It's Over (At Least for Now)

At long last, the charade is coming to an end. Why? Do you really need me to tell you?

“There is one sticking divide, and that is the issue of what I call shared sacrifice, where everybody contributes in a very challenging time for our country,” [Senator Patty] Murray [D-WA, Co-chair of Budget Supercommittee] told CNN’s Candy Crowley on “State of the Union.”

“That’s the Bush tax cuts, and making sure that any kind of package includes everybody coming to the table and the wealthiest of Americans, those who earn over a million dollars every year, have to share, too. And that line in the sand, we haven’t seen any Republicans willing to cross yet,” Murray said.

Surprise, the Supercommittee is now virtually guaranteed to collapse... And do so entirely because Republicans refused to budge on asking the wealthiest of Americans to share in the sacrifice.

However, the super-wealthy will eventually have to share in the sacrifice despite... Or perhaps, BECAUSE of what's about to happen to the Supercommittee. Remember when the G-O-TEA leadership gloated over getting "98%" of what they wanted? Well, that's blowing back at them awfully hard.

But how did the president even get to have this leverage? I hate to sound like a broken record, but he made the Republicans in Congress hand him this leverage on a silver platter while John Boehner was too busy dancing around saying how he got 98% of what he wanted from the debt limit deal (and Markos Moulitsas was lapping John Boehner's words right up). The debt limit deal's automatic cuts in defense and Medicare provider and insurance company payments, while taking off the table Medicare benefits, social security and other programs for the needy, put the Republicans in a rut. And for once, Congressional Democrats seem to be playing their hands right on this one. Pelosi, Reid and other Democrats have signaled that if the Republicans don't cave on taxing the rich, they will block GOP attempts to spare the defense industry from the cuts. [...]

That's leverage. While everyone thought that the president "caved" during the debt deal by not getting any revenue raisers up front, those who actually read and studied the damn thing saw this day coming clear as daylight. And don't think for a second that the White House is not behind this newfound resistance on the Democratic side against the GOP attempts to restore the Defense spending that would be cut if the supercommittee fails.

Why? Because President Obama and Leaders Reid and Pelosi fundamentally understand what the Republicans are actually trying to do here: they know they handed the leverage to the President and Democrats on a silver platter, and this attempt to restore the Defense spending is in reality an attempt to nullify that leverage and instead gain an upper hand as the leverage goes to the domestic spending side (advantage GOP). That's why the Democrats are not about to let it happen.

Now was this a total success for progressives? I wouldn't necessarily go that far. We still must endure even more cuts in public investment that are counter-productive during times of recession and recovery. However, the very worst case scenario (which would have been Medicare & Social Security cuts while allowing the Bush tax rates to stay in place) was avoided. And instead, we'll mostly see cuts that won't be nearly as hurtful (like the military spending cuts that some GOP politicians fear the most).

As I warned back in early August, the G-O-TEA crowd were gearing for full "Californication" of the country by holding the full faith and credit of America hostage. But in their zeal for hostage taking and big talking, they managed to allow President Obama and Democratic Congressional leaders to grab a handy Ace in the hole. And while Democrats may not end up with a Royal Flush, our high cards definitely win over their pile of junk.

Why do you think certain Congress critters are now huffing and puffing over the BBA? And why do you think the G-O-TEA Clown Car candidates are doubling down on destroying Medicare and Social Security? They know they are in deep trouble as the Supercommittee is set to implode this week. And once it's over, we'll have a chance next year to have real dialogue on real solutions to the economic problems we face.

Why Is Equality So "Controversial" for Republicans?

Last week, I was here in Las Vegas to celebrate the end of DADT. Once (and hopefully future) Congresswoman Dina Titus discussed what happened in the last session of Congress to make this happen, and representatives from Harry Reid's office and Shelley Berkley's office were also on hand to share their congratulations on this win and continued support for LGBTQ equality.



One would think this would be a nationwide celebration. After all, repealing DADT has broad national support. It was the end of a stupid, discriminatory policy that kept our military from keeping the best and brightest on the job protecting our country. But during the event, I was thinking about who was NOT present as much as I was noticing who was there.

At our event in Las Vegas last week, no one from Dean Heller's office even bothered to show up. Hell, no one from GOProud or Log Cabin Republicans even bothered to show up. Why is that? For a party that seems to love to talk about "personal liberty" and "military strength" so much, why wouldn't we see stronger Republican support for ending a policy that restricted personal liberty while simultaneously endangering our military's strength and our national security?

Well, I guess we all had to learn the hard way later in the week.



Who would have guessed that a decade after 9/11 and less than a decade after the start of the Iraq War, Republicans would be the ones booing an active duty soldier in Iraq? Were their promises to "support the troops" really that hollow? Does "support the troops" mean nothing if those troops happen to be gay?

Believe it or not, Andrew Sullivan really nailed it on the "support the troops... But not really" hypocrisy coming out of today's Republican Party.

But somehow the fact that these indignities were heaped on a man risking his life to serve this country, a man ballsy enough to make that video, a man in the uniform of the United States ... well, it tells me a couple of things. It tells me that these Republicans don't actually deep down care for the troops, if that means gay troops. Their constant posturing military patriotism has its limits.

The shocking silence on the stage - the fact that no one challenged this outrage - also tells me that this kind of slur is not regarded as a big deal. When it came to it, even Santorum couldn't sanction firing all those servicemembers who are now proudly out. But that's because he was forced to focus not on his own Thomist abstractions, but on an actual person. Throughout Republican debates, gays are discussed as if we are never in the audience, never actually part of the society, never fully part of families, never worthy of even a scintilla of respect. When you boo a servicemember solely because he's gay, you are saying he is beneath contempt, that nothing he does or has done can counterweigh the vileness of his sexual orientation.

I've had discussions with LGBTQ equality activists before when they have bemoaned matters of equality morphing into partisan political flash points. And I genuinely understand their disappointment and frustration. But honestly, can any of us ignore Republicans' tolerance of bigotry any longer?

And can we ignore the stark differences between President Obama and the Republicans hoping to unseat him? President Obama fulfilled his promise to repeal DADT, and has not ignored the plight of LGBTQ Americans during his Presidency. The Republican candidates, on the other hand... Well, you get the picture.

I just hope Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware) is right that one day, this too shall pass.



And I hope Senator Mark Udall (D-Colorado) is also proven right.

We’ve got campaigns across the board making the case that every American deserves to have the promise of the Declaration of Independence made real. We’re created equal. We have an equal opportunity — equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Republican party candidates are going to be proven wrong, I think not only in the long run, but also in the short run, because these are backwards policies. These are policies that don’t fit in the 21st Century. It’s disturbing, but again, the voters are going to weigh in and they’re going to weigh in for a progressive 21st Century approach to sexual orientation. [...]

If Americans of all backgrounds, all regions speak up and draw attention to those discriminatory thoughts and policies, they’re going to fall through their own weight. They’re not going to last. They never do.

Bigotry, discrimination, and hatred should have no place in today's America. And equality should not be a partisan political issue. However, that's not the reality of contemporary American politics. And it will not be reality as long as Republicans continue to allow so much bigotry to flourish in their party.

