Giuliani and McCain Tied, Clinton Leads In New Hampshire Poll

The latest poll out of New Hampshire shows Hillary Clinton with a comfortable lead over fellow Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards, while Rudy Giuliani and John McCain are knotted at the top for the GOP with Mitt Romney third.

The SurveyUSA/WBZ-TV poll, taken from January 26-28, surveyed 582 Democratic and 412 Republican voters "likely" to participate in the 2008 New Hampshire primary. Only the above six candidates were named in the actual survey question, with "Or some other Republican/Democrat" as the fourth option.

Republican
33% - Giuliani
32% - McCain
25% - Romney
11% - Other Republican
3% - Undecided

Democratic
40% - Clinton
25% - Obama
23% - Edwards
9% - Other Democrat
3% - Undecided

The margin of error was +/- 4.9% for Republicans and 4.1% for Democrats.

One Candidate's Attempt To Clean His Image

If you read the Las Vegas Review-Journal, you may have spied the Molly Ball-penned piece in Monday's "Political Notebook" (the "Erasing the Past" segment) detailing Geoffrey VanderPal's attempt to have unflattering information about him removed from the internet. Mainly, an August 14th post here on Dullard Mush.

As Ball noted, the former Democratic candidate for Treasurer had hired the Louisville, KY firm of ReputationDefender, Inc. to clean up his, well, reputation. While very polite and, apparently, very respectful of first amendment rights, they may have their work cut out for them in this case.

A Google search for "VanderPal" and "bankruptcy" (the subject of the offending post) brings up 88 stories. And while we're surprisingly number one, there are plenty of others mentioning the political candidate (and, hence, public figure) and his public record files.

Adding insult to non-injury, that number may increase as both Desert Beacon and Vote Gibbons Out have already picked up on the story and added their own two-cents on the former candidate.

"Northern Nevada Conservative" Changes To "NV Libertarian Leanings"

Todd Zuccato's Northern Nevada Conservative blog has underwent a recent overhaul. Besides a new look and web address, the Sparks blogger also changed the name -- to NV Libertarian Leanings.

Joining the new Citizen Outreach project ConservaBlogs.com, which offers free Wordpress hosting and support for conservative and libertarian bloggers, Zuccato feels at home with the new platform. But what about the new name? We asked on his site, "Was it a change in philosophy or just a better description?"

"Better description," posted Zuccato. "I find myself parting with the religious right on many issues (Question 7 for example). I just tend to be more libertarian than republican on many social issues."

His blog was one of the first to take up the ConservaBlogs offer. Headed up by political activist Chuck Muth and Battle Born News founder Eric Odom, the project hopes to ease the path to political blogging for conservatives and libertarians.

“ConservaBlogs will result in a huge 'surge' of new limited-government, constitutional voices in the blogosphere," hoped Odom in announcing the project.

Nevada Swag For Political Junkies

If you are a regular reader of Silver State political blogs, you've probably seen those ads trumpeting "Great gifts for the political junkie!" from Nevada Swag.

The brainchild of Nevada Blogger - JWH (the writer behind "The blog formerly known as 'No Gibbons'..."), Nevada Swag hopes to capitalize on the upcoming 2008 Presidential race and the first-ever January Democratic caucus here in the Silver State.

With shirts, stickers and magnets covering the spectrum of candidates from Barack Obama to Tom Tancredo, Nevada Swag hopes to have something for every supporter. And with prices starting at $3.49, it won't break the bank either. Plus, where else can you find a Duncan Hunter ladies t-shirt?

So what inspired you to start Nevada Swag?

I decided to start Nevada Swag when Harry Reid launched his "Give Em Hell Harry" website late 2005. I contacted his office about bumper stickers and other promotional items but they didn't have any available, so I decided to make my own and post them on-line for fellow Reid supporters to enjoy.

Any favorite products so far?

The overall biggest seller so far is the "Give Em Hell Harry" design. My overall favorite design is the "Obama '08" design and the "I Love the 110th Congress" design.

Have you set any goals for the business sales-wise or other?

No, not really. I don't consider it a business. I think I've seen two small commission checks so far from my efforts. It's pretty much a hobby or just another avenue to get the word out about the politicians I support around the country.

