New Nanny Attorney's Credibility Lacking

A Vicent E. Montoya popped up over on Inside Nevada Politics by posting that they were now Martha Sandoval's attorney and wanted to set the record straight on the two-decades old Jim and Dawn Gibbons hiring/not hiring her as a nanny story. All just in time for the November election, naturally.

While Montoya rehashes the story and, surprise, has a new blog to help get the word out, the attorney did leave out a few details. Namely, despite a Las Vegas office, Montoya apparently isn't currently licensed by the Nevada Bar to practice law here. The lawyer is, however, licensed in California where Vicent E. Montoya is actually Vicenta E. Montoya-Torres. There's also a 1997 disciplinary action for professional misconduct.

But perhaps the real reason for the name confusion, and maybe why no Nevada Bar standing, is Montoya's public censure for misconduct by the U.S. Department of Justice in July, 2004.

10 Questions With Independent Congressional (CD-2) Candidate Daniel Rosen, Pt. 1

While virtually all the media coverage regarding Nevada's Second Congressional District (CD-2) race focuses on Republican Dean Heller and Democrat Jill Derby, perhaps the candidate with the most unusual proposal for voters to truly be heard is Independent Daniel Rosen.

As founder of Nevada Vote Direct, Rosen pledges to let the voters of CD-2 literally have a say in all the bills he would vote on. It would truly be the will of the people on each and every vote as the winning side would guide Rosen's decision in DC. As such, the first-time candidate has pledged neutrality on all issues.

We conducted an email interview with Rosen, where we discussed how his plan would work and the safeguards needed to keep it transparent. Here is the first part of our discussion. (Part two follows this post.)

1) Your Nevada Vote Direct plan (NVD), where Nevadans basically tell you how to vote, is a unique endeavor. What prompted you to pursue this?

My motivations combine indignation at the brazen corruption of politics by big-money special interests, and fear for the world as our liberty and prosperity are destroyed in the process. But Nevada Vote Direct was inevitable in any case for one much more basic reason, which is that our technology itself invites us to solve the problem of political corruption. What would you think of a politician who refused to use the telephone? A day is coming very soon when we will think the same of a politician who refuses to use a system like Nevada Vote Direct.

2) How exactly would NVD work?

Nevada Vote Direct is owned and controlled by its members. Membership is free and open only to registered voters in Nevada's Second Congressional District. The By-Laws and rules of procedure (Robert's Rules of Order Revised of the Internet) are published at the site, and they are subject to amendment and change at will by the members.

The general principle is that through a system of secure, fair, and honest voting, either on the Internet or by telephone, citizens in our district will control my actions in Congress - that is to say, they will control my votes on specific legislation, the writing and introduction of new legislation, etc.

Since it will not always be practical to consult citizens with respect to specific actions or votes (for example when emergency legislation comes before the House), the system at Nevada Vote Direct is designed comprehensively to anticipate such situations. And the formulation of general rules regarding general issues will prevent an unrepresentative minority of citizens from mobilizing to hijack any particular vote on specific legislation.

The important thing to keep in mind is that Nevada Vote Direct will work just exactly as its members want it to work. If the members decide that votes will not be taken at Nevada Vote Direct on a certain range of questions (say, for example, concerning votes that I cast in in some particular congressional committee), then no such votes will be taken. I'm not saying that would be a good rule. It's not for me to decide. In every respect, I say, let the people decide.

3) Worries over electronic voter fraud have arisen lately, what assurances do you give voters that their opinions would be counted fairly (your company created and owns the software) or that only CD-2 people are the ones voting?

Nevada Vote Direct provides secure and transparent voting software to officially registered voters in Nevada’s Second Congressional District. The system does not permit unregistered people to vote, and login to the system is controlled by unique voter identification. The system permits only one vote per person on any given question.

At Nevada Vote Direct there are NO hidden codes, NO secret software. We are committed to transparency in all of our procedures and systems. Our system is NOT like the systems used by government in our periodic elections. Those systems, owned by Diebold and other large corporations, use proprietary computer software that is not open to public inspection. OUR voting system, by contrast, is available to anybody at anytime for examination and independent verification. The system is confidential, but transparent in the sense that every citizen may verify that his or her vote has been registered properly in the system.

We do not pretend to have foolproof software. There is no such thing. Yet, software can be made that is almost foolproof. For this reason, today, the most sensitive information is transmitted, stored, and used on the Internet by governments, banks and businesses. At Nevada Vote Direct, we will always strive to employ the state-of-the-art when it comes to security. And again, to achieve that end, and to ensure confidence, our software code is open to inspection at any time, by anybody.

But the question of security at Nevada Vote Direct is not as serious as it is when applied to our periodic government elections, for the following reason. At Nevada Vote Direct, voting is open all day, everyday, and individual legislative questions will most often be polled over a period of weeks and months. Indeed, in some questions, where, not specific legislation, but instead more general governing rules are involved that pertain to specific issues like immigration or the budget, the polls will be open indefinitely. At any time during the life of the poll, voters can always access and verify their vote by unique password identification on the Internet. But if the system is hacked at any time, the vote tallies will be restored to the day before the hack. All members will be alerted to the event, and people who voted in the interim will be informed that they should check or change their vote. Moreover, we will learn from the hack, and prevent its recurrence. The point is that at most only a few hours of system operation will be compromised and the harm will be negligible.

4) Much has been made of voter apathy and a cynic might point out that only the more extreme political activists (from both sides of the spectrum) would probably participate and skew the results. How would you combat that prospect, or would it matter as only those who care to participate should be heard?

I would prefer to say it is only natural that those who are actually concerned with a particular issue should be entitled to make the decision. But the word “entitled” is key. If 10,000 concerned citizens are making the decision, any one of the remaining number may make the deciding number 10,001. It is entirely up to the individual.

This is in the nature of democracy. At this point, just half the eligible voters or an even smaller number decide our presidential and congressional elections as a matter of course.

I will personally strive to increase participation in Nevada Vote Direct as much as possible, and use the resources of my office to that end.

But it is impossible to predict how many people will participate. On some questions – say, for example, the immigration legislation pending in the last Congress – I am quite sure that a very large percentage of citizens would want to be involved in the decision, and would participate if given the opportunity.

On other questions of course fewer citizens will be concerned. And it may be that many more ideally should be involved than actually are on some of these questions. Nevada Vote Direct doesn't pretend to be the final solution to all of our problems. It will not usher in Utopia.

Won't it be immeasurably better, however, to have just 1,000, or 10,000, or 50,000 citizens from our own district involved in these decisions rather than just three lobbyists and a corrupt politician in Washington? Nevada Vote Direct shouldn't be judged against the standards of a perfect world, but against the real standards of our living reality, which is obviously completely unacceptable.

5) That said, one could also see special interest groups push to register participants for specific votes that they would want to go their way. Again that could skew votes for what may be, in reality, a minority viewpoint in Nevada. What would you say to address those worries?

