refrain from attacking other candidates. We want to hear what is good about your candidate, not what is bad about the others.

Get to work! Promote your candidate!

Saying Good-Bye to "Nevada Caucus 2008"

2007-07-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a fun time writing this blog but today I'm saying good-bye to "Nevada Caucus 2008". As you have probably noticed I launched My Silver State - Nevada's first progressive community blog - last week. While some consider me the "German blog magnate" (never had a nickname, thanks Gleaner!), I really do have my limits.

I will continue writing about the Nevada Caucus, only at a different venue - My Silver State. There you can also enjoy other viewpoints and "join the conversation" (as Hillary would say) by registering and writing comments and diaries.

That said, I will continue to write from time to time on my first blog, Turn Tahoe Blue, as I also cover California politics there. Furthermore, Helluva Heller will continue to run as a one stop spot for everything Heller and I will cross-post most of what I write there to My Silver State.

Nevada Caucus 2008 will however not be deleted - for archival reasons.

Thank you for reading my blog and commenting here. I hope to see you at My Silver State!

Introducing My Silver State - A Community Blog for Nevada

2007-07-12T08:59:00.001-07:00

Nevada's blogosphere is diverse and bigger than one might assume. However, thus far there has not been a community blog for Democrats and progressives. This is about to change.

Today, My Silver State has been launched. My Silver State is a community blog for progressive Nevadans. Think Daily Kos, only in small and silver/blue.

Anyone who wishes to help elect Democrats in Nevada and anyone who would like to advance progressive causes in Nevada is welcome to register, comment and write diaries.

In the end it's up to you to make both My Silver State and Nevada your Silver State.

Elizabeth Edwards to Open Campaign's Reno Office

2007-07-11T03:50:00.001-07:00

While John Edwards will be in Vegas today, his wife Elizabeth will be in Reno on Sunday to open the campaign's office there. From a campaign email:

Reno Office Opening with Elizabeth Edwards
Sunday, July 15th at 12 noon
Edwards for President Reno Office
700 Smithridge Dr. Suite 101
Reno, NV
RSVP here: http://johnedwards.com/r/21763/402397/

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of John Edwards then join Nevada for John Edwards group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Obama to Attend House Party in LV on Friday

2007-07-11T03:44:00.001-07:00

The LVRJ reports that Obama will be in Las Vegas tomorrow:

The Illinois senator will attend a "house party" in western Las Vegas on Friday afternoon, hosted by some local supporters. It is open only to invitees, of which there will be only a couple hundred or so, rather than the large crowds that have attended Obama's previous public appearances in the state.

The hosts of the event are local couple Yvette and Damone Williams, who will open their home on Redwood Street, just off Rainbow Boulevard between Desert Inn Road and Sahara Avenue, to Obama and a group of potential Nevada Democratic caucus-goers.

The setting will allow Obama to "have a real conversation and dialogue with them, to engage with the issues in sort of a casual environment," campaign spokeswoman Liz Oxhorn said.
Prior to the 1 p.m. event, Obama will spend the morning in political meetings with Nevadans, she said.

It seems like this will be the big Nevada week of the presidential candidates as Edwards, Richardson and Dodd will also come in the next couple of days.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Barack Obama group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Richardson First Candidate to Visit Elko

2007-07-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Who will be the first presidential candidate to venture into Nevada's rurals? Most, if not all, candidates have been to Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City by now. A few have travelled a little further inland from Reno and Carson, and Dodd was the first to leave Las Vegas and visit Pahrump.

However, thus far no candidate has gone further than that. Bill Richardson will not only be the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit Elko this Friday, he'll also be the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit Elko in 50 years. This is important news, not only for Elko and rural Democrats, but also for Richardson who needs to do very well in Nevada's caucuses. Visiting Elko will certainly be a first step.

Before travelling to Elko, Richardson will open his Reno campaign office.

Here are the details:

RENO - Please join Governor Richardson for the Grand Opening celebration of his Reno office.

When: 11:30am, Fri., July 13
Where: 418 Cheney St. Reno

ELKO - Governor Richardson will be the first Democratic Presidential Candidate to Visit Elko in 50 years.

When: 1:30pm, Friday, July 13
Where: The Old Airport Terminal off of Mountain City Highway, Elko, NV

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Bill Richardson? Then join the Nevada for Bill Richardson group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Hillary Wows Nevada Democrats - Why Endorsements are Important

2007-07-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton scored another couple of endorsements, mostly low-key this time but including the first rural one. The LVRJ:

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign says it will announce another batch of endorsements from Nevada elected officials today.

If it seems like you've read this story before, it's because Clinton's Nevada campaign is racking up practically all the endorsements of prominent Democrats, from state officers to county commissioners to legislators to city council members.

Coming on board today will be Las Vegas City Councilman Ricki Barlow, North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Stephanie Smith and Dennis Keating, president of the Nye County School Board.

They follow a trail blazed by Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid and since trodden by such Democratic notables as former Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, former Gov. Bob Miller, state Sen. Dina Titus, Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, state Treasurer Kate Marshall and long lists of business leaders and activists in the Hispanic, black and Asian communities.

Some of the more interesting endorsements are still out there, as thus far most Democratic members of the state legislature have yet to endorse any candidate. Washoe County's Democratic Assembly members are recounting their experiences to the Reno Gazette-Journal's Ray Hagar:

"It was very exciting to check my voice mail and have a message from Hillary Clinton," Leslie said. "She left me her cell number and her office number. You can't help but be star struck when national candidates of that caliber are calling you on your cell phone. That has never happened to most of us in Nevada.

[...]

Bobzien is a prime example of the push to get the legislators. He's just coming off his first term in the Assembly but was given the honor, usually reserved for a party bigwig, to introduce Edwards, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina, during his recent presidential campaign stop in Reno.
"It was pretty exciting, and I certainly had butterflies in my stomach when I did it," Bobzien said.

Of course, butterflies are not a criteria for choosing a presidential candidate, so David Bobzien has asked his constituents to let him know their opinion on his blog. The original post already has four comments to it, all by Hillary Clinton supporters:

“Oh yeah, the caucus.” Phone and email messages from supporters, surrogates and even the candidates themselves were already stacking up and reminded me that the next part of my new job as a politician had already begun. Nevada’s Democratic Presidential Caucus was in full swing and it was time for me to hop aboard. Candidates are campaigning hard, and they’re asking for my support.

Having met six of the eight Democratic candidates for President, read books written or suggested by many of them, and followed news of the campaign, I would have thought my choices for President would be clear by now. But here’s the thing…

I have no idea who I’ll ultimately support for President.

That’s where you come in. I need your help.

David Bobzien also posted an email from a Richardson supporter. Meanwhile, the Clinton campaign explains the importance of these endorsements:

"Having an early caucus in Nevada is new," said Hilarie Grey, state press secretary for Clinton. "So, when you have people in Assembly districts who run grassroots campaigns, who really know their district, its people and their issues, those are the kind of people who you want working in your campaign."
The campaigns are not just after the representatives endorsements. They also want their organizational skills.
"It is important to keep in mind that you need people who are good at organizing, who are grassroots advocates who will bring a caucus together," said Adam Bozzi, Nevada press secretary for the John Edwards campaign. "Our big focus is trying to make sure that we have people who know how to organize."
Added Grey: "At least in the Clinton campaign, we are not looking for symbolic endorsements. We are looking for people with great knowledge of Nevada and great grassroots networking that can help Nevada."

And the Clinton people certainly know how to wow Nevada Democrats. The Nevada Dem blog reported on Tuesday:

The major presidential campaigns were well represented by articulate, passionate and committed staffers. Hillary Clinton knocked everyone’s socks off with a magnificent, very personalized video message to the group –- boutique marketing at its zenith!

And Molly Ball of the LVRJ also took notice of this:

At a recent party Central Committee meeting in Elko, all the candidates sent representatives. But Clinton sent a personalized video in which she mentioned many party insiders and staffers by name.

"People were standing there with their mouths open," the official said.

"They couldn't believe Hillary Clinton said their name. They all wanted copies of the video."

And there would be a lot of copies to go around. Judge for yourself. The campaign has posted the video on its website.

Of course, all this has a little side-effect - expectations:

A prominent Democratic insider who hasn't endorsed a candidate said some of the national campaigns were leery of committing too many resources to Nevada's first-time caucus effort if Clinton already has it sown up.
That, the insider said, could hurt the credibility of the new effort and diminish its significance in early-state momentum.

"In D.C., they think it (Nevada) is hers to lose, so they are not paying as much attention to Nevada as they could be."

Another side-effect was mentioned by the Las Vegas Gleaner - that Nevada might be perceived as Clinton's to lose. Is it?

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Chris Dodd to Tour Nevada July 12 & 13

2007-07-06T04:15:00.000-07:00

Chris Dodd, the only candidate so far to campaign in the rurals (in Pahrump), will come for another swing through Nevada next week with events in Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City:

Dodd will be on hand to open his campaign's Las Vegas office on Thursday at 5:45 p.m. The office is at 801 South Valley View Blvd., one block south of Sahara Avenue. The public is welcome.

After the office opening, the Connecticut senator will stay in Las Vegas for a private fundraiser.

On Friday, he travels to Northern Nevada, meeting with Culinary union workers in Reno in the morning; having a picnic lunch for members of the public in Carson City's Fuji Park at noon; and having a town hall meeting in Reno on Friday evening.

It will be Dodd's fourth swing through the Silver State this year.

Here are the locations and dates for two of the events:

LAS VEGAS: Join Chris Dodd for the grand opening of his Nevada Campaign Headquarters!

When: Thursday, July 12th, 5:45 p.m.
Where: 2801 South Valley View Boulevard, #3 (one block South of Sahara on Valley View)

RSVP: 702-256-DODD (3633)

CARSON CITY: Dodd will be in Carson City on Friday, July 13th for a picnic lunch. Please save the date and plan to come meet one of our outstanding Democratic candidates.

When: 12:15 p.m. Friday, July 13th
Where: Fuji Park located on Clear Creek Road across from Costco.

No details on the town hall meeting yet, but once that information becomes available you should be able to find it either on Chris Dodd's website or at the official NV Dem Caucus website.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Chris Dodd? Then join the Nevada for Chris Dodd group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Edwards Town Hall in Las Vegas, July 11

2007-07-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

John Edwards will be back in Las Vegas next week. You can see and hear him at a town hall meeting on Wednesday, July 11. Here are the details:

Town Hall Meeting with John Edwards
Jul 11, 2007
12:00 p.m.
Sheet Metal Workers Local #88
2560 Marco St
Las Vegas, NV
For more information, call 702-434-3978 or email nevada@johnedwards.com

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of John Edwards then join Nevada for John Edwards group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

ABBA Explaining Iraq

2007-06-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Abba:

It's a shame that some of the Democratic presidential candidates voted for this war, are unable and/or unwilling to end it by defunding it and in one instance refuse to fully recognize their misjudgment and refuse to apologize.

The Most Ridiculous Fundraising Email Ever

2007-06-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

When one is on the email list of a presidential candidate (or in my case of every presidential candidate) one has to bare a lot of b.s. mails, especially at the end of quarter when all the fundraising mails are sent out.

One tries to take it in stride. However that is not always possible. Here is the most ludicrous, ridiculous, idiotic fundraising email yet:

Looking for another reason to support Joe Biden for President? We promise that during a Biden Administration, Dick Cheney will not be a member of the EXECUTIVE OR LEGISLATIVE branch of government.

Support Joe Biden for President. There's one day left before the second quarter filing deadline.
Make a contribution by midnight Saturday.

Good Lord!

In Nevada, Hillary Clinton Gets Biggest Endorsement Yet

2007-06-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today, Hillary Clinton received the biggest endorsement in her quest to win the Nevada Caucus as of yet. State Treasurer Kate Marshall of Reno is the latest edition to Hillary's growing Nevada endorsement list:

Marshall, a Democrat who was first elected in November, said she is endorsing Clinton because of Clinton’s fiscal policies.

“It is all to do with her fiscal policy,” Marshall said. “I like her comment on government reform. I really appreciate that she no longer wants to be a debtor nation and that we need to live within our means. She doesn’t believe that tax dollars represent an unlimited credit card.”

Marshall said Clinton understand the importance of the business sector in shaping a strong economy.

“She is the candidate who understand that you can’t have a strong economy without a strong business community,” Marshall said. “She talks about shared prosperity. In other to make the economy strong, you have to have a strong business community and you have to have a strong work force. These two are codependent and I like it when I hear someone identify the fact that we need a strong business community.”

Now, there have been other endorsements before Marshall. They are Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid, State Senate Min. Leader Dina Titus, former Gov. Bob Miller, and former Attorney General Frankie Sue del Papa.

Why does Marshall's endorsement eclipse those of the other important current and former officials. Three reasons:

Kate Marshall is the only current statewide official so far to endorse any candidate.
Kate Marshall is the only northern Nevadan to endorse any candidate. She is also the only Democratic northern Nevadan statewide official.
Kate Marshall is a rising star in Nevada. She is a possible candidate for any higher office, including Governor, US House and Senate.

All in all, she was the top prize in northern Nevada. And Hillary snatched her.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Fundraising: Hillary Uses Bill, Edwards Uses Coulter - Again

2007-06-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the fundraising quarter - and frankly: I'm sick of it. It's the same old, the same idiotic emails, the same pitches as last quarter. Some campaigns are even using the same people to rake in some money. Hillary once again asked her husband, the former President, to send out a fundraising email - which fails to surprise (though it is still weird to check your emails and find one from Bill Clinton).

What is surprising is that, once again, dumbpundit Ann Coulter couldn't keep her mouth shut about John Edwards. You'd think she would have learned after Edwards used her last slur against him to rake in some cash, but no, here she goes again:

And once again, the Edwards campaign does the only appropriate thing. Slam her and ask for donations in response. The Coulter for Edwards fundraising drive is on again.

Yucca Opponent Newest Member of Hillary's Nevada Team

2007-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas CityLife reports that Peggy Maze Johnson, the former executive director of Citizen Alert, joined Hillary Clinton's Nevada campaign this month. Citizen Alert is best known for its efforts in opposing the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

"The bottom line is the best way to defeat Yucca Mountain is to elect a Democrat, and I believe that Democrat is going to be Hillary Clinton," said Johnson, who has worked for Citizen Alert since 2002. "She's absolutely right on Nevada issues and Yucca Mountain, in particular."

The Hillary Clinton campaigns enthusiasm seems mutual:

"Peggy Maze Johnson has been a stalwart on the political scene," said Hilarie Grey, communications director of Clinton's Nevada campaign. "She has great networks. She knows about all the issues. She understands what's going to be important for Nevada in this presidential election. The experience she brings is going to be a great asset to our campaign and Hillary Clinton's efforts to win the Nevada caucus."

One could argue that this kind of a recruitment might be more important for Hillary's campaign in the long run than the big-name endorsements of (former) elected officials like Gov. Miller and Sen. Titus as the Las Vegas Sun writes that endorsements are not as important anymore as they once used to be.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

The Economist on Obama in Reno

2007-06-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

The Economist has been profiling the major presidential candidates in recent weeks. This week, it's Obama's turn. As it happens, an Economist reporter was at his first event in Reno. You'll find a couple of paragraphs which include Reno references below. Read the whole profile here.

LIKE a movie star, he is late, but that only whets his fans' appetite to see him. Thousands stand under the vicious mid-day sun in a park in Reno, Nevada. No other presidential candidate could pull such a large, passionate or politically diverse crowd. Reggie Willis, a medical student, voted for George Bush in 2004 but now says Barack Obama is “the guy America is waiting for”. Eileen Larsen, from California, thinks he is “one of the best I've seen”, but worries that her vote will make no difference because Mr Bush is planning a coup.

Mr Obama eventually moseys onto the stage and starts massaging the crowd with his seductive baritone. The current philosophy in Washington, he says, is that “if you are a child that didn't have the wisdom to choose the right parents”—he pauses—“you're on your own.” Everyone cheers. He calls for a new, less selfish, less timid politics that “reflects the core decency of the American people”. The crowd is too wound up in loving him to wonder what, in practice, that might actually involve.
Of all those running for president, Mr Obama is by far the best orator. People feel that he is addressing them individually. Michelle, a fan in Reno who works with the mentally ill, says she posted a suggestion on his website urging steps to make it harder for crazy people to buy guns. Later, to her delight, Mr Obama made precisely that suggestion. Michelle thinks she prompted him. Others suspect that the distinction belongs to the crazy gunman who murdered 32 people in Virginia that week.

[...]

It probably helps that he is black (or, at least, mixed-race). A generation ago, this would have been a fatal disadvantage. But now many white Americans have what Mr Obama calls a “hunger for any optimistic sign from the racial front”. Many would love to elect a black president, to demonstrate to the world and themselves that they are not bigots. Other things being equal, Mr Obama's blackness “might tip the scales,” says Lisa Rabinowitz, a white social worker in Reno. “It's time. So far it's been all upper-class white males.”

