The Tweets Tell the Story

Apparently, this is becoming a story. So it's a good thing we were actually there last night to see it unfold. Who knew a "boring" debate at a typically quiet neighborhood synagogue could become so raucous?

Last night, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) debated his opponent, Erin Bilbray (D), at the Ner Tamid Reform Congregation in Henderson. At first, the atmosphere seemed pretty calm. Heck and Bilbray were even being polite towards each other. But then, this happened.

That didn't last long. @RalstonReports popped off on interrupting audience. & @Heck4Nevada interrupted @erinbilbray #sigh #rude #NV03

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

Heck interrupted Bilbray, which resulted in a few Bilbray supporters heckling Heck, which resulted in some Heck supporters shouting at Bilbray. And of course, this all resulted in moderator Jon Ralston popping off on everyone. He even threatened to have Ner Tamid organizers "clear the room".

Perhaps that's what was needed, as that caused everyone to quiet down so the debate could resume.

The scene @ #NV03 Ner Tamid Debate #Vegas pic.twitter.com/RzT4ORFCUA

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

And so it did. Ralston started with foreign policy, and Heck seemed prepared for that. In fact, he stated he not only wants air strikes against ISIS in Iraq, but also more ground troops. He even went so far to say it was a "mistake" for the US to pull troops out of Iraq. Heck pretty much announced he's a "born again neo-con" last night with his desire for a renewed US occupation of Iraq.

Bilbray, on the other hand, was far more careful with her words. She said she supports President Obama's air strikes campaign, but does not want any more troops on the ground. She even called out Rep. Heck and other Members of Congress who haven't backed up their rhetoric with any floor votes.

Then, the conversation moved to #Ebola. And here's what actually happened:

.@erinbilbray w/ on point #Ebola response: Why cut #CDC #healthcare budget during time of need? #AusteritySucks #Vegas #NV03

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

Bilbray pointed out how CDC budget cuts have hurt our ability to prepare for outbreaks like this. Heck scoffed at that, but then came back down to earth when he acknowledged Ebola won't suddenly kill us all. But then, he just had to blame Texas nurses. Keep it klassy, Rep. Heck.

Once Ralston moved the debate to domestic issues, that's when Bilbray seemed to hit her stride. She struck a decidedly combative tone, yet nonetheless a tone suggesting she knows what she's talking about. And while Heck scored some points here and there, he still seemed somewhat off his game after his surprisingly weak performance at the Vegas PBS Debate.

Here we go: @erinbilbray hitting @Heck4Nevada on his support 4 @RepPaulRyan #KillMedicare plan. #Boom #NV03

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

Q 4 @Heck4Nevada : Why hasn't there ever been #Congress vote on his #Obamacare #ACA "replacement plan"? #NV03

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

Whoa. @erinbilbray hitting @Heck4Nevada on @SpeakerBoehner thwarting $ for veterans. She also reminded him of #Iraq war creating need #NV03

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

& now, #GunFAIL : @Heck4Nevada says he wants background checks, but won't vote 4 actual bill on table #HR1565 #gunsense #Vegas #NV03

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

After the gun safety question and brief closing remarks, it was over... Or at least, we thought it was over.

That was the only Ner Tamid debate, as other candidates had backed out. We'll have more on that later. Suffice to say, the audience then had the chance to watch a live version of "Ralston Reports" as he grilled Lt. Governor candidate Lucy Flores (D) and Clark County Sheriff candidate Larry Burns.

But once all the speeches were over, this happened:

@RepJoeHeck you need to tell your supporter not to attack @erinbilbray child. Not okay! #bully pic.twitter.com/fz961jGN3X

— Adriana Martinez (@lvadriana1) October 21, 2014

We noticed something from the corners of our eyes, but couldn't hear what was being said. Apparently, it was a Heck supporter who decided to confront Erin Bilbray's daughter.

@DWashingtonLV Because Caroline is friends with " illegal children". What is wrong with these people?

— Erin Bilbray (@erinbilbray) October 21, 2014

Oh, my. What a lovely way to end such a lovely debate (/snark). At least we have the tweets to tell the whole story.

From Las Vegas Blvd... To Eastern Ave.

She considers herself to be a "daughter of Eastern Avenue". She grew up off Eastern Avenue. Her campaign office is now on Eastern Avenue. And she vows to represent "Eastern Avenue values" should she be elected into Congress.

