NV-Sen: Suzy Lowdown Gets "Truthy" on "Government Bailouts"

Another day, another Suzy Lowdown scandal in the making... Put this one in the "I'm not for socialism, except when it makes me more money" files.

Remember when Ms. Suzy proclaimed her outright hatred of the TARP bailouts last October, even going as far as to claim that she "never received any bailout or stimulus money"? And how she immediately back-tracked and flip-flopped in January?

Lowden had different reactions to the bank bail-out legislation and the stimulus package.

On bail-out spending: “It's easy to say, no, I wouldn't have voted for it. But people were panicked, we were facing collapse — that's what they were saying. It's easy to say from a distance I would have voted no, but I can't do that.”

On the stimulus, she said she would have been a definite no: “All you're doing is taking money from one person and putting it in the pocket of another person. They should have put money into people's pockets.”

Oh yes, that's right. We all know how Suzy Lowdown loves to put other people's money in her own pocket, no matter how illegal or unethical it is. And when remembering this, we discover why Suzy Lowdown keeps flip-flopping on TARP.

Colonial BancGroup claimed to have received $550 billion in TARP "bailout" funds in December 2008. OK, so why is this important? Suzy Lowdown's Archon Corporation received a $29 million credit line with Colonial in May 2008. This would have been impossible for Colonial to maintain if they were not asking for TARP funds.

But wait, Suzy Lowdown asked for Archon's line of credit in May 2008. There's no way she would have known it would later ask for a government bailout... Right? WRONG! She served on Colonial's board, so she very well knew about it. (Even though it was later revealed that Colonial did not qualify for TARP funds... So where was Ms. Suzy then and why did she allow the company whose board of directors she sat on to outright lie about receiving TARP funds??!!)

And hold on, it gets even worse. Colonial actually did end up receiving a government bailout, but only in the form of the FDIC stepping in when the bank failed, absorbing its losses, and selling its assets to BB&T. Now BB&T had already received $3.1 billion in TARP funds, and right after BB&T absorbed all of Colonial's client's accounts, none other than Suzy Lowdown reappears and gets Archon approved for another $29 million line of credit... Just 2 months before Ms. Suzy would jet over to Elko and claim that she "never received any bailout or stimulus money"!

And now? Oh now, Ms. Suzy's media people are claiming, “Sue would not have voted for the TARP or any of the other bailout bills in Congress ... period.” Oh no, Suzy Lowdown doesn't roll like that... She just claims not to support "government bailouts" while her own company benefits from those very "government bailouts"! I guess Jon Ralston didn't (yet) even know half of this story.

And by the way, my dear blog followers, it would have been super easy to just cut and paste the Reid campaign's latest dossier on Suzy Lowdown's bailout hypocrisy here... But because I love you more than that, I did my own research before posting any of this here. After all, this isn't some Republican propaganda outfit. We appreciate the real facts here, and I'll keep doing my best to provide the facts and "call 'em as I see 'em". :-)

Las Vegas Sands in Trouble Over Chinese Mob Ties?

Today's Sun caught a hidden bombshell of a Reuters report on Las Vegas Sands' business in Macau. While most of the Macau controversy lately has centered around MGM Mirage having to leave New Jersey over that state's regulators decrying its joint venture with Pansy Ho, until recently hardly a peep had been said over Las Vegas Sands and its heavy ties to Macau gaming (with Sheldon Adelson even proclaiming that his company is now "an Asian company doing some business in America"!)... Until now.

At first, the men had been ordered to break the arms and legs of a dealer at Sands Macau suspected of helping a patron cheat millions of dollars from the business. Later, a call went out to murder the dealer, court records show. But then one of the gangsters balked and reported the plans to authorities.

The plot's mastermind, according to testimony in previously undisclosed court transcripts obtained by Reuters, was Cheung Chi-tai. At trial a witness identified Cheung as a leader of the Wo Hop To -- one of the organized crime groups in the region known as triads. Another witness, a senior inspector with the Hong Kong police called to testify because he is an expert on the triads, identified Cheung by name as someone who would commit crimes for money. Cheung's organized crime affiliation was corroborated in interviews for this article with law enforcement and security officials intimately familiar with the gaming industry in Macau.

The murder-for-hire case sheds light on the links between China's secretive triad societies and Macau's booming gambling industry. It also raises potentially troubling questions about one of the world's largest gaming companies, Las Vegas Sands, which plans to open a $5.5 billion Singapore casino resort in late April.

Cheung was not just named as a triad member but also, according to a regular casino patron testifying in the trial, "the person in charge" of one of the VIP rooms at the Sands Macau, the first of three casinos run here by Las Vegas Sands. In addition, Cheung has been a major investor in the Neptune Group, a publicly traded company involved in casino junkets -- the middlemen who bring wealthy clients to Macau's gambling halls. Documents show that his investment allowed him a share in the profits from a VIP gambling room at the casino.

An examination of Hong Kong court records, U.S. depositions from the former president of Sands, and interviews with law enforcement and security officials in both the U.S. and Macau, reveals a connection between Las Vegas Sands and Cheung -- ties that could potentially put Sands in violation of Nevada gaming laws.