Can 2011 Special Elections Predict 2012? Not Really.

While the corporate media obsess over a special election in a district that has more in common with Appalachia than "Middle America", and over another special election where no Democrat was running in Republican leaning turf, another story is developing that the media are not paying as much attention to. Here, take a look.

Within the [new CNN and Bloomberg] polls there were bad numbers for the President on the economy more generally, which has been the case for months. Obama's approval on this handling of the economy is 36 percent in the CNN poll and 33 percent in the Bloomberg, which matches Gallup, NBC/WSJ, ABC/WaPo and others in the last week or so.

But CNN also asked about the choice between President Obama and Congressional Republicans, who have sustained a huge hit themselves after the debt ceiling fight. 46 percent still say they prefer the President, to 37 percent who prefer Congressional Republicans. 15 percent say they prefer neither. The Bloomberg poll showed a tighter split, but still chose Obama 43 percent of the time to the GOP's 41.

Within the CNN question there are some interesting results. Those under 50, a group more likely to be unemployed, went for Obama by a 51 - 33 split. Even a quarter of self-described conservatives choose Obama over the Congressional GOPers, along with 50 percent of moderates and 78 percent of liberals.

Economic pessimism continues to infiltrate the thinking of American voters, and you don't have to look hard for an answer as to why. When CNN asked whether respondents feel they are better off today than they were three years ago, 58 percent no. It's not surprising given a previous CNN poll that showed 8 in 10 people think we are still in a recession, which means that many voters think we have been in a downturn since the President was elected. Gallup showed that there's been little help from the actual economic indicators, so there are many legitimate reasons for Americans to remain upset. But has the data shows, the GOP hasn't provided a silver bullet on the economy either, and voters are yet to embrace them as economic stewards. The jobs plan, which is enjoying initial support, is unlikely to change that view.

And if you want to dig deeper to see this story for yourself, look at the CNN internals and the Bloomberg internals. Even in the worst case scenario (Bloomberg's), Republicans can't beat President Obama on the issue the Beltway media pundits have all concluded should be Obama's political anvil sinking him next year. And according to CNN, American voters yet again proclaim that they want more focus on job creation than deficit reduction, and that they much prefer Democratic job creation ideas (such as aid to state and local governments, and infrastructure programs) than the Republicans' pandering to crazed teabaggers (in wanting to slash Social Security and Medicare to death).

Of course, last night's special election results weren't good for Obama or Congressional Democrats, but on the other hand many in DC are forgetting the local dynamics of both races. Here in Nevada, Kate Marshall positioned herself to essentially run against Obama, which demoralized the Democratic base and caused the entire election to be played on the Nevada GOP's turf. And in New York, Orthodox Jews and older white "Reagan Democrats" turned hard Republicans made that election into a referendum on Israel, social issues, and internal Brooklyn & Queens political drama. And while special elections tend to produce dramatic results as of late, they rarely provide a clear forecast of the political climate of the following election cycle.

What will be far more telling in the coming weeks and months, however, is what happens to the economy next, how politicians and political parties react to the state of the economy, and how voters respond to the politicians' reactions. Greg Sargent and Kevin Drum correctly point out that most Americans' view of Obama pretty much hinges on the state of the economy.

People who aren't pure partisans really do vote mostly based on the state of the economy, and they don't seem to care much why the economy is bad. When times are tough, they throw the bums out. It doesn't much matter if the bums have been trying hard.

But is it possible to overcome this dynamic if you barnstorm the country making it clear that your opposition has been working day and night to keep the economy in a ditch? The historical evidence doesn't provide much hope on that score, but then again, I'm not sure an incumbent in recent memory has really tried very hard to make something like this stick. Certainly Obama hasn't given it much of a go yet. But there's still time before next November.

Actually on that last part, Drum misses something... Something that we Nevadans saw for ourselves last year when the same Beltway media pundits were writing Harry Reid's political obituary long before Election Day.





While I agree that the state of the economy very much drives voters' decisions, the ultimate destination doesn't have to be "throw the bums out", especially when the replacement of "the bum" is someone whose agenda goes directly against what the voters want. Again, Reid proved this strategy works when he clearly demonstrated the consequences Nevada would have faced had we replaced him with Sharron Angle. Don't underestimate President Obama's ability to pivot like this and place the blame for economic turmoil exactly where it belongs.



And considering what Republican primary voters seem increasingly likely to do, this is exactly what Obama needs to be doing. How Obama and Republicans address American concerns about the economy will have much more of an effect on next year's election than a couple special election results from last night.

The "Bipartisan Deals" No One Likes

It's been said that the hallmark of a good bipartisan compromise on legislation is that it irritates broad swaths of folks across the ideological spectrum. If that's the case, then we have a real winner in the budget deal President Obama made with Congressional Republicans... As well as the next deal about to be made on next year's budget and the debt ceiling!

From RedState:

It is becoming more and more clear that Republicans got played in the budget deal. Likewise, envirowackos have gone totally wild.

From National Review:

"Friday’s much-heralded budget deal is a pyrrhic victory for deficit hawks....Obama was able to preserve many, if not most, of his pet projects, like Pell Grants, Planned Parenthood funding, and Americorps. It’s not clear who should be licking their wounds today."

From Paul Krugman:

I realize that with hostile Republicans controlling the House, there’s not much Mr. Obama can get done in the way of concrete policy. Arguably, all he has left is the bully pulpit. But he isn’t even using that — or, rather, he’s using it to reinforce his enemies’ narrative.
His remarks after last week’s budget deal were a case in point.

Maybe that terrible deal, in which Republicans ended up getting more than their opening bid, was the best he could achieve — although it looks from here as if the president’s idea of how to bargain is to start by negotiating with himself, making pre-emptive concessions, then pursue a second round of negotiation with the G.O.P., leading to further concessions...

And from Joan McCarter at Daily Kos:

Democrats once again fail Budget Negotiation 101. With the White House apparently at the very least flirting with the catfood commission (we need a Magic 8 Ball on this one, because just hours ago, the story was different), the House Dems have gone all in. [...]

Apparently, they're ignoring the advice of Leader Nancy Pelosi, who has argued that Democrts need to do what they did when Bush was trying to privatize Social Security in 1995: don't take the bait. The bait has been swallowed.

In rhetorically embracing the demonstrably right-wing catfood commission as the "reasonable" middle, even without endorsing all of its non-proposals, Dems start these upcoming negotiations having ceded important ideological ground from the get-go. Van Hollen did make some good points, according to this TPM story, including the fact that the non-report from the commission's chairs assumed that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy would expire. The non-report also failed to address in any kind of substantive way the spending and cost drivers for Medicare and Medicaid—cost drivers for the entire federal budget—continuing rising health care costs. But it is nowhere near a progressive, even a traditional Democratic, plan.