Erin Bilbray is now running in the 3rd Congressional District, which spans from Laughlin to Summerlin. And the Eastern Avenue corridor is probably the beating heart of this district. But last weekend, Erin Bilbray ventured to another iconic Southern Nevada street, Las Vegas Boulevard, to address the Clark County Democratic Party Convention.



On Saturday, Bilbray explained her "Eastern Avenue values". And she drew a stark contrast between her values and her opponent's.



Bilbray described the current state of Congress. She hinted at her opponent's contribution to that current state of Congress. And she talked about what she wants to do in Congress and how she wants to change the climate of Capitol Hill should she arrive there next year.



Make no mistake. Another hot campaign season is simmering in NV-03. Expect to see plenty of signs along Eastern Avenue, as well as all the other major thoroughfares of NV-03.

Erin Bilbray has been touting "Eastern Avenue values". It's not just about that street. It's about the communities along that street. It's about the people who commute to & from work along that street. And it's about the reality of the 3rd Congressional District that's seen up and down Eastern Avenue.

And ultimately, this campaign may be won or lost on Eastern Avenue.

It's the Field, Stupid

There's a strip mall on Eastern Avenue, near Sunset Park and a short drive away from the back end of Las Vegas' McCarran Airport. It doesn't look all that special at first glance. There's a grocery store. There are a few restaurants. And there are furniture stores.

But take a closer look. There's a new office that just opened there. And that office may very well make an impact on this fall's election results.

Those who have been reading this blog for a while have become quite familiar with the story of how Nevada Democrats win elections. And for those who haven't, here's a helpful hint: It's the field, stupid!









The Nevada State Democratic Party (NSDP) has become such a potent force in this state's politics because it's spent several election cycles building a reputation on field. And it has no plans to let it slide this cycle. So last Friday, over 300 grassroots Democrats came over to the new NSDP field office on Eastern... And caught a first glance of what lies ahead this year.

And they weren't the only ones taking in the scenery. Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) took some time out of his busy weekend schedule to stop by the new field office and greet a bunch of soon-to-be campaign volunteers.



So did Assembly Member & Lt. Governor candidate Lucy Flores (D). She came by to fire up the crowd and remind them of what's at stake this fall.



Shortly after, it was NV-03 candidate Erin Bilbray's turn at the podium. She talked about her history HERstory with Eastern Avenue, then made a contrast between her Nevada values and what her opponent, incumbent Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson), seems to value.



Her father, Former Rep. James Bilbray (D-Las Vegas), joined her, along with her mother, her husband, her children, other family members... And over 300 local grassroots Democratic activists. It was one large family affair.









And this probably won't be the last large family affair in this office in the strip mall on Eastern Avenue. In fact, this is only just the beginning. With so much at stake up & down the ballot this fall, Nevada Democrats don't want to leave anything to mere luck. Luck alone doesn't win elections.

So what does? Look above. Look back. And keep an eye going forward. It's the field, stupid.

Out of Excuses

So we're not the only ones who recognize the incredibly f**ked up state of the Republican Party today. None other than House Speaker John Boehner (R-Where's He Been?) is chiding his own party for failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). No really, he went there.



Apparently, he doesn't remember that he's Speaker of the House. He's supposed to set the floor agenda. And he can bring HR 15 to the House floor whenever he wants.

So why hasn't he? Speaker Boehner clearly sounds upset over his Congressional G-O-TEA colleagues constantly scuttling reform. So why not just bypass them? If all the "pro-reform Republicans" actually vote for reform, then HR 15 will pass and CIR will be ready for President Obama to sign into law.

What's so complicated about this? Oh, wait. That's right. The 21st Century Know Nothings. House Republican "leaders" just won't stop pandering to them.

But they don't have to. Again, Speaker Boehner is supposed to be in charge. If he truly wants to pass CIR, he can bring HR 15 to the House floor so the House can finally accomplish what the Senate already did 10 months ago.

Over the past year, we've heard Rep. Joe Heck (R-Where's He Been?) pay lip service to "supporting reform". Why can't Speaker Boehner give them the chance to actually do it? Or if Speaker Boehner really doesn't want to "get his hands dirty over this", why can't he at least let them sign the discharge petition for HR 15?

Might Speaker Boehner finally be realizing that he & his G-O-TEA House Caucus are out of excuses? They've tried everything to deflect blame. They've blamed President Obama. They've blamed the Senate. They've blamed CIR activists. And now, they're at the point of blaming their own unhinged base.