Nevada Vote Direct is a comprehensive system of citizen control in which I will work with the citizens in our district to formulate clear rules regarding general questions and issues. These rules will guide me on most votes that come before the Congress. If for example, as a general rule, the majority of citizens in our district direct me to vote “no” whenever legislation is proposed to increase legal immigration, a special interest group would need to muster an even larger majority for a “yes” vote on any such specific immigration legislation. This will effectively prevent any manipulation of the system by special interests.

It's true that Nevada Vote Direct will take some time in operation before it functions to its fullest potential as a means of citizen control of Congress. There will be an initial period of citizen education about the system and how it works. It will take some time to formulate and approve the proper rules.

But from the very beginning, it will eliminate political corruption from the process, which will be an immense step forward.

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Click here for part two of our interview with Daniel Rosen.

For more information on Rosen's campaign and NVD, please go to NevadaVoteDirect.org.

10 Questions With Independent Congressional (CD-2) Candidate Daniel Rosen, Pt. 2

Although faced with the steepest of uphill battles, Nevada congressional (CD-2) candidate Daniel Rosen has perhaps the most innovative of ideas for truly representative government.

The Independent candidate will use the results of his constituents, as tabulated through Nevada Vote Direct (NVD), for all decisions he would make back in Washington.

In the first part of our email interview, Rosen tells us what prompted him to form NVD and how it would work. He also addressed some of the problems that could arise (e.g., hacking, special interests stuffing the ballot and general voter apathy) and how he would combat that.

Here is the rest of our interview with Daniel Rosen.

6) With voter turnout for just a day or two every other year at historic lows, what do you think the participation rate of NVD voters would be if they had to vote on a daily basis for every single bill that comes up in Washington, or would you use vote totals on generic topics ( e.g., no to taxes, yes to guest worker programs, etc.) to guide you on the less "hot topic" issues?

People will not be required to vote ever, let alone on a daily basis. Presumably, people will vote when they are concerned with the question, and when they see in practice that their vote really does in fact count to control my actions in Congress.

Yes, many votes at Nevada Vote Direct will be about generic topics, or as I've said above, on general issues. I will always make public beforehand how I will vote on specific legislation, explaining which rules on general issues apply. In this way, citizens will have time to change the general rule, or override it with a larger majority in a vote on the specific legislation in question.

7) Would you require a minimum number of votes tallied before you take a position, or could a 1-0 vote for a specific bill carry the day?

The system currently requires no set quorum (minimum number) for votes on legislative questions. To establish such a rule of order for a quorum would require a simple majority of voting members; or as an amendment to the By-Laws it would require a two-thirds vote of all members.

8) You are running as an Independent, which you need to do for NVD to work, but have you ever been a member of a political party? If so, what one?

I have never been a member of any political party. However, Nevada law, unlike many other states, requires party registration to vote in a primary election. Therefore, some years ago, I registered as a Democrat in order to vote in a presidential primary election. Later, I re-registered as an independent.

I am not a member of any political party because the political parties are at the root of the most serious problem that we face as a nation: the problem of political corruption. The political parties are the conduit through which oceans of money flow to purchase elections and buy legislation in Congress. James Madison, in the Federalist Papers, referred to political parties as a “dangerous vice.” We who live in 21st-century America are able to see the whole truth in that declaration.

9) What happens if a vote on a topic goes against every political fiber in your body? Do you still do it and what are the assurances to the public that you would?

Yes, I will be bound by the decisions of the majority of citizens in our district, without waiver or recourse. Conscience is not at issue here. What would we think of a judge who disagreed in all good conscience with a “not guilty” verdict of a properly constituted jury, and who then sent the defendant off to jail? The judge has to put aside his own conscience in the narrow case in order to be loyal to his conscience in the broader and infinitely more significant case, which provides for the effective rule of law in general.

10) What is the one thing you hope Nevada voters learn from your campaign?

Of course I am working very hard to make citizens aware that there is a new option on the ballot this year. And I hope that people will go to our website to learn more about Nevada Vote Direct and how it works.

But, I am not primarily asking people to learn something. I am asking people to decide.

Do you want to be in control of your representative in Congress, so that the chain of corruption and betrayal may be broken once and for all?

Are you at least as well equipped to decide the major questions of the day as the nitwits who currently preside over your future from the sinkhole of corruption and dysfunction in Washington?

It's for you to decide.

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The first part of our interview with Rosen can be viewed here.

For more information on NVD, please go to NevadaVoteDirect.org.

Las Vegas Review Journal Endorses Gibbons; Reno Gazette Journal Goes For Titus

Nevada's two largest newspapers took different paths in announcing their endorsements for Governor. The Las Vegas Review Journal (LVRJ) picked Republican Jim Gibbons, while the Reno Gazette Journal (RGJ) opted for Democrat Dina Titus.

Review Journal for Gibbons

Though the LVRJ noted that no story could go without mentioning the Chrissy Mazzeo claim that Gibbons assaulted her, they point out "We will likely never know the whole truth behind the Mazzeo controversy. At this point, we believe voters would be best served by making their choice based on the issues, rather than on what might or might not have happened in a Las Vegas parking garage. We support Jim Gibbons for governor."

On Titus, the paper was less generous.

"Dina Titus has for decades typified brazen defiance of the separation of powers clause of the Nevada Constitution, drawing executive branch pay as a professor in the university system, then making policy decisions in the legislative branch. She opposes merit pay for teachers and embraces vastly expanded big-government solutions for every perceived problem, from cancer and stem-cell research to full-time kindergarten all the way down to tax incentives designed to manipulate public support for "alternative" energy and hybrid automobiles."

Gazette Journal for Titus

In what could be considered a surprise given it is Gibbons' hometown paper, the RGJ, often criticized for being politically conservative, endorsed Titus in their October 29 edition.

Citing the lack of executive experience in both candidates, and that both have pledged to be more "hands-on during the legislative session," the RGJ believed that with Titus' leadership in the State Senate she "has a more realistic view of how that can be accomplished and a better ability to get things done. She is the best candidate for governor."

Hurting Gibbons has been a series of missteps that has called into question his judgment said the paper. Besides the Mazzeo incident, the RGJ also pointed to the Elko speech where the congressman told an audience that anti-war protesters should be sent to Iraq as human shields and a 1997 incident where he called BLM employees "bullies."

Polls Show Surprisingly Good News For Nevada Republicans

While national polls show Republicans in big trouble, that doesn't appear to he happening in Nevada. At least not as of last week according to a Reno Gazette Journal/KRNV-News 4 poll.

Republicans across the ticket were leading, some surprising (Mark DeStefano and Don Chairez) and others not so surprising (John Ensign and Brian Krolicki). Still, many races were within the margin of error and with the amount of undecideds, and time left for all the negative advertising to work their magic, few can be called "locks" this early.

The Research 2000 poll sampled 600 likely voters from October 23 - 25 and, unlike others, did not include specific third-party candidates. There is a four-point margin of error.