You have products for candidates from the famous (Hillary, Obama, etc.) to the somewhat more obscure (nationally-speaking) like Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen? Do you plan on it being a constantly changing mix of candidates or are guys like Gravel and Vilsack already out of luck?

I do plan on adding more designs very soon for candidates like Vilsack, Dodd, Kucinich, Wes Clark and even Al Sharpton.

With the possibility of a Nevada GOP straw poll taking place at the same time, any chance your site will be sporting a "McCain in '08" or a "Run, Rudy, Run" shirt for the masses any time soon?

Yes. I've received a couple e-mails recently with that exact request. Stay tuned.

[Editor's note: Nevada Swag has just added Gravel, Vilsack, Dodd, Kucinich, McCain, Rudy and many more (including quite a few Republicans).]

KOLO's Kara Tsuboi Makes It Two-for-Two On Predictions

A couple months ago I noticed a handful of Google searches coming in to Dullard Mush every other day or so looking for a post that had briefly mentioned KOLO-8 reporter Koula Gianulias.

After a bit of head-scratching, I finally figured out that all the hits were probably from prospective employers looking to squire away Ms. Gianulias from the Reno market. And, after a few more weeks, she, indeed, was gone and in her hometown of Sacramento working at the CBS affiliate KOVR-13. So, after contacting her, we posted the story about how we had a hunch that Gianulias was leaving. As a joke, we closed the story with, "Now to see who is Googling Kara Tsuboi and Tad Dunbar." (Her former KOLO coworkers.)

Well, within a day of posting, we began receiving a hit or two from Google surfers looking for Tsuboi. As the week continued, the "Kara Tsuboi" out-of-state searches were a daily occurrence (Tad, meanwhile, went hitless), prompting us to conclude that she wasn't long for the Truckee Meadows. Then, just before Christmas, not only wasn't she on the air, but all references to her had been removed from the station's web site. A quick email to Ed Pearce confirmed her departure. Apparently she too returned to her hometown, the Bay area, where she took a job with a cable channel outlet to host a travel and, possibly, a cooking show.

And, from the above picture (she's on the right), Tsuboi seems to be fitting in just fine. (Photo credit: RACINGMIX.com)

Now to see if a certain reporter from another station is preparing to move.

Update (5/11/07): Oprah Inc. may be showing interest in Tsuboi.

Update (8/29/07): It's not Oprah. Ed Pearce was right all along. Tsuboi is hosting "Taste for Adventure" and has a website.

Update (11/17/07): She also is working for CNET's News.com.

Adams Out As GOP Chair, According To Source

Paul Adams' rocky tenure as the Nevada GOP chairman has apparently come to an end.

After initial speculation was raised by the Reno Gazette-Journal's Anjeanette Damon today, a GOP insider confirmed to Dullard Mush that Adams is "effectively gone" with only the timing for a "formal" announcement to be made. The source also said former State Senator Sue Lowden is the "early favorite" to succeed Adams.

Adams drew the ire of many in the party with his handling of the Kathy Augustine impeachment and compounded matters by, among other things, supporting Sharron Angle's recount lawsuit against fellow Republican Dean Heller and for sending a letter to voters reprimanding incumbent GOP assemblywoman Francis Allen. But perhaps the final straw was the poor candidate recruitment effort many blame for GOP losses in November.

Leslie Comments On Gibbons' Proposals

As Nevada's new Majority Whip in the assembly, Sheila Leslie (AD-27) figures to play an important role in the upcoming legislative session.

After Monday evening's State of the State address by incoming GOP governor Jim Gibbons, the Washoe County Democrat now knows what she'll be facing.

While finding "quite a few things" to like, Leslie did have reservations about some of the governor's proposals.

Here are her thoughts on last night's speech.

"I thought Gov. Gibbons did a good job delivering his message last night. The most spontaneous moment of the speech came towards the beginning when he mentioned our new Speaker and the room burst into applause and cheers and a standing ovation for Speaker Buckley, the first woman to serve as Speaker in the history of the State.

This is a 'status quo' budget, with small fingerprints, not the bold, new 'major overhaul of the last 40 years of budgeting' we had been promised. While I haven't had a lot of time to study the budget yet, there are quite a few things I like: continuation of the mental health plan to ease overcrowding of emergency rooms in Las Vegas that was in my bill last session (see AB 175), enhanced funding for child welfare services and foster care, increased funding in Medicaid and NV Check-up, and starting a water inventory.

