From Citizen Outreach:

By: Chuck Muth

THE NO-TELEPROMPTER ZONE

OK, maybe you’ve already seen the video clip of Fox News host Bill O’Reilly blowing his stack over a faulty teleprompter back in the day when he was doing Inside Edition, but I saw it on YouTube for the first time this week. If you haven’t seen it, catch it HERE – but be warned, ol’ Bill drops a couple F-bombs.

Now, what you might NOT have seen yet is a new, hilarious edited version which cuts back and forth between O’Reilly and the show’s faux “producer” who has some choice words of his own for the mega-star. You can see it HERE – just make sure you don’t spit your coffee through your nose when you watch. (Hat tip to Steve Sebelius of CityLife for bringing this to our attention)

PEOPLE; PEOPLE WHO READ PEOPLE

So I’m standing in line at the grocery store late yesterday afternoon, thumbing through the current edition of People magazine which hit store shelves that morning. I’m learning all the really important news in world: A former child star beats her meth addiction, Charlie Sheen marries someone who apparently is NOT a hooker (now THAT’S news!), Tatum O’Neil busted for drug possession, Angelina Jolie is NOT preggers, George Clooney splits with his honey, Bill Murray splits with his wife, how and why four women scrimped and saved for plastic surgery, Kathy Griffin explains how to cry and eat cake at the same time. You know, the stuff that’s REALLY important in life.

And then I get to page 100.

Headline: SHE WON’T MOVE OUT!

You got it. As the sub-head explains: “Divorce Nevada-style: The governor wants his wife out of the mansion – and she insists on staying put.”

That’s followed by a story which includes many of the more salacious details of Jim and Dawn’s breakup, including this money quote from former Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus: “The governor’s office is operating like a soap opera.”

Can this possibly get any more embarrassing for Nevadans?

Fighting over the couple’s marital assets is one thing; but generating a People magazine story over the fight for the mansion the people of Nevada own and “rent” out to the governor every four years? Come on. Enough is enough.

Is there an attorney out there who could draw up eviction papers for the citizens of Nevada to file to toss BOTH parties out of the mansion until they settle this spat and agree to keep their personal affairs out of the pages of the national tabloid press? I’d assume any Nevada taxpayer would have standing to file such a suit. The People of Nevada vs. People Magazine vs. Gibbons vs. Gibbons.

ROSS THE BOSS GATHERS SOME MOSS

“Once again, the Secretary of State has either demonstrated a complete ignorance of the law or a reckless disregard for Nevada voters. Secretary (Ross) Miller is paid by the taxpayers of Nevada to serve as our state’s top elections officer. In that role, he oversees the petition process and therefore produces a specific guidebook for our citizens to follow if they wish to exercise their right to petition state government.

“The citizens expect and deserve that the information they receive from their top elections officer to be accurate, trustworthy and lawful. Unfortunately, Secretary Miller’s lack of competency has prevented him from faithfully performing the duties of the office that Nevada voters elected him to fill honestly, competently and fairly.”

- Former State Controller Steve Martin and former State Treasurer Bob Seale in response to Secretary of State Ross Miller’s decision to kick three of their initiatives off the ballot this year for minor technical deficiencies which Miller’s office itself may be responsible for

HEIDI, HEIDI, HEIDI, HIGH

The 2006 campaign was an unmitigated disaster for Assembly Republicans under the “leadership” of former caucus boss Garn Mabey. If I recall, the caucus failed to recruit even a warm body for most of the seats held by Democrats that year. It’s kinda hard to win races when your opponents are…well, unopposed. Duh.

And the subsequent legislative session was no better. As some might recall, we were the first to raise the battle-cry “Garn’s Gotta Go” well before sine die (that means “the end”).

It took ‘em some time, but last fall Assembly Republicans came to the same conclusion and kicked “Fearful Leader” to the curb. They replaced him with Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert of Reno. And what a difference the leadership change has made already.

Yes, the elections are yet to come – and the bi-annual cat-herding legislative convention will be another challenge altogether – but Gansert’s willingness to ask for help from the state’s top two political consultants has resulted in a candidate recruitment effort a gazillion times better than in ‘06. Read all about it HERE in this Las Vegas Sun story by Patrick Coolican.

PAULTARDS TURN ON ONE OF THEIR OWN

For those of you who might not fully comprehend just how paranoid and juvenile this small contingent of Ron Paul malcontents in Nevada are, see for yourself by reading the 70-plus, mostly agitated, comments on Nevada GOP Chairwoman Sue Lowden’s blog about reconvening the state convention.

Indeed, as you follow what passes for dialogue among them, check out how they turn on one of their own, Carl Bunce, who is accused of selling out to the dark side. Hyena City, I tell ya.

UH-OH, HERE’S A PANDORA’S BOX

“The Public Employees Benefit Board today voted to extend benefits to the domestic partners of state employees,” reported blogger Anjeanette Damon for Inside Politics on Thursday. “But with a $3 million a year expected price tag, Gov. Jim Gibbons won’t fund it. Ben Kieckhefer sidestepped the question of whether Gibbons believes domestic partners should receive the same benefits as married couples…”

Ah, that old equal protection thing. This is what happens when the government decides to award some citizens, but not others.

The fact is, paying for the health insurance of one’s spouse while not paying for the health insurance of a domestic partner – especially considering the fact that Nevada’s Constitution now bans gays from enjoying the same fruits of marital bliss as, say, the governor – will be viewed by many, and eventually perhaps even the courts, as a violation of the equal protection clause.

And here’s where things get even stickier: If the excuse not to extend health insurance benefits to domestic partners is rooted in the fact that it would cost the state money it doesn’t have, then why should the spouses of government workers continue to get that benefit which taxpayers cannot afford? I mean, don’t you have to either give the benefit to everyone or give it to no one?

Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of this.

RATINGS CORRECTION

Due to a copy-and-paste error, I neglected to include the raw 2007 Legislative Rating scores for the following members of the Assembly in yesterday’s News & Views.

Segerblom – 20
Settlemeyer – 80
Smith – 20
Stewart – 64
Weber – 56
Womack – 20

Again, the full ratings project can be found at www.COPACNevada.com

SUDDEN IMPACT

“When Chuck Muth left the Republican Party, he really left. His barbs directed at the embattled GOP governor are the clearest evidence, but now the no-holds-barred Citizen Outreach boss has released an analysis of legislative voting records that could have wide-ranging significance.

“...You can argue with the bills Muth chose – and they are debatable – just as you can argue with the infirmities of that (Las Vegas Review-Journal) survey of attorneys on judges. But this is inarguable: The latter has a significant impact on elections, and Muth’s survey might, too.”

- Jon Ralston, Flash, 6/4/08

THE MASTER AND THE APPRENTICE

“Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio still has it. What did he do after reading Citizen Outreach ratings that showed his nemesis, Dina Titus, looked more conservative than he – sure fodder for his ultraconservative primary opponent, Sharron Angle? He called the ratings’ author, Chuck Muth, and asked to meet.

“Seems Raggio, obviously aware Angle would use the ratings against him, wondered if Muth would help him. No pressure. No intimidation. The usual, velvety Raggio pitch. Turns out it was unnecessary. Muth had already planned a statement of support and primary endorsement. Smooth, Sir Bill.

“I wonder what Rep. Jon Porter will do to get Muth to endorse him against Titus. My guess: Nothing that will work as well as Raggio’s approach.”

- Jon Ralston, Flash, 6/6/08

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Government is not your mother.”

- Nevada state Sen. Bob Beers (R-Las Vegas)

Sphere It