Governor
Jim Gibbons (R) -- 47%
Dina Titus (D) -- 41
Other/None -- 6
Undecided -- 6

U.S. Senate
John Ensign (R) -- 55%
Jack Carter (D) -- 41
Undecided -- 4

Congressional District 2
Dean Heller (R) -- 48%
Jill Derby (D) -- 40
Undecided -- 12

Lieutenant Governor
Brian Krolicki (R) -- 52%
Bob Unger (D) -- 35
Other/None -- 4
Undecided -- 9

Secretary of State
Danny Tarkanian (R) -- 44%
Ross Miller (D) -- 41
Other/None -- 7
Undecided -- 8

Attorney General
Don Chairez (R) -- 43%
Catherine Cortez Masto (D) -- 38
Other/None -- 10
Undecided -- 9

Treasurer
Mark DeStefano (R) -- 43%
Kate Marshall (D) -- 40
Other/None -- 8
Undecided -- 9

Controller
Steve Martin (R) -- 41%
Kim Wallin (D) -- 38
Other/None -- 10
Undecided -- 11

Gubernatorial Candidate Christopher Hansen Speaks Out On Gibbons Affair

While almost everyone has expressed an opinion on what they think happened that rainy October night between Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibbons and Chrissy Mazzeo, Nevada politicians have been eerily quiet. That is until now.

The always outspoken Independent American gubernatorial candidate Christopher Hansen breaks the silence and not only tells Dullard Mush his take on the situation, but why he thinks there has been a cover-up and asks how in the world any "sane" person could vote for Gibbons now.

What are your impressions of this controversy?

I was not surprised. The Republican culture of corruption just keeps shining through. At least it was not a young boy this time. I know Jim Gibbons to be a liar but now I know he is also a fool. What kind of idiot sits around drinking with a girl that looks like that when he is married and without his wife being there? What kind of idiot walks a "tipsy" lady to her car so she can drive home? His judgment alone in this situation should disqualify him from anyone's consideration. This man was either trying to get this lady to have sex or was taking her to her car so she could possibly kill you or a member of your family. Which one is worse? I would rather she was telling the truth than him. Gibbons having an adulterous affair does not kill you or me, but putting a drunk behind the wheel could have.

Whose story do you believe?

In all honesty what does it matter? He is either a liar and an attempted rapist OR a man helping a drunk to drive. What sane man or woman would vote for such a person for any elected office?

Do you believe there was a cover-up?

Of course there was. Gibbons is covering up everything he can. He is already backtracking saying he never said the lady was "tipsy." The problem is both scenarios make him look like a criminal. The man is your classic Nixonian Republican. Truth means nothing. He typifies what Colbert would call "truthiness." He has sickened me for a decade with his Washington brown-nosing and anti-constitution voting record.

And did you see his bobblehead style wife smiling like her lips were stuck to her teeth with crazy glue? I felt horrible for her. She must have been so embarrassed it must have hurt. She looked like she was stoned on Valium or the like. And if she was she had the right to be. How could a loving husband put his wife through such a dog and pony show? Just one more poor choice using his obviously flawed judgment. Who would vote for such a man that did not even have the guts to protect his wife from this peep show?

Do you think this will cost him the election?

That depends upon whether or not the voting machines count the votes the way they were cast or the way the people that programmed the computers for our ballotless system want the election to be decided. Gibbons cannot win if the vote is fair. Not now. It was even reported to me that one chapter of a University's Young Republicans voted ominously to vote for me (either UNR or UNLV, I do not know which one) because they just could not "hold their nose and vote for Gibbons." Naturally this means nothing if the voting machines are told to elect Gibbons. We must compare the Exit polls with the election results. If they are more than 1.5% off we need to start screaming.

The thought of having Titus as governor is like the prospect of having Lenin elected. But then Gibbons was like having Nixon or Mussolini. How can anyone be happy about either one of them? One is a Socialist and the other a Corporatist. Nevadans lose no matter which choice is made.

I wonder how many Nevadans wish I had been allowed in the debates now? Oh well. They snoozed and losed. (Sorry about that last sentence but I am a product of the public education system so I have a good excuse. Is there a 12 step program for those educated in the government schools? There should be.)

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For more information on Hansen's campaign, please click here.

All Negative, All The Time

If there is a positive political ad currently running it isn't popping up when I'm watching.

Following the much-maligned, but highly successful and time-honored tradition of defining your opponent in the worst possible way, Nevada's airwaves are currently blanketed with negativity (or, as I once told a boss, upbeat cynicism).

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus has wasted no time in hammering Jim Gibbons for his recent "character" issues and, in a stark departure from her Law & Order tough gal posing spots, Attorney General candidate Catherine Cortez Masto has attached GOP opponent Don Chairez's name to the always lethal "child pornography". There's even an attack ad against a Supreme Court candidate. The only problem with that one is I can't remember which Nancy is the bad one. Is it Saitta or Becker?

The thing of it is, can the public really blame them for it? Let's face it, most polls of professions we admire and trust have politicians fighting it out with used car salesmen, telemarketers and lawyers (and God help the politician/lawyer) for the bottom slot. So if the public already thinks you're a dishonest crook, there's really no point in spending a lot of cash highlighting your positives because most people don't think you have any. So what that leaves is the classic "lesser of two evils" approach. Make your opponent look worse than you.

I guess we'll know we truly hit the nadir of political campaigning this season if Kim Wallin attacks Controller Steve Martin for being "wild and crazy" with Nevadans' money.

Las Vegas Review Journal Endorses Libertarian in AD-16

In a coup for third parties, the Las Vegas Review Journal (LVRJ) announced its endorsement of Libertarian candidate Nathan Santucci over Democratic incumbent John Oceguera in Nevada's Assembly District 16.

Calling Oceguera's tenure "unremarkable" the LVRJ also noted, "He seems unable to articulate a vision or agenda, despite chairing the Assembly Transportation Committee."

And in keeping with the theme of bad news for Republicans in 2006, despite Oceguera's incompetence the GOP state party couldn't recruit even one candidate.

Is Jill Derby's Momentum Really Just A Mirage?

Much has been made of Jill Derby, the Great Democratic Hope in Nevada's CD-2 race, from her prodigious fundraising to the slavish devotion from certain blogs to recent polls showing the race against Dean Heller being a toss-up. But is all the apparent excitement really translating into votes?

There is no doubt Derby will garner more support in this race than any other Democrat has before, but enough to actually overcome a 48,000+ voter registration deficit remains to be seen.

While backers enthusiastically point to a recent Mellman poll that shows Derby and Heller tied at 40 percent apiece, the truth is that the poll was paid for by the Derby camp (and campaign-paid polls are notoriously favorable to the ones footing the bill). However, a recent independent poll by Peter Hart had a decidedly different result -- Heller winning 45% to 37%. This despite the advantage Derby has had in fundraising and watching Heller barely escape his expensive GOP primary brawl with Sharron Angle and Dawn Gibbons.

And what about Derby's fundraising? Despite her claims of being the "Daughter of Nevada" and a country gal straight from the ranch, her financial support is anything but. The Republican National Congressional Committee just began running ads in support of Heller showing where Derby's money is coming from. Nancy Pelosi ($14,000) and trial lawyers are highlighted (Derby's donor list reads like a Who's Who of north state ambulance chasers), but they could have done even more.