I was disappointed in the methamphetamine proposal. Adding 10 more law enforcement officers in rural Nevada won't impact the supply very much, and our more pressing problem is the lack of treatment capacity. We lead the nation in meth use, and all that the Governor is proposing right now is enough new funding to help about 8% of the people already on the waiting list! We can do better and we must do better.

I am not in agreement with two new (bold?) ideas proposed last night: allowing people to homestead a vacation home doesn't make sense to me. And importing coal to create a coal-to-liquids fuel plant is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing. The energy future of Nevada lies in renewable energy where we have an abundance of resources but need to do much more to develop this industry - for the environment, as an economic development tool especially in rural Nevada, and to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels as part of our national security.

Probably the largest debate this session will be on education. We want to continue implementing full-day Kindergarten, do more to recruit and retain quality teachers, and fund more technical and vocational education opportunities. Gov. Gibbons new proposal is to create 100 'Empowerment' schools. We haven't seen any details yet on what this means exactly, but it raises a lot of questions about educational equity as well as where the funding is going to come from.

The fun begins today as the joint money committees begin a high-level overview of the budget before breaking into subcommittees to go over the finer points of the budget. It's going to be an intense 120 days but I'm looking forward to the challenge of approving a budget that more adequately addresses the many challenges facing our growing state."

Bobzien, Cobb Comment On Gibbons' Speech

Among those in the crowded chamber to hear Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons' State of the State address were two of the North State's newest assemblymen -- David Bobzien and Ty Cobb.

Fresh off convincing November victories, the pair, ready to embark on their legislative careers, had their start Monday evening with the traditional Governor's speech.

We caught up with the two for their thoughts on Gibbons' proposals.

"I thought the speech was a direct answer to the calls for bi-partisan, innovative, fiscally responsible solutions to the problems facing Nevada," said Cobb, a Republican representing AD-26. "The impetus is now on the Democrats to either agree with the Governor and accept his offer to work together or to shun his outreach and continue on their crusade of reckless spending and higher taxes."

Bobzien, a Democrat from AD-24, liked what he heard regarding water, but had some concerns on other proposals.

"I look forward to the discussion on increasing the scientific knowledge of our water resources. We really do need a better understanding of our water as our state continues to change if we're going to protect what it is we love about living in Nevada.

I am concerned about Governor Gibbons' proposal for liquid coal processing. Burning liquid coal fuel can emit twice as much CO2 as regular gas, and I'm not sure we should be importing coal from other states when we have so many other energy sources, clean renewable sources, to develop here in Nevada. Our state's future jobs should include working with solar, geothermal and wind technologies, not coal.

What the Governor's termed as 'empowerment' zones seems very similar to the Assembly Democrats' 'school within a school' proposal. Of all the possible education improvements on the table, this is the one that is truly a pilot program. If we can build equitable funding for all schools, this may be where we have some bi-partisan support. I personally want to see emphasis on supporting our teachers and making sure we do more to retain the ones making a difference in the lives of our kids."

iPods For Politics

When you tune in to Nevada NewsMakers you expect to come away with the latest from Silver State political leaders. But now, you can also walk away with an 80GB Apple video iPod.

Sam Shad's look at Nevada's political world has added a new twist for 2007, giving away an iPod a week until March. During every newscast (M-Th) a secret word will be given and viewers who correctly send in all four, through an entry form on the show's web site, will be entered in a drawing for that week's iPod.

Nevada NewsMakers can be seen in Reno on KRNV-4, Monday through Thursday from 12:30-1 p.m. Cable subscribers can also watch the show at 9:30 p.m. M-Th on Charter Channel 12. KOH-780AM also airs the show Sunday mornings from 9-11 a.m.

In Las Vegas the show can be seen on KVBC-3 , Saturday and Sunday from 5-6 a.m., and on Cox Cable Channel 123 at various times.

10 Questions With Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, Pt. 2

Barbara Buckley made history with her selection by fellow Democrats to become the first female Nevada Assembly Speaker.