The profile's very long and interesting, depicting, from the Economist's view, the pros and cons of Obama's ability to lead and win. You can read it in its entirety here.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Barack Obama group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Hillary Gets Former Gov. Candidate Dina Titus' Endorsement

2007-06-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

Dina Titus (l) and her mother Betty with Hillary

The Gleaner reports that the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial nominee and State Senator from Las Vegas Dina Titus today endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. This is interesting in many respects:

One, all the prominent women in Nevada so far have gone for Hillary - most notably former Attorney General Frankie Sue del Papa, with Las Vegas Congresswoman Shelley Berkley contributing to Hillary, and only Hillary, in the first quarter.

Two, Titus was one of the high profile endorsements and most sought after because of "Team Titus" - her volunteers from last year's campaign. It remains to be seen whether they'll all support Hillary but it's fair to assume that the majority probably will.

Three, it'll be interesting to see if this will have any impact on the NV-03 race. Reportedly, both Titus and fellow Hillary supporter Rory Reid are interested in taking on Jon Porter.

Four, now that Titus has come out of the woods watch out for other endorsements to come out very quickly, most noticeably by elected statewide officials who were asked to remain neutral as long as possible.

Five, Obama, Edwards, et al. will have some catching up to do.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

LV Sun's Jerk Reporter

2007-06-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

I just read a condescending piece of shit article on Dennis Kucinich's fundraiser in Las Vegas on Saturday. You'd expect something like this from the Las Vegas Review Journal but it's actually by the Las Vegas Sun's Brendan Buhler. Read it and puke.

Meet Michelle Obama in Vegas

2007-06-12T05:47:00.001-07:00

Michelle Obama will be in Las Vegas tomorrow for the kickoff event for "Nevada Women for Obama":

Time:	Wednesday, June 13 at 9:30 AM
Duration:	90 minutes
Host:	Alison Schwartz
Contact Phone:	702-253-2008
Location:	Cambridge Recreation Center (Las Vegas, NV) 3930 Cambridge St. Las Vegas, NV 89119

RSVP here.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Barack Obama group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Bill Richardson in Las Vegas this Wednesday

2007-06-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

Bill Richardson will be campaigning in Las Vegas tomorrow:

Wednesday, June 13 -- Pacific Time

WHEN: 1:00 pm
WHAT: Education rally with community leaders, teachers and parents at Reynaldo Martinez Elementary School
WHERE: 350 E. Judson Ave., North Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: 3:30 pm
WHAT: Meeting with the Nevada Central Labor Council
WHERE: Teamsters Local 631 Hall, 700 N. Lamb Blvd. Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: 4:30 pm
WHAT: Kick off of the Richardson for President Nevada Canvass
WHERE: 1923 S. 6th St., Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: 6:00 pm
WHAT: Speech to the Las Vegas Stonewall Democrats
WHERE: Flamingo Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: Evening
WHAT: Fundraising
WHERE: Las Vegas, NV

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Bill Richardson? Then join the Nevada for Bill Richardson group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Obama's and Hillary's Online Nevada Headquarters Up & Running

2007-06-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

Bill Richardson is not the only candidate anymore with an online presence focused on Nevada. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton now have online "Nevada Headquarters" up and running. When you take a look at what other states thus far have special pages at these candidates' campaign sites, you'll find New Hampshire and Iowa at Richardson's, Obama's, Edwards', and Hillary's site, South Carolina at Richardson's and Obama's site and Illinois only at Obama's site. This once again goes to prove the importance of the Nevada Caucus in the Democratic Party's primary process.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, or Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton, Nevada for John Edwards, Nevada for Bill Richardson, or Nevada for Barack Obama groups at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

"No More Blood for Oil"

2007-06-12T04:42:00.000-07:00

Dennis Kucinich's first ad:

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Dennis Kucinich? Then join the Nevada for Dennis Kucinich group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Harry Reid on the Republican Field

2007-06-12T04:05:00.000-07:00

I don't talk all that much about the Republican presidential candidates as this is a blog about the Democratic Caucus in Nevada. So, I'll just let Nevada Senator Harry Reid speak for me:

I’ve learned one thing in listening to all the debates and reading about all these people running for office, and the one fact I’ve learned, I can’t get out of my mind, is that Rudy Giuliani has been married more times than Mitt Romney’s been hunting.

Reactions to Obama in Reno and Carson City

2007-06-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama made his first trip to Northern Nevada yesterday. In different news reports the crowd was estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 - surpassing Hillary's 3,000 in Reno a month ago. Interestingly, Obama's visit was on a work day while Hillary's town hall was on a Sunday. Here's a sample of the reactions:

Nevada Appeal: Carson City cheers Obama

Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City, said she was impressed with Obama even though he didn't go into detail about his politics.

"I think we were all just waiting at that point to shake his hand and have kind of a private little conversation with him," she said. "I think he's very exciting."

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, said she liked how Obama talked about his experience as a state legislator.

"Of course," she said, "that's a very popular thing for us to hear."

Leslie said she is supporting Obama for president, and likes being in a state that has an early primary that gives her the chance to meet so many possible presidential candidates.

After Obama left the Legislative Building, he went to a home on Kings Canyon Road where amateur and professional politicians cheered a speech he gave from a flight of stairs in the living room.

Nevada Appeal: Obama: Bush's environmental policy 'deeply disturbing'

After addressing a campaign-friendly crowd of more than 3,000 at Wingfield Park, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama told the Tahoe Daily Tribune on Thursday he would work to reverse environmental laws rolled back from the Bush administration's time in office.

[...]

"Certainly, there's been a chipping away at clean-air and clean-water laws. It's deeply disturbing. Fortunately, some of them can be reversed by executive order," he said in the media conference after the afternoon rally.

Obama explained the Environmental Protection Agency has been demoralized and "not taken seriously." He added the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the fray of agencies intimidated by the politics of the day.

"These people need to feel they can carry out their jobs with vigor. I'll tell you, one of the things you can count on me for is integrity, confidence and people who are experts at management and (are) independent. I want somebody to argue with me and tell me when I'm wrong. That's what my wife does," he said.

Reno Gazette-Journal: Obama strikes a cord with locals

Barack Obama hit a chord with Danette and Bill Thomas when he talked about the civil rights movement as his inspiration.
The retired Minden couple were involved in the movement in the 1960s and remain involved today.
"I have the same emotions with him as I had with John Kennedy," Danette said. "He was the first person I got to vote for when I was young. He just has that charisma."
The Thomases were among more than 4,000 people who baked in the hot sun for more than two hours to wait and then listen to the Democratic presidential candidate's speech at Wingfield Park in downtown Reno.
"He spoke on everything I believe in," Danette said. "Ending the war. Education. Health care. He's fabulous."
They both vowed to do more for his campaign. Others also were wowed.

Reno Gazette-Journal: Presidential hopeful says it's time to 'turn the page'

He said the Nevada caucuses will help define the national race.
"We are going to be competing actively and vigorously," he said.
Obama spent the morning in Carson City, where he met with about 50 voters at Comma Coffee before going across the street to speak with legislators.
He arrived in Reno about 1 p.m. and found a welcoming audience. A long line of people stretched along Arlington Avenue before gates opened and the crowd covered much of the island at Wingfield Park, most spectators standing for more than an hour in the 90-degree weather before Obama's speech began.
"It's really encouraging to see him here," said Connie Douglas of Spanish Springs. "I think he offers a fresh voice, which we need."
"I think he's fabulous," said Jan Corbelli of Reno. "We need fresh energy, and he definitely personifies that."

Elko Daily Free Press (AP): Obama sees political gains in conservative Nevada

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama predicted Thursday he’ll run well in politically conservative Nevada, one of the earliest primary states, comparing it to his home state of Illinois.

[...]

“One of the reasons I’m a U.S. senator is that I got strong support from places like southern Illinois where it’s about as rural and southern as you get,” Obama said.

“These are areas back in my home state that are pro-gun, very religious and with low minority populations — and we have consistently done well because I think there is a set of common values that people share.”

“If people feel you’re respectful and taking the time to talk to them, if you care about the things they care about, then you can do well regardless of what your background is,” Obama said.

The Sparks Tribune (with pictures): Obama in northern Nevada - Presidential candidate stirs crowd with first Reno visit

“I am confident in my capacity to lead this country,” Obama said. “I am confident in your desire to turn the page, but I can’t do it on my own. I can only do it with all of you. I can only do it because you decide that this campaign is a vehicle for your hopes and your dreams.”

Obama’s speech left many confident in his ability to lead this country as well.

“He’s saying what everybody’s feeling in the country,” Mark Hankins said. “He has the 21st century degree of courage that Martin Luther King had in the 60s. I’ve always been for hope and that’s what Barack Obama offers.”

BJ Olson, of Reno, shared similar sentiments and said she supports Obama because he’s for the working class.

“He’s young and fresh and wasn’t born with a silver spoon,” Olson said. “Everything he promised, he’s going to work for just as he’s been doing his whole life.”

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Presidential Politics: Obama campaigns in Reno

Obama said his would be a grass-roots campaign that would get people excited to participate.

"My campaign is bringing in new people," he said. "It's galvanizing a new generation of voters, and we have the capacity to break out of the political gridlock we've been involved in for a long time."

Some of those new people might not be old enough to vote. Thirteen-year-old Ryan Dhindsa has had fundraisers at his Reno school for the cause to end the genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.

Dhindsa and a friend were impressed that Obama mentioned Darfur, if only in passing. Dhindsa brought his mother, Shilpa Dhindsa, 42, and she liked what she heard, too.

"I hadn't listened to him at all before," she said of Obama. Her biggest priority, she said, is "putting an end to the war. That's the most important thing to me."

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Barack Obama group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Endorsements, Endorsements, Endorsements

2007-05-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

A lot of things are happening on the endorsements front, some of that in Nevada:

Hillary Clinton will formally get the endorsement of former Nevada Governor Bob Miller today (who's son, btw, is now the Secretary of State). As almost every other endorsee he also gets to co-chair something, in this case it's the "Governor's Council" - Las Vegas Sun.
Hillary was also endorsed by pastor Dr. Robert Fowler. Never heard of him but Obama's candidacy is apparently reason enough to round up as many African American endorsements as she can get. This was announced on a conference call by Rory Reid, on which the Las Vegas Gleaner was happy to listen in - Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas Gleaner.
Neither Chris Wicker (Washoe County Dems Chair) nor Assembly member Sheila Leslie have endorsed Barack Obama (yet) but they both seem to be very enthused - Reno Gazette-Journal.
And if you want an overview of gubernatorial and congressional endorsements you're best served by taking a look at Stateline.org (Governors, pdf) and The Hill (Congress).

The Speech That Made a Presidential Candidate

2007-05-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

Three years ago hardly anyone knew Barack Obama. A couple of months later that changed with a single speech, his keynote address at the Democratic convention in Boston. Chicago Magazine takes an extensive look at how that speech came about. Here's a little excerpt:

The keynote speech that barack Obama delivered on Tuesday, July 27, 2004, galvanized the delegates who packed Boston’s FleetCenter and electrified a nationwide television audience. The 2,297 words uttered over 17 minutes changed Obama’s profile overnight and made him a household name. Before the speech, the idea of Obama running for president in 2008 would have been laughable; he was a lowly state senator from Chicago’s Hyde Park, and while he stood a good chance at winning his U.S. Senate race, he would enter that powerful body ranked 99th out of 100 in seniority. After the speech, observers from across the political world hailed the address as an instant classic, and Obama was drawing comparisons (deservedly or not) to Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy.

None of this happened by chance. Obama’s selection as keynote speaker was carefully plotted by all sides for maximum effect, and the speech itself was no outpouring of inspiration scribbled on the back of an envelope. Obama labored over it for weeks, harvesting lines that he had already tested on Illinois crowds. He is said to have been furious when one of his best remarks was cut by Kerry’s speechwriters. And even after all the preparation, the editing and vetting by aides to Obama and Kerry, and the three run-throughs at the convention, the speech almost didn’t take flight—on the dais, Obama was slow to hit his stride. But once he got going, the speech—and his career—took off: “Without that Boston speech, there’s a question whether Barack would be running [for president] today,” says his fellow senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin. “His public image changed because of that speech.” Valerie Jarrett, a veteran Chicago politico and one of Obama’s longtime friends, puts it more succinctly: “It changed his life.”
[...]

Obama’s people were no doubt pleased when Kerry invited their man to give the keynote, but the honor comes with the sort of baggage familiar to the Cubs: no Democratic keynoter of the past century has made it all the way to the presidency.

[...]

Today, the convention planners say they were looking for an attention-getting lead-in to the night’s main attraction, Kerry’s wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. “There was a huge, long list that spanned all across the party,” recalls Mary Beth Cahill. “Everybody had their favorite.” The roster, insiders say, was soon narrowed down to a short list that mainly included Democratic governors from key battleground states that were likely to decide the presidential race: Jennifer Granholm of Michigan; Janet Napolitano of Arizona; Tom Vilsack of Iowa; Mark Warner of Virginia; and Bill Richardson of New Mexico.
Obama made the cut, though some planners worried about his thin political résumé and, to a lesser extent, the fact that he and Kerry were somewhat at odds over the war in Iraq. (In 2002, Kerry voted to authorize military action against Iraq; Obama opposed the war from the get-go.) Obama detractors felt that he should get a prominent speaking role but not the keynote, according to interviews with knowledgeable insiders.

Kerry and his aides first began to zero in on Obama after Kerry’s two-day campaign swing through Illinois in April. Stumping together at a vocational center on Chicago’s West Side and at a downtown fundraiser at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Kerry came away impressed with the charismatic political hot shot. Watching Obama address the donors who filled the hotel’s ballroom, Kerry’s national finance chairman, the Chicago investment banker Louis Susman, told Kerry: “This guy will be on the national ticket someday.” To which Kerry replied, according to an account in the Chicago Tribune: “Well, I have a way in mind for him to be at the national convention this year. He should be one of the faces of our party now, not years from now.”

Again, this is just an excerpt. Read the whole article at Chicago Magazine.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Barack Obama group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Mike Gravel Will Be on LV Radio Talk Show Tomorrow Morning

2007-05-25T15:02:00.001-07:00

You can listen to Mike Gravel tomorrow morning on Basham & Cornell tomorrow morning. From their e-mailed release:

On Saturday May 26^th, Senator Mike Gravel will be the guest on the Basham and Cornell Radio Show at 9 am PST on AM 1230 KLAV in Las Vegas. Mike is currently a candidate for the 2008 Democratic nomination for President of the United States. He is a former 2-term Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981.

In 1971, he waged a successful one-man filibuster for five months that forced the Nixon administration to cut a deal, effectively ending the draft in the United States. He is most prominently known for his release of the Pentagon Papers, the secret official study that revealed the lies and manipulations of successive U.S. administrations that misled the country into the Vietnam War. After the New York Times published portions of the leaked study, the Nixon administration moved to block any further publication of information and to punish any newspaper publisher who revealed the contents.

From the floor of the senate, Gravel (a junior senator at the time) insisted that his constituents had a right to know the truth behind the war and proceeded to read 4,100 pages of the 7,000 page document into the senate record. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Senator Gravel did not have the right and responsibility to share official documents with his constituents. He then published The Senator Gravel Edition, The Pentagon Papers, (Beacon Press 1971). This publication resulted in litigation, Gravel v. U.S., resulting in a landmark Supreme Court decision relative to the Speech and Debate Clause of the United States Constitution.

One of the leading opponents of the Vietnam War, Senator Gravel was one of the first current or former elected officials to publicly oppose the planned invasion of Iraq in 2002. He appeared on MSNBC prior to the invasion insisting that intelligence showed that there were indeed no weapons of mass destruction, that Iraq posed no threat to the United States and that invading Iraq was against America’s national interests and would result in a disaster of epic proportions for both the United States and the Iraqi people.

Gravel has led an effort to get a United States Constitutional amendment to allow voter-initiated federal legislation similar to state ballot initiatives. He argues that Americans are able to legislate responsibly, and that the Act and Amendment in the National Initiative would allow American citizens to become "law makers".

I'm not sure if Sen. Gravel will take any questions, but you can find the call in numbers here.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Mike Gravel? Then join the Nevada for Mike Gravel group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

"Conversation With Hillary" in North Las Vegas, May 30

2007-05-25T06:38:00.001-07:00

Here are the details for Hillary Clinton's event in North Las Vegas on May 30. From her website:

When

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Where

Canyon Springs High School, Gymnasium
350 East Alexander Road
North Las Vegas , NV 89032
General Area: North Las Vegas

Description

Join Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for a conversation with Southern Nevadans. This event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 11:00am. Program begins at 12:00pm. Participants are encouraged to arrive early, since seating will be limited.

According to the LVRJ tickets are available at her campaign office at 1055 E. Tropicana Ave., Suite 425 or at AFL-CIO offices, state Democratic Party headquarters and the campaign of Ricki Barlow for Las Vegas City Councilor. You can also RSVP through her website.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Obama Rallies in Reno (May 31) and Las Vegas (June 1)

2007-05-25T06:30:00.001-07:00

The location for the Obama rally in Reno is now set, the one for Las Vegas not yet. Click the links for tickets/details.

Reno:

When: Thursday, May 31, 2007--Doors open at 12:00 PM
Where: Wingfield Park Amphitheater, First Street and Arlington Avenue, Reno, NV

How: The event is free and open to the public. Please fill out and submit the form below to receive your free ticket.