There's also donations from "career politicians" like Maryland congressman Steny Hoyer ($14,000 in cash, 40 years as a politician and, as a bonus, supporter of Yucca Mountain), New York's Charles Rangel ($5,000, 35 years in Congress), Tom Daschle ($2,500, now a civilian) and Richard Gephardt ($6,000 from self and wife, now a civilian). Throw in the $8,500 from Hollywood through Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel's Our Common Values PAC (his brother, uber agent Ari Emanuel, holds numerous fundraisers), $500 from socialist UC Berkeley professor Fred Block (whose book Revising State Theory won the 1987 Socialist Review Book Award) and, if we want to dig a little deeper, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom's dad William ($1,500) and lifelong financial benefactor Gordon Getty ($1,000). Not exactly the kind of folks one associates with right off the ranch values.

Which brings us to her television spots. Although it appears her dislike for "career politicians" stops when they come bearing checks and a DNC card (one wonders if her stance against politicians included a 2004 vote for Richard Ziser instead of Harry Reid, who has been running for office longer than most Nevadans have been alive), it hasn't stopped some bloggers from gushing over each of her "brilliant" spots as if they had been shot by Truffaut. Others, who one would think would be in the same camp, aren't so impressed though.

"Derby's campaign commercials denounce government, Washington and 'career politicians'--though she does not pledge to term limit herself--but while hitting all the hot buttons, she avoids taking hard stands. She seems anti-intellectual, using aw-shucks commercials that are all pose, digging her toe in the sand while never mentioning her doctorate in anthropology," stated the Reno News and Review in an editorial where they endorsed Heller.

Monday Morning Politicking also calls Derby on her "give the boot to career politicians" spots, noting that while she "pretends not to be a career politician" her actions in trying to fire a University president in secret were "remarkably like a career politician." MMP also points out that Derby's stance on repealing part of the estate tax could be because she owns, along with her husband, four parcels of property worth millions. "Much like a career politician, Jill Derby takes policy positions that will directly benefit her family much more than the people who vote for her."

So if the bigger newspapers and blogs known for their more liberal bent aren't sold on Derby, then where are the 50,000 swing votes she needs to win? Perhaps they don't exist after all.

The Real Story About Ty Cobb Leaving Jones Vargas

In his (or, perhaps, her) never-ending quest for dirt on Ty O. Cobb, the CobbGobbler has recently launched a new attack against the Republican AD-26 candidate, charging that he was fired from Nevada's influential law firm Jones Vargas for either "shirking his duties" or "overbilling". While it might make for an intriguing story, it's simply not true.

Curious over the latest attack, and seeing how a prior charge was found to be untrue, I decided to actually search for a source who would know about Cobb's current employment situation. I found one -- Cobb himself.

"I announced to the firm in September that I'd be leaving before the Session," Cobb told us Monday. "There is just no way that I'd be able to work in the Legislative Session for 4+ months and still be able to meet my billable hour requirement in the office. I hadn't determined exactly when I was going to leave the firm when I announced it, but I've received several requests for me to start work on consulting projects, through my small business, starting in November, so I decided to wrap up my work here at Jones Vargas this month."

So no juicy firing to gossip over, just another example of the sometimes difficult balance of being a part-time legislator (Cobb's victory in GOP-heavy AD-26 this November is all but assured) and continuing one's other life.

10 Questions With Libertarian Party of Nevada Chairman Jim Duensing, Pt. 2

The Libertarian Party of Nevada (LPN) has had some internal problems of late, but have also seen their voter registration numbers increase.

In the first half of our email interview with LPN chairman Jim Duensing we discussed what libertarians consider the most important issue facing Nevada as well as the "throwing away your vote" argument that has dogged third parties for years. Today we discuss paper candidates, the new "1776 Brigade" and what's going on with the Washoe County chapter (see our interview with Brendan Trainor for another viewpoint).

6) A lot of third-party candidates, as well as unfunded Republicans and Democrats, run what amounts to a "paper campaign" where their involvement stops once the paperwork has been filed. Are the 2006 LPN candidates going to run active campaigns?

The 2006 Libertarian candidates are running a very active campaign. Several Libertarian candidates are members of the Vote For a Change caucus. That caucus has printed more than one hundred thousand brochures. They are being passed out directly to the voters. Several of our candidates have received television coverage for our campaigns. The media is taking notice of the fact that we are not running paper candidates. As long as I am involved, we will run only qualified professional candidates. You can be sure your vote for a Libertarian is a vote for the best candidate.

7) The internet has been considered a boon for political campaigns, yet it seems Nevada libertarians (despite the recent upgrade in your site) have been slow to embrace it. Although you do have the voteforachange.us site, the majority of candidates listed have no information about them or their ideas. Likewise few have their own individual campaign sites. Why is that, and is a change coming? [Note: At the time these questions were asked, Sept. 2, the candidate site was still under construction. Candidate bios are now available]

The Libertarian Party of Nevada site is one of the best state party sites period; Libertarian, Republican, or Democrat. It was recently updated by a professional web design artist. He is in the process of integrating all of our county websites into a similar format. I've never been more excited about our web presence. As for the Vote For a Change site, each of our candidates is running on a unified platform. We have agreed on a few issues that the other two parties have ignored and are focusing on those. Each of our candidates has a section of that website which is dedicated to their individual campaign. The idea of running one website is to allow each of our campaigns to assist every other campaign.

8) A few years ago you had James Dan run a close race, are there any Libertarian campaigns this year that you believe will have an impact on who eventually wins?

I believe every Libertarian campaign will have an impact on who eventually wins. I expect the exponential growth of our grassroots organization to continue. I expect that within a few election cycles, our party will be running a qualified professional candidate in every federal and state wide race as well as several county races. The Libertarian Party is not and does not intend to be a spoiler. We are growing by leaps and bounds and you will see a Libertarian majority in Nevada's State Assembly in your lifetime.

9) The Washoe County Libertarian group has seemingly disappeared, at least from the web. Was there a rift or problem? If so, what is the status of Washoe today?

We are currently trying to reorganize the Washoe County Party. We are a grassroots organization. That means we are dependent on volunteers. When those volunteers quit, it is necessary to re-energize others. Reorganizing the Washoe County Party is one of my top priorities as state chair.

10) You recently started a "1776 Brigade" for the LPN. Tell us a little about it and how it is going so far.

The 1776 Brigade is experiencing growth beyond my expectations - and I have pretty high expectations. It is a group of Libertarians who are committed to making the Libertarian Party the majority governing party of Nevada in our lifetimes. Each member contributes at least $17.76 per month to our organization. That donation makes them a member of their county, state, and national parties, with money left over to fuel our growth. To join and for full details of the program, go to www.LPNevada.org/1776Brigade/

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The first part of our interview can be viewed here.

For more information on the LPN, click here.

10 Questions With Libertarian Party of Nevada Chairman Jim Duensing

The "Party of Principle," as the Libertarian Party likes to describe themselves, has been a fixture on the Nevada political landscape for years. 2006 is no different, though, like any party, there has been some controversy.

Fielding fewer candidates than in years past, the Libertarian Party of Nevada (LPN) has seen a recent rift between North and South members. Apparently participation in the Vote For a Change PAC, has led to some candidates and members parting ways with the Las Vegas-based leadership. Washoe County's chapter, in particular, has been purged.