Now, with a reputation for toughness and a slew of "Best Assemblyperson" awards on her shelf, Buckley is set to begin her biggest political challenge yet, taking the gavel in 2007.

Yesterday we discussed the historic nature of her selection, the agenda she hopes to lay out and, in what could be the defining issue of the 2007 legislative session, full-day kindergarten for all Nevada students. Today we look at the possibility of a tax increase, her reputation for striking fear in others and what she hopes people will say of her first term when all is said and done.

6. Governor Gibbons has already went on record saying "no new taxes" for the next budget. Do you agree, or believe it's too early to say as some may need to be proposed in the legislature?

I don't think there will be any discussion of new taxes this session.

7. Although it's thought a budget surplus will exist, this past year has also brought reports showing multi-billion dollar shortfalls in road construction and the public employees retirement health fund. While one doubts there will be any shortage of ideas as to what to do with the extra millions, what about the much more difficult decisions needed to fix the roads and health fund? Are there any current plans on the table? And, do you think the governor and legislature will have the stomach to truly address these issues (which might include some politically unpopular actions) in 2007 or will they turn to a temporary bandage if anything?

Road construction is probably one of our biggest challenges. Traditionally, the state highway fund has been funded in part by gas taxes. The revenue hasn't kept up with the need. However, no one in their right mind wants to raise gas taxes with the price of gas today. The Legislature will be examining this issue and trying to come up with solutions. The (former) Governor's Task Force has made some recommendations, but the new Governor seems dismissive of them and instead is focusing on selling water rights. It appears that this idea is going nowhere fast.

Some Assembly Democrats are mulling an idea on alleviating traffic which would involve some reprioritizing of existing funds. Stay tuned.

8. Jon Ralston wrote in a recent column, "Buckley scares people." The Reno Gazette Journal's Ray Hagar has said an assemblyperson who wished to remain anonymous confided they were afraid of you. And Molly Ball opened an article with "From the way people describe Barbara Buckley, you might expect to meet a linebacker-size she-beast with snakes for hair and laser beams for eyes." It seems nobody can do a story on you without mentioning the fear you apparently strike in the hearts of fellow legislators. Yet, nobody ever says what it is that garnered you this reputation. Even Bob Beers joked he was "too scared to comment" when I asked him.

So is this image of you as a Dragon Lady more a Carson City urban legend or was there a specific incident where you suddenly realized you had the unique power to make legislators and lobbyists quake in their boots? And even if you do believe it is more urban legend than reality, do you still find it somewhat comforting to know there's a good chance when you enter a meeting the other person may already be breaking a sweat?

I'm not sure where the descriptions come from -- if they mean that I am willing to tackle complex issues and see them through and that I don't compromise my principles, then they are compliments.

9. With a possible fight looming over full-day kindergarten, a new governor in office and Education First affecting the budget process for the first time, do you think the odds are pretty high we'll see at least one special session in 2007?

Special sessions are not very special. I certainly hope we don't have one or more.

10. When the final chapter on the 2007 session is written, how do you hope that book will read? And what do you hope Nevadans will be saying about you?

I hope that the 2007 session will be notable for its accomplishments in improving the lives of Nevadans. I hope Nevadans will say that I served with integrity and presided over a session of accomplishments.

-------------------

Part one of our interview with Barbara Buckley can be viewed here.

10 Questions With Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley

Last year's elections saw more than just a fresh slate of constitutional officeholders, it also saw the selection of a new Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly. And, for the first time in state history, it was a woman -- Barbara Buckley.

Entering her seventh term representing AD-8, Buckley was the unanimous choice of Assembly Democrats to lead them into the 2007 legislative session. And, with an expected showdown with newly-elected Governor Jim Gibbons on full-day kindergarten and tough decisions needing to be made on road construction and health care, it's shaping up to be an interesting one.

As the new session draws near, we caught up with Buckley and, in part one of our interview, discuss her priorities for the year, the historic nature of her new post as well as her own personal experience with the effects of full-day kindergarten.

1. Much has been made by the state's pundits and press regarding your status as the first woman Assembly Speaker in Nevada's history yet, and this could just be the people I'm talking to, I've found the average person really couldn't care less about the fact that you are a woman. It's almost universally about hoping you do a good job or, if they're a GOP insider, worried you'll run over Garn Mabey. The fact that you are a woman doesn't really come up. How do you view your status? Do you think of it as more of an historic occasion, or are you glad the average voter seems more interested in what you'll do and not what you'll wear?