It really underscores Obama's challenge tonight in presenting a "balanced approach" to balancing the budget. Even as he faces huge challenges abroad with Middle East unrest and continued fallout from Japan's huge earthquake and tsunami, the key challenge now really looks to be domestic. The teabaggers on the extreme right will be pleased by nothing (other than perhaps Obama being impeached on fictitious charges, then replaced by "President Donald Trump"), and now the left is becoming more vociferous in drawing a line in the sand. Meanwhile, folks from across the blogosphere keep yelling and screaming and taunting Obama as "weak".

It's interesting to see all these complaints now, and to see the glories of our dysfunctional system at work. Congress has to agree on a budget, but hardly anyone wants to make the tough choices and tougher compromises. And as the debt ceiling quickly approaches, some Republicans in Congress are enjoying flirting with total annihilation. Still, we need to recognize good policy and fight for it... And hopefully, Obama will do just that tonight.

Still, let this be a lesson learned (so far) that no one can get everything one wants with a divided government.

Back from the Brink?

So no government shutdown this month? Happy happy, joy joy?

It's being reported that $38.5 billion [meaning $78.5 for the total 2011 fiscal year] in spending cuts were agreed upon.

And while 800,000 federal employees across the country, the men and women of the U.S. military and their families are undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief tonight, we don't know precisely where those billions in cuts will hit. But we do know what
Republicans have targeted–programs like Head Start, WIC, and community health care centers ... an anti-woman, anti-child, anti-poor agenda, that, oh by the way, will cause a loss of 120,000 - 450,000 jobs.

But huzzah! A bipartisan agreement has been reached. Somewhere David Broder is smiling approvingly. The people who will suffer the effects of what are sure to be draconian cuts to social safety nets? They can pound sand.

And what actually happens?

It includes cuts to both mandatory and discretionary spending, and does not include a rider that would have defunded Planned Parenthood -- the final sticking point in the negotiations. A separate measure to prevent the city of Washington from paying for abortions with its tax revenues survived. Republicans have also been promised up-or-down floor votes in the Senate on riders to defund Planned Parenthood and health care implementation.

It's a mixed bag for both sides politically. Democrats, led by Reid and President Obama, have had to accept cuts to social programs they value ideologically, and that are important to their base. Indeed, the sum of the cuts is higher than Republicans initially thought feasible. But Boehner was walking a tightrope with conservative rank and filers skeptical of any compromise -- a rift Democrats stretched to maximum benefit -- despite walking away with more fiscal flesh than anybody would have predicted six months ago.

That the government will stay open should come as little solace to Boehner -- who to his credit knew the political fallout would harm Republicans. This was a little fight. Puny even. It was the easiest test he'll face all year, and he barely passed. In just a few weeks, he'll have to convince the same petulant bloc in his party to support raising the debt limit, or force the country into default. When that's done, he'll have to run point on yet another spending fight -- to keep the government running next year. In both looming battles, Boehner will demand more spending cuts. But the remaining accounts are much larger, and they pay for programs that have defined Democrats for multiple generations of liberals -- popular entitlements like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The former two in particular are issues where there's no common ground between the two parties. And yet they're where all the money is.

So where do we go from here? Honestly, the choices aren't all that great.

Because Republicans run The House, and because so many Republicans have become corrupted by insani-TEA, it's not easy to negotiate in good faith. President Obama and Senator Reid are the adults in the room, but House Speaker John Boehner won't be mature about negotiating because he wants to please a bunch of unstable, deranged idiots who got elected last fall thanks to astroturf Tea Party, Inc., operations.

And even though Democrats still nominally control The Senate, nothing can really be done without at least 60 votes, so it's always easy for someone to act like a primadonna and essentially put Congress to a grinding halt. And with teabaggers there threatening to shut down the entire government over petty ideological fits, it's even more difficult to pass legislation there. It may not seem like much, but it's a huge relief to be able to placate them with separate votes on jeopardizing women's health and shoving more pollution down our throats... That will thankfully be votes assured to fail.

So what happens next? Unfortunately, millions of Americans will still suffer in some way because there are many hurtful cuts in this budget, cuts that will leave working families without help they need to survive this still rough economy. However, it could have been far worse. And moving forward, people who are angry about this budget ultimately need to realize that the only real solution lies at the ballot box. Don't like this? Well, remember to vote next year so we have a more functional Congress full of people who really want to represent us and legislate smartly!

LGBTQ Equality Takes Center Stage at OFA Nevada

Last night, I dropped by Organizing for America's Las Vegas office. They do "Community Action Nights" every Wednesday, and this week it was all about LGBTQ equality. Oh, joy.











Actually, there was room full of people ready to discuss important issues, then take action. When OFA calls their weekly event their "Community Action Night", they really aren't kidding.

While there was plenty of talk of policy, many also stayed to share their own stories and get working. Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada Communications Whiz Laura Martin started preparing her own story to write on why many straight folk care about equality for all. Others were outside calling neighbors and fellow Nevadans about what we just learned. Nevada Stonewall Democratic Caucus President Chris Miller even took to the phones himself to talk to fellow Nevada voters!







As we've talked about here before, there are still so many issues that need to be addressed, such as workplace discrimination, marriage rights, bullying, and health care. I was pleased to see the local, grassroots arm of the DNC actually having that conversation on these very issues at the local office.

I hope we continue to see more of this in the future.

State of the Union: The Rhetoric & The Reality.

What’s more, we are the first nation to be founded for the sake of an idea – the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own destiny. That is why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here. It’s why our students don’t just memorize equations, but answer questions like “What do you think of that idea? What would you change about the world? What do you want to be when you grow up?”

The future is ours to win. But to get there, we can’t just stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” Sustaining the American Dream has never been about standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age.

Now it’s our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit, and reform our government. That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future. And tonight, I’d like to talk about how we get there.

Last night, I was listening to President Obama's State of the Union Address...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And yes, I saw the complete teabagger train wreck that followed...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So did it all mean? Well, let's start with the good news:

- Obama is proposing a robust clean energy plan to make 80% of our energy sources renewable by 2035.

- He reminded everyone that government investment is necessary to fuel capitalistic achievement.

- He's not in the mood to slash education, and it seems he wants to do more to encourage the kind of robust investment in K-12 and college education that we need for sustained economic recovery and growth.

- To my surprise yesterday, he addressed comprehensive immigration reform.

- And finally, Obama gave the impassioned defense of health care reform that was long overdue. It's too bad he wasn't on offense with this a year ago, but late is nearly always better than never. And now, it will be critical to ensure reform isn't dismantled and/or defunded this year.

Wow. President Obama seemingly took a very difficult hand of a fragile economic recovery and more hostile Congress, and turned it around to use it to his advantage to find common ground on important progressive goals like climate solutions & renewable energy, and education. Again, he reminded us all that government indeed must invest in our economy in order for us all to reap good returns. And interestingly enough, he sought to frame it in a way that boxes Congressional Republicans into a corner. Do they want to cooperate with Obama on investing in continued economic recovery, or do they want to continue obstructing everything and reopening old floor fights on issues like health care reform?

However, not everything was coming up roses last night. Maven gives us a reality check.

Tonight we heard all the usual rhetoric … very well delivered. All designed to put the Republicans on the defensive, if that’s possible since they’re beaming in from an as yet undiscovered planet (can you say Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI ?). Yup, we’re all gonna have flying electric cars one day, and mag-lev rail between Reno and the Bay Area. Right. We’re gonna get all this done with a “spending freeze”.