However, the LPN is hoping to look past these problems and concentrate on building the party's voter registration numbers and spreading their message of smaller government.

In our email interview with LPN Chairman and Congressional candidate (CD-1) Jim Duensing, we discuss the party's growth, the internet as a political tool and the party rift.

Here is part one of our interview with Duensing.

1) You've recently updated your website and have seen voter registration increase to 7,500 this past June. So what is the state of the Libertarian Party of Nevada (LPN) today?

The Libertarian Party of Nevada is stronger than it has ever been. This election cycle's Vote For A Change campaign is three times as powerful as it was just two years ago. Lifelong supporters of the Democrat and Republican parties are joining the ranks of the Libertarian Party on a daily basis because they have given up on changing the two corporately controlled parties. They have joined America's Third Party. They are now Libertarians.

2) What does the LPN consider the most important issue facing Nevadans?

I can't speak for the whole party. The Libertarian Party is composed of people from all walks of life, with various interests and concerns. However, as state chair, I believe the most important issue facing Nevada is the growing unaccountability of our schools to our parents. Parents are treated more as a nuisance than a customer and teachers are hamstrung by reams of red tape. Our children are getting cheated out of a quality education. We favor School Choice Scholarships which give parents the ability to choose where and how their children are educated. Good teachers would be rewarded with more pay and more freedom to actually teach.

3) Many people claim to be disappointed in the Republican and Democratic candidate choices, yet feel voting for a third-party is equivalent to "throwing your vote away". How would you convince people it's not?

The Libertarian Party is a grassroots party. The Republican and Democrat parties are controlled by large monied interests. They don't care about the concerns of average voters. They take your vote for granted. Only when you reclaim your vote and vote for the candidate you believe in, will real change occur. As long as they can count on your vote without having to earn it, they won't bother to try. Don't allow yourself to be fooled and used like that.

4) Although the LPN has shown growth in its numbers, you are running only a handful of candidates this election, and none for Governor or the other constitutional offices. What happened?

The Libertarian Party of Nevada is only running quality candidates. Each and every Libertarian candidate on the ballot is more qualified and would do a far better job than any of their opponents. We will not run candidates who are unqualified or unprofessional. You can guarantee that a vote for a Libertarian is a vote for the best candidate.

5) The Libertarian Party has traditionally considered itself America's biggest third party. Does the LPN feel a sense of competition with the state's Independent American Party which has over 40,000 registered voters (though most pundits think that is more a reflection of registering voters confusing "Independent ..." with "Non-Partisan") and a relatively large slate of candidates?

The Libertarian Party is America's Third Party. There are several fourth tier parties. Nevada's Independent American Party is one of those fourth tier parties. The IAP has manipulated the registration form to take advantage of confused voters. They have a different strategy than the Libertarian Party. The IAP will run anyone on their ticket. We have more pride in ourselves than that. If you want the endorsement of the Libertarian Party, you need to prove you are better than the other candidates running. We'd rather not run a candidate than run an inferior one. We don't consider ourselves in competition with the IAP. We consistently earn more votes than them on a state wide and national basis.

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We'll continue our interview with Duensing tomorrow, where we'll discuss this year's candidates, what happened to Washoe and the 1776 Brigade.

For more information on the Libertarian Party of Nevada, please click here.

MSM vs. Blogs: Perhaps a Different Take

I just noticed Dullard Mush went over 100 visits today (an all-time high).

Must be that dang Reno Gazette Journal (RGJ) again.

It's funny, for all the complaining and attacks on the mainstream media by blogs, it seems like it's the big guys' presence that not only helps drive the new media but, in a large majority of cases, provides the actual "news".

How many blogs have you seen that basically consist of a smart-ass one-liner with a link to a story that, lo and behold, happens to be researched, vetted and published by the very organizations the blogger professes to despise?

As Mr. Jerz once posted, an MSM journalist has the distinct advantage of being paid to report as opposed to the poor saps squeezing in some typing time between school, the night shift, life or, as in this case, on vacation at someone else's computer. But does it mean the average blogger has to be just a bitter aggregator with jokes?

In my case, that of a tiny Nevada political blog, I hit a couple of, albeit small, milestones today. Not only was it the first time I had 100+ hits in a day, but it also pushed me over the 2,000 total visits and 4,000 page view marks. And what prompted this small and much appreciated bounty? The MSM, of course. Thanks to James Ball's Blog Round-Up at the RGJ.com site more people than ever got to see my post on, what else, a story from the other newspaper in town (the Reno News & Review). Well ... at least I had more than one joke in it.

Reno News and Review Endorses Republican for Congress!

No, your eyes aren't failing you and, yes, the headline is correct.

The Reno News & Review (RNR), the alternative weekly that prides itself on being a liberal and progressive read, shocked some when it announced it was endorsing GOP Congressional District-2 Dean Heller over blogger fave Democrat Jill Derby.

Citing Heller's "reasoned, moderate voice for wise public policies" and (as Nevada's Secretary of State) his "fair treatment to both candidates" in the 1998 Harry Reid/John Ensign recount, the RNR editorial determined that "Dean Heller has the temperament and moral compass needed in the U.S. House. Jill Derby does not."

Derby, meanwhile, was blasted for her "aw-shucks commercials that are all pose" and her continued attempt to hide from Democratic ideals with this stinging rebuke, "To see what has gone wrong with the Democratic Party, look no further than Heller's opponent Jill Derby."

The RNR also pointed to her tenure on the University Board of Regents where she "joined a faction that acted secretly to fire (a community college president) on the basis of a file of rumors and unverified accusations without allowing him to hear the charges or confront his accusers, a legal fiasco that provoked a lawsuit against the state and legislation to make the regents appointive instead of elective."

Coupled with a new series of ads from Heller, who was off the air for a month following the primary, and Derby may have already hit her high-water mark for the campaign.

Now, of course, will come the fun part. What will all the pro-Derby blogs say?

A) Nothing. They are too busy making fun of John Ensign's hair.

B) Denounce the RNR as just another corporate mainstream media tool pushing the GOP agenda. That is, until they endorse Dina Titus for governor.

C) Cobble together the wildest of rationalizations that this endorsement is actually a positive for Derby as it makes her more "conservative" than Heller and will keep the GOP voter away in droves. This thought will then join the pantheon of stupid Nevada political theories, taking its place alongside the nutjobs who thought Titus' "UNLV Flub" was planned (so she could look better in the next debate) and created the famous Jack Carter defense "Ensign's senate seat actually hasn't had a Nevada native sit in it" (which, of course, means Carter's moving here from Bermuda only five years ago is completely irrelevant).

D) Or, actually agree with the RNR while watching Hell freeze over.

And, in the interest of bipartisanship, somewhere in the blogosphere a right-winger will cry this proves Sharron Angle was right and should have won if not for the combined evil forces of the liberal MSM and the cabal of a handful of poll workers who, when they showed up late, obviously had conspired to deny her the thousands (and more thousands) of votes needed to overcome Heller.