I think that voters are a lot more sophisticated than pundits sometime think and if it's true that the "average person is focused on the job they hope I can do rather than my sex" or clothing, it just proves that point.

I have to tell you though that I have been approached by some senior citizens who have said to me "I am so proud -- this would have never happened 50 years ago" -- that touches me. And when I have a parent say "I want my girl to never know a ceiling -- thanks for breaking another one -- that touches me.

Last weekend, I went to the "New Speakers" conference -- there are four women speakers in our country. All four were there. It still struck home that we have a long way to go.

2. What do you consider the number one issue facing Nevadans today and how do you hope to address it?

I believe the number one issue facing Nevadans is improving our quality of life -- ensuring quality education for our children, securing our personal safety and health, and preserving the quality of our environment.

3. It seems like every election cycle eventually turns nasty, but the most recent seemed even more so, especially in the gubernatorial race. Do you think any hard feelings will spill over into the 2007 legislative session?

There's bound to be some residual bad feelings, but the campaigns are over. The state has challenges and opportunities. It's time to move forward and govern.

4. In looking at the Bill Draft Requests, I notice you have number 817 -- full-day kindergarten. It's generally thought that Jim Gibbons won't support a statewide program for all and Senator Bob Beers, citing a Legislative Council Bureau report that apparently concluded little impact past the first grade, recently said he doubted a proposal to fund full-day kindergarten would get out of the Assembly. Is full-day kindergarten the top priority for Assembly Democrats in this session and something they'll go to the mat on, or does a comprise along the lines of more test schools seem likely? [Note: Gibbons has since removed statewide full-day kindergarten from the budget.]

Improving education is a key priority for Assembly Democrats. We have proposed an education agenda for the session. Included in this agenda are ways to attract and retain quality teachers by increasing starting salaries. In addition, we are proposing a $2,000 "pay for performance" bonus for teachers achieving extraordinary results in the classroom. We are also proposing high school reform -- ways to make high school more relevant to our teenagers -- by including career academies and vocational/technical educational offerings.

Full day kindergarten is also one of our priorities. Most studies have concluded that full day kindergarten better prepares children to succeed in school and closes the achievement gap for disadvantaged and minority students. Full day kindergarten has been shown to have a positive effect on both short and long term student achievement. It is for these reasons that the Nevada Legislature approved full day kindergarten for about 1/3 of our state's schools last session. It is time to make it available for all schools.

My son had a unique experience -- he went to full day kindergarten in Clark County for the fall semester; then to half day kindergarten in Carson City during the last legislative session. When he left, he was starting to read. When he went to half-day kindergarten -- for two hours -- he was back to the basics of letters. It was night and day. Our children are capable of learning so much early on; I don't think we should settle for mediocrity.

5. Besides full-day kindergarten, what else can we expect from Assembly Democrats in 2007?

Besides education, we have major initiatives on health care, (transparency and increasing coverage), energy, ethics, and public safety. There are also measures on child welfare, affordable housing, consumer protection, and open meeting law reform.

-----------------

Part two of our interview can be viewed here, where Buckley discusses the likelihood of any tax increases, road construction and the perception in the media that she is feared by fellow legislators.

Kathy Augustine Story Makes NBC's Dateline

The mysterious 2006 death of Nevada Controller Kathy Augustine, and the subsequent arrest of her husband Chaz Higgs on charges of murder, played out on the national stage last night as NBC's Dateline ran "A Shot in the Dark?" With the "shot," of course, referring to a syringe of succinylcholine allegedly used to kill her.

With a lead of "It’s a story of money, power, ambition, and enemies. Investigators say it’s also a story of murder— what they believe could have been the perfect crime if not for one slip of the tongue," the Hoda Kotb piece featured interviews with KRNV-4's Victoria Campbell and Reno Police Detective David Jenkins.

The story, as well as video, a video blog and slideshow, can be found here.

How Much Are Nevada's Political Blogs Worth?

With the political spotlight set to shine on Nevada for the next 12 months or so, and hopefully spill over to the Silver State's blogosphere, we were curious as to how certain blogs stack up in the way bloggers sometimes dream about -- how much are they worth?