Las Vegas:

What: Be among the first to get the details about Barack Obama's upcoming rally in Las Vegas!
When: June 1, 2007, in the morning

How: To be sure that you get the latest event and ticketing information, please fill out the form below. For further information or to volunteer locally in Las Vegas, please call 702-253-2008.

I'll post the details for the Vegas rally once they become available.

UPDATE:

Here are the details for Obama's Las Vegas Rally:

When: Friday June 1, 2007 -- Doors open at 10:30 AM

Where: Silverado High School, 1650 Silver Hawk Ave., Las Vegas, NV
How: The event is free and open to the public. Please fill out and submit the form below to receive your free ticket. Space is first come, first served, so please arrive early. For further information or to volunteer locally in Las Vegas, please call 702-253-2008.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Barack Obama group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Kucinich Calls for Primary Challenges Against Pro War Democrats

2007-05-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

Rep. Dennis Kucinich is stepping up and voicing what many Democrats, Independents and quite a few Republicans feel: "The depth of anger is so deep."

What about? The continuing support of some Democrats for the war in Iraq. Consider this from MSNBC:

Will anti-war activists force Democratic incumbents to spend money to defend themselves in primaries next year — or could the party actually get stronger candidates as a result of contested primaries?

[...]

Anti-war leader Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D- Ohio said Thursday no one should assume that any Democratic incumbent who voted for war funding is immune from a primary challenge.
“The depth of anger is so deep,” Kucinich said.
[...]

Five-term veteran Shelley Berkley, who represents Las Vegas and environs, said Thursday afternoon, “My district is pretty evenly divided. I haven’t done polling, but according to other polls it’s apparent that more than 50 percent now oppose the Iraq war in my district or in Nevada.”
So her vote for the additional finding will go against the wishes of the majority of her constituents, but she explained, “I’m on record as saying I’m not going to leave the troops stranded. As angry and dismayed as I am with the Bush administration having created a debacle, I’m not going to take it out on the troops.”
She predicted, “By September, there will be enough Republicans who will have expressed their concern to the president; it will be a bipartisan effort to moderate his position.”
She also forecast that “as we get closer to election time, more and more Republicans will see that Mr. Bush is not on the ballot, they are.”
And what about the potential threat of a Democratic primary challenger against her? “I don’t foresee that happening. I’ve been very candid about my position.”
She recalled, “I was in anti-Vietnam war protests in college.” She said the U.S. exit from Iraq, when it happens, “will be much more complex than the helicopter on the roof of the embassy” – a reference to the Saigon evacuation in 1975. “This is very complex. It is so much more complex than just ‘get out tomorrow.’”

Of course, the 50% mark is not quite true and is an easy way to defend herself by saying well, it's basically 50/50. Take a look at this national poll from CBS/New York Times (pdf!):

Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq sometime in 2008?

Should 63%
Should not 34%

Even 42% of Republicans want out. Clearly, Shelley Berkley is selling out to Bush and the pro war crowd.

Shelley Berkley should seriously reconsider her stance on Iraq or she won't know what hit her come next year. Facing the netroots who brought down Lieberman in a primary challenge last year might be a real possibility. At that point Dennis Kucinich will be the last of her problems.

If You Want Consistency...

2007-05-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

If you want consistency on Iraq then clearly Dennis Kucinich is your man. Whether you like him or not, Dennis Kucinich has been the only candidate who has been consistenly talking and voting against the war. Watch:

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Dennis Kucinich? Then join the Nevada for Dennis Kucinich group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Kudos to Senator Dodd

2007-05-24T10:24:00.001-07:00

It's incredibly frustrating to see Democrats giving in to Bush and the Republicans and then having the audacity to claim that it's a smart move and puts Bush & Co. in a bind. Who are they kidding?

Not one of their own. Senator Dodd's not caving in and you have to give him credit for that. Watch his explanation:

Respect, Senator!

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Chris Dodd? Then join the Nevada for Chris Dodd group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Nevada Appeal Seems to Like Richardson

2007-05-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

I guess if the Nevada Appeal would have to endorse now, it would be Richardson. At least that's what it sounds like:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's announcement Monday that he will be a presidential candidate hardly sent shockwaves through the nation, nor in the camps of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

But we hope voters start paying attention to Richardson, a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of Energy, if for no other reason than he is at the forefront of issues that affect residents of Nevada and the West.

Richardson's calm, well-reasoned demeanor during the Democratic presidential forum in Carson City earned him a measure of respect. During his speech Monday, issues of unique importance to the West weren't at the forefront. Rather, he talked about his support for bringing our troops home, dealing with global warming, health care and the disappearing middle class. Those are the issues on which the election will be won or lost, and he says it's his record of solving problems diplomatically that sets him apart.

But Richardson, as a border state governor, knows directly the impact of illegal immigration. He's supportive of a guest worker program, but says available jobs must be first posted for American citizens and legal residents. He wants to double the number of border patrol agents and says a path to legalization should include a fine, background check and payment of back taxes.

He knows the potential the West holds for developing alternative energy sources. He's seen the devastation caused by wildfires and knows the importance of local control over federal lands.

Now if he can only line up some Hollywood friends, he might be able to compete.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Bill Richardson? Then join the Nevada for Bill Richardson group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Hillary in Vegas, May 30; Obama in Reno, May 31

2007-05-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

The two current frontrunners for the Democratic nomination for President will be makig their way to Nevada.

Hillary will be in Las Vegas on May 30 for a town hall meeting according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. Her last town hall meeting in Nevada was in Reno on April 29.

One day later, on May 31, Barack Obama will travel to Northern Nevada for the first time in his presidential campaign and hold a "lunchtime rally" in Reno according to RENObama.

Details for both events are yet to be announced. Stay tuned to Nevada Caucus 2008 for more.

UPDATE: Details for Hillary's event here and for Obama's events here.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton or Nevada for Barack Obama groups at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Bill Richardson Now Has The Best Campaign Website - Hands Down

2007-05-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Bill Richardson has the impressive resume and - with his official declaration to run for president today - he has a website to match his resume.

Looking at the websites of the all eight candidates Richardson's is the best - hands down. There are several reasons for this.

Let me go into detail:

Navigation: Richardson's website is easy to navigate, when you click through the top bar you get all the information you need, above the bar is a box to register for email updates, the action center is clearly highlighted on the left hand side and there's a welcome video on the right hand side. When you scroll further down you get a more detailed look at news, blog entries, issues, etc, all the information you could also find by clicking the top bar. The only additional information you wouldn't find in the top bar are the links to PartyBuilder, MySpace, etc. That's how it should be. You should have a clear overview of the site without having to scroll down. Only on the third look does the website seem a little crowded. But just a little.

The other websites are equally easy to navigate, especially Hillary, Obama, Edwards, and Biden, to a lesser degree Kucinich, Dodd, and Gravel.

Information: Couldn't be better. You can find it all by navigating the top bar. Say, you're looking for his stance on Iraq, you go to issues, click on Iraq and get quite a bit of information. In addition to his stance on Iraq you can download a two page flyer and find related news and press releases.

The other websites are not as good as Richardson's. Hillary has a video in addition to her stance , at Obama's site you can submit your ideas. Edwards' issues page is disappointing. He has one paragraph on "Restoring America's Moral Leadership in the World" and that's it. I only found his plan on Iraq by looking at the frontpage again. I don't understand why they can't link to it from their issues page. Dodd doesn't have an issues page. But there's a link to his Iraq stance clearly visible on the frontpage. What you get is a video with his remarks on Iraq and a transcript. On Gravel's website issues are front and center with Iraq on the top. He writes only a couple of paragraphs on it - but more than Edwards. At Kucinich's site Iraq is one of the top issues and is incorporated into the "International Cooperation" page. On the sidebar you'll find related stories and forum topics. The only one who can compete, at least on the Iraq issue - I didn't look at the other issue pages, is Joe Biden. He has a detailed plan for Iraq and a seperate website devoted to his plan.

Networking: Thus far Obama had the best networking site, and only true networking site in my opinion, of all the candidates. Hillary's action center is not the real thing as networking between supporters (like personal blogs and messaging system) is not taking place. Edwards has a community blog and his One Corps site. Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel have a forum and Dodd and Biden don't have any form of networking at all - apart from writing comments on their blog posts.

Richardson's web team seems to have taken a look at all the other websites and must have wondered "what more can we do" as I would say their networking site now beats that of Obama. Their Action Center seems to be modeled on the same platform as My.BarackObama.com and the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder and the same functions. The only additional function on Richardson's network that Obama doesn't have (but PartyBuilder does) is that you can write a letter to the editor of your local paper.

External networking sites: Most campaigns are using them, so we're looking at two things here: a) are they linking to the networking sites directly from their frontpage and b) are they linking to the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder.

Richardson does both a) and b) - as does Obama. All the other candidates don't.

Hillary, Biden, Kucinich, and Edwards link to external networking sites, though not to PartyBuilder, Dodd and Gravel make you find their links but they don't link to PartyBuilder either. Which is a shame. As I said before it runs on the same platform as Obama's and Richardson's networking sites and is a great tool, both to enhance their own network and to build a network for Democrats in general. PartyBuilder provides an extra page for presidential candidates and links to their profiles. I did a little test to see how candidates use this tool and added them to my friends network. They added me in the following order: Kucinich, Gravel, Obama, Biden, Richardson. After more than a week still no reaction from Hillary, Edwards and Dodd which I find surprising considering their resources.

I've also set up Nevada groups for all campaigns:

Nevada for Barack Obama
Nevada for Bill Richardson
Nevada for Chris Dodd
Nevada for Dennis Kucinich
Nevada for Hillary Clinton
Nevada for Joe Biden
Nevada for John Edwards
Nevada for Mike Gravel

Nevada: Speaking of Nevada, how much do the campaigns currently care about the Silver State? I'm not gonna talk about their appearances in Nevada right now, nor about their campaign infrastructure in the state but only about their web presence.

People always say Richardson needs to win or do extremely well in Nevada to stand any chance in the primaries. Not surprisingly, Richardson's Nevada page is the best among all presidential candidates. You'll find links to the Action Center, Nevada related news, press releases, video, and photo gallery. The same applies to the other state pages (Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina).

Dennis Kucinich is the only other candidate to have a Nevada page. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated since March. Obama, Hillary, and Edwards are still in the old New Hampshire and Iowa mode, as they currently only have state sites for these two. I couldn't find any state specific pages at Dodd's, Gravel's, and Biden's websites.

Overall, Richardson has today launched a website that's ahead of the pack and his rivals will have some catching up to do, some more, some not that much.

Please note: this is not an endorsement of Richardson on my part. This is an analysis of his website compared to those of other candidates and does not reflect my preferences for the primaries.

Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire Like Richardson's "Job Interview"

2007-05-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Bill Richardson has officially joined the Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards in the double digit territory.

Recent polls in both New Hampshire and Iowa show Richardson making a jump in the polls. He's now at 10% in both states.

This comes right after an ad buy in both states, showing Richardson's "Job Interview" ads. Whether you like them or not, they seem to have done their work in New Hampshire and Iowa beautifully for the Richardson campaign. Watch the ads:

The ads have also been viewed 148,000 times on YouTube. He should seriously think about airing them in Nevada as well.

Considering the positive poll news, the timing seems perfect to make his presidential run official. Yeah, he's still been exploring. Richardson will make his announcement tomorrow morning in Los Angeles. Then, Hillary will be the only candidate still in exploratory mode.

The Devil Wears Prada vs. Shrek vs. Runaway Bride

2007-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Probably, you've all heard by now, if not watch the most important event of this presidential campaign so far:

Here is a list of the potential campaign songs:

City of Blinding Lights - U2
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
I’m a Believer - Smash Mouth
Get Ready - The Temptations
Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks
Rock This Country! - Shania Twain
Beautiful Day - U2
Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones
I’ll Take You There - The Staple Singers

You can listen to the songs and vote here.

Now, what I've noticed right away was that a lot of these songs were already used on movie soundtracks which makes them good campaign songs, I suppose.

Most noticeably, two songs from "The Devil Wears Prada" soundtrack made the cut: U2's "City of Blinding Lights" and KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" (which is my favourite). Of course both songs have also been used on other soundtracks.

Some of the other songs might also be familiar to you from the movie theater. From "Shrek" there is the Smash Mouth's version of "I'm a Believer" and from "Runaway Bride" you'll remember the Dixie Chicks' "Ready to Run."

Finally for us Nevada Caucus goers there is the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There" from the "Casino" soundtrack.

As you can see this choice is more important than you think as you'll be either reminded of "The Devil Wears Prada," "Shrek," "Runaway Bride," or "Casino" everytime there's a Hillary event.

Vote here.

Does Obama Even Care About Nevada?

2007-05-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

While Obama volunteers in Nevada are busy and doing one "Obama walk" after the other (even in Elko), Obama himself doesn't seem to care too much about Nevada.

At least he hasn't been to the state too much. After he missed out on the AFSCME forum in Carson City one would have thought that he'd make that up by traveling to Northern Nevada soon after. Yet, three months later, and nothing happened. Obama's been a total of two times in Nevada, both times in Las Vegas. He ranks at the bottom of the list of candidates:

Richardson: 14
Dodd: 7
Edwards: 5
Biden: 4
Clinton: 4
Kucinich: 4
Gravel: 3
Obama: 2

(numbers via MyDD, via Washington Post)

Obama was on top of the list in primary contributions in the first quarter and the two men with the least money managed to travel to Nevada more often than he did? Are you serious?

All I can decypher from this is the following: currently Senator Obama is not seriously competing in Nevada. If he wants to compete here, he needs to visit and talk to the voters. He really has to make up some ground. So it better be a real visit and not just a quick stop in Reno on the way to another California fundraiser. Otherwise he might just surrender Nevada to either Hillary or Edwards who have both been to Northern Nevada more than once.

Video of Chris Dodd in Pahrump

2007-05-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Chris Dodd's visit to Pahrump was a couple of weeks ago, but I only stumbled upon this video today:

If you're a Dodd supporter in Nevada, consider joining the PartyBuilder group Nevada for Chris Dodd.

Join "Nevada for" Groups at PartyBuilder!

2007-05-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Party's PartyBuider social networking site has thus far not been extensively used by presidential candidates - which is surprising when you consider that it doesn't cost anything.

Anyhow, if you're a supporter of one of the eight presidential candidates you can now join the respective group on PartyBuilder:

Nevada for Barack Obama

Nevada for Bill Richardson

Nevada for Chris Dodd

Nevada for Dennis Kucinich

Nevada for Hillary Clinton

Nevada for Joe Biden

Nevada for John Edwards

Nevada for Mike Gravel

Join today and start networking!

Nevada Bloggers Unite to Take on Heller

2007-05-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I created a new blog called "Helluva Heller" with the aim of covering Rep. Dean Heller (NV-02) and making sure he'll be defeated in 2008. Since then Helluva Heller has already gained a little attention, both in the Las Vegas Sun and in a radio talk show chat between conservative Bill Manders and Dean Heller himself.

In the meantime, Helluva Heller has evolved into a group effort by Nevada bloggers. There are now a total of eight contributors. The contributors are (in alphabetical order):

cls resides in Lyon County. She regularly writes on her blog Blue Lyon.

Desert Beacon is in her 60s, retired, and lives in Humboldt County. She writes two other blogs: Desert Beacon and Blue Sage Views.

featheriver is a 73 year-old retired lawyer from Pahrump, Nye County. His main blog is Nye-Gateway to Nevada's Rurals.

Jed B. is 17 years old, a progressive activist and High School Student in Elko County.

Jesse Riehm is a 17 year old High School Student and lives in Fallon, Churchill County.

Nevada Blogger: JWH is 32 years old and works in sales. He lives in Fernley, Lyon County and mainly writes at The blog formerly known as "No Gibbons"...

Sven is a 28 year-old student at the University of Mannheim, Germany. He currently works on his Master in modern history. He was an exchange student at Battle Mountain High School, Lander County and George Whittell High School, Douglas County in the 1990s. His other blogs are Turn Tahoe Blue and Nevada Caucus 2008.

UpNorth is in his 20s, a student at UNR and resides in Reno. He also blogs at Nevada Up North.

Now, we have gone one step further by creating a group on the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site. Join the "Helluva Heller - Defeating Dean Heller in 2008" group now!

And make sure to check out Helluva Heller!

USA Today Quotes from my Interview with Elizabeth Kucinich

2007-05-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

USA Today yesterday published an article on Michelle Obama. In a sidebar box they also took a look at other prospective first ladies. For each person they printed a quote "on her role as first lady". Elizabeth Edwards' quote came from ABC's nightline, Ann Romney's and Cindy McCain's from Larry King Live. So far, so good.

What astounded me was that they quoted Elizabeth Kucinich from my interview with her in Heidelberg in March:

We're a joint ticket, a team. We share the same perspective.

Though, they cut it a little short as Elizabeth Kucinich said: "We share the same perspective of America and the world." Anyhow, that interview did make the rounds in the last couple of weeks. I had way more than 1,000 visits to my blog because it was linked to by the Huffington Post' BuzzFeed. Among 17 items about Elizabeth Kucinich, the Nevada Caucus 2008 interview with her ranked 2nd.