Instead of playing this never ending blame game, why don't they just pass HR 15 already? Instead of dumping tons of money into misleading ad campaigns, why don't they try passing useful legislation for a change? It's painfully obvious that House Republicans are out of excuses. So why won't they simply allow a floor vote for the CIR they claim to want?

We Know How This Story Goes

Over the weekend, both major parties held biennial caucuses. As usual, Nevada Republicans enjoyed plenty of melodramatic moments. And as usual, Nevada Democrats had mostly quiet and well organized affairs.

Of course, we stopped by our local caucus location for Clark County Commission District G Democrats. And we were actually somewhat surprised to see the Painters' Hall fill up like that. The room held hardcore activists, local candidates, and even some high profile candidates.





State legislators reminded the audience that the balance of power in Carson City is at stake this fall. And of course, Congressional candidates reminded the audience that the balance of power in Washington (DC) is also at stake this fall.

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) met with local NV-04 Democrats at his caucus site. NV-03 candidate Erin Bilbray made the rounds at various caucus locations with significant NV-03 territory, including the District G site in Henderson. And even up north, Washoe County Democrats got fired up and ready to go.

Meanwhile at the District G site, a very special (yet familiar) guest dropped by. Rep. Dina Titus spoke with caucus goers and let them knew she'd be working hard alongside them this year.







Once again, Nevada faces a fun filled and hotly contested even numbered year election cycle. And once again, Nevada Democrats are preparing as they know best. First come the caucuses, then come the voter registration drives, then come the field offices, then...

Well, you know how this story goes.

Long Past Time

It may not be over yet. But with America only a week away until the Armageddon Deadline, the end of the G-O-TEA Shutdown Sh*tfest may finally be near.

Sure, House Republican "leaders" are pushing their farcical "split the baby" strategy now. But behind the scenes, these latest attempts at political maneuvering are really just tearing apart the Republican Party. And the longer Republicans continue their manufactured crisis, the steeper the political price Republicans will pay in upcoming elections.

According to the brand new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, the Republican Party's favorable rating among Americans has dropped to a record low 24%. And to make matters even worse for them, only 39% support a Republican controlled Congress while 47% want a Democratic controlled Congress. Add this to the other recent polls, and Republicans now have plenty of reasons to worry about 2014 (and 2016).



So long story short, Republicans are choking on their own bile. Yet while Republicans are suffering politically, millions of Americans are suffering for real. And keep in mind that this suffering is on top of the pain the nation was already feeling due to austerity.

Fortunately, Salon's Joan Walsh did her part to make sure we don't forget the real human casualties of these G-O-TEA manufactured crises.

Remember that the shutdown comes on top of the ugly sequester cuts imposed earlier this year, and mostly to the exact same discretionary domestic spending programs. To the cold hearts and closed minds on the right, neither matters. In fact, Sen. Ron Johnson, a member of the growing Default Denier Caucus within his own party (it overlaps quite a lot with the Stupid Caucus), told MSNBC Thursday that just as President Obama is fear-mongering on the danger of a debt default – he called it a “cash management” problem), he had also exaggerated the impact of sequester cuts.

Also keep in mind that the sequester cuts are currently baked into the “clean” continuing resolution that the Senate has passed repeatedly. That’s a compromise on the Democrats’ part that is mostly ignored by the media. [...]

On top of the 800,000 federal workers furloughed, who will miss three paychecks if the House GOP deal is accepted, food banks are now reporting shortages, since the Emergency Food Assistance program is closed. North Carolina has entirely suspended its Women, Infants and Children nutrition program because it relied so heavily on federal funding, and other states are likely to follow. Ironically red states are feeling the shutdown most because they get so much federal funding, but since the impact is mainly on poor people, they don’t care.

The G-O-TEA Shutdown Sh*tfest has already cost America $2 billion in economic output. And with each additional day of this unnecessary drama, we lose another $160 million in economic output. If this extreme austerity experiment continues, what's already an economic gut punch will soon become economic strangulation.

Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight Strong) and other Senate Democrats reminded Republicans of the simple task they need to complete to let the people's government reopen for business. So did President Obama. And now, a critical mass of Americans are crying for them to do the right thing. It's long past time for Republicans to free this nation from the manufactured crisis they forced us into.

If they don't end this Shutdown Sh*tfest soon, they'll lose more than just this political fight.

The Consequences of Insani-TEA

It was supposed to be over by now. But of course, it's not. Instead, the G-O-TEA Shutdown has been dragging on for a week.