So we took 10 top Nevada political blogs (well, nine and ourselves) and decided to run them through a series of calculators and formulas all promising to give one the true value of a blog. Values varied widely, ranging from a paltry $42 to over $100k, depending on the formula and site. The sites examined were Battle Born News, Desert Beacon, Dullard Mush, Las Vegas Gleaner, Mr. Jerz, Nevada Today, the Reno Gazette-Journal's Inside Nevada Politics, Reno and Its Discontents, Jon Ralston's Vegas Pundit and Vote Gibbons Out.

Utilizing the famous, and even more infamously generous, Tristan Lewis AOL/Weblogs Deal ratio (i.e., assigning the same value per Technorati link that AOL paid) in a nifty calculator created by Dane Carlson (who also created nevadablogs.net) we found a combined value of $278k+ for our sampled Nevada political blogs.

The collective value took a significant hit with the more stingy, and probably much more accurate, Pingoat calculator, mustering only a measly $2872.89.

Values popped up a bit for Nevada blogs using a formula created by Simon Owens over at Bloggasm.com. After surveying 100 blogs, and then calculating their estimated weekly ad revenue, he assigned an average dollar value per Technorati link. Different blog niches have different values, but "political" scored a worth of $27.64 per link. The total for our 10 blogs was $12,438.

And for those interested in "juice" rather than dough, the folks over at Text Link Ads have developed a Blog Juice Calculator that rates sites on a 0-10 scale utilizing a ratio of Blogline subscribers, Alexa rank, Technorati ranking and inbound links. For comparison, Dailykos ranked a 9.2 in the "political" category.

All values were as of 1/13/07.

AOL/Weblogs Deal Ratio
1. Reno & Its Discontents ($105,568.98)
2. Desert Beacon ($42,905.04)
3. Las Vegas Gleaner ($38,953.26)
4. Inside Nevada Politics ($24,839.76)
5. Battle Born News ($20,323.44)
6. Dullard Mush ($15,242.58)
7. Vote Gibbons Out ($14,113.50)
8. Mr. Jerz ($11,290.80)
8. Vegas Pundit ($11,290.80)
10. Nevada Today ($5,080.86)

Pingoat Blog Value
1. Reno & Its Discontents ($664.60)
2. Las Vegas Gleaner ($528.49)
3. Desert Beacon ($417.45)
4. Inside Nevada Politics ($379.75)
5. Vote Gibbons Out ($234.01)
6. Battle Born News ($211.91)
7. Dullard Mush ($150.57)
8. Mr. Jerz ($125.34)
9. Vegas Pundit ($118.66)
10 NV Today ($42.11)

Bloggasm.com Formula
1. Reno & Its Discontents ($3,427.36)
2. Desert Beacon ($2,100.64)
3. Las Vegas Gleaner ($1,907.16)
4. Inside Nevada Politics ($1,216.16)
5. Battle Born News ($995.04)
6. Dullard Mush ($746.28)
7. Vote Gibbons Out ($691.00)
8. Mr. Jerz ($552.80)
8. Vegas Pundit ($552.80)
10. Nevada Today ($248.76)

Blog Juice Rating (0.0-10.0)
1. Inside Nevada Politics (3.9)
2. Reno & Its Discontents (3.5)
3. Las Vegas Gleaner (3.4)
4. Desert Beacon (2.8)
5. Battle Born News (2.2)
6. Vote Gibbons Out (2.1)
7. Dullard Mush (1.7)
7. Mr. Jerz (1.7)
9. Vegas Pundit (1.6)
10.Nevada Today (0.6)

Dullard Mush Makes The New York Daily News

Well, more accurately, the The New York Daily News blog, Daily Politics. But still, not a bad pickup.

Commenting on the 2008 primary schedule, Daily Politics notes "What remains to be seen is the effect of the newly early Nevada caucuses jammed in between Iowa and New Hampshire on Jan. 19. The Dems made the first move by scheduling Nevada so early. Now the GOP is thinking about doing the same."

The "doing the same" refers to a 1/3/07 post we did regarding Nevada GOP head Paul Adams' letter to fellow Republicans broaching the subject of holding a straw poll the same time as the Democratic caucus.