So, while Shelley Berkley doesn't deem blogs worthy of attention, it's good to know that Elizabeth Kucinich and USA Today clearly do.

Thanks, Shelley!

2007-05-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

On April 14 I wrote a post on Las Vegas Congresswoman Shelley Berkley apparently breaking her neutrality pledge by contributing $2,300 to Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. So, I got in contact with the Congresswoman's staff and asked if she had any comment on this. Apparently she did not as I never got a reply either way.

Therefore, I was a little bit surprised when The Hill picked up this story 3 weeks later ('Neutral' Dems quietly give money to Clinton) and there was a statement by Nevada's own Shelley Berkley:

Said Berkley, “The one distinction with Mrs. Clinton is Mrs. Clinton’s Hill PAC has been supporting me for many years and when I was contacted by mutual friends to support her, I had no hesitation whatsoever. However, I just try to be as evenhanded as possible. I expect by Jan. 19, 2008 all the candidates will receive contributions from me.”

Berkley said Myra Greenspun, a friend whose husband roomed with Bill Clinton at Yale Law School, asked her to give.

So, what are we to make of this? That this wasn't a story worth commenting on because it came from a blogger and not the mainstream media? Or that Shelley Berkley rather answers questions by DC reporters than Nevada blogs?

Thanks, Shelley!

The Future of Nevada Democrats is Female

2007-05-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Cross posted from Turn Tahoe Blue. Might this translate into success for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Nevada Caucus?

Women are clearly on the rise in Nevada politics. Especially so on the Democratic side. Consider the following: in the 2006 elections Democrats nominated women in all three congressional districts, four out of six candidates for statewide office were women, including Governor.

While Jill Derby (NV-02) and Tessa Hafen (NV-03) didn't win their respective races, they did come pretty close and it's quite possible that Dean Heller and Jon Porter will have to run against female candidates again in 2008.

Women have captured high offices in Nevada in the past, though they were mostly Republican: former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich (NV-02, 1983-97), former Treasurer Patty Cafferata (1983-87), former Lt. Governors Sue Wagner (1991-95) and Lorraine Hunt (1999-2007), Secretary of State Cheryl Lau (1991-95). The only Democratic women previously elected to statewide office were Superintendent of Public Instruction Mildred Bray (1937-51) and Frankie Sue Del Papa who was Secretary of State (1987-91) and Attorney General (1991-2003). There has not been a female US Senator yet, the only Democratic nominee was Mary Gojack in 1990.

Recently female Democrats were much more successful in being nominated and elected than their Republican counterparts. Currently, three out of four Democratic (six total) constitutional officers in Nevada are women: Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, State Treasurer Kate Marshall, and State Controller Kim Wallin. Las Vegas is represented in Congress by Shelley Berkley. The Nevada State Democratic Party has recently elected a woman, Jill Derby, as its chair. Among the five-person leadership are three more women: 2nd Vice Chair Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Secretary A'shanti Gholar, and Treasurer Jan Churchill.

In the State Assembly, Barbara Buckley was recently elected Speaker, the first woman in that position in Nevada's history. Majority Whip Sheila Leslie and Assistant Majority Whip Debbie Smith are among the five person Majority Leadership in the Assembly, while the Democratic leadership team in the State Senate is entirely comprised of women: Minority Floor Leader Dina Titus, Minority Whip Valerie Wiener, and Assistant Minority Floor Leader Bernice Mathews. As far as I could find out, no other legislatative body in the country has an entirely female leadership, at least on the Democratic side.

10 out 27 Democratic Assembly members are women (37%) and 5 out of 10 Democratic State Senators are women, making up 50%.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in a recent poll at Helluva Heller, asking who should run against Heller on the Democratic side, out of the seven mentioned possibilities five were women: Kate Marshall, Debbie Smith, Jill Derby, Sheila Leslie, and Teresa Benitez Thompson and the female candidates were in the lead at last count.

When you consider all this, it is only a matter of time when Nevada will send another woman to the House, the first woman to the US Senate and elect its first Governor.

You can read more about the history of women in Nevada politics here.

Go to Turn Tahoe Blue to see photos of the women mentioned.

Hey Candidates, Want Some Support in the Rurals?

2007-05-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Do you? Well, first you'd probably need to travel there, like Sen. Chris Dodd did recently when he went to Pahrump in Nye County. Another thing that might help is the fact that there are actually elected Democratic officials in the rurals. Yeah, who'd have thunk it. Not the Nevada Democratic State Party as they only feature elected officials from Washoe and Clark counties on their website.

Anyhow, here's the list:

Churchill County:

Vicky Tripp, County Recorder
John Serpa, County Public Administrator

Elko County:

Mike Nannini, County Commissioner

Esmeralda County:

Nancy Boland, County Commissioner
R.J. Gillum, County Commissioner
Karen Scott, County Auditor/Recorder

Eureka County:

Michael Rebaleati, County Recorder/Auditor

Lander County:

Gladys Burris, County Clerk

Lincoln County:

Bill Lloyd, County Commissioner
Leslie Boucher, County Recorder/Auditor
Kathy Hiatt, County Treasurer
Tommy Rowe, County Commissioner

Mineral County:

Ed Fowler, County Commissioner
Richard Bryant, County Commissioner
Cheri Emm-Smith, District Attorney

Nye County:

Gary Budahl, County Treasurer
Sandra Musselman, County Assessor

Pershing County:

Roger Mancebo, County Commissioner
Celeste Hamilton, County Assessor
Donna Giles, County Clerk/Treasurer
Darlene Moura, Recorder/Auditor
Dave Ayoob, County Commissioner

Storey County:

Harold Swafford, District Attorney

White Pine County:

Robert Bishop, County Assessor
RaLeene Makley, County Commissioner
Martha Rivera Sindelar, County Recorder

I don't lay any claim to the accuracy of this list, as I actually had to research it since Nevada Dems apparently don't like to advertise the fact that they have elected officials in the rurals. Still, maybe you'd like to contact a couple of them and try to score a nice endorsement?

How the Fox News Debate Was Cancelled

2007-05-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

Brave New Films made a video recapping the story of how the planned Fox News debate was brought down. Nevada Caucus 2008 was happy to play its little part. Watch:

Another Worthless Poll

2007-05-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

So, the Las Vegas Review Journal decided to waste some money on another presidential poll. Alas, it is worthless. Why? They asked 300 registered Democrats. 300 is not a decent sample for a poll which is evident by the given margin of error, which is ridiculously high at +/- 6%. The poll also includes Al Gore, who's not even running. Therefore, the numbers mean nothing and I won't even bother to post them here.

Wait a second, I just looked at their method page and things don't quite add up. While they claim to have asked 300 registered Dems, the method page states that only 259 Democrats were interviewed, a similar number of Reps for the Republican poll and more than 100 Independents. This poll is absurd. Worthless, worthless, worthless.

Reactions to Richardson's Nevada Tour

2007-05-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to point out the stories on Gov. Bill Richardson's Nevada tour.

The blog Nevada Up North tagged along with Richardson during his time in Carson City. He writes extensively on the events in Carson and also has a Q&A.

From the mainstream media:

Richardson plays to union, Hispanics in Nevada push (Las Vegas Sun)
Richardson focuses on Western issues during Carson City stop (AP via Nevada Appeal)
Gov. Bill Richardson visits Carson City (KTVN)
Democrat has different Iraq plan (LVRJ)

Bill Richardson will be on the Nevada Newsmakers show this Thursday.

Reactions to Hillary's Reno Town Hall Meeting

2007-04-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

One wonders whether Hug High School has ever seen anything like this. For her first town hall meeting in Nevada, Sen. Hillary Clinton drew a crowd of about 3,000, wore the school colors, and got a lot of good reactions in the Nevada blogosphere and the pleasure (?!?) to be interviewed by Reno's own Ray Hagar. Here are the reactions:

From the Blogs:

Hillary's Hug Visit (Nevada Dem):

I’ve just returned home from hearing Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton present to a crowd of 3500+ at Reno’s Hug High School. It was a masterful performance. Other than the few Republican plants, I doubt anyone left the gym without thinking, “Wow! I may have just spent time with the next President of the United States!”
The event was well organized and professionally done. One local political regular commented that the briefing of the volunteers for the day was perhaps the best she’s ever experienced, and she came not as a committed Clinton supporter but a willing volunteer.
[...]
My parting thoughts were that she is a formidable candidate for any Democrat and any Republican. She knows what the job entails. She’s ready. Is there still justification to the fear she might not be electable? If today is representative of her campaign, and as people get to know her better and relieve themselves of the caricature in their minds, she’ll beat anyone.

Hillary Clinton's Reno Town Hall (Reno and Its Discontents):

If I had to choose one word to describe Clinton’s town hall in Reno this morning, I would choose “impressive”–surprisingly so. Its not that I think there is anything unimpressive about Hillary Clinton, but I was surprised by how impressed I and all the people around me were by here sheer presence. The town hall is clearly her best venue–she can show off her confident presence, her obvious intelligence, the with and breadth of her political experience, her eloquence, and her attractiveness. Yes, that’s right, Hillary looked absolutely fabulous in a green suit that just happened to match Hug High School’s colors.

Susan Nunes had her camera ready and posted the pictures on Random Thoughts from Reno. You can read her impressions above and below the post with the pictures.

The Desert Beacon sums it up best with this headline: "Nevada News Roundup: Clinton 3000, McCain 300"

From the Media:

Reno Campaign Stop: Clinton: Bush won't change (LVRJ):

The U.S. senator from New York and former first lady spoke for about 50 minutes at a campaign stop at Hug High School.

Her speech took a little less than half an hour, and she then answered questions from the audience for 25 minutes. The event was billed as a town hall-style "Conversation with Nevadans."

It was Clinton's first campaign stop in Reno since becoming an official candidate for president.

Clinton draws more than 3,000 in Reno (AP in RGJ):

When some in the gymnasium shouted “Bring them home,” she replied, “That’s what we’re trying to do.”

“We are ready to try to end this war in Iraq. I am so proud of your Senator Harry Reid,” she said about the Senate majority leader from Nevada, eliciting a 15 second-long standing ovation.

Clinton praised Reid’s efforts to pass a military spending bill with a timetable to begin redeploying troops out of Iraq but admitted she doubts Bush ever will go along with it.

Clinton draws big crowd to Hug High (RGJ):

After Clinton's speech and subsequent question-and-answer period, many left feeling fired up for Hillary.
"I absolutely would vote for her," said Norma Lessard, 60, who drove 100 miles from Schurz to see Clinton. "I'm ready for a change, how about you?"
[...]
Other Clinton supporters said Clinton's performance would have changed the minds of people who dislike her.
"One of my girlfriends for 25 years just cringes when she hears Hillary's name," said Suzy Valle, 55 and a teacher at Roger Corbett Elementary. "She is only believing the things that people tell her, what a horrible person she is, instead of finding out for herself.
"I think there is a lot of animosity for Hillary," Valle said. "But people need to open their minds and investigate for themselves and not just believe what they are being told."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton Visits Reno (KTVN):

During our one-on-one interview, Sen. Clinton said Iraq is going through a sectarian Civil War.

"It's a no-win situation for us," Sen. Clinton said. "This war should be Iraqis' responsibility now."

She also told Channel 2, her husband and number 1 advisor, Bill Clinton, will help gain back allies.

"He will continue to play active roles around the world," Sen. Clinton said. "He's probably the most popular American in the world right now."

Clinton doubts Bush will pull troops from Iraq (AP in Sparks Tribune):

Clinton has appeared in Las Vegas, Carson City and in Fallon 60 miles east of Reno, but had not made a formal campaign appearance before in Reno. She said she was glad Nevada had moved to near the front of the Democratic caucus process, following Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses with Nevada's on Jan. 19, 2008.

''You're on the front lines of making that decision. I'm very pleased you've been moved into the process because I want your voices to be heard,'' she said.

Ray Hagar's interview with Hillary Clinton for the RGJ:

Said Clinton: "I do not approve of legalized prostitution or any kind of prostitution. It is something that I personally believe is demeaning to women. I have worked against it and I have certainly taken a very strong stand against what happens in many parts of the world where young girls and women are forced into prostitution against their wills.

"I understand Nevada has a regulated system and it is within the authority of the state," Clinton said. "So that is not a federal issue that we will have any role to play in when I am president. But I would obviously speak out against prostitution and try to persuade women that it is not -- even an a regulated system -- necessarily a good way to try to make a living. Let’s try to find other jobs that can be there for women who are looking for a good way to support themselves and their families."

Denny Crane Might Vote for Obama

2007-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is hilarious. Watch:

Richardson to Tour Nevada April 29 - May 1

2007-04-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Gov. Bill Richardson is starting to work on his Nevada strategy. He goes on a three day tour through Northern and Southern Nevada with several events in Carson City and Las Vegas. This is the most extensive swing through Nevada by any candidate so far. Here are the details:

Sunday, April 29

7:30pm – 9:00pm
Keynote address to the Carson City Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
Note: There will be a press availability immediately following this event.
Plaza Hotel and Conference Center
211 E. Ninth St.
Carson City, NV

Monday, April 30

8:30am – 9:15am
Meet and greet with local supporters
Comma Coffee
312 S. Carson St.
Carson City, NV

9:30am – 10:30am
Meeting with AFL-CIO Leaders
Nevada AFL-CIO Headquarters
602 E. John Street, Carson City, NV
(Closed to the public and press.)

11:00am – 11:45am
Conversation on Darfur with Carson High School students and parents
Carson High School
1111 North Saliman Road
Carson City, NV
(Open to the press, but closed to the general public. Media planning to attend should contact Josh McNeil for rules regarding coverage of the students)

12:00pm – 1:00pm
Meeting with the Nevada Democratic Legislative Caucus hosted by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus and Speaker Barbara Buckley
Nevada Legislature
401 S. Carson Street
Carson City, NV
(Closed to the public and press.)

7:30pm – 9:00pm
Community Rally
Arturo Cambeiro Senior Center
330 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV

Tuesday, May 1

7:30am – 8:30am
Breakfast with Hispanics in Politics
Dona Maria's Restaurant
910 Las Vegas Blvd. S
Las Vegas, NV

10:00am – 11:00am
Forum with Culinary Workers Local 226
Culinary Local 226 Headquarters
1630 S. Commerce Street
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(Open to press, closed to the general public.)

Richardson the First One Airing Ads - In Iowa and New Hampshire

2007-04-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

Bill Richardson is the first Democratic presidential candidates running ads - in Iowa and New Hampshire. No word on Nevada yet. So, it's nice to have YouTube and you can just watch them here:

"Life's Work"

"The Wall"

Like the ads? Don't like the ads? Either way, you can let Bill Richardson know.

John Edwards Holds Another Town Hall Meeting in Vegas, April 30

2007-04-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

John Edwards will hold his second town hall meeting in Las Vegas next week. Here are the details:

You're invited to join John Edwards next Monday for a town hall meeting. Don’t miss this great opportunity to hear John Edwards discuss his plans to change America!
WHAT: A Town Hall Meeting with John Edwards

WHEN: Monday, April 30, 2007 at 12:00 pm

WHERE: Tiberti Grand Hall
Richard Tam Alumni Center
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Harmon Ave and Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas

Please let us know if you plan to attend by clicking here.

For more information visit www.johnedwards.com/events or call 702-439-1284

LVRJ Reports on Joe Biden's Visit to Las Vegas

2007-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

Joe Biden was in Vegas over the weekend and Molly Ball wrote a report for the Las Vegas Review Journal with the main focus on Iraq.

The article closes with the reaction of one participant:

Jerry Johnson, a 58-year-old Clark County employee, said he didn't come to Saturday night's reception expecting to be impressed with Biden.

"He's very confident and he's in it to win," Johnson said after hearing Biden speak. "I didn't think he had a chance. But with his confidence and his experience, now I think it's a possibility."

Johnson said he is undecided about whom he will support.

Read the entire article here.

Sig Rogich Contributes to a Democrat

2007-04-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

Sig Rogich donated to a Democratic presidential candidate.

No, this is not a joke:

Among Richardson's contributors in the first-quarter presidential fundraising reports that were released last week was well-known Las Vegas Republican consultant Sig Rogich, who is one of the top fundraisers for McCain's campaign.

Rogich said he and Richardson are "really, really, really good friends" who like to go to boxing matches and usually have dinner when Richardson is in Las Vegas.

"I'm all for John McCain. I think he'll make a great president," Rogich said. "But I definitely think Bill Richardson is capable to lead the country."

Yeah, the former White House Senior Assistant to Bush I, the Gibbons puppet master and current National Finance Co-Chairman for the Republican Governor’s Association gave money to a really, really, really Democratic presidential candidate. And he maxed out as well, giving the maximum $2,300 for the primary.

Other, less significant party line crossers are business execs in the Casino and developer industries who apparently want to make sure they've contributed to the next President, no matter who he or she is.

All the snuggly details (and why University Chancellor Jim Rogers is hosting a fundraiser for Richardson) can be found in today's LVRJ "Political Notebook" by Molly Ball.

Reactions to Chris Dodd's Visit to Pahrump, Las Vegas

2007-04-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

"In Pahrump Dodd was a hit" writes the Las Vegas Sun.