Gawd help us.

Obama starts out patting himself on the back, for what? Extending tax cuts. Tax cuts create jobs, you know. Sigh. This is simply buying into the ‘new centrism’ and GOP mythology. (Note below, that even individual tax rates in the U. S. aren’t exactly going through the roof.)

The President goes on to talk about cutting discretionary spending to levels not seen since the Eisenhower Administration. I’ve got news for the President, if Eisenhower had seen what we’re dealing with right now, he’d have increased spending. Eisenhower wasn’t stupid.

Typically, no where in the speech was it mentioned that the bulk of our “discretionary spending” is for the military-industrial complex, AKA ‘The War On Terror’, AKA wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I cite Warresisters.org,nationalpriorities.org.

So here's the bad news:

- Obama seemed way too willing to buy into the GOP/"tea party" "austerity" BS. Here's the problem: We're just emerging from the worst recession since The Great Depression! The last thing our economy needs right now is a "spending freeze" that will just stop the kind of investment we were talking about above, the kind of investment we need to create more jobs.

- Not once in all the talk of "wasteful spending" was war spending mentioned. Speaking of President Eisenhower, he warned us in his now famous 1961 Farewell Address about the dangers of embracing "the military-industrial complex".



Look where we are now. We're mired in two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And "the military-industrial complex" has put us in a more precarious situation than ever before.



- Embedded in Obama's call for more renewable energy was yet another embrace of the "clean coal & nuclear" myth.



Sorry, but it's true. Coal and nuclear are far from "clean", and it makes absolutely no sense to include them as part of our clean energy portfolio.

- And finally, we heard plenty of bluster last night about earmarks. What is often forgotten is that Congress has Constitutional authority over the purse strings, NOT The President. So why should Congress be forced to give up its legal mandate to direct federal funds? Earmarks have virtually no impact on the federal budget, yet they do have a huge impact in ensuring we in
Nevada get our fair share of our tax dollars.

Earmarks, otherwise known as “pork barrel” spending, have come to represent the excesses of special interests and cronyism in Washington, especially through spending projects like Alaska’s Bridge to Nowhere, or Sparks’ infamous $225,000 pool.
In Nevada, they’ve also been behind projects like the Veterans Hospital in North Las Vegas, opening this year.
“We don’t think that a service for 50,000 veterans is pork barrel,” said Wayne Leroy, Nevada chairman of the Elks National Service Commission. (Nevada Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley secured a $350 million earmark in 2008 to help fund the $600 million project.) “That was about the only way that the hospital could get established,” Leroy said. “Now I’m sure this sort of project will be more difficult to do, if we’re able to at all.”

In 2010, Nevada ranked 11th in the country in earmark per capita spending, according to a survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia by the anti-earmark spending group Citizens Against Government Waste. Its $58.50 per head threshold is still a far cry from chart-topping Hawaii’s $251.78, but it still puts it in the top tier — targeted spending largely credited to the influence of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Earmarks are “our bread and butter, and the most time-tested model of how you win re-election,” UNLV political science professor David Damore said.
Reid certainly seems to think so.

“It’s a lot of pretty talk,” Reid said of the president’s pledge to, as Obama said later Tuesday, assure the American people “that special interests aren’t larding up legislation with pet projects” by vetoing any bill with an earmark in it.
“It is only giving the president more power,” Reid said. “He’s got enough power already.”

Again, we're talking about stripping much of Congress' Constitutional authority over the budget, and all for what amounts to less than 1% of federal spending and 100% political grandstanding.

So what's my final take on President Obama's speech last night? Basically, he offered some glimmers of hope for a more progressive vision of a better, stronger America. And he made a strong case for tried and true Keynesian economics. That's a good start.

However, what troubled me was Obama's validation of so many "tea party" memes of "big, bad government". I know he had to delicately thread the needle to get some Republican cooperation, so I understand he had to throw them some bones. Still, don't try to prove their bad, failed ideas right... And don't repeat the same mistakes that got us into this mess in the first place.

And by the way, I don't have anything else to say on the two GOP/teabagger responses. Both of them were total sideshows.

Lessons from Gabby... And From My Fellow Nevadans

This keeps haunting me. Even as we've already been discussing the danger of extremist rhetoric turning violent, Gabrielle Giffords and her message of breaking through partisan barriers seems more poignant and relevant than ever before.



Strangely enough, while Giffords was talking of bridging divides, this was playing in the background.



This takes me back to the night of Tuesday, November 2, 2010, and Harry Reid's hard earned Senate win here in Nevada.



As I talked about early this morning, last year's Senate campaign often brought out the worst in us. We saw brawls break out at "candidate forums", people's lives threatened, and an overall climate of unfettered rage and unprecedented fear plague our state. It was frightening...

But even amidst all of that, there were glimmers of hope. I saw the best of us shine through as I talked with my friends, my family, and my neighbors, even as the campaign blabber on TV often devolved to outright insanity.

One of my all time favorite videos of last year, if not my #1 favorite, was City of Reno Sustainability Administrator and Nevada System of Higher Education Regent Jason Geddes discussing what he does and how he viewed Senator Reid and his legislative agenda.



He just told it like it was, without resorting to histrionics or inflammatory language. And as I've said before, good policy always puts a big smile on my face.

And he wasn't the only one. I beamed with pride last month as I recounted my experience on the campaign trail over the last year.

[L]et's face it, it's much easier to believe the stereotypes of Nevadans than to take the time to really get to know us. It's easy to look at the numbers, but it's harder to look at the stories behind the numbers.

I actually did that. I met the kids who confronted Sharron Angle at Rancho High School over her race-baiting ads. I met my typically Republican neighbors in Henderson who voted early for Harry Reid. I met people who drove many miles to Dina Titus' campaign office because they believed she was "the real deal". I met folks pissed off at everyone and everyone, because they felt "overwhelmed" by all the negative campaign ads. I met volunteers who tuned out the political insanity as they were collecting food for the hungry, keeping community centers open, making parks and trails accessible to all the neighbors to use, and keeping the local libraries running with new and interesting knowledge just around the corner. [...]

Over the years, many authors have come to "investigate" Nevada and uncover all our "deep, dark secrets". We've been called everything from "The New American Dream" to the most evil, corrupt hellhole on the planet. However, you showed me that reality is quite different from any fairy tale or horror story shared by outsiders. You showed me that Nevada can be rough, but the people can be awfully tough.

There were many people, Democrats, Republicans, Nonpartisans, and others, here in Nevada who reaffirmed my faith in our country and our democracy. I will never forget that. Despite the efforts of some to rip our communities apart, there were so many Nevadans I met who just did what they knew to be best for our state and our country. And even when we disagreed, I was able to discuss issues with my friends, family, and neighbors respectfully.

I was thinking about this as Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough, CA), someone who survived the horror of Jonestown in 1978, went on CNN to remind us what politics and public service are all about.



Someone else who survived another tragic incident in 1978, Cleve Jones of Courage Campaign, had something to say about all this.