Nevada Dems Set Debate and Forum Calendar

Despite being the new caucus on the block, Nevada Democrats are hoping to compete with traditional Presidential political heavyweights Iowa and New Hampshire by scheduling a series of candidate events over the next year.

The series begins February 21 with a candidate forum in Carson City. A forum concerning health care will follow March 24 at UNLV. In mid-August, Reno will host the first debate of the season, focusing on Western regional issues.

Another debate will take place November 2 at UNLV. The final event, a forum hosted by the Caucus of African American Nevadans/Impacto, will be held January 15, 2008 in Las Vegas.

Nevada's Democratic caucus, the second in the nation (following Iowa), is slated for January 19, 2008.

Miss Nevada To Host Vegas Freak Show, Pose For Playboy?

With her 15 minutes quickly fading, deposed Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees has signed to host a freak show in March at the Vegas Hard Rock Hotel for $10,000. And, as if you couldn't see it coming, is reportedly turning to the refuge of hot women touched by scandal everywhere -- Playboy magazine.

According to the New York Post's Page Six, Rees is apparently in talks with Playboy officials for an upcoming photo spread. This would be after she turned down a $25,000 offer (with an additional $2 per video royalty) to appear in a "Girls Gone Wild" video.

However, she did sign to appear in friend Jeff Beacher's Vegas show "Beacher's Madhouse," which features the "nation's top side-show freaks" including Tiny KISS and "live monkeys." Tickets for the monthly show are $50.

Beacher also defended Rees, and apparently outed her at the same time, by telling the Post, "Donald Trump is a hypocrite. He lets one girl keep her crown who is a drug addict, but the girl who is a hot, fun party girl who enjoys other women has to be dethroned? I think her lifestyle is fun and amazing. Donald should really stop being so prejudiced against gay and lesbian people, like his fight with Rosie [O'Donnell.]"

Darby Back Blogging After Sparks Tribune Dismissal

While last year's CobbGobbler controversy didn't stop its intended target, Ty Cobb Jr., it did claim one casualty -- Sparks Tribune reporter Tom Darby.

Apparently the banning of reporter blogs on August 21, 2006 wasn't the only action taken by the Tribune following the revelation of some questionable investigative tactics and political viewpoints posted by Darby on his now defunct Tom Uses His Words personal blog. According to his new blog, The Right Attitude, he was fired soon after the controversy was brought to light.

Darby's investigation of CobbGobbler, blog postings regarding certain Nevada politicians (he liked Jim Gibbons, didn't like most everybody else) and putting a local judicial candidate's letter to Tribune bosses (regarding possible bias) on the web with some derisive commentary led to a lively discussion among journalism experts at the University of Nevada, Reno, a mention on a Holland web site and a comment from the co-chairman of the Society of Professional Journalists' Ethics Committee known as "Mr. Ethics."

A chronological summary of the affair can be found here.

Much Ballyhooed "100-Hour Agenda" Waits For Football

After much hype (ironically, hype worthy of a national championship game), the Democratic "100-Hour Agenda" will officially begin this week -- on Tuesday.

In an "only in DC" story, tonight's Ohio State-Florida football game apparently takes precedent to governing the country, as all members of congress were given the entire day off to prepare for the big game which, incidentally, starts at 8:15 p.m. EST. Apparently ordering wings, tapping the keg and making nachos is an all-day affair.

As a longtime Buckeye fan (I can still remember Woody Hayes punching that Clemson player in the Gator Bowl), I can appreciate the interest, but congress is being paid (quite handsomely, we might add) to work, not party for 12 hours before kickoff.

That said, go Buckeyes.

Update: Hopefully congress will be more effective than Ohio State was tonight.

Early Reviews For Gibbons Not Kind

If newly-elected Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons was a Broadway play, he probably would be closing right about now.

But, luckily for him, he's guaranteed at least a four-year run.

Still the opening wasn't the smoothest for Gibbons, starting with the midnight oath to his first few appointments to questions about his health. Pundits from throughout the state mostly panned the first week of the Gibbons era.