Nye blogger Jack Wood was also very happy to have Dodd in town:

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd's appearance in Pahrump last night set an historical marker for Nye County. He is the first United States Presidential candidate to personally appear and speak to Nye County Democrats.

You can read more at Chris Dodd's blog. There you'll also find a field report on the Pahrump visit Dodd's meeting with Hispanic activists in Las Vegas.

Kudos to Dodd for discovering the rurals and being the first presidential candidate in Pahrump, now we're just waiting for candidates to show up in Winnemucca, Lovelock, Fallon and many other places.

Hillary to Hold Town Hall Meeting in Reno, April 29

2007-04-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ray Hagar tells us that Hillary Clinton will hold one of her town hall meetings in Reno:

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will hold a town hall meeting in Reno on Sunday, April 29th.

Time and place of the meeting has not been decided yet, said her spokesperson, Hilarie Grey. The event will be free and in the morning , Grey said.

That afternoon, Sen. Clinton will speak to the Nevada State Education Association’s delegates’ assembly, also in Reno.

I'll let you know when more details are available.

UPDATE:

Here are the details:

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton will have a town hall meeting in Reno at
11 a.m. Sunday at Hug High School.
Make a reservation by calling 303-1303 or go to
hillaryclinton.com/reno.
Tickets are available at Hug High from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday or 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 327-5600.
They're also available at Washoe County Democratic Party, 1465 Terminal Way, Suite 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 323-8683.

Richardson to Address Carson City Dems on April 29

2007-04-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Gov. Bill Richardson will be in Carson City on April 29th for a fundraiser for local Democrats:

Presidential candidate Governor Bill Richardson will be the guest
speaker at the Carson City Democrats annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 29th, at The Plaza Hotel and Conference
Center, 211 E. Ninth St.

Richardson, recently re-elected to a second term as New Mexico's
Governor, has previously served 15 years in Congress and as Secretary
of Energy and Ambassador to the United Nations under President Bill
Clinton. He has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize
for negotiating the release of hostages, American servicemen and
political prisoners in North Korea, Iraq and Cuba. Governor Richardson
recently negotiated a 60-day cease fire in war-torn Darfur following direct talks with rebel leaders and the President of Sudan.

Also scheduled to speak at the dinner are Nevada State Treasurer Kate
Marshall and Jill Derby, Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party.

The event is a fundraiser for the Carson City Democratic Central
Committee. The cost is $125 for a hosted cocktail reception and dinner
or $60 for no-host cocktails and dinner. To make reservations or for
more information please contact Carson City Democratic Headquarters at
775.841.3367 or visit the CCDCC website at www.carsoncitydems.org.

Meet Joe Biden in Las Vegas on April 21

2007-04-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Joe Biden will be in Las Vegas this Saturday:

Meet and Greet Reception with United States Senator and Presidential Candidate Joseph R. Biden

Saturday, April 21, 2007

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Miranda 7 Room in the Pavilion

Rio Hotel, Las Vegas

Please RSVP to Omar or Ronni at 702-449-4569 or Omar@JoeBiden.com

So Much for Shelley Berkley's Neutrality

2007-04-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Las Vegas Gleaner, February 6, 2007:

Asked by The Hill, "Who do you prefer, Barack or Hillary?" Rep. Shelley Berkley said, "I am co-chairman with Sen. Harry Reid of the Nevada caucus, so we have both pledged to be neutral." The Hill's question was mostly just a fun little lark of newspaper filler, and was not intended to be taken seriously or anything. Sort of like Shelley's answer.

Well, it seems her pledge hasn't lasted that long. Shelley Berkley had a really good fundraising quarter - raising $548k, with more than $1 million cash-on-hand. Of her $155k in disbursements, she gave a relatively large sum to federal and local candidates, mostly House colleagues who either are in tough districts or freshmen. However, one candidate really stood out:

Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee received $2,300 on March 21st.

And, yeah, she's the only presidential candidate receiving money from Berkley. Now, as far as I understand neutrality you either give to all candidates or to none. My only conclusion is this:

Shelley Berkley just endorsed Hillary Clinton for President.

Clinton Leads in New Zogby Nevada Poll

2007-04-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Zogby released a poll today of 500 likely Nevada Democratic caucus-goers conducted April 11-12 with a margin of error of +/- 4.5%.

Hillary Clinton leads the crowd with 35%, followed by Obama (21%) and Edwards (19%). Richardson has 5% and Biden 2%. Dodd, Gravel, and Kucinich register below 1%. Zogby himself states the obvious:

Their leads track what is happening nationally in polling, perhaps a reflection of name identification, as candidates just begin their efforts to build campaigns in Nevada, which has moved near the front of the line in the state–by–state presidential sweepstakes and represents uncharted waters for the 2008 election process.

So, it's basically up to the candidates. If they wanna catch up to Clinton, they need to come to Nevada and meet the voters. Dodd's working on that tonight and tomorrow. This becomes rather obvious when you look at the Zogby numbers for New Hampshire and Iowa. Obama and Edwards are just 6 points behind Clinton in New Hamphire and Edwards leads Clinton and Obama in Iowa.

One thing to keep in mind: no one really knows who will go to the caucus. No one. Caucus polling is difficult enough in Iowa where Dean and Gephardt led the polls in December 2003 only to lose heavily to Kerry and Edwards one month later.

I'll continue posting all the poll results. At the same time, I'm sticking with what I've said before: they're mostly worthless.

Chris Dodd in Pahrump Tonight, in Vegas Tomorrow

2007-04-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

Chris Dodd will be the first presidential candidate to visit Pahrump tonight:

Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Chris Dodd will be at the Pahrump Firefighter’s Conference Room, 300 N. Highway 160 in Pahrump tonight, Friday, April 13, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. to meet with Nye County and Pahrump Democrats. It is your opportunity to greet and meet Senator Dodd. He is the first of the Presidential candidates to appear in Nevada’s rurals, Nye County, and Pahrump.

Tomorrow, he'll meet with the Hispanic community in Las Vegas and Rep. Ruben Kihuen at 10.30am. Location details were not yet available.

Non-Responsiveness

2007-04-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, on March 26th I wrote two e-mails to both Gov. Bill Richardson's communications director Pahl Shipley as well as to the Stonewall Democrats in DC about Richardson's address to the Las Vegas National Training of the Stonewall Democrats on March 24th. I really wanted to write about it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything on either Richardson's nor on the Stonewall Democrats website about his speech.

To this date I have not received a response from either.

Therefore, much to my regret, no details on Richardson's address to the Stonewall Dems in Vegas.

Dodd Taking the Gateway to Nevada's Rurals

2007-04-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

When I wondered who would be the first candidate to make it out to the rurals I was betting on Gov. Richardson. Well, turns out I was wrong. Chris Dodd beat him to it:

Senator Christopher Dodd, Democratic Presidential candidate, will be in Pahrump this Friday, April 13, 2007 at about 7:00 p.m. The Senator’s visit will be the first visit to Nye County by any of the presidential candidates. It will also provide you with an opportunity to personally meet Senator Dodd. You might want to bring your camera and get a picture with him. So let’s try to be on hand to extend a gracious and warm welcome to Senator Dodd and let him know we appreciate his interest in Nye County and Pahrump.

But we need to know ASAP how many of you will be able to attend the event Friday evening. Once we know how many will attend we can secure the location in Pahrump and inform you where it will be via email.

So, please email me back ASAP at featheriver@hughes.net letting me know your name, email address, and phone number, and how many will attend with you. Or, you can phone Nye Democrats’ Headquarters at (775) 751-9966. I will then contact you back via email, or phone if necessary, letting you know the location of the event with Senator Dodd.

Looks like Jack Wood's blog name "Nye - Gateway to Nevada's Rurals" has finally paid off ;)

Anyhow, I'll post the exact when and where once they become available.

LA Times Goes to Elko

2007-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Scott Martelle has a report about the Democratic presidential caucus in Nevada in today's Los Angeles Times with two focuses. One is on the decision to bring in organizers from Iowa to run the Nevada Caucus:

Wary of a repeat of the 2004 Democratic caucuses, in which unprepared organizers were overwhelmed by a record turnout, the Nevada Democratic Party is drafting veterans of Iowa's famous caucuses to direct its Jan. 19 nominating campaign — including building a new precinct-level organization and adapting a computerized tabulation system initially designed for Iowa.

The party plans to spend more than $2 million as Nevada moves to second on the 2008 Democratic primary/caucus calendar in an effort to reverse its largely irrelevant past role in determining the party's presidential front-runner. Organizers say they expect up to 100,000 of the state's 494,000 registered Democrats to take part, an exponential increase over the 8,000 who turned out in 2004 — itself a record.

"It definitely will be much bigger than last time around," said Jean M. Hessburg, the former Iowa Democratic Party executive director hired to oversee the Nevada caucus. "Being one of the first four early states does gin up turnout beyond anyone's experience in Nevada."

The other focus is on Elko. Yup, the big guys in the traditional media are taking note of the rurals, actually venturing beyond the glitz of Vegas. Here's part of his take:

But some Democrats are champing at the bit — and surprised by what they're finding. A few weeks ago, the Elko County Democratic Party announced that it would start lining up volunteers at its regular March meeting at the Red Lion casino. For local Democrats — who are outnumbered 2 to 1 by Republicans — it was like a spymaster's summons to come in from the cold.

"There were people that walked through that door who were Democrats, and that you never knew," said Duane Jones, owner of an outdoor clothing store who volunteered to chair his precinct's caucus. "It's nice to be around some people with the same feelings and who have the same views."

It is in places like Elko County where the Democrats hope to make their biggest inroads — in part because such places have been dominated by Republicans for years.

Maybe the gamble will work and Democrats will actually be able to make inroads in the rurals. One can only hope. Naturally, this won't happen if the candidates don't show up. So, it'll be interesting who'll be the first to tour the Nevada outside of Clark and Washoe Counties. I'm betting on Bill Richardson.

Read Scott Martelle's whole article here.

Official Nevada Caucus Website Online

2007-04-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

While taking part in a conference call earlier this year I was asked whether this blog was the official Nevada Caucus website to which my reply was "this blog is as unofficial as it gets." Therefore, I'm quite glad that you can now also enjoy the official website.

The Nevada Democratic Presidential Caucus website was launched today and I must say that it is surprisingly good. Some of the features:

An overview of events related to the caucus on the frontpage
Different resources, like the caucus rules and a (still empty) discussion board
Contact information for the county parties and the candidates

You can also register and get e-mail updates and information on your caucus should you be a Nevada voter.

That said, I noticed that something was missing: a blog.

Which I'm not complaining about too much, as my little blog has to be good for something and better no blog than one which is not updated. However, when you click the "In the Press" button you get a feeling that they take this quite literally. They quote stories from papers from in and out of state, yet they don't quote any blogs, neither national nor local, not even the internet paper Nevada Today.

All in all, this new website is a very good resource!

It's all about the Benjamins

2007-04-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

So, the numbers have come out. It's all still a little bit sketchy, that's why I'm waiting for April 15th by which date all donations will be public. It'll be interesting to see how the candidates did in Nevada. Here's the picture so far, courtesy of Jerome Armstrong at MyDD:

          1Q(internet) General  Senate  Available  COH      Donors

Clinton    $26M (4.2)   $6M      $10M    $30M                50,000
Obama      $25M (6.9)   $1.5M            $23.5M             100,000
Edwards    $14M (3.3)   $1M              $13M                40,000  
Dodd       $4M                   $5M     $9M        $7.5M
Richardson $6M                           $6M        $5M
Biden      $3M                           $1M

Most interesting to note is that Obama is the clear winner here, having the biggest appeal to donors. He actually has more donors than Hillary and Edwards combined. He also raised it all by himself, without any big prior infrastructure which was available to both Hillary and Edwards and he managed to outraise Hillary in the primary money race, even though she had the aid of Bill Clinton.

In the second tier, Bill Richardson is establishing himself more and more as leading the PAC and being the only one who could break into the first tier. Both Dodd's and Biden's fundraising numbers for this quarter seem rather unimpressive.

Now that they've got the money to spend, let's see how much of that they will spend to woo Nevada voters.

Bill Richardson: "I'm not a Rock Star"

2007-03-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Bill Richardson was on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart Wednesday night. Watch:

March 31st Deadline

2007-03-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

The candidates are spewing out e-mails this week like their life depended on it - well, their candidacies might. It's contributions week. Nothing else counts. Everyone's playing the expectations game everywhere. It can drive you crazy.

So, Nevada Caucus 2008 makes it really easy for you. On the sidebar you'll find the list of all eight candidates. You can simply enter the amount you wish to contribute to your favourite candidate, then click on the "Contribute" button and fill in the rest. Alternatively, you can go directly to the Nevada Caucus 2008 ActBlue page. The money goes to the candidates, I get zilch.

Health Care Forum Video and Transcript Now Available

2007-03-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Center for American Progress Action Fund, one of the co-sponsors of Saturday's health care forum in Las Vegas, has now posted the entire video and transcript of the forum. You can view the video here.

Video of Kucinich at Health Care Forum

2007-03-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've gone to all the presidential candidates websites and looked for videos of the health care forum. The only video I found so far was of Dennis Kucinich. Watch it below:

Why Vilsack Endorses Hillary

2007-03-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today, Tom Vilsack endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. From a campaign e-mail:

I'm not someone to play coy about my intentions. When I make a decision, I go all in and follow through. Hillary Clinton has the same determination, and it is something I have always admired.

When I first ran for governor of Iowa in 1998, many people didn't give me much of a chance. But not Hillary. She told me she'd do everything she could do to help, and she followed through. She stood by my side, and Iowa is better for it. She helped ignite the spark that changed Iowa from a red state to a blue state.

By standing with Hillary now we'll help show that we are strong enough to win back the White House -- and America will be stronger and better for it.

...

Christie and I plan on spending the next 10 months helping Hillary win the Iowa caucuses and the other states necessary to win the Democratic nomination -- and after that, the White House in 2008.

I am proud to do it because of all the candidates running, she has the best ideas, the most energy, and the values and vision to lead our country in the right direction after eight long years of George W. Bush.

She's going to put an end to the war in Iraq. She's going to make sure every American has access to affordable health care. She's going to make us energy secure. And I know she'll put children and families first -- she has fought for them for decades.

Overall this email seems almost more like a pure fundraising letter than an endorsement. I figured there was no need to quote all the money request lines. Nevertheless, if you want to contribute to Hillary or any other campaign, you can do so via the Nevada Caucus 2008 ActBlue page.

Reactions on the Health Care Forum

2007-03-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

It turned out that I have a life away from blogging after all, so I was not able to watch the health care forum on Saturday and therefore could not liveblog it. Unfortunately, neither the organizers of the forum nor Think Progress (which offered a live webcast) have so far put up any video from the forum.

However, a couple of people did some live-blogging of the forum or compiled a writeup. Jonathan Singer's take on each candidate's position is over at MyDD, another extensive roundup can be found at Blog for our Future. Taylor Marsh was also at the forum and comes away from it very oppiniated and very much in favor of Hillary Clinton while Hugh Jackson writes both at the Las Vegas Gleaner and on Nevada Today that he thought John Edwards was the big winner as he actually had a plan and is more likely to win than Dennis Kucinich who not only has a plan but a bill that is "intellectually, morally and economically sensible and reasonable."

Karen Tumulty, moderator of the forum, wrote up her thoughts here and here.

Finally, the take from the traditional media:

New York Times, Washinton Post, Los Angeles Times, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Sun

The only thing pretty much everyone seemed to agree on was that Obama's plan was sketchy at best, some saying that he was not prepared at all.

I'll put the videos (or the link to them) of the candidates at the forum up once they're available.

The SEIU Health Care Forum in Las Vegas: Polls, Webcast and More

2007-03-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the health care forum in Las Vegas today, hosted by the SEIU and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a conference call for reporters and bloggers was held earlier this week. During this call Andy Stern of the SEIU and John Podesta, former Chief of Staff of President Bill Clinton and now head of the Center for American Progress, outlined their thoughts on the upcoming forum and on how best to achieve universal health care.

Andy Stern stressed that a solution to the health care crisis is in everybody's interest as "American business will pay more for health care they make in profit" this year. Therfore, this presidential campaign should be about the issues, not about "glitz and glamour."

John Podesta noted his "battle scars" from 1994 when he worked in the White House during the Clinton's effort to achieve universal health care. He noted that the ranks of the uninsured are rising and that there are now 7 million more uninsured than in 2000. He sees today's forum as "a critical next step" saying that he has "high hopes that what happens in Las Vegas will leave Las Vegas and set the tone for the presidential campaign."

Also on the call was Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners who conducted a poll in the four early primary and caucus states regarding health care. The poll asked 400 voters in each state about their attitude towards health care. While the overall picture did look pretty good for universal health care, I was a little disturbed by the sample. 400 voters in one state is not the best sample and when you break it down into half Democrats and half Republicans, the margin of error is just insane.

Nonetheless, here are some numbers from Nevada:

Thinking specifically about the economy, what are you personally worried about the most?

Rising health care costs 39%
Higher taxes 23%
Secure Retirement 19%

The 225 million dollars a day being spent in Iraq would be better spent investing in affordable health care for every American here at home.