10 Questions With Democratic AD-24 Candidate David Bobzien, Pt. 2

One of the few Nevada Assembly seats in play this election season is District 24, where Republican incumbent Brooks Holcomb is in danger of losing to Democratic newcomer David Bobzien.

With a Reno Gazette Journal endorsement in hand, a favorable district and a campaign that has been hitting on all cylinders, Bobzien seems poised for what may no longer be considered an upset.

In yesterday's first part of our interview, we discussed what prompted him to run this year, budget surpluses and the three most important issues facing Nevadans. Today, Bobzien discusses the looming public employee retiree health insurance crisis, the constant quest for water and how he plans to fight charges of a "conflict of interest" as a state employee.

6) As long as we're on the subject of breaking budget news (or maybe I should say budget-breaking news), there was just another announcement regarding a huge projected shortfall in covering public employees' retirement health insurance. Governor Guinn, I believe, attempted to address it in the last session, but nothing happened. It could become one of the thornier issues in 2007 as it deals with both unions and the possibility of a lot of additional spending. What do you think should be done?

You’re absolutely correct that this will be a big issue in 2007. The Legislature will have some very tough decisions to make in order to comply with the new accounting rules that come our way (lest we suffer a downgrading in our bond status) while at the same time making sure we don’t exacerbate the problem we have currently in Nevada with so many people not having health insurance. I’ve been talking with legislators in recent weeks about this very issue and it’s encouraging that the state employee’s association has already identified this as an issue they want to meet head on. I’ve got a lot of experience negotiating through tough issues such as this through my boards and commissions service and so look forward to being a voice for my constituents on how we deal with this.

7) Although the very nature of Nevada's legislature being part-time will inevitably lead to some conflicts of interest, your status as a public employee (Campus Webmaster for UNR) could put you in line for quite a few. What would you say to critics who believe this is a major campaign issue and, if elected, how would you deal with it?

There’s a long history of legislators effectively balancing their professional lives with legislative service. Jason Geddes, Jan Evans and David Humke are three in particular who worked at the university. From day one of this campaign, I’ve made it clear I will take a leave of unpaid absence to serve in the session, and will not accept a benefits subsidy during that period. Our citizen legislature is made up of people working in finance, law, medicine, or even in the insurance industry -- all areas touched by the Legislature. It’s up to each legislator to demonstrate to the people who elected them that they can serve appropriately.

8) The state recently approved the $54.0 million STAR bond the City of Reno wants to give to Cabela's so they can build a store near Boomtown. The bond would be repaid with 75% of the sales tax generated by the store over a period of 20 years. What is your take on that arrangement and do you think it should be expanded, as a tool for economic growth, or eliminated, as it provides an unfair advantage to other businesses?

The Legislature needs to evaluate how the STAR bonds are used and the Cabela’s situation is certainly a case to be examined. I want to make sure STAR bonds are really being used for the intended purpose, attracting new businesses, and not just subsidizing businesses that would be moving to Nevada anyway. As someone who spends money in outdoor sporting goods stores, I’m certainly aware of the rapidly changing local market and know that my local fly fishing shops are hunkering down to deal with these changes. Are these bonds truly strengthening our economy or hurting our businesses? The Legislature definitely needs more information to answer this question.

9) Being mostly desert as well as the fastest growing state isn't a good combination as far as water goes. Inevitably it always seems to come down to urban needs vs. rural resources (if, indeed, there is even enough). How do think Nevada should address a problem that will only continue to grow?

Back to the third of my three challenges the state faces. Water is a major concern for voters in my district. As a fly fisherman, I’m particularly concerned with the recreational values water possesses. In the late 90’s, Nevada severely curtailed statewide water planning. This needs to be revisited. We need to beef up our water planning and the science that comes with it so that citizens, and governments, can make better decisions about growth.

10) If there was one thing you would want people to learn from your campaign, what would that be?

I work hard, listen, and can work with the other 62 people in the Legislature. Add to this my broad and extensive experience in community issues, and I’m the candidate who can get things done for District 24.

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Part one of our interview can be viewed here.

For more information on Bobzien's campaign, click here.

10 Questions With Democratic AD-24 Candidate David Bobzien

While gerrymandering has made most state races a foregone conclusion, Nevada's Assembly District 24 is shaping up as one of the exceptions.

In his first political candidacy, Democrat David Bobzien is providing a strong challenge to one-term GOP incumbent Brooks Holcomb. With a recent Reno Gazette Journal endorsement, Holcomb's campaign bungles and a district with an 1,800+ Democratic voter registration advantage, Bobzien seems poised to change ownership of the AD-24 seat.

We caught up with Bobzien in an email interview, where he discussed his thoughts on budget surpluses, how he would handle the "conflict of interest" issue (he works for the University of Nevada, Reno) and what he thinks are the major issues facing Nevadans today.

Here is part one of our interview with David Bobzien.

1) You have served on a variety of boards in our community, so is your run a natural progression you had planned or did someone have to give you a nudge?

I can’t say that I’ve always wanted to be in politics, but I have always been involved in community issues and public life. I’m someone who’s fascinated by public policy issues and how they impact people so I really enjoy serving on the Reno Recreation and Parks Commission, the Nevada Aging Commission and chairing the IT Advisory Group for the Washoe School District’s Career and Technical Education program. Serving on these commissions and boards, I’ve seen first-hand the challenges we face in education, senior issues, health care and our quality of life. How we deal with so many of these issues is determined by the Legislature so that’s where I want to serve.

Was it planned? As much as I’ve always sought out work I enjoy doing, perhaps. But there was definitely some nudging that happened. My wife and I had to make some real choices as to whether or not this was something we should take on. We decided if there was ever a time to run for elected office, now was the time given where we are in our lives.

2) Although this is your first campaign, you recently received the endorsement of the Reno Gazette Journal over the incumbent Holcomb. Were you surprised?

I certainly haven’t expected it, but I’m glad so many people have recognized my experience and dedication as being what District 24 needs for stronger representation. So often people making endorsements “play it safe” and go with the status quo, so as a first-time candidate I’m thrilled to have such a strong showing of support. It’s humbling and I’ve always approached this race from the standpoint of making my case, talking to the voters as to why I’m the better choice as their representative, and letting the chips fall where they may.

3) What do you consider to be the number one problem facing Nevadans today?

I wish I could boil it down to one, but I really think there are three challenges Nevada faces.

One, working in the information technology field, I spend a lot of time with people in the local business community who are building our strong economy. Their number one concern is workforce development. We hear a lot about how Nevada is 47th in the nation in per pupil spending on education, and I share people’s concern that we’re not doing enough to educate our kids.

However, I prefer that we measure our progress differently. I want to set out the goal that kids we’re educating now will be ready for the jobs to be created 12 years into the future. We don’t know what those jobs are yet. For me, the job “webmaster” hadn’t even been invented when I was a student. We need to improve our education system so that kids today are prepared for the jobs of the future, can grow Nevada-based innovation in information technology, renewable energy and other industries. We’re living in a global economy and we’ve got to make sure our students can face this world from a position of strength.