The Headlines:

Jon Ralston on the deceitful, conniving, hypocritical start to Gov. Jim Gibbons' term ... and that's just the first minute -- Jon Ralston, Las Vegas Sun

Gibbons' midnight inauguration based on a lie -- Nevada Appeal editorial

Jimbo in limbo: How low can he go? -- Erin Neff, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Behind the smiles, a rough start for the new governor -- J. Patrick Coolican, Las Vegas Sun

Gibbons wraps up a hectic first week -- Ray Hagar, Reno Gazette-Journal

On Appointment Dispute, An Attorney General Opinion From Years Past

Leave it to Jon Ralston to dig up a June 25, 1979 document that may help decide the disagreement over whether outgoing Governor Kenny Guinn, or incoming Jim Gibbons had the authority to appoint a member to the Nevada Gaming Control board.

Guinn had appointed his chief of staff Keith Munro to the position in November, but his term would not officially begin until the first of the year. However Gibbons, who has appointed Randall Sayre for the same position, claims his choice should take precedent as he was sworn in as governor at midnight (officially 12:00:12 a.m, January 1, 2007).

But as Ralston discovered, those 12 seconds may make the difference in deciding who sits on the powerful board.

In 1978, outgoing Governor "Mike" O'Callaghan made two December appointments, to begin serving in January 1979, to the Nevada Commission of Veterans Affairs that were opposed by a member of a veterans organization. The argument then, as now, was that the incoming governor, Bob List at the time, should be the one to make the appointments.

However, then Attorney General Richard Bryan issued an opinion stating "the Governor shall hold his office for four years from the time of his installation and 'until his successor shall be qualified' (Emphasis added)." And with one of the "qualifications" being the taking of the oath of office, List did not officially become governor until 10 a.m.

"Therefore, for a 10 hour period on January 1, 1979 Governor O'Callaghan was a 'holdover' and he continued to exercise the duties of the office of Governor of the State of Nevada until his successor was duly qualified by the taking of the oath at 10:00 o'clock in the morning on January 1, 1979."

Bryan concluded "it would be the opinion of this office that Governor O'Callaghan had the authority to make the appointments."

If this 1979 opinion carries the day, then Guinn was governor for 12 seconds in 2007, or just enough for him to officially appoint Munro.

New Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is expected to issue an opinion soon.

Nevada GOP Looks To Hold 2008 Presidential Straw Poll Same Day As Democratic Caucus

Hoping to ride the wave of presidential politics that will wash over Nevada this year and early 2008, the state Republican party is exploring the possibility of a GOP straw poll to compete with the Democratic caucus slated for January next year.

In a January 1st letter to Republican leaders, party chairman Paul Adams laid out plans for establishing a straw poll saying "Done correctly, we can build the party organization, raise money to fund party operations and give Republican presidential candidates a venue by which they can deliver their message to Nevada voters."

Though no delegates would be awarded to the victor, the results of the political "beauty pageant" early in 2008 would provide a moral victory and a possible momentum boost going into New Hampshire.

A December 2006 American Research Group poll of 600 likely GOP caucus voters found former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leading with 31%. John McCain was second with 25%. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was third with a surprising 22%. Governor Mitt Romney polled 4% with 18% undecided.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton led Barack Obama handily, 37-12. The 2004 ticket followed with John Kerry at 9% and John Edwards at 8%. It should be noted the Democratic poll was done December 19-23, before Edwards made his Reno appearance.

The poll margin of error is +/- 4%.

New Year, New Governor; Old Grudges

Nevada Governor-elect Jim Gibbons jumped the gun on his official swearing in, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 1, by taking the oath of office seconds after 2007 began in a surprise ceremony.

Citing "recent world events," Gibbons spokesman Brent Boynton (who was a popular anchor on Reno's KOLO-8 news) said the new administration wanted to be up and running as soon as possible. On the apparent secrecy, only the Associated Press was invited, Boynton told the Reno Gazette Journal's Anjeanette Damon "We didn't want any word out in advance because of the security concerns. This is a new world since 9-11 and the first major change in Nevada government since then."

Perhaps also playing a tiny part was outgoing governor, and fellow Republican, Kenny Guinn's decision to skip the inauguration ceremonies. In breaking with a 35-year tradition, Guinn's move highlights what is generally thought to be a strained, at best, relationship between the two.

For the outgoing Governor's part, his office said the inauguration should be "all about the next governor."