Strongly agree 48%
Not strongly agree 19%
Not strongly disagree 12%
Strongly disagree 18%

Who do you think would be the BEST president on the issue of health care?

Hillary Clinton 34%
John Edwards 16%
Barack Obama 9%
Bill Richardson 4%
Dennis Kucinich 0%
Chris Dodd 2%
Joe Biden 0%
Mike Gravel 0%

Now, please note that they're just asking who would be best on health care. Clearly, Hillary has an edge here both because of name recognition and because of her work on health care during the Clinton presidency.

What I found really disturbing about these numbers though, was that 50% of the respondents were 65 or older. How representative are numbers when you have a sample of only 5% below 40 years of age? And it really made me wonder how representative other poll numbers are that do not publish the age range of respondents.

Anyhow, I'm very much looking forward to this forum, as it will hopefully force the candidates to take a stand beyond "I'm for health coverage for all" and maybe they'll even tell us how they plan to achieve it.

You can view the live webcast of the health care forum over at Think Progress starting at 9am PT/noon ET.

Biden Apparently Not for Universal Health Care

2007-03-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I've finally figured out why Biden, officially citing family obligations, will not take part in the SEIU health care forum in Las Vegas on Saturday. From a Q&A with the Las Vegas Sun:

How would you deal with the nation's health care crisis?

I would move immediately to insure all children under age 18, modernize medical records and provide catastrophic health insurance to lift the burden on the 46 million people who can't afford coverage.

I would also encourage states to move toward total health care coverage, and I'd have the federal government give them much more leeway in underwriting the cost. The way to get a national consensus for a major health care policy is to cherry pick the best ideas from the dozens of states doing their own.

What happened to "universal health care?" It's what everybody in the Democratic field of candidates is talking about. Mysteriously, Biden chooses not to use this term. Does that mean he would not want to insure every American while he is in office? While providing insurance for all children and providing "catastrophic health insurance" (whatever that is supposed to mean) might sound like a good start and surely is better than the status quo it just sounds so safe, one has to wonder why Biden is even running for President. When you are not willing to lead on an issue and be bold about it you might want to reconsider your candidacy.

Therefore, I'm just not at all surprised he's skipping the health care forum this Saturday. I doubt the SEIU audience would have cheered him with this overtly safe, completely undaring position not worthy of a Democratic presidential candidate.

PS: After ranting my head off, I thought I'd better verify that he's not for universal heath care. So, I've just looked up his official position on health care on his website. It's pretty apparent he's really just not for universal health care. He wants to make sure that people have "access" but that's pretty much it. Here's his entire position:

Health Care
Joe Biden believes that to protect jobs, compete in a global economy and strengthen families we have to have to address out-dated health care system. The next president will have to deal with two challenges: containing the growing costs of health care and providing access to the 47 million Americans who don't have health insurance.

Joe Biden believes we need to take three steps to contain the cost of health care: modernize the system, simplify the system and reduce errors. He supports the transition to secure electronic records so that people can provide their doctors and nurses with vital medical information in real time. He believes there should be a uniform, efficient system to submit claims.

Joe Biden believes the path toward a 21st century health care system starts with the most vulnerable in our society. He would expand health insurance for children and relieve families and businesses of the burden of expensive catastrophic cases. He supports states that are pursuing innovative alternatives to make sure that everyone has access to health care and believes we should use data from these states to evaluate what works best in providing affordable access to health care for all.

What a disappointment.

Vilsack to Endorse Hillary

2007-03-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

No big surprise here:

Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a major political coup, captured the endorsement of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who recently abandoned his own presidential bid, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
Vilsack and his wife, Christie, planned to make the endorsement on Monday when the New York senator will be in the state, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the planned formal statement next week.

Clinton spokesman Mark Daley would not confirm Vilsack's endorsement, but did say the campaign had a major announcement planned for Monday in Des Moines.

And, no, this is not "a major political coup." It would have been one if he had chosen to endorse anyone but Hillary. When he decided to end his campaign, pretty much everyone expected him to endorse Hillary. They are both DLC'ers and he went with the safe establishment candidate (John Kerry) last time around. Remembering the poll numbers Vilsack had in his own state (somewhere in the teens) I don't think he wields enough influence to decide the winner. This race is far from over, in Iowa or anywhere else, as we were all reminded just yesterday: anything can happen.

Presidential Candidates' Statements on Elizabeth Edwards

2007-03-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

As everyone else I was saddened to hear that Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has returned and is, while treatable, apparently not curable. My thoughts and prayers are with one of the most wonderful and inspiring women in public life and her family.

So far, four Democratic presidential campaigns have published statements on the frontpages of their campaign website.

Hillary Clinton:

Elizabeth is a wonderful, strong individual and my thoughts and prayers are with her, John, and their children during this difficult time. I admire her optimism and strength in the face of adversity, and I look forward to seeing them both on the campaign trail.

Barack Obama:

Today, Michelle and I join every American in sending our thoughts and prayers to Elizabeth and John and the entire Edwards family. We all admire Elizabeth's strength and determination and the deep love they so obviously share.

Elizabeth Kucinich:

Dennis and I wish Elizabeth and John Edwards and their family the very best as Mrs. Edwards continues her courageous battle with cancer.

She has shown true strength and dignity in addressing this disease. We admire her courage and her spirit.

We are confident that Mrs. Edwards will continue to play a vigorous role in this campaign.

I look forward to seeing her on the campaign trail as she and I and our husbands all work towards our visions for building a better America.

Bill Richardson:

Barbara and I send our thoughts and prayers to Elizabeth and John as they deal with this latest challenge. Elizabeth has been an inspiration and role model to all of us with her courageous and very public fight against breast cancer.

I am hopeful and optimistic that Elizabeth will continue to win her fight. In the meantime, we should all redouble our commitment to supporting efforts to find a cure for breast cancer.

Update:

Chris Dodd:

Jackie and I wish Elizabeth, John and the entire Edwards family the best during this difficult time and throughout Elizabeth's treatment process. Our prayers are with all of them.

Joe Biden:

I am truly sorry to learn that Elizabeth Edwards has had a recurrence of her cancer. However, I am pleased to hear that Elizabeth and John are optimistic and moving forward. Elizabeth, John and their children are in our thoughts and prayers.

On Biden Cancelling his Carson City Apperances Yesterday

2007-03-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

So, Senator Biden's gamble didn't quite work. He figured, he could skip the SEIU forum in Las Vegas on Saturday (official reason: family obligations) and yet get press attention by coming to Carson City on Wednesday. Yesterday, he cancelled on short notice due to "important votes in the Senate."

While that is all valid and fine, here's the problem:

Biden has a day job (as do five other candidates). He's a Senator and therefore, when the Senate is in session, he should be in DC, and not toodling around on the campaign trail. As we're still more than nine months away from the primaries and caucuses, Biden (and Dodd, Hillary, Obama, Kucinich and Richardson) should show the voters how serious they are about wanting to be President, by actually doing their day job and only campaigning when their work schedules permit, meaning mostly weekends.

Now, I was a little curious and counted the numbers of votes missed by the four current Democratic Senators running out of 88 votes since January:

Biden: 22
Dodd: 22
Obama: 3
Hillary: 2

(comparison: McCain: 25, with Brownback and Hagel also frequently absent)

Biden and Dodd (as long as they haven't been sick or didn't have some serious family business to attend to) should either resign, so they can run full-time, or should resume their day job. Being absent 25% of the time from your day job while running for President is simply inexcusable.

So, it actually did bode well for Sen. Biden that he chose to stay in Washington last night. Otherwise his absenteeism rate would have jumped by another couple of votes.

Biden in Carson City on Wednesday

2007-03-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

While Sen. Joe Biden is not attending the SEIU forum on health care in Las Vegas this weekend. However, he seems to have liked visiting Carson City for the AFSCME forum last month so much that he's returning to Nevada's capital city tomorrow:

U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, a Democrat seeking the presidential nomination, will speak in Carson City this week, his campaign announced Monday.

Biden is the only Democratic presidential candidate not scheduled to attend Saturday's forum on health care in Las Vegas. But he will make two speeches in the state capital on Wednesday, according to the campaign.
The five-term Delaware senator is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m. at the legislative conference of the Nevada AFL-CIO at the Carson Nugget. Then at 7:45 p.m., he will speak to the Carson City Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Presidential Series, at the Silver Oak Golf Club.

Saturday's forum at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will feature Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Chris Dodd, former Sen. John Edwards, former Sen. Mike Gravel, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Sen. Barack Obama and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

The forum is sponsored by the Service Employees International Union and the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

My Interview With Elizabeth Kucinich in Heidelberg, Germany

2007-03-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

When I learned that Elizabeth Kucinich would be in Heidelberg (a 20 minute drive from Mannheim) for the International DPCA meeting of Democrats Abroad, I contacted the Kucinich campaign and asked if I could interview her. I expected 20 minutes tops. What I got was to accompany and talk to Elizabeth and Christina Kraich-Rogers, a German native who now works as the New Hampshire coordinator for the Kucinich for President campaign, for about four hours.

I met Elizabeth and Christina at a peace vigil in Heidelberg organized by German anti-war groups. While Germany is participating in the Iraq war, it is still home to several U.S. bases including Ramstein Air Base and the Landstuhl hospital, where injured soldiers are brought before they're ready for transport to Walter Reed. Elizabeth and Christina told me about their trip to Landstuhl the night before and about their conversations with injured soldiers. I could see how deeply moved and shaken they were from this encounter (you can read more on this here).

Elizabeth (left) talks to a protester

Elizabeth addressed the crowd at the peace vigil and talked to many individually. Most seemed to be quite surprised by the presence of the wife of an American Congressman.

Elizabeth addresses the crowd. The banner reads: War is always terror.

Afterwards we headed to the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut (German-American Institute - DAI) where Democrats Abroad had their meeting. In the DAI library Elizabeth talked with me about the main issues of this campaign.

Elizabeth Kucinich, who is still a British citizen (she hasn't been in the States long enough to obtain American citizenship), came to the United States in 2005. Though her lifepath crossed that of the American people in a strange way four years before. On September 11, 2001, Elizabeth had her final exam in her M.A. course in International Conflict Analysis. The exam title: "Conflict Resolution in International Politics." Later that day, as she watched the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, she felt that "a lightswitch came on."

As many Europeans, she saw how the U.S. media "spun the grief and shock into something different." While people across the world held prayer vigils for the victims of 9/11, even in places like Iran, the administration and the media "were shutting out the world in a way that was not necessary."

After having lived in India working with Mother Teresa's organization in Agra she later went for 16 months to Tanzania and worked in a small village as an advocate for regional development.

In 2005 she took a job with the American Monetary Institute in Chicago. On her second week on the job she went to Capitol Hill. She hadn't known or even heard of Dennis Kucinich previously but to her it seemed that their "life paths merged together." Elizabeth and Dennis tied the knot in the same year.

When you meet Elizabeth Kucinich and hear her talk about the issues she cares about and her husband's campaign, you sooner or later come to the conclusion that she may just be Dennis Kucinich's strongest assett. She's passionate and knowledgeable and doesn't depend on a campaign staffer on any subject like you so often here about many candidates.

Quickly she steers the conversation towards the subject of the war in Iraq. She stresses that Dennis led 125 of his colleagues to vote against the Iraq War Resolution in the House and that "he's the only candidate who's stand against the war is consistent" as he also voted against all funding bills for the war.

In Dennis Kucinich, Elizabeth sees "a man who speaks with integrity and truth." She says that in 2008 the people of the United States should "elect a President who is honest, who is willing to stand up when it's not popular."

Privacy Rights

I mention the recent comments by Gen. Pace who sees homosexuality as 'immoral'. I ask her what her husband's response to this is, especially in light of the squirmishness on this subject by the two front-runners, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Elizabeth makes it quite clear that both she and Dennis don't share this view: "When there are people who are devoted to each other, who want to have a family together, who is the government to say they cannot do that? The government should stay out of people's bedrooms, as they should stay out of their phone calls and their libraries. This is actually an area where goverment needs to be reduced."

Department of Peace

There have been some comments stating the idea of a Department of Peace is ridiculous as there already is the Department of State. I ask Elizabeth what her reaction to this criticism is. "Anyone who says this clearly has not read the legislation," is her first response. The idea of a Department of Peace is not about shutting down other departments. It would be completely separate from the Departments of State and Defense. She explains that a Department of Peace would not solely be an international endeavour. Quite to the contrary, "it is about building structures domestically. We need to build up peace structures within our society. America has a problem with violence. Peace is more than the absence of war." Elizabeth is quite adamant about this, she says that this is about teaching children to resolve conflicts peacefully, so that later on they won't be involved in domestic violence and in hate crimes: "Anyone who does not support the Department of Peace, isn't supporting putting a stop to domestic violence."

Iran

On the subject of war and peace, Elizabeth also has a few words to say on Iran: "I can see the condition of a Third World War developing. It is about destruction or creation. We can come together. What do the American people want?"

Nevada

The recent AFSCME forum in Carson City was Elizabeth's first time in Nevada. She came away impressed by the "fantastic people" she met and "loved the landscape. Her next trip to Nevada is only a few days away as Dennis will speak to the Culinary Workers Union on Friday and before the SEIU health care forum on Saturday.

Yucca Mountain

Elizabeth says that Dennis has tried to lead on this issue and has been consistent on his stance against storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, though ultimately, this is not just a Nevada issue but also a national one as "we've spun a line on nuclear energy that it is clean and economically viable" while people and politicians ignore that nuclear waste has to be stored forever and eventually the American people have to pay for it "not in utility bills but through taxes." Therefore, Dennis Kucinich is "not in support of nuclear power. Period."

Water

On another hot-button issue in Nevada, water, Elizabeth says that it is also a global issue: "Water is the next oil." She says that everyone is responsible and can take action by preserving water as everyone has a choice - for how long we take showers, how much water our dishwashers and washing machines consume.

Climate Change

Elizabeth has been passionate about climate change since she was a child and she sees a chance for the world in fighting climate change: "Never in world history has there been an issue that brought the world together. We have the intelligence and money to bring the world together in fighting climate change. We have the chance to stop global warming now or we can fund the war and put more money into the war.

Health Care

Coming from Europe, where most countries have health care systems that cover the entire population, she is "astounded" when she travels around America "that there is a country with all these resources that it cannot provide health care for its people." She says that it's not a money problem as the United States pay more money per capita for health care than many industrial countries with universal health care: "We're paying for health care. We're just not getting it. Across the United States 46 million people are without coverage." Dennis Kucinich proposes universal single payer not for profit medicine for all.

According to Elizabeth this is also a business issue as it will reduce their costs and increase the vitality of their workforce.

First Lady

I find the "what would you do if you were to become First Lady" questions usually quite nauseating, mostly because the answers are as well. I asked Elizabeth anyway. To my question what issue she would focus on she replied: "I've never been a one-issue candidate."

"My main passions are the environment, animal welfare - welfare in general, really -, peace and international relations." Dennis and Elizabeth would be working together: "We're a joint ticket, a team. We share the same perspective of America and the world."

Elizabeth would like to start a '9/10 forum'. "The American people never got an opportunity to grieve after 9/11. What was their world like on 9/10. What were their highest aspirations. There is a narrative I'd like to start: When did you feel most secure? When were you proud of your nation? It's a discussion I would like to take across the country."

According to Elizabeth the people should focus on the good of both 9/10 and 9/12: "The heart of the world was open to the American people after 9/11. How do we recreate the sentiment of togetherness and solidarity of 9/12?"

How does Elizabeth feel living in America? "It's a great honor to live in America. I love Cleveland and made it my home." And on politics in America: "Coming from a different country one sees the politics in a different light."

Elizabeth and I in the DAI library

After my interview with Elizabeth we went downstairs to the Democrats Abroad meeting as Dennis Kucinich was to call in shortly. He talked about why he was running and took a couple of questions. Both his general remarks and his answers received at times strong applause. Especially his anti-war stance and his promise to join an American voters abroad caucus in Congress were enthusiastically received.

More information on Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich can be found at the Kucinich for President website.

More Presidential Candidates Going to Culinary Workers Union Rally

2007-03-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

It appears that Dennis Kucinich isn't the only one planning to speak to the Culinary Workers Union, though he is the only one actually having the date up on its website.

The AP reports that several others have also confirmed:

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will attend the March 23 rally, on the eve of a candidates forum in Las Vegas. Former vice presidential nominee John Edwards, the Democrat most openly pushing to be the labor candidate, is not confirmed to attend, the union said Thursday.
Edwards campaign spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said the former North Carolina senator “is making every effort” to address union members that day.
The Culinary Workers Union, Local 226, organizes cooks, waiters, housekeepers and other service workers in Nevada casinos. Its endorsement may be key to a strong showing in Nevada’s Democratic caucus Jan. 19, the second in the nation.

While this may be the case, the union clearly has to get its act together. Their website is an absolute mess with a "News" page that has last been updated in 2005. Of course there is no mention on their website about their rally, let alone a press release about the candidates attending.