Maybe we need to listen to them. Maybe we need to listen to what Gabby tried to tell us. Right before Saturday's "Congress on Your Corner", Giffords did this.

The night before she and 19 others were shot at an event in Tucson, Arizona, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) wrote a warm email to Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, where she told the Republican "we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down."

Giffords remains in the hospital in critical condition after being shot in the head Saturday.

According to cn|2 Politics, which obtained the email, Giffords sent the message to congratulate Grayson for his recent appointment as director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics.

"After you get settled, I would love to talk about what we can do to promote centrism and moderation," Giffords wrote. "I am one of only 12 Dems left in a GOP district (the only woman) and think that we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down."

Giffords and Grayson met in 2005, when they were part of the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute's Rodel Fellowship. In her email, Giffords promised to visit Grayson, and told him she thought his new job was "truly an incredible opportunity that will lead to wonderful things." Grayson told cn|2 Politics that he and Giffords spoke often about divisiveness in politics.

"That is something she and I have been quite passionate about -- to run for office in the right way and for the right reasons," Grayson said. "I think Gabby was really sincere in that email ... And I am going to to redouble my efforts."

I don't need to repeat what I've already said about this whole matter. When we've become so desensitized to violence and averse to honest policy discussion, there's a problem. We can't operate representative democracy like warfare. It only leads to bloodshed like we saw in Arizona on Saturday.

We all need to put aside our hostilities and have a serious conversation on how to move forward as a country without violence, with mutual respect, with a renewed focus on discussing policy rationally, and without fearing what happens when we seek common ground.

Scenes from Stonewall's Henderson Mixer on Monday!

Yes, yes, yes! Finally, Stonewall was here in my 'hood this week! We had a chance to speak with Assembly Member Ellen Spiegel, State Senator Joyce Woodhouse, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, and more!

It was great to actually speak to her directly about the recent issue of the Nevada DMV denying accurate driver's licenses for transgender persons, and she said she'd be on the case. Ellen Spiegel said she was proud to testify in support of SB 283 and be the 28th vote to override "Luv-Guv" Gibbons' veto of domestic partnerships. Joyce Woodhouse spoke about what she's doing in the Senate on education, renewable energy, the budget, and more.

All in all, it was very informative and very fun. And yes, I was so glad that we were able to do it so close to home! :-)

NV-Sen: Harry Reid, Health Care, "Lowdencare", GOP FAIL, and the Election

"Some people told me health reform wasn't politically smart, but I believe it's right for Nevada."

That's how Senator Reid closed the second of his three new health care ads going up this week, but ultimately it looks like health care reform will be both: both politically smart AND right for Nevada, that is. In addition to these new TV ads, he also has a "Nevada Health Facts" web site up with more good facts about health care reform. So far, it isn't looking bad...

And things may be looking even better in the coming weeks, now that Research 2000 is showing Lowden losing her lead over "Barter-gate" and GOoPer infighting set to ramp up some more this week.

Sue Lowden’s chickens-for-checkups gaffe is no longer just fodder for Dems and pointy-headed east coast talk show hosts. Her Republican rival is now officially making it an issue in the Nevada GOP Senate primary.

Danny Tarkanian, who runs a real estate business and is challenging Lowden, launched his first direct chickens-for-checkups attack on Lowden today, pointing to it as proof that she doesn’t have what it takes to take on Harry Reid in a general election.

The occasion for this move: Lowden gave an interview to a local TV station on chickens-for-checkups that has only landed her deeper in the manure. In attempting to explain herself, she looked a bit like a chicken who had begun to cross the road only to realize a truck was bearing down on her.

So for all the talk some weeks back about "Harry Reid is dead", the whole country is now starting to see just how f*cked up the Nevada GOoP is. Jeez, where's Dina Titus when we need her? (Btw, we still love her here, too... And I bet Team Titus is also liking this news!) :-p

Honestly, this is what we need to see more of. We need to keep seeing this contrast. Harry Reid and Democrats have provided real solutions on health care while the Republicans just offer idiotic crap. Same goes with Wall Street Reform. Same goes with economic recovery. Keep making those contrasts, and I'm sure Reid's poll numbers will continue to improve in the coming weeks.

Believe it or not, a good number of us Nevadans aren't stupid. We appreciate good policy, and we appreciate our elected officials who actually serve us and actually deliver good policy. As long as Harry Reid keeps doing this, he need not worry come November. :-)

Harry Reid Wishes Us a Happy Earth Day!

OK, I'm just too sick and tired and lazy today to do a big Earth Day write-up now... But don't worry, I'll have some yummy eco-conscious goodness ready for you this weekend. In the mean time, please enjoy this nice little note from our Senator, Harry Reid. :-)

Dear Friend, Today, as we celebrate the 40th annual Earth Day, I wanted to share with you some of the progress being made to preserve Nevada's environment and create good paying clean energy jobs.                                 I've made it my top priority to ensure our state takes advantage of our abundant natural resources like wind, solar and geothermal to lead the nation in clean energy jobs.  This will not only boost our economy, but protect our environment by breaking our dependence on foreign oil. That's why I secured over $300 million in the Recovery Act for job-creating clean energy projects right here in Nevada.  That includes the funding for a new clean energy transmission line from White Pine to Clark County as well as $160 million for geothermal projects in northern Nevada.  And thanks to the Recovery Act, every electric meter in the state will be replaced with a smart meter, conserving energy, reducing utility bills and promoting savings.  And thousands of Nevadans are taking advantage of a solar energy tax credit I passed. In fact, Solar Energy Industries Association said this will create 41,000 clean energy jobs in Nevada alone! I've also made it a priority to protect our state's beautiful lands: we've set aside more than 3 million acres of wilderness area, created Great Basin National Park, and improved the management of popular areas like Red Rock Canyon and the Carson River corridor. And I'm fighting to protect Lake Tahoe by reauthorizing the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. This will help restore the lakes' famous water clarity and protect threatened species and wild lands, which have been threatened by invasive species and wild fires.  This is not only about protecting one of our state's natural treasures, but protecting the area's 23,000 tourism-supported jobs. And this week, I announced almost $11 million in Recovery Act funding for a green office building in Boulder City to house 160 employees of the Boulder Canyon Operations Office, putting Nevadans back to work and contributing to a more sustainable environment. Please take a moment to read more about what we've been able to accomplish together. Also please join me by adding your name to Environmentalists for Reid or text EARTH to 42779 today. Thank you for reading this note and I hope you will take a moment to join me in the fight to preserve Nevada's environment and create good paying clean energy jobs. HARRY REID

My Henderson Adventures Last Weekend

Here's a glimpse of what I was doing in the 'hood last weekend... And major props to State Senator Joyce Woodhouse for letting me march with her crew in the Henderson Heritage Parade on Saturday! :-D

NV-03: Dina Titus Introduces Bill to Fight Childhood Hunger... And the Teabaggers Want Kids to Go Hungry!

Yesterday, Rep. Dina Titus (D-Henderson) introduced legislation to take on childhood hunger.

The bill by Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., targets children from low-income families that qualify for free or reduced-cost school breakfasts and lunches during the week.