Despite making private assurances last week that they would end their manufactured crisis soon, House Republican "leaders" are still publicly insisting they will unleash economic havoc on the world if they don't get their ransom way. They may just be delaying in hopes of finding just the right time (the brink of collapse) to shove a solution down the throats of their insane "base". And they may just be trying to win the next news cycle. What's undeniable is that they're crassly playing politics with people's lives.

Late last week, Governor Brian Sandoval (R-Scared) publicly released a thinly veiled jab at Nevada's Republicans in Congress. Why would he throw a good chunk of his own party under the bus? He wanted to save his own behind from that very speeding bus. His campaign must have caught wind of recent post-Shutdown polls... And they must have looked like this.



Rep. Joe Heck (R-"TEA" Curious) has a whole lot riding on the outcome of his party’s Shutdown Sh*tfest. Doesn't he realize this? A new PPP poll was released over the weekend, and it showed Rep. Heck clinging onto a mere 3% lead while stuck under 50%. He's already below his own 2012 finish. How much lower does he want to go?

Earlier this year, many pundits were not expecting Democrats to even make gains in next year's midterm election... Let alone flip control of the House. But if the ugly numbers keep coming in for Republicans, their control of the House may be in serious jeopardy next year. And if that happens, Joe Heck and his political career will be on the front line for 2014.

We've already been exploring the real, painful consequences of this manufactured crisis that the nation is already feeling. But if Republicans continue their manufactured crisis, they may very well pay the price of their irresponsibility. If the insani-TEA continues, the G-O-TEA will have to reckon with the political consequences.

Blame Game

This week, we're looking at the progress of civil rights, as well as the ongoing civil rights struggles of our time . On Monday, we examined the current state of the struggle for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).

Unfortunately, it became clearer yesterday that G-O-TEA "leaders" were planning apl along to kill CIR. Their latest and greatest excuse now is that "budget negotiations" must take precedence over any immigration legislation. But in reality, they've devised yet another manufactured crisis to force-feed the nation with even more destructive austerity. And now, they're seeking a "two-fer" in using their austerity fetish as an excuse to kill CIR as well!

Today even more Republicans are whispering this, so it's looking increasingly official. Even as prominent Republicans, such as 2008 Presidential Nominee and current Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), beg their party to reconsider, the House G-O-TEA gang look to be dead-set against reform. And as Jonathan Bernstein noted yesterday, they're the ones to blame for CIR's tortuous demise.

What this is really about is looking for excuses, even far-fetched ones, for why they’re not doing comprehensive immigration reform without actually admitting that they’re against comprehensive immigration reform.

It’s not going to wash. Republicans don’t have to actually vote in favor of a bill, but if they refuse to allow it to be considered (and, therefore, to pass over their objections with a coalition of mostly Democratic votes), then the groups who want a bill are going to blame Republicans, and John Boehner, for it.

It remains very simple. If most mainstream conservative Republicans in the House want comprehensive immigration reform to pass, it will pass. If they don’t, it won’t. It really is that simple. Anything else you hear is poor analysis or spin.

Immigrant rights advocates are clearly frustrated over the lack of progress in the House. Some are even starting to go as far as saying there will be hell to pay if CIR indeed dies in the House by the end of the year. Perhaps this may be the only message Congress ultimately responds to.

It hasn't had to be this way. If enough House Republicans (hint: NV-02, hint: NV-03) were willing to sign a discharge petition, the House would be on the way to passing CIR legislation and getting this ordeal over with. But as long as they let the 21st Century Know Nothings call the shots, CIR will die a painful and ugly death on Capitol Hill.

And ultimately, they will be the ones to blame.

Who's Afraid of Affordable Health Care?

Here we go again. Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) is again making headlines. But this time, there's a twist.

Remember when we discussed the push-back that Congressional Republicans were starting to get over their knee-jerk obstruction over Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA)? Last week, it was Rep. Heck's turn. At a last-minute town hall meeting in Sandy Valley, NV-03 resident and small business owner Ron Nelsen directly confronted Rep. Heck over his opposition to the ACA. Mr. Nelsen explained how the ACA is saving his business money while also ensuring his employees have access to the health care they need, but Rep. Heck didn't seem all that interested in the facts.



All Rep. Heck could say was that there were a lot of pages in the ACA. Ummm... OK?! He does realize this law offers many long awaited reforms to the nation's health care system, doesn’t he?