Richardson to Keynote Stonewall Dem Leadership Luncheon in Vegas

2007-03-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

Gov. Bill Richardson will be the keynote speaker at the Stonewall Democrats Western National Training Leadership Luncheon in Las Vegas on March 24th, the same day as the SEIU health care forum. It is not yet clear if any other presidential candidates will address this meeting.

For more info click here.

Hillary and Obama: Homosexuality is Not Immoral

2007-03-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this little blog wasn't the only one ranting about Hillary and Obama yesterday. Many other blogs (like Americablog) did so as well and the Southern Nevada Stonewall Democrats Chair posted two comments to my post. Significantly, the Human Rights Campaign was irked as well. From Americablog:

I hear that the gay civil rights group the Human Rights Campaign had a come-to-Jesus (come-to-Mary?) chat with the Clinton and Obama campaigns this morning over the candidates' seeming inability to give a straight answer yesterday to the question of whether they think homosexuality is immoral. (Lots of background on the issue here.)

HRC reportedly told both campaigns that they were not happy, and that the campaigns' various and ever-changing answers to the question were evasive and unacceptable, and that both needed to issue forceful and unequivocal statements saying that they don't think homosexuality is immoral.

Will Hillary and Obama respond? Stay tuned.

That must have done the trick, as both Hillary and Obama came out with statements today, saying that homosexuality is not immoral. Hillary:

"Well I've heard from a number of my friends and I've certainly clarified with them any misunderstanding that anyone had, because I disagree with General Pace completely. I do not think homosexuality is immoral. But the point I was trying to make is that this policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not working. I have been against it for many years because I think it does a grave injustice to patriotic Americans who want to serve their country. And so I have called for its repeal and I'd like to follow the lead of our allies like, Great Britain and Israel and let people who wish to serve their country be able to join and do so. And then let the uniform code of military justice determine if conduct is inappropriate or unbecoming. That's fine. That's what we do with everybody. But let's not be eliminating people because of who they are or who they love."

And here's Obama's statement via a spokesperson:

"As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years."

I still wish they would have done this right away. Ducking this issue like they both did just did not look good.

PS: Interesting in this regard is an article by the New York Observer how presidential candidates are courting "pink cash".

Kucinich to Speak to Culinary Workers Union in Vegas

2007-03-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Dennis Kucinich plans to speak to the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas the night before the SEIU health care forum. Details:

Start: 23 Mar 2007 - 19:00

Pending his congressional duties, Dennis will speak at the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada

Edwards to Raise Money in Reno

2007-03-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Who would have known that there are enough rich Democrats in Reno who can afford $1,000 to meet a presidential candidate? Color me surprised. Seems like Washoe County is slowly turning blue. From the RGJ:

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is headed to Reno for a fundraiser.
The 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee will appear from 2 to 4 p.m. March 24 at the home of Juanita and Bill Jeanney off Juniper Hill Road, according to an e-mail invitation.
The "suggested contribution" is $1,000.
RSVPs can be made to Jillian Waldman at jillianwaldman@yahoo.com or by calling 310-966-6020.

Hillary and Obama Forgo Gay Vote

2007-03-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

It's really unfortunate to see the two main Democratic contenders for the Presidency triangulate and refuse to lead. Hillary was very quick to call for Attorney General Gonzales' resignation - once everyone else did so and it was a win win situation.

Clearly, condemning calling the gay and lesbian citizens of this country immoral is not a "win-win" situation. It is ironic that Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Human Rights Campaign, the biggest GLBT lobbying group, share the same initials. But then again, HRC 1 one used to be a Goldwater Republican and HRC 2 endorsed Republican candidates in last year's congressional elections. So, there.

Today, Hillary was asked about General Pace's statement that homosexuality was "immoral":

I also asked her about the comments by General Peter Pace that homosexulity is "immoral." Clinton has opposed the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, so I asked her if that law -- signed by her husband in 1993 -- was a mistake, and if homosexuality is "immoral."

"General Pace has clarified his remarks, but let's not lose sight of the fact that 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' is not working," she said. "We are being deprived of thousands of patriotic men and women who want to serve their country who are bringing skills into the armed services that we desparately need, like translation skills. And one can argue whether it was a good idea when it was first implemented, but we know have evidence as to the fact that we are in a time of war -- when we really need as many people as we can to recruit and retain in an all-volunteer army -- we are turning people away or discharging them not because of what they've done but because of who they are."

But is it immoral?

"Well I'm going to leave that to others to conclude," she said. "I'm very proud of the gays and lesbians I know who perform work that is essential to our country, who want to serve their country and I want make sure they can."

When I read the last past, it felt like someone was asking a mother whether her children were stupid. Every decent, loving mother would instantly proclaim: NO! Not Hillary, she'd leave that to someone else to conclude but she is very proud of her children. Even if they are stupid.

Well, I thought. You can always count on Obama. Can't you?

Barack Obama joined Hillary in courting gays and lesbians by calling for the rollback of "don't ask, don't tell" -- without wanting to directly refute General Pace's comment that homosexuality is "immoral."
Newsday caught Obama as he was leaving the firefighters convention and asked him three times if he thought homsexuality is immoral.

Answer 1: "I think traditionally the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has restricted his public comments to military matters. That's probably a good tradition to follow."

Answer 2: "I think the question here is whether somebody is willing to sacrifice for their country, should they be able to if they're doing all the things that should be done."

Answer 3: Signed autograph, posed for snapshot, jumped athletically into town car.

Why the dance? Maybe it has something to do with not wanting to alienate moderates -- or social conservatives, the churchfolk who view homosexuality as a sin.

At least Obama wasn't as bad as Hillary. But let's not kid ourselves. He wasn't better than her either. This is a clear and unfortunate lack in leadership. Another thing that is striking is that gays and lesbians should go to Iraq and Afghanistan and die for their country. That's basically what repeeling "don't ask, don't tell" is all about. If it were about equality for all, both Hillary and Obama could have unequivocally rebutted Gen. Pace's comments. However, they chose not to.

You wanna know who did?

The ranking Republican of the Senate Armed Services Committee sharply rebuked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Tuesday, taking issue with General Peter Pace’s view that homosexual acts are immoral.

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a former Secretary of the Navy, said, “I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman’s view that homosexuality is immoral. In keeping with my longstanding respect for the Armed Services committee hearing process, I will decline to comment on the current policy until after such hearings are held.”

Yeah, you heard that right. An 80 year old Republican Senator from a southern red state "respectfully but strongly disagrees".

So, what can we make of this? Apparently, Hillary and Obama are willing to forgo the gay vote.

One can only hope that Stonewall Democrats (the GLBT group within the Democratic Party) will issue will stand up against any Democratic candidate for President who refuses to rebut Gen. Pace's statement that homosexuality is immoral. I wonder if Stonewall Democrats of Northern Nevada and Stonewall Democrats of Southern Nevada have to say about this. They'll be able to ask them when the candidates are in Las Vegas on March 24th for a forum on health care.

Blogger Outreach? What Blogger Outreach?

2007-03-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

The following is a pretty interesting read. From The Hotline's Blogometer:

3/14: How Blog Outreach Is Done

WH '08ers can't seem to agree on how to title their official blog advisers (eCampaign Adviser, Blog Outreach Dir., and Dir. of Online Communications are a few choices), and most campaigns also have trouble defining how exactly their blog experts fit into their campaign. Each candidate's strengths in other areas ought to inform how they handle blogs, but Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) aide (he doesn't even have an official title) Patrick Hynes' push-back efforts 3/13 are a textbook example of how the job should be done. After a flurry of posts hit McCain for skipping the Club for Growth's winter conf., Hynes went to work emailing bloggers to let them know CFG only offered McCain dates to speak that coincided with a previously planned trip to Iraq. The retractions and updates Hynes netted his candidate both tampered down implications that he was dissing conservatives and reinforced McCain's strength on just about the only issue conservative bloggers back McCain on. This one episode is not going to magically swing bloggers to McCain's column, but it is an example of the vigilant defense WH '08ers must be prepared to play online.

Now, I have to say this is a very little blog and I would be surprised if there were a lot of "outreach" in this direction from presidential campaigns. That said, Nevada is now an early Caucus state and I haven't heard of much outreach to any Nevada blog. There was the case of Obama skipping the AFSCME forum in Carson City - no explanations, no outreach whatsoever. Then the Fox News debate controversy. The only outreach at all was by Edwards and Richardson to Kos, but only after he contacted them. None of the candidates did any outreach during this time to any Nevada blogs - as far as I know, at least there was none reporting in this respect on the two biggies, Reno and its Discontent and the Las Vegas Gleaner.

So, maybe, just maybe, Democrats could actually learn something from a Republican for a change!

End of rant.

For all the Dodd Fans out There - Backstage at the Daily Show

2007-03-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

For all the Dodd fans and people who like the Daily Show. You can get a behind the scenes look while Dodd prepares for the Daily Show right now and also afterwards - live:

Your Backstage Pass to Senator Dodd on the Daily Show

Last Words on the Fox News Debate (Hopefully)

2007-03-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama says he's "been called worse" in reaction to the joke by Fox News chef Ailes which was used as the official reason for cancelling the debate.

Dennis Kucinich attacks Edwards and Richardson (without directly naming them) for bowing out of the debate saying that it smacks of "manipulation by some candidates who would rather run and hide than defend their records and their positions on the war".

Ryan Grim at The Politico takes a behind the scenes look at the cancellation of the debate headlined "How Bloggers Killed The Fox Debate".

March Straw Poll at MyDD

2007-03-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Right now, you can vote in a straw poll over at MyDD by ranking candidates. When I voted Barack Obama was ahead of John Edwards in the final round by two votes.

New Nevada Poll Worthless

2007-03-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Seems like I was right in wondering how soft the numbers of the new Nevada poll published yesterday were. As it turns out the sample was 600 regular voters with 240 Democrats. So, Hillary's lead in the poll is among 240 regular Democratic voters who weren't asked if they have attended a caucus before, if they will attend this caucus, or if they even know what a caucus is.
It's pretty incredible that a poll with 600 respondents should have a margin of error of 4 percent as they claim. That should be at least five in my opinion. Then take the 240 sample and you have a huge margin of error which makes the poll absolutely worthless.

This poll was commissioned by KRNV and the Reno Gazette-Journal. It's sad to see that they were not able to commission a poll worth talking about, one with a decent sample and without Gore and Clark who are clearly not running at this point (or ever).

For this reason Chris Bowers over at MyDD is actually considering fielding their own polls at four seperate times before the Nevada Caucus in January:

I am led to wonder if MyDD itself would be able to make up some of the gap. For a little under $10K (Update [2007-3-10 20:54:27 by Jonathan Singer]: The cost would be in the range of $9,500 TOTAL for the four polls), MyDD could commission Survey USA to conduct four polls in Nevada: one in March, one in June, one in September, and one in December. Compared to other polls that will come out on Nevada, we could make sure that only announced candidates were in the questioning, that undecideds were not pushed too hard, that second choices were given, that there was a decently sized sample, that there were lots of good demographic crosstabs, and still probably have a better likely voter screen than anyone else around. With four polls like this, we could build trend lines, and basically be the organization for Nevada polling during the 2007-8 nomination process.

So, much question to you is this: would you be interested in contributing money for a project such as this? We would not have to collect it all right away, and could instead hold fundraisers when it is time for the next poll. MyDD has also been saving some of our ad money for special projects like these, so we could cover some of the costs ourselves. My question to you is: would you contribute money in order for this project to get off the ground?

Fielding a decent poll costs money of course, money which the KRNV and RGJ apparently don't have. So, if you think this is a worthy endeavour, go over to MyDD let them know what you think and help them out.

LVRJ = Fox News! Says the LVRJ Editorial Board

2007-03-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

So, the Las Vegas Review Journal editorial board went into ultra ranting mode over the cancelled Fox News debate. A rant which was conveniently linked to by both the Drudge Report and FoxNews.com. Any questions?

Well, yeah, actually. When you're in ranting mode over at your damn fine journalistic institution do you actually proof read your rant? What's that? No, you don't? Well, I didn't think so:

Hard-core liberals can't stand the Fox News Channel. Passing a television that's tuned to the conservative favorite forces many of them to close their eyes, cover their ears and scream, "La la la la la la la la la!" Then they dash to their computers and fire off 2,500 e-mails condemning the outlet, none of which are ever read. (Emphasis added)

Where did they come up with the "2,500 emails" part? Funny thing is, if you actually read Saturday's edition of the LVRJ you can easily figure out that the editorial board is not talking about the Fox News debate here, it is talking about itself. Here is their account of the Fox News cancellation:

The Democratic Party since had been hit with phone calls, e-mails, media attention and an online petition signed by more than 260,000 people, according to MoveOn.org. (Emphais added)

Ain't that just a little discrepancy. And here is their statement on their own little controversy - why they are sticking with dumbpundit Ann Coulter:

Several newspapers have dropped conservative syndicated columnist Ann Coulter from their pages after she used a homosexual slur last week, but two Nevada newspapers won't be joining the list.

The Review-Journal inbox has been flooded with more than 2,000 e-mails calling for the column's demise, but editorial page editor John Kerr said he would continue treating Coulter's columns as he always has -- by reading and running them on a case-by-case basis. (Emphasis added)

Essentially, the LVRJ was royally pissed about getting hit with a barrage of e-mails asking them to drop Coulter. What better way to let off steam about that than using the Fox News debate cancellation!

Thank God for Freudian slips! And good to know that letters to the editor of the Las Vegas Review Journal are never read if they contain an opinion contrary to LVRJ editorial board believes.

Edwards Sticks it to Fox

2007-03-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

You gotta give it to Edwards. He's gutsy. From a campaign e-mail:

You may have heard by now that John Edwards was the first candidate to officially say no to the Fox News debate in Nevada—and because of the hard work of so many grassroots and netroots Democrats, news is breaking tonight that Fox is out.

Fox has already started striking back at John for saying no. (There's a surprise—Fox attacking a Democrat.) Last night, Roger Ailes—the life-long Republican operative who is now Chairman of Fox News Channel—said that any candidate "who believes he can blacklist any news organization is making a terrible mistake" and "runs a real risk of losing the voters."

And John's not their only target. Tonight Fox News Vice President David Rhodes is telling news organizations not to get involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus because of "radical fringe" groups—meaning grassroots Democrats (that would be you)—who objected to Fox's long history of spreading Republican propaganda at the expense of Democratic leaders.

The whole right wing is getting in on the attack; the Drudge Report is blaring the headline: "War! Dems Pull Out of Fox News Debate."

Enough is enough. It's time to send a clear message to Fox News and their allies that their right-wing talking points and temper tantrums won't go unchallenged anymore—when it comes to what Democrats should do in the Democratic primary, we'll decide—no matter what they report:

http://johnedwards.com/r/7157/402397/

Fox News has already proven they have no intention of providing "fair and balanced" coverage of any Democrat in this election.

In recent weeks they have run blatant lies about Senator Obama's background. And Fox was only too happy to give Ann Coulter a platform to spew more hate a few days after her bigoted attack on Senator Edwards and the gay community.

Now it's time for Democrats to stand together and send a clear message to Roger Ailes, Fox News and all the rest of them: bias isn't balance, but turning tables is fair:

http://johnedwards.com/r/7159/402397/

The truth is, Fox News can "report" whatever they want. And when it works for us, we'll deal with them on our terms. But this campaign is about responsibility and accountability, and we need to send the message to Fox that if they want to be the corporate mouthpiece of the Republican Party more than they want to be an impartial news outlet, they shouldn't expect Democrats to play along.

You can send that message by contributing today, and remind Fox News that in this election, Democrats won't take their spin lying down:

http://johnedwards.com/r/7161/402397/

Thank you for standing up for what we believe in.

Jonathan Prince
Deputy Campaign Manager
John Edwards for President

P.S. -- If the folks at Fox wonder why nobody thinks they play it straight, they should take a look at what Roger Ailes said about debates in 1988 when he was a top Republican spinmaster for then Vice President Bush: He told the Washington Post, "I don't know that we need to do more than one [debate]. There's no reason to think we'd need more than one." And he told the New York Times, "I don't think you learn anything about the issues" from debates. So please send Roger Ailes a message: Hypocrisy isn't fair and it isn't balanced; it's just hypocrisy—and we've had enough of it from you.

Hillary Leads in Nevada Poll

2007-03-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

A Research 2000 poll shows Hillary with a lead in Nevada. From the Political Wire:

In Nevada, a new Research 2000 poll released today finds that Sen. Hillary Clinton leads among likely Democratic caucus voters with 32% support, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 20%. John Edwards and Al Gore were tied for third place at 11%.

On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 38% support, followed by Sen. John McCain at 18% and Newt Gingrich at 11%.

Some observations:

I don't know who commissioned the poll and no more details are currently available.
There must be somewhere between 10 to 20% undecideds as the combined tally for the top four is 74%.
Gore is in the poll even though he's not running (yet? ever?).
No mention of Richardson.
It's still very early
And finally: this is a caucus! Not a primary. So, I wonder how soft these numbers are. Only people who are really interested in a candidate will go to the caucus. Organization on the ground is everything.
As for the Republicans: McCain's numbers suck. He's below 20% and Arizona borders on Nevada. Ouch.