Two, we’ve got the fastest growing population of people over the age of 65 here in Nevada. We face challenges in keeping prescription drugs affordable, health care accessible and high in quality -- a whole set of realities that will only become more acute as the baby boomers enter their later years. Being in my thirties, I’m certainly not the one facing these immediately, but my wife and I have parents that are, and we’re helping them with those challenges. I’ve talked to a lot of people in the same situation while going door to door, and there are things we can do to move the ball forward and make the situation better on a large scale. My experience on the Nevada Commission on Aging gives me the perspective I need to work on these issues at the state level.

Three, as Nevada grows, we need to protect its legacy for our families, especially our state’s phenomenal hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities. The great outdoors is a major reason why for me Nevada is home. Many people in District 24 share this with me and love to play outside. Our water, wildlife, natural areas and parks we enjoy are part of how we raise healthy families and teach our kids values. Having served as a parks commissioner, I know how important these issues are and will work hard on them in the Legislature

4) What bills do you plan on introducing in 2007 if you should win?

I’m in conversations with lawmakers and experts around the state on the challenges I’ve laid out. Look for me to work with others, or principally champion, legislation on career and technical education that partners local business communities with school districts, continuation of our great progress on renewable energy, development of the work force skilled in geriatrics necessary to support our aging population, and measures that contain prescription drug costs through consumer education of retail pricing.

5) On one hand there appears to be another budget surplus heading our way, yet on the other there seems to be a multi-billion dollar shortfall in road construction funds. What would you do with the former and how would you fix the latter?

It’s been frustrating seeing the Governor’s commission on our roads situation deadlock in coming up with specific proposals to address the shortfall. Certainly there’s no appetite to raise fuel taxes with as high as the cost of gas has become. I’ve been reminding people as I go door to door that we need to be restrained with our plans for any projected revenue. The Economic Forum still has to take the economy’s temperature later this year before we can make concrete plans to address any additional revenues. Should there be any, I would support allocations for targeted improvements to education (full-day kindergarten as an option is sorely needed by parents in my district), roads and replenishing the rainy day fund. If there’s one thing that’s inevitable in Nevada budgeting it’s that our economy is cyclical -- we’ve got to prepare for the possibility of rougher times.

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Part two of our interview will continue tomorrow, where we'll discuss water issues, the backlog in road construction and the recent prediction of a huge shortfall in the public employee retirement health benefit program.

For more information on Bobzien's campaign, please click here.

Our interview with Libertarian AD-24 candidate Jim Young can be viewed here.

Holcomb declined to be interviewed.

The All American Dog ... Made In China

Saw a huge display of "All American Mallow Dogs" in the store the other day.

A perfectly rendered American icon made entirely of marshmallow all for just $0.88. What will American ingenuity think of next?

Oh wait. They're made in China.

I guess the use of real sugar, instead of the ubiquitous corn syrup, should have tipped me off. Oh well.

Brooks Holcomb Strikes Back (Sort Of)

Assemblyman Brooks Holcomb apparently put aside his aversion to the press long enough to persuade the Reno Gazette Journal (RGJ) to give him his own guest column (My Turn).

After losing the RGJ endorsement to Democrat newcomer David Bobzien, in large part due to Holcomb's refusal to go into detail on his planned bills for the next session (if he even gets there), the AD-24 GOP incumbent fires back in an attempt to explain himself. He does go into detail on what allegedly happened in the RGJ editorial board meeting and points out what he had accomplished in the 2005 session. He also, though, reiterates that he didn't reveal his '07 plans due to a fear of "plagiarism" by his fellow legislators. Oh well, old habits die hard.

One wonders if Holcomb decided on his own to ask the RGJ for a column, or was he pushed by annoyed GOP assembly members?

Some Debate Advice For Jim Gibbons

I was going to write how one of these days Jim Gibbons' wooden debate style will end up hurting him. But seeing how Reno's KTVN-2 prefers running Meredith Vieira and Extra!, instead of Monday night's Nevada gubernatorial debate, maybe it won't. So much for the need of four debates.

Since most the state, geographic-wise, can't watch, and 98% of those who can probably prefer Vieira and Extra! to Gibbons and Dina Titus, only a handful of Nevadans will actually see Round Two of the great debate series. And it should be a scintillating one at that down in Las Vegas, seeing how all the questions have been preselected and in the hands of each camp's speechwriter for some time now. So it would seem to be tailor-made for dullness.

Which brings me back to the topic of advice. Since giving it is always more fun than following it, I'll go ahead and offer some valuable debate tips free of charge to the Gibbons campaign.

1) Would it kill you to say a joke. Like, perhaps, poking fun at your wooden delivery (it's kept Gore and Dole around all these years). I'm sure Titus will open with a quip something along the lines of knowing where she is venue-wise, people will laugh, and that will lead the 15 seconds of highlights most voters will see on the 11 o'clock news.

2) Speak in a more upbeat fashion. Not every sentence needs to be spoken in a tone befitting a wake or the speed of a child learning a new Dick and Jane book.

3) Write out your retorts in complete sentences. I know it is going off-script, and that is always dangerous territory, but when you think of something to reply to while Titus is speaking, write it down in a readable way. Nothing is worse than someone looking at the note they just wrote themselves and not know what to say (e.g., your rebuttal to an immigration charge in Debate One).

4) For the love of God, avoid any reference to Titus as "mortgaging your future." Unless you have taken the Ron Paul approach to congressional budgets, and you haven't, you have voted for the biggest deficits in fiscal history. Plus, thanks to the Nevada constitution, the state isn't allowed to run a deficit. So why serve up a softball that Titus will hit out of the park? Call her the old reliable "tax and spender," but not anything related to mortgaging, debt, burden on your children, etc.

5) Change your closing. The "say what you mean and mean what you say" homily was interesting the first time I heard it (though it reminded me of the line in the movie Interstate 60). But by the second time (and God knows, maybe you have been using it for more than that) it was already wearing out its welcome. Hammer your opponent in the closing, offer a vision or plan, or use a touching story/analogy (i.e., "I had finished a speech the other day in Elko, when I noticed a young mother standing to the side with a ...") to end it. Odds are extremely high that most the viewers Monday night will have seen a prior debate. Don't bore them in the end, especially if you've been doing it for the first 58 minutes.

10 Questions With Libertarian U.S. Senate Candidate Brendan Trainor, Pt. 2

Although his odds are long, Libertarian Brendan Trainor believes voters deserve more than two choices in Nevada's U.S. Senate race. That's why he is taking on GOP incumbent John Ensign and Democrat Jack Carter.

In part one of our interview, Trainor talked about Iraq, the Patriot Act and the ballooning federal deficit. Today he discusses immigration, the war on drugs and the apparent north vs. south rift in the Libertarian Party of Nevada.

6) A recent hot topic in campaigns this year is illegal immigration. Some want amnesty for all, others mass deportations and some a combination. What are your feelings on the issue?

I am consistently a believer in the right to travel, and to work. I am opposed to federal quotas on immigration. As a classical liberal, I understand that caps on economic inputs never work. And labor is an economic input, so a cap on the free supply of labor will not work.