Oh, and he claimed that "Republicans never had a chance to offer an alternative". Really? In order to offer an alternative, they must have one to offer. And Rep. Heck conveniently forgot that ACA/Obamacare is largely based on the conservative/Republican alternative to "Hillarycare"!

But alas, the very Heritage Foundation that laid the intellectual foundation for Obamacare is now on a kamikaze mission to destroy the Affordable Care Act while also crashing the global economy. So of course, Rep. Heck must now act like Obamacare is so awful and terrible and "COM'U'NIZMM!!!" and "UN'MUR'KIN!!!" And when confronted with reality, he must conjure up some excuse to dismiss it.

And of course, Rep. Heck and other G-O-TEA acolytes must continue in their efforts to kill Obamacare with their toxic TEA. After all, if it's allowed to work, they will receive none of the credit. And that's what actually scares them.

Yep, this is why Rep. Heck is afraid of affordable health care.

Old Ways vs. New Direction

Last week, we explored the intersection of needed policy and smart politics as we examined Republicans' internal wrestling over comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). We were asking why they couldn't see the humans suffering... Or the voters who don't appreciate it.

Yesterday, Fox demonstrated why this is a major problem for the Republican Party. They just continue to deny reality. After all, it's easier to deny reality than to recognize something wrong (and change it).



And it's not just Fox pundits denying reality. It's also G-O-TEA politicians closer to home. A prime example of this is Rep. Joe Heck (R-Delusional). While his constituents are demanding reform, he's hamming it up with his country club besties.

Regardless, Heck’s speech could clearly be heard from the confines of the country club’s bar, filled with men unwinding from their morning round of golf. He sought to reassure the crowd that the immigration bill would not mean amnesty for 11 million people. Under the Senate version, he said, it could take undocumented workers 13 years to earn citizenship. “It’s not like the old days,” Heck said. He also tried to assuage concerns about “anchor babies” receiving automatic citizenship under the 14th Amendment. “If we’re going to have a debate over immigration reform, it should be part of the debate,” he said.

Heck wasn’t just pandering to his conservative audience; he had said something similar last year when he addressed the Hispanics in Politics group in Las Vegas. The 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution after the Civil War to overrule the Supreme Court’s notorious Dred Scott decision that denied citizenship to black slaves. The high court has subsequently ruled that the amendment confers citizenship on all children born on American soil, no matter the legal status of their parents. “We’re one of the only industrialized counties that grants birthright citizenship,” Heck added after the Republican meeting.

Hispanic leaders say it’s hard to reconcile Heck’s claim to be open to a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants with his willingness to question the widely held interpretation of the citizenship clause. That’s turf typically tread only by Republican hard-liners such as Rep. Steve King of Iowa and former Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado.

Heck also rattled the Hispanic community when he voted for King’s amendment earlier this month cutting funding to Obama’s popular policy to halt deportations of illegal immigrants brought here as children. The national Democratic Party responded with a scathing Spanish-language radio ad against nine vulnerable Republicans, including Heck, who defended the vote as a repudiation of the president for sidestepping Congress with an executive order. But the vote feels personal, not political, to some of Heck’s supporters.

Even as recent polling has shown overwhelming support among Nevadans for CIR, and even though Rep. Joe Heck himself had expressed willingness to consider CIR earlier this year, Heck is now back to his old ways of pandering to the 21st Century Know Nothings. Perhaps that's all he knows. Perhaps that's all he feels he can do.

Whatever the case, it's counterproductive. Rep. Heck may be stuck in his old ways, but those old ways are coming back to bite him and his party. Even as they continue denying Nevada's and the nation's new demographic reality, our state and nation continue to evolve. And even as they continue denying the need for real, comprehensive reform, immigrants continue to contribute to America's economy and shape America's future.

And speaking of future, there's a new twist coming soon to Joe Heck's political future courtesy of Erin Bilbray.



Even the National Journal piece (linked and quoted above) acknowledged the fast demographic changes of Nevada's 3rd Congressional District (or NV-03 for short). Not only did the district rapidly become more urban and suburban last decade, but it also became more ethnically diverse. And NV-03 continues to diversify today. Joe Heck may be accustomed to only paying attention to a certain subset of constituents, but he won't be able to get away with that forever.

America is moving in a new direction. Nevada is most certainly moving in this new direction. Yet Joe Heck seems stuck in his old ways. How much longer can he afford to remain stuck in his old ways?