The Weekends Without Hunger Act would start a federal pilot program to provide food for schools and local anti-hunger groups to distribute.

The bill authorizes Congress to spend $10 million a year for five years on the effort.

More than 19 million schoolchildren eat free or reduced-cost meals during the week, according to Feeding America, a national network of hunger relief charities.

In Clark County, roughly 148,000 children qualify for the free or subsidized meals.

"With 45 percent of Clark County schoolchildren relying on the free and reduced-price lunch program, more than 140,000 students in Southern Nevada are facing hunger at home, and many depend on school meals as their main source of food throughout the week," Titus said.

"With many nonprofit and charity organizations struggling to meet the high demand for food during this tough economic time, my legislation would help provide our children with food during weekends and holidays."

Especially since "The Great Recession" hit Southern Nevada, hunger has turned into a major crisis... And now, it's hitting school kids quite hard. Three Square's "Backpack for Kids" program provides 6,000 backpacks full of food for kids in need in 195 schools all over Clark County, but those 6,000 backpacks still aren't enough as many thousands more school children have been hit hard by poverty and still have to go home starving. If anything, the brutal reality of poverty in our community shows how much this is needed.

But already, it looks like the teabaggers have infected that R-J story (as usual) with their lame@ss comments not only attacking Dina Titus, but also attacking these poor kids and their families. Cheese louise, how low will they go??!!

Disgusting... And typical. Someone wants to do something to fight childhood hunger, and the teabaggers not only attack her, but also attack these poor kids who have done nothing wrong! It just goes to show how selfish and cruel the "tea party" is. Many of them depend on government programs themselves (like Social Security & Medicare), but they've been lied to by the radical right so much that they're even willing to attack innocent kids!

Anyway, props to Dina Titus for taking action... And I can't wait to hear what lame excuses Dean Heller offers when he votes to keep Nevada's school kids starving.

NV-LtGov: The Nevada Progressive Jessica Sferrazza Interview

A couple days after I spoke with Paul Murad on why he wants to be Nevada's next Lieutenant Governor, I had a chance to chat with another of the Democrats running, Jessica Sferrazza. Jessica currently serves on the Reno City Council... And in fact, she's the only Democrat on the council. However, that hasn't stopped her from making some major accomplishments up north, and we were able to talk about this and why she thinks this experience has prepared her best for the job of Lieutenant Governor.

Here are the questions I asked:

Moi: You like to talk about how your experience makes you the best qualified candidate... So how exactly have your career and life experience prepared you for the job of Lieutenant Governor?

Sferrazza: "I have a record of accomplishments, and I'm the only candidate who has brought major conventions to the state." We then discussed her work at the National League of Cities, and in bringing their convention recently to Reno.

"I have a track record of building renewable energy projects and job creation." Later on in the interview, we'd get into more detail on what Sferrazza has worked on in Reno.

I also asked her specifically about her experience in local government, since she's the only candidate running who currently holds elected office. But first, she wanted to let me know that two of her opponents aren't the only ones with private business experience.

"I understand the process. I'm the board member of a corporation that has a $500 million budget and 1,400 employees."

And then, Sferrazza turned back to Reno, discussing her work on economic development and housing issues on the city council and on the Reno housing board. She mentioned that she was able to work with Harry Reid to deliver $22 million in foreclosure relief funding (something that Clark County and the City of Las Vegas failed to achieve earlier this year due to misuse, and in some cases no use, of housing funds released in 2009).

"I have the experience to do the job."

She mentioned how the Lt. Governor oversees bond issues, and how she's already dealt with this in Reno.

Moi: We hear plenty from candidates all the time about renewable energy... But all too often, it's "all talk and no action". How will you actually use the position of Lieutenant Governor to recruit more clean energy companies to Nevada?

Sferrazza: She started out the gate in letting me know that the Reno City Council (again, she's the only Democrat) has already done this for the last three years. "We're not just talking about it. We're doing it."

She then let me know about Reno recently hosting a geothermal convention, a casino taking on a geothermal project, and the largest geothermal company in world calling Reno its home. Sferrazza then told me about how the city practices what it preaches by putting solar panels on top of City Hall and wind turbines by other municipal buildings.

She also talked about working with manufacturing companies to bring wind turbine and solar panel manufacturing plants to Reno. After all, "We need to get Building Trades back to work. We've got to get them new careers." And with the real estate boom now bust for some time, we need to look at more sustainable options (environmentally and economically) to put our workers back to work.

Moi: We've been hearing plenty of talk lately about economic diversification... But again, not enough action. What will you actually do as Lt. Governor to recruit more companies in more sectors so that Nevada is no longer so overdependent on the casinos?

Sferrazza started by pointing out that most economic developmebnt projects go through local government first, and that she understands this especially as someone who's worked in local government. She said that the state "needs to be ambassador" and connect businesses to local governments across the state.

We then discussed the importance of drawing more cultural events to state to improve the quality of life, and attract more industries. She said that The Smith Center (Las Vegas' new performing arts venue set to open in 2012) is a good start, and that Southern Nevada should continue building more arts and culture, like what Reno has done with Artown. She also mentioned Las Vegas' burgeoning medical research boom, and that we need to capitalize more on The Cleveland Clinic bringing The Lou Ruvo Brain Center to Vegas.

Moi: As someone from Northern Nevada, how do you relate to the many challenges we face in Southern Nevada?

Sferrazza: She started off by saying that as President of the Nevada League of Cities, "My job is to represent all the cities, including all the cities in Southern Nevada." She said that she's been working on economic diversification with local Southern Nevada leaders for some time.

"I understand the issues Nevadans are facing all across the state."

She went on to say that Reno and the rest of Northern Nevada is also facing economic challenges such as home foreclosures and unemployment, so it's not like she hasn't dealt with the problems plaguing Las Vegas today.

"You've got to look at this state as one Nevada."

Moi: With the Travel Promotion Act now law, as many as 1.6 million more international tourists will be coming to America each year... So how will you take advantage of this and bring these tourists to Nevada?

Sferrazza: She started by thanking Senator Harry Reid for the Travel Promotion Act, then went on to describe how she'd like Nevada to take advantage of it. She said there's a need for public/private partnership to promote Nevada and market Nevada as the premier destination resort.

Moi: And what will you be doing to bring more domestic tourists back to Nevada? With so many states now legalizing some sort of gambling, how do we maintain a competitive edge?

Sferrazza: "We need to embrace gaming in this state," while also working to diversify our gaming sector. Since non-gaming revenue now exceeds gaming revenue at most casinos, we now have to create new special events and do more to bring visitors to play at our casinos while also realizing there's far more to do here today. She mentioned what Reno has already done with the River Festival in bringing more outdoor explorers to visit Reno, and Artown in bringing a plethora of arts and culture (along with many thousands of visitors!) to Reno in July. Sferrazza said there's much more work to be done in "marking our quality entertainment".

Moi: Now that we're on the topic of taxes, do you think we need to rethink our tax structure? Does mining pay its fair share? Do casinos? Is our tax structure inherently regressive?