Tom Collins Denies Dropping Fox Debate

2007-03-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

NV Dem Party Chair Tom Collins this afternoon denied dropping the Fox News Debate, even though Bill Richardson announced this afternoon that he would not participate in the debate after initially saying he would.

Tom Collins to the AP's Kathleen Hennessey:

Discussions continued Friday afternoon, even as MoveOn.org and other Web sites declared the debate dead. Collins said the reports were untrue.
"No, we're not canceling, I am not canceling. We're not dropping Fox," he told The Associated Press.
Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti said Friday Fox had not received word from the party about the debate.

Thank goodness, the state party will get to elect a new chair by the end of the month.

UPDATE:

This is the text of the letter to Fox News:

March 9, 2007
Marty Ryan
Executive Producer
Fox News Political Programs
202-824-6425 (fax)
400 N Capitol Street NW, Suite 550
Washington DC 20001
DELIVERED VIA FAX AND EMAIL

Dear Marty,

A month ago, the Nevada Democratic Party entered into a good faith
agreement with FOX News to co-sponsor a presidential debate in
August.

This was done because the Nevada Democratic Party is reaching out to
new voters and we strongly believe that a Democrat will not win
Nevada unless we find new ways to talk to new people.

To say the least, this was not a popular decision. But it is one
that the Democratic Party stood by. However, comments made last
night by FOX News President Roger Ailes in reference to one of our
presidential candidates went too far. We cannot, as good Democrats,
put our party in a position to defend such comments.

In light of his comments, we have concluded that it is not possible
to hold a Presidential debate that will focus on our candidates and
are therefore canceling our August debate. We take no pleasure in
this, but it is the only course of action.

Sincerely

Tom Collins Harry Reid

Chairman, Nevada State Democratic Party U.S. Senator (D-NV)

NV Dems Pull Fox Debate!

2007-03-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

Wow, this comes rather unexpected. But sometimes these things always happen on a Friday afternoon in the hope it'll be buried with the weekend papers and not resurface on Monday. However, I just cannot believe that will happen with this story:

"Nevada Dems Nix Fox Debate" writes The Politico. They had no comment yet from either the State Party or Fox News. One can assume though that after all the protests, the distancing done by Harry Reid, and Edwards pulling out this might have sealed the deal:

FOX News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes gave the progressive activists more ammunition on Thursday when he jokingly compared Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, to Osama bin Laden.

This might be hurtful to the State Party in the short run. However with Tom Collins leaving at the end of the month and Jill Derby most likely to take over, the party will get over this.

What do I believe, though, is that Fox News will be deeply hurt by this. "Fair and Balanced" is definitely done with.

UPDATE:

From Kos:

So it's official, though I'm still waiting for an official statement from the Nevada Democratic Party and maybe even Harry Reid.

The Big Winner: the Progressive movement, which came together at all levels -- netroots, grassroots, and even some institutional players.

The other Big Winner: John Edwards, whose early leadership dropping out of the debate spurred intense media coverage (hence pressure) and fueled its demise.

Snatched victory from the jaws of defeat: Richardson, who announced he was pulling out just an hour or so before the official demise of the debate. He would've been left isolated, the only candidate to agree to a now-dead debate. Spared by the hair on his chinny chin chin.

Mild loser: The other campaigns, especially Obama, who could've shown some leadership and hit back at the network that has been tormenting them with non-stop smear attacks. Instead, they played it safe.

The Big Loser: Fox News, which will now face a whole new round of stories discussing their "conservative bias" and propaganda function. For a network that wanted this debate to obscure their partisan purpose, this is the worst of all worlds.

Next up: Will the Congressional Black Caucus team up with Fox for its own debate?

UPDATE 2:

Apparently Fox News is such a good news organization that it doesn't respond to journalists, like The Politico's Ryan Grim, but is very quick to give something to the right wing Drudge Report (and, yes, I hate to quote him):

“We have not received official word from the Nevada State Democratic Party disclosing a change in debate plans. Rumors are being circulated and if true, news organizations will want to think twice before getting involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus which appears to be controlled by radical fringe out-of-state interest groups, not the Nevada Democratic Party. In the past, Moveon.org has said they ‘own’ the Democratic party—while most Democrats don’t agree with that, we’re waiting to see if that’s the case in Nevada.” -- David Rhodes, Vice President, Fox News...

That Fox News is lashing out like this and is doing so this quickly just proves how much this hurts them.

NV County Chairs and Executive Board Members Support Fox News Debate

2007-03-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

A bunch of Democratic County Chairs and State Party Executive Board members have released a statement in support of the planned Fox News Debate:

Executive Board Members and County Chairs Support August Debate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Liz Foley Chairwoman Clark County Democratic Party
702-737-8683

March 8,

We, the undersigned, appreciate the efforts State Democratic Party Chairman Tom Collins has made to address concerns regarding the August presidential debate in Reno, NV. We believe the latest proposal is reasonable and addresses most of the concerns raised by MOVEON and others.

Not all of us originally supported the idea of working with FOX, but many of us did because we know that a significant number of Nevadans - including Democrats - watch the network, and we want to use the opportunity of our early caucus to reach out to those viewers.

We all want to work together to unify our party, move forward and address the pressing issues that all Nevadans and Americans grapple with each and every day. Ultimately, that's the reason why we are all Democrats and why we care so passionately about the Nevada caucus.

We look forward to the August debate, when the Democratic presidential candidates will have the opportunity to reach out to voters in Northern Nevada and throughout the West as we focus on Western issues.

We pledge to do everything we can to ensure this debate is a success.

Sincerely,

Chris Wicker, Washoe County Democratic Chairman

Liz Foley, Clark County Democratic Chairwoman|

Cindy Trigg, Douglas County Democratic Co-Chairwoman

Lance Whitney, chair, Elko Democratic Party

Kristian Forland, vice chair, Elko Democratic Party

Ron Hibble, Lincoln County Democratic Chairman

Teresa Williams, Chair, Lyon County Democratic Central Committee

Loyal Watkins, Nye County Democratic Chairman

Teresa Benitez Thompson, First Vice Chair

Bud Orange, 2nd Vice Chairman and Douglas County Democratic Chairman

A’shanti Fayshel Gholar, Secretary

Tom Carns, Clark At-large Executive Board member

Greg Esposito, Clark At-large Executive Board member

Bonnie Jacobs, Clark At-large Executive Board member

Steve Fernlund, Clark At-large Executive Board member

Jack Mallory, Clark At-large Executive Board member

Anita Hara, Washoe County At-large Executive Board member

Mathew J. Dickson, Washoe County At-Large Executive Board Member/Treasurer Washoe County Democratic Party

Jo Ann Orange, Rural At-large Executive Board member

Ed Goodrich, Washoe County At-large Executive Board member

While several rural county chairs and those of the two largest counties (Clark and Washoe) have signed this statement, it's interesting who hasn't signed it and is therefore not supporting the debate. Two people I notice absent from this list would be Executive Board member Michael Zahara and the chair of the Carson City Democratic Party which has of course passed a resolution against the debate.

As to the substance of their argument:

Not all of us originally supported the idea of working with FOX, but many of us did because we know that a significant number of Nevadans - including Democrats - watch the network, and we want to use the opportunity of our early caucus to reach out to those viewers.

This reasoning doesn't make any sense. Does anyone honestly believe that those watching Fox News are only getting their "news" from Fox? That these voters are not interested in local news and are therefore not watching local stations? I don't presume anyone would. So this reasoning doesn't stand it's ground. If you want to reach voters in Nevada, why not air the debate on a local station?

Differing Thoughts on the Fox News Debate

2007-03-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

Contrary to Nevada Dem Party Chair Tom Collins believe that his proposed changes to the Fox News Debate would quiet things down, tensions seem to be rising.

Carson City Democrats passed a resolution against the debate last night:

Carson City Democratic Central Committee
RESOLUTION OPPOSING FOX PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
March 7, 2007

WHEREAS, Fox News is not a neutral source of news – it’s a right-wing mouthpiece like Rush Limbaugh that smears Democrats and spreads blatantly false information; and

WHEREAS, Democrats granting Fox News the illusion of credibility would allow Fox to more easily “swiftboat” our 2008 candidates by pushing false Republican attacks into the mainstream media; and

WHEREAS, everyone supports reaching out to new people, but 1 day of Fox coverage is not worth legitimizing Fox’s misinformation the other 364 days a year; and

WHEREAS, plenty of better alternatives exist to Fox News – in Nevada, MSNBC plus its NBC affiliates, for example, get approximately double the viewers of Fox cable plus its local affiliates; and

WHEREAS, we believe that Democrats need to fight back against Fox News and the right-wing smear machine in the 2008 election cycle—not enable it.

BE IT RESOLVED, the Carson City Democratic Central Committee opposes the proposal to let Fox News host a Democratic presidential debate and strongly urges the Nevada Democratic Party to drop that proposal.

Of course, this got the attention of Kos.

Meanwhile, some are not so happy with the actions of national blogs and MoveOn.org. Cls at Blue Lyon is not too happy with what's been happening. His conclusion: "I'm done with MoveOn.org"

An excerpt:

And now, they are at it again. Yeah, yeah, they hate Fox. So do I.

But they are attacking the Nevada Democratic Party and right now have an email out calling on its members to phone the state Dem office to object to the Fox debate. So, the phones are jammed down south, and any work that should be getting done with regards to our upcoming caucus is on hold. All hands are on deck fielding calls and the circular firing squad is in full swing.

And while MoveOn is great about publishing everyone else's phone numbers, if anyone can find a phone number to contact them anywhere on their site, please leave it in the comments, because I can't find it.

I'm done. MoveOn, Kiss Off.

No doubt, the decision to let Fox News host a Democratic presidential debate has surely caused some bad blood. All around. Well done, Mr. Collins. In the end I can only agree with Michael Zahara:

Mike Zahara, an at-large delegate to the state party's executive board who has been critical of the Fox debate, said he appreciated the party's efforts, but that the candidates themselves would ultimately determine the event's fate.

They sure will. Currently Richardson is in, Edwards is out and everybody else is non-committal.

Tom Collins Offers Fox News Debate "Compromise" Including Air America

2007-03-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

After Edwards jumped ship, Nevada State Party Chairman Tom Collins is forced to backpaddle:

March 7, 2007

Dear Nevada Democrats:

As you know, the Nevada State Democratic Party has agreed to host a debate with FOX News that has caused some concern among some of our activist allies. Because FOX has such an editorial bias against Democrats, some of our allies believe that we should have chosen another media partner. Senator Reid shares some of these concerns and has asked us to take another look at the parameters of this debate in order to ensure that all Democrats are comfortable as we move forward.

Our objective in hosting the August debate with FOX has not been to endorse the FOX News Channel. Our objective with this debate is the same as our objective in hosting an early Nevada Caucus in general -- to have as many opportunities for Nevada voters and voters throughout the West to hear directly from the candidates for president as possible. That is why our first forum was hosted with ABC News as the broadcaster, our November debate will be hosted by CNN and the final debate in January 2008 will be hosted with another outlet.

In planning the debate, the Nevada Democratic Party has been aware of the intricacies of dealing with FOX and so we secured assurances from them that the details of the debate were mutually agreed upon such as format, panelists, set design, and the assurance of an uninterrupted broadcast without commentary. FOX has also agreed to carry the debate live on KVVU, the affiliate in Las Vegas where most Nevada voters live. Other affiliates may follow. We believe that these details will assure that voters have the opportunity to focus on the candidates and the issues and not the panelists or commentators for an uninterrupted 90 minutes.

Since reaching that agreement with FOX we were heartened to hear from so many people who supported our decision to reach out to voters wherever they may be, including those watching FOX News. The state parties of Arizona, Montana, Colorado and New Mexico joined in support of our decision along with DNC Chairman Howard Dean, many members of the Nevada media and the leaders of the Nevada AFL-CIO, Culinary Union and Professional Firefighters Association. While one of our state party’s Executive Board members has been vocally opposed to the debate, several party leaders have expressed support, including:

* Chris Wicker, Washoe County Chair: http://dullardmush.blogspot.com/2007/02/washoe-dem-chair-responds-to-FOX-debate.html

* Tom Gallagher, 2004 candidate for Congress from NV-03 http://www.nvtoday.com/index.php?option=com_content=view=251=

However we decided to take a step back and make our best effort to address the concerns that have been raised including:

* Many Democrats will want to watch or listen to the debate without supporting the FOX News Channel.

* There was a desire to include a panelist from a more progressive outlet, such as Air America, to ensure balance at the questioners table.

* There was also a desire to bolster a progressive media outlet, such as Air America or Politics TV that could use the opportunity to grow its constituency.

In answer to these concerns, we have secured an agreement to invite KJFK radio, the local Air America affiliate, to air the event live and C-Span will be able to carry the debate twice in its entirety after the conclusion of FOX’s broadcast. Additionally, the Nevada Democratic Party has an agreement to invite a local progressive voice onto the debate panel.

We will also offer PolitcsTV.com the ability to carry the live FOX News web cast feed on its site for one-time viewing. If PoliticsTV agrees, this will give national viewers who do not wish to watch FOX the ability to watch the debate live while bolstering a progressive leaning organization.

With these additions, we feel that we have addressed the concerns of our activists and our own objectives:

* To keep the debate focused on the candidates and allow unfiltered access for our viewers.

* To keep the debate focused on the issues important to Nevada voters.

* To ensure that the most people possible have access to the debate and the candidates.

With these changes, we believe we have made a good-faith effort to address the concerns laid out to us and look forward to working with the candidates and our local supporters to ensuring the best debate possible.

Sincerely,

Tom Collins
Chairman,
Nevada Democratic Party

This all looks quite preliminary, and in its preliminary state feels like some people are starting to panick. Supposedly, at 11.45 PST a conference call of the Executive Board was supposed to take place. If the time of that call was not changed this, again, was a unilateral decision by Tom Collins. Let's hope it's not.

Asking a local Air America affiliate along at this stage is simply not enough. In this point I can only agree with both Kos and Matt Stoller that it's too little, too late. Before Edwards' announced decision not to take part in the debate this might have done. Now, it just won't.

It also speaks volumes that they want to "invite a local progressive voice onto the debate panel", but are not ready to name names and have probably not contacted anyone yet. And "a local progressive voice". Who is that supposed to be? Myrna the Minx?

And than reread this:

We will also offer PolitcsTV.com the ability to carry the live FOX News web cast feed on its site for one-time viewing. If PoliticsTV agrees, this will give national viewers who do not wish to watch FOX the ability to watch the debate live while bolstering a progressive leaning organization.

Tom Collins dares to mention PoliticsTV in his mail, yet has not received an agreement with PoliticsTV and you have to wonder whether they even asked. This whole statement reeks of pandering and panic. Geez!

Hillary, Edwards Hire Campaign Staff in Nevada

2007-03-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

It's interesting to see how the presidential candidates assemble their Nevada staff, especially who they pick. Obama picked Alyson Schwartz and David Cohen, both with Nevada experience, Richardson's campaign team also has Nevada experience:

Richardson was the first to hire staff in Nevada. His Nevada campaign chairman is Reynaldo Martinez, a former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Richardson also has a Nevada communications director, Josh McNeil, and has field organizers for Northern Nevada, Southern Nevada and rural Nevada - Teresa Navarro, Javier Trujillo and Michael Tassone, respectively.

While Hillary's Nevada campaign manager Robby Mook is from outside the state her recent hirings are all from inside the state:

The Northern Nevada political director, Pam DuPre, is a former executive director of the Washoe County Democratic Party.

Alisa Naze, the Southern Nevada political director, previously was the finance coordinator for the failed gubernatorial campaign of Democratic nominee Dina Titus.

The communications director is another former Titus staffer, Hilarie Grey, who was head of communications for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, before joining Titus' campaign last year.

Deputy Field Director Brian DiMarzio worked as the Nevada Democratic Party's canvass director during last year's election and previously worked for the AFL-CIO union in Nevada.

So, it seems somewhat peculiar that Edwards' team is completely from out-of-state:

The Edwards campaign said Bill Hyers will lead operations in Nevada as state director. Hyers worked on the former North Carolina senator's 2004 presidential campaign in Iowa. He recently was a campaign manager for Kristen Gillibrand's successful congressional campaign in New York.

Edwards' Nevada political director, Roberto Rodriguez, was the state director for the California Voter Registration Project in 2004 and the managing director for LLAMAME, an organization that tailors communications in Spanish and English, the campaign said.

Preston Elliot, a former field staffer on Rep. Dick Gephardt's 2004 campaign in Iowa, will be Edwards' Nevada field director. Oscar Lopez, a regional field director for Patricia Madrid's 2006 congressional race in New Mexico, will act as Nevada trip director. Kelly Harlow, who worked on Edwards' 2004 bid in Iowa, will act as Nevada regional field director.

I guess, we'll have to wait and see whether or not that was a smart move.

On an editorial note: Molly Ball contradicts herself in her article on the Hillary hirings when stating that she has "the largest campaign staff in the state so far". At my count Hillary's has now a paid staff of five (Molly surely wasn't counting Rory Reid and Frankie Sue Del Papa?) and Richardson also has a paid staff of five. I'm not counting Edwards' staff as that news must have come after Molly wrote her article. One would hope that reporters would still be able to count to five...