What will curb the flow of immigrants, if indeed there are too many? Remove tariff restrictions, so Americans can purchase the goods they make in their own country, giving them more incentive to stay. Remove the welfare for all citizens, not just immigrants, so the burden that the anti-immigrant crowd says they put on us will be removed. I would not oppose removing illegal immigrants from the welfare rolls first, provided we work to remove all welfare. If quotas are removed, an Ellis Island-type of checkpoint system where immigrants are screened for serious disease and criminal/terrorist records could be appropriate. But, it is useless to say that we can put up fences or patrol the thousands of miles between US and Mexico and Canada effectively. Desperate people looking for work will come. There will only be unintended ugly consequences to these types of laws. And the notion of conservatives raiding businesses and proposing federal data banks for job seekers is absurdly un-American. But, so is a lot of what conservatives propose these days.

7) The "war on drugs" has consumed a vast amount of taxpayer dollars over the years, yet there seems to be little if any change in drug use rates or the violence the illegality of the trade creates. Is it time to start considering a form of legalization?

I support the Nevada Initiative to regulate and control marijuana. And, I am opposed to the so called War on Drugs. It is just another excuse to expand the police state, trample the Bill of Rights, and meddle in other countries affairs.

8) Stem cell research funding, though a small part of the budget, became a big political football when Bush vetoed it. What are your feelings on the subject and the government funding of it?

I do not care for government funding of the sciences, but am not opposed to stem cell research or cloning, which the religious right makes such big issues about. I do think most if not all scientific research should be privately funded. As always, private funding defuses most of the politicization surrounding these issues.

9) The Libertarian Party of Nevada has grown in voter registration over the years, but only fielded a handful of candidates in '06. Also, the Washoe County libertarian branch has seemingly disappeared, at least on the web. Has there been some internal problems or rifts within the state party recently?

Unfortunately, yes. As I said before, the LPN is now dominated by a PAC in Las Vegas, the Voteforachange.us PAC. People who disagree are being purged. The Washoe Co LP was in effect purged, and when a new nominating convention voted for the same people as officers, it was not recognized by the Las Vegas clique.

As you know, the LP is having a serious internal debate between so called moderates and purists. I think Nevada has unfortunately gone completely overboard on this. We are too small to be purging people out of participation over these issues. But, for now, the LPN is run out of Las Vegas, and dominated by members of two families. Unless people are willing to go to Las Vegas and stand up against this at a state convention, it will likely continue.

We have removed LP sponsorship from our Public Access Show, With Liberty and Justice for All, which brought the Washoe County LP name to people for nine years. Too bad.


10) What would be the one thing you would hope voters learn from your campaign?

That there is a voice for liberty in Nevada. That every time there is a problem, you do not look to government for a solution. That we should be striving to reduce and remove statism, not celebrate it, as the D's and R's do. That, as Mises said, every government intervention leads to unintended consequences, then more interventions to try to fix that, then more unintended consequences, then more interventions, with a constant loss of freedom. And that applies to foreign affairs as well as domestic issues.

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Part one of our interview can be viewed here.

For more information on Trainor's campaign, please click here.

10 Questions With Libertarian U.S. Senate Candidate Brendan Trainor

Brendan Trainor has been a familiar name on Nevada ballots and this year is no exception.

The Sparks Libertarian is taking his message of small government and personal freedoms to the U.S. Senate race where he is facing Republican incumbent John Ensign, Democrat Jack Carter and Independent American David Schumann.

A longtime political activist, Trainor discusses what he believes needs to be done in Iraq, how we should balance the budget and the rift that has split the Libertarian Party of Nevada.

Here is part one of our email interview with Brendan Trainor.

1) The Libertarian party didn't field a candidate at the top of the ticket, or any other constitutional office, this year. Were you tempted to run for governor or another statewide race, or had you always targeted the U.S. Senate?

The Libertarian Party of Nevada has adopted a restricted program of nominating candidates bases on membership in a particular PAC, http://www.voteforachange.us/. I do not totally agree with this approach. However, I believe that with the Congress so totally out of touch with the issues, that it is very important to have candidates in those races.

2) Many people claim to be disappointed in the Republican and Democratic candidate choices, yet feel voting for a third-party is equivalent to "throwing your vote away". How would you convince people it's not?

Because if you vote Democrat or Republican, you are endorsing what they do. Neither party will do what Libertarians do, as anyone who looks at Congressman Ron Paul's voting record can plainly see. If you vote Democrat and Republican, you will get welfare and warfare, only in slightly different amounts. If you don't like either of them, you should vote Libertarian.

3) What do you think the U.S. should do in Iraq?

I think the US should leave as soon as possible to minimize casualties to the US troops...within a few months, a year at most. There should be no permanent bases there.

Furthermore, the Libertarian position on foreign policy mandates that the United States stop intervening in other nations affairs around the world. We should bring our troops home from all the 130 nations that we have them stationed in, and stop obsessing with Iran, North Korea, etc. The military should be reformed to be based on a militia/National Guard based military, with capability to engage criminal/terrorists with a special forces, intelligence gathering mode, NOT with invasion, occupation and nation building, spreading democracy type of mode.

4) The Patriot Act initially was a popular bipartisan measure, but as time has passed many are questioning the powers given. What is your position on the Act?

I was one of the founding members of the Nevada Campaign to Defeat the Patriot Act. My opinion should be clear. I disagree with nearly all of the provisions. I am particularly against the Sneak and Peak warrantless searches, the gag orders on even telling if you have been searched, the data mining aspects of the Bill, etc. Of course, the Act has been used for many non-terrorist investigations, as all omnibus bills like this one tend to create a precedent that is used beyond its original scope.

5) With the "war on terror" dominating the political landscape, the ballooning budget deficit is almost forgotten. What would you do to get the U.S. budget in the black again?

You have to cut spending. The Federal government, and most states, are deep in the red. This will impact future generations when the current politicians have left with only a public school named after them to remember them by. The Import/Export Bank, Department of Education, Health and Human Services, Commerce, etc. all have to be defunded as much as possible. Programs have to be privatized or returned to the states. Federal lands sold. As a libertarian, unlike a conservative, I also propose drastic cuts in military spending as well. We do not need the world's largest military budget to defend the "Homeland". I recommend Cato's book "Downsizing DC" as a blueprint for this action.

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Part two of our interview will publish tomorrow where we'll discuss illegal immigration, the "war on drugs" and the problems facing Nevada's Libertarian Party.

For more information on Trainor's campaign, please click here.

Heller On The Air and On The Attack

Less than 48 hours after a cash infusion to the tune of $325K, GOP Congressional District-2 candidate Dean Heller was up on the airwaves and on the attack.

After giving a 30-day free pass to Democratic challenger Jill Derby, and allowing the race in the GOP-heavy district to become a statistical dead heat, Heller has apparently recovered from his bruising (and financially draining) primary battle and has finally started campaigning. And, he's not wasting time on pleasantries.

With big bold letters, the 30-second spot tags Derby as a "Liberal Democrat" (the "D" word having been conspicuously absent from Derby's own ads) and uses some carefully-selected audio from a KOH interview where she appears to be admitting she has being a politician for the past 18 years. There are also newspaper headlines detailing some of the problems that have plagued the University Board of Regents during her three terms.