Sferrazza: "It's wrong to go after just one industry to rely for tax revenue," referring to the state's current (over)dependence on gaming to save the day and balance the budget. She also said that "industry specific taxes simply don't work", (Was this referring to gaming? Mining? Both?) and that she awaits the results of the study that the Nevada Legislature has commissioned on the state's tax structure which should be ready by the 2011 session.

Moi: You've talked about being a "lifelong Democrat"... And I guess this means the other candidates aren't? Seriously, why have you been a lifelong Democrat and what Democratic values will you bring to the office of Lt. Governor?

Sferrazza: "I'm a lifelong Democrat because we care about people. We care about equal rights. We care about seniors. We care about the working people of this state."

She then elaborated on her support for unions and workers' right to organize, and for senior citizens and making sure we can take care of them with Medicare & Social Security.

"I'm a Democrat because we care about people, and we care about all people. I didnt switch from Independent American to Democrat [Murad]. I didn't switch from Republican to Democrat [Randazzo?]."

Moi: And finally, we saw major progress in the fight for LGBTQ equality with the passage of SB 283... But even with this and especially its provision that leaves it optional public and private employers to provide health insurance benefits and other workplace benefits to workers and their domestic partners, our work seems incomplete. Would you support amending SB 283 to ensure that all Nevada workers and their domestic partners receive the same equal benefits at work?

Sferrazza: She said she absolutely would, and that she's already been successful in getting both the Reno City Council and the Reno Housing Authority to provide domestic partner benefits.

"It's an issue of equality. Period. It's an issue of fairness and equality."

So what did I think coming out of this?

Obviously, Jessica Sferrazza has a different perspective coming from Northern Nevada and being someone who's worked in local government. She was quick to her feet on every state law, every old and new Reno policy, and even every big development coming from Vegas. Now I can see why Sferrazza was the youngest city council member ever elected in Reno.

If Paul Murad is the "fresh newcomer" with "fresh ideas", then Sferrazza looks ready to show she has her own interesting ideas and (she would argue) great benefits that come with experience in the public sector.

So where does Robert Randazzo fit in? Stay tuned as I soon try to find out. :-)

NV-LtGov: The Nevada Progressive Paul Murad Interview

Over the weekend, I had a chance to chat with Paul Murad, one of the Democrats running to replace scandalicious GOoPer hot mess Brian "Krooklicki". I know we've seen him before at a number of Democratic club meetings and campaign events, but I had a chance to dig a little deeper and ask some more on the questions on my mind... And I hope, find answers to what you've been thinking and asking.

Here were the questions I asked:

Moi: You like to talk about how your experience makes you the best qualified candidate... So how exactly have your career and life experience prepared you for the job of Lieutenant Governor?

Murad: "My life overall prepared me for experience of public service... It's a public duty. That's how I look at it."

He said that he's not out to use this office "as a political stepping stone... It's a public service. I have a history of giving back to the community." He mentioned his teaching, experience in Las Vegas real estate, his other community service projects, and working on organizations like the Las Vegas World Affairs Council that promote more global understanding.

"My history of public service makes me best qualified to serve."

Moi: We hear plenty from candidates all the time about renewable energy... But all too often, it's "all talk and no action". How will you actually use the position of Lieutenant Governor to recruit more clean energy companies to Nevada?

Murad: He mentioned his work on this issue as being "more of long-term involvement". He talked about his work with Global Green USA, as well as practicing what he preaches by driving a hybrid car for the last five years.

He also mentioned that he's really out to recruit more manufacturing jobs (like the wind turbine plant that Senator Reid recruited to come here).

I also asked about solar and wind farms, like Amargosa Valley, which have been stalled due to environmental issues (ironically). He responded that his experience in smart growth and sustainable development has prepared him for tricky tasks like these. He stated the need for feasibility and environmental impact studies, and that he has already dealt with these problems in the real estate arena.

Moi: With the Travel Promotion Act now law, as many as 1.6 million more international tourists will be coming to America each year... So how will you take advantage of this and bring these tourists to Nevada?

Murad: "There's a need to market Nevada internationally... It's great to now have federal backing. We're competing with the rest of the world, and we're competing to win. No one's more qualified for this than me. I've worked in forty countries."

Moi: And what will you be doing to bring more domestic tourists back to Nevada? With so many states now legalizing some sort of gambling, how do we maintain a competitive edge?

Murad: "Expanding tourism is one of my three top priorities." He then went on to his proposal to work with state agencies to finally build high-speed rail lines to make it easier for the ten million visitors who come every year from California to come to Nevada.

I asked specifically about DesertXpress, and Murad said that he's ready to work with California's elected officials on connecting DesertXpress in Victorville to the California High-speed Rail Network stop in Palmdale.

Moi: We've been hearing plenty of talk lately about economic diversification... But again, not enough action. What will you actually do as Lt. Gov. to recruit more companies in more sectors so that Nevada is no longer so overdependent on the casinos?

Murad: He said he's been talking about this since last fall... And he already has his "50/50 plan" to bring the top 50 US corporations and top 50 international corporations to do more business (and hopefully, relocated headquarters) in Nevada.

Moi: Now that we're on the topic of taxes, do you think we need to rethink our tax structure? Does mining pay its fair share? Do casinos? Is our tax structure inherently regressive?

Murad: "We need comprehensive tax reform. We shouldn't be targeting or excluding any particular industry. We need to target in a comprehensive way so we can fund essential services like public education, good roads, trains, and public infrastructure."

Moi: One of the other candidates talks about being a "lifelong Democrat"... So you're not? So why did you become a Democrat, and what Democratic values will you bring to the office of Lt. Gov.?

Murad: "I have experience... I have the experience of being raised in a communist country, the former USSR. It's something I lived through, the end of the Cold War. I've witnessed that. I had very humble beginnings."

"No one from either party welcomed me then, so I registered with the American Independent Party." And then, he said as he became more politically involved and learned more about American politics, he then became a Democrat. "I made the choice to be an American. I made the choice to be a Democrat. Now I made the choice to step up and serve my community."

Moi: I hear you've been on a reality TV show... And there was some controversy over it. Is there an up side to this?

Murad: "It happened 3 years ago. [His "Millionaire Matchmaker" appearance and the fallout with Patti Stanger, that is.] I've never been hiding behind the shadows. It's about me having real world experience and real life background."

We then moved on to discuss parlaying this into bringing more TV and film production to Nevada. Murad said he's come to know more about the film industry from his strange Bravo experience. He pointed out to be that only $100 million in production was spent in Nevada... As opposed to New York City getting $750 million.

I then asked how we can catch up with states like New Mexico and New York that have been so aggressive in recruiting more film production. Murad responded with facts on New Mexico offering a 25% rebate, and other tax incentives that leading states offer. 42 states now offer various incentives... But Nevada doesn't, and this needs to change.

Moi: So finally, what makes you think you have the best chance of winning?

Murad: "The facts don't lie." He cited three recent straw polls (2 Stonewall straw polls, and one from Si Se Puede) showing him winning BIG, and he said momentum building for his campaign.

But why?

"I am the only candidate from Clark County. The others are from the north. They're not a part of this community. I am. Southern Nevadans realize this is something we need."

Obviously, the North vs. South divide continues to play out in this campaign. (Heads up: Look out tomorrow for my interview with Jessica Sferrazza to see how she responded to this.)

Murad then mentioned how he has full time staff, ambassadors, and volunteers that are all busy reaching out to voters and reaching out to local media. He then said that because he speaks fluent Spanish, he can also communicate to almost 30% of population that are Latino and Latina.

"We bring diversity. We're not the same old Nevada of 10 years ago. We're the new nevada, and we're embracing it."

Murad closed by describing some more why he thinks he's the candidate best positioned to win in November.

"I don't have big company like one of my opponents. I have time to help Democratic Party... In the general, I have the best chance of having my personal story cut through the lies and beat Brian Krolicki."

So what did I think coming out of this?

Obviously, Murad sees what may be a valuable trump card in his location. He lives and works here in Southern Nevada, while the other two major candidates are up north.

Still, I could also sense a genuine interest in public policy. As you can tell above, he was pretty knowledgeable about the intricacies of renewable energy, the challenges ahead in rebuilding Nevada's tourism industry, and the overall need for a more diverse Nevada economy. For someone who's "not a career politician", Murad sounded like someone who knows his stuff.

So as I hinted at above, I also did an interview with Reno City Council Member Jessica Sferrazza... And you'll be reading all of it tomorrow. I asked her most of the same questions, along with a couple curveballs. You can see for yourself then how she compares (and contrasts).

NV-Sen: Reid Launches Fact Check Page

In case you can only take so much of the radical right's BS before vomiting, now we have a new tool to use to fight back. Harry Reid's campaign just launched a new Fact Check Page where one can instantly find fact-filled rebuttals to all the usual fact-free attacks launched daily. So in case you hear more lies about how "horrible" the Stimulus was or more lies about health care reform being some "evil government takeover!" or even more lies about the federal funds we receive in Nevada, you now have easier access to the truth.

And hopefully starting today, my job will be a little easier. ;-)

The Long Awaited Henderson Democratic Club Lieutenant Governor Debate!

So how was that Lieutenant Governor candidates' debate? Well, I'm about to answer this and some more questions you may have about the Henderson Democratic Club's debate on Wednesday. We had four Democratic candidates come by to visit and take questions: Paul Murad, Jessica Sferrazza, Robert Randazzo, and Bob Goodman. Clark County Democratic Party Chair Roberta Lange moderated.

The debate started with opening statements. Bob Goodman began by describing his work on the Nevada Tourism Commission in the 1970s and 1980s, and the progress he mad on the economic front with Governor Mike O'Callaghan. Paul Murad was next, opening by declaring, "I'm ready to serve on Day One!" He then went into a little bio of him as a small business owner in Las Vegas, and his call to "keep the job local". Robert Randazzo then tried to "one-up" that, saying that "ordinary Nevadans like me should get more involved" as he was describing his private sector accomplishments in Reno. And finally, Jessica Sferrazza declared, "I'm proud to be a lifelong Democrat!", and said how experience in local government in Reno prepared her for the job.

And from there, it was on to questions. You can take a look at the Stonewall Twitter page to see all the details of what was asked. I'll shake it up this time by just cutting to the chase with each of the candidates and what they said.

They all claimed records of achievement. However, Murad and Randazzo highlighted their business careers while Sferrazza and Goodman noted their track record in public service. (Sferrazza serves on the Reno City Council, while Goodman was appointed to the Tourism and Economic Development Commissions by Gov. Mike O'Callaghan.) Sferrazza said that "now is not the time for on the job training in this economic crisis",

All of them talked about the need for more renewable energy development in Nevada, and all touted their respective records. Sferrazza spearheaded the "clean energy bonds" that have funded a number of green projects in Reno, and said she would like to make this program statewide. Murad mentioned that he actually drives a Prius, and that he's already been working on green projects in the private sector. Randazzo highlighted his plans to recruit more renewable energy projects for the state, and then create a private fund to collect clean energy royalties and create tax free money for people to use for education and health care.

All of them talked about tourism and expanding our entertainment industry, but each of the candidates had a slightly different take on what to actually do to make it happen. Goodman talked about his experience with Gov. O'Callaghan in the 1970s in working to bring TV show production to Nevada. Murad mentioned his experience in bringing New York and LA professionals to Vegas, so he said that means he has what it takes to lure the film industry to Nevada. Sferrazza, meanwhile, mentioned that she's already worked in Reno to bring more TV and film crews to Reno. Randazzo then said, "Our support of the movie industry must start from the ground up", and promised that he would have a direct line to TV and film professionals, and that he would use these contacts to bring them here to Nevada.

The candidates also went at it on tourism. Sferrazza thanked Senator Harry Reid for the Tourism Promotion Act, and discussed her experience in Reno in bringing major events to town, getting the Reno Aces' Stadium built, and bringing more national conventions to Reno. Randazzo talked about his experience in selling airline tickets, and that he's especially prepared to increase Nevada tourism. Murad talked about high speed rail and brining the Winter Olympics to Reno and Tahoe.

And then, the inevitable... The question on North vs. South. Doesn't the North get more money than the South? Doesn't the South need more help on economic diversification than the South? Goodman proclaimed that "everyone has to work together, or no one will succeed". Sferrazza then proclaimed that "we are one Nevada", and talked about her work with the Nevada League of Cities to fight state raids of local budgets and her work with Senator Reid to secure $22 million in foreclosure relief funds for Reno. Murad, on the other hand, blurted out that "there is a North/South divide", but then said that he's neither a Southern or Northern candidate and that he's work hard for all parts of Nevada.

Toward the end, the candidates had a chance to talk more about their backgrounds. Rendazzo started off cleaning toilets for United Airlines, then began selling tickets for United, and now runs a software company in the Reno area... And is still a union member, and he talked about how he thinks about his employees every day when making business decisions. Murad talked about growing up in the former Soviet Union, emigrating to America, and not letting his "rags to riches" story get the best of him... He's still giving back to the community today. Goodman described his humble beginnings as a truck driver, all the way to serving Gov. O'Callaghan and moving on to the private sector.

And finally, there was a question of what one would first do upon taking office. Goodman said he wants to "fire all the cronies" and only hire competent professionals. Randazzo said he wanted to start immediately on redirecting sales tax revenue to fund needed public works projects. Sferrazza said she wanted to start working immediately on bringing more renewable energy projects to Nevada. Murad said he wanted to start on his "50/50 plan" to recruit the 50 top domestic companies and 50 top international companies to do business in Nevada.

So what attacks were thrown out? Honestly, it didn't get too bad. Sferrazza just threw something out about Nevada needing a Lieutenant Governor who didn't need "on the job training", and Murad said he wasn't a "career politician". And other than that, Goodman just seemed to laugh all of it off as he kept reminding us that he was around when the other candidates were still in elementary school.

So who won? And who lost? I'll let you decide. And again, please check my Twitter notes to see all that was said. And whomever wins the primary, he or she will be far better at the job than "Krooklicki" is now.