Donde los yikes??!! This isn't looking too pretty... But does this really mean legal problems for Las Vegas Sands in the near future? And nasty consequences for their American operations? We don't know yet.

U.S. casinos operating in Macau are all headquartered in Nevada and must comply with that state's laws which prohibit "unsuitable" associations that "discredit" its gaming industry. Those laws are meant to keep organized crime figures out of the casinos. [...]

Randall Sayre, a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board that monitors casino compliance, declined to comment specifically on Sands Macau, writing in an email that the state "takes no public position on suitability ... without a full investigative work-up."

A gaming official, who insisted upon anonymity, said: "This relationship (with Cheung) would be of concern to Nevada authorities. You're talking about direct ties to bad guys." Another said the agency is monitoring the situation.

However, we do know for sure that Macau's gaming industry today operates in a more "Old Las Vegas" way than we do in Las Vegas! The mob may no longer play a major role in gaming here, but it still does there... Even if they have a lower profile today due to major multinational corporations like Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, and MGM Mirage coming to town and running big casinos. This lower profile helps keep Macau from looking "too gritty" to scare away tourists, and has recently helped LVS, Wynn, and MGM in staying on good terms with most US gaming regulators (even if New Jersey is getting tougher on them)... But does this change things?

Legally, it may not. Like it or not, Stanley Ho still has a strong grip on Macau, the triads (Chinese mafia) do as well, and any gaming companies doing business in Macau (like Las Vegas Sands and MGM Mirage) will sooner or later be involved with Stanley Ho and the triads.

However, this may very well shake up American politics this year. Remember when Floyd Brown attempted to make hay over Dubai World's 50% stake in CityCenter and (unsuccessfully) turn it into a political hot potato for Harry Reid and MGM Mirage? Well, this new LVS Macau development will make sure this backfires on Republicans, as we know how much the teabaggers hate "socialism" and "communism"... And they probably won't like the fact that LVS CEO Sheldon Adelson has been donating heavily to Suzy Lowdown's Senate campaign. So when will we start hearing the teabaggers calling on Ms. Suzy to return all of Sheldon Adelson's Communist-tinged donations?

Again, I don't see this as a very big deal so long as these gaming companies aren't participating in any crimes with the triads... But if the Republicans keep trying to turn this into a campaign issue to beat Harry Reid over, they'd better expect some serious blowback.

NV-Sen: Suzy Lowdown, Putting Her Business Interests Above Nevada's (Even When Serving in the People's House!)

Apparently, Suzy Lowdown's record at Archon continues to give her headaches. And this time, it's becoming clear she hasn't just run into troubles with the law. She also took advantage of being a lawmaker to give Archon the "competitive advantage".

Yesterday's Reno G-J examined Suzy's record at Archon, and her record in the State Senate from 1993 to 1996, and found some interesting tidbits. Let's start with something she's been saying lately about supposedly "single-handedly defending Nevada against the unions". Not only does she reveal her contempt for working Nevadans, but apparently she's been lying about what she actually did in the Legislature.

To hear former state Sen. Sue Lowden tell it, she was the lone vote that stood in the way of the state's powerful labor unions' attempt to overturn Nevada's voter-approved right-to-work status in a tense legislative battle in 1995.

The bill, as Lowden recounts, would have started the reversal process of the law that prohibits union membership from being a condition of employment.

"I was a state senator in this very difficult time of right to work," Lowden said in an interview. "You know, was it going one way or another? And it went right through the Assembly. It passed that the state would not be a right-to-work state. And I stopped it in the Senate."

The only problem?

There never was such a bill, and there never was such a vote, which Lowden acknowledged later when pressed for specifics.

OK, so it looks like she really didn't do anything on "right to work" laws. So what did Suzy Lowdown do in the Legislature? Apparently, she was too busy enriching herself. She was instrumental in passing SB 268 in 1993, which amended Nevada gaming laws to allow limited liability companies (LLCs) to obtain gaming licenses.

So guess who quickly took advantage of SB 268 when it became law? Hint: Santa Fe Mining Company, LLC, was established... To run the Santa Fe casino. Yes, Suzy Lowdown (ab)used her position in the Nevada State Senate to rewrite the laws in her company's favor!

And wait, it gets worse. When Santa Fe employee Robert Miller went to Carson City to testify before the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee about the unsafe working conditions there, not only did Ms. Suzy not recuse herself from the committee hearings due to the obvious conflict of interest (he was there to tesify about the frightening work conditions at her casino!), but she actually called the meeting to order and remained on the committee as Vice-Chair the whole time! And worse yet, just three days after he told that Senate Committee about just how dangerous a workplace the Santa Fe was, Suzy Lowdown fired Robert Miller for telling the truth.

Oh, but wait... It gets even worse. Suzy Lowdown suggested in that same Commerce & Labor Committee on March 10 that disabled workers' compensation should be reduced. Yep, once again she was using her position in the Legislature to try to reduce or eliminate business expenses for her casino! (And by the way, she did it again in 1995.)

Oh yes, Suzy Lowdown has a long history of (ab)using state office to benefit her business interests. She voted to increase slot fees in 1993 for non-casino venues, effectively handicapping neighborhood competition to Santa Fe (and violating "The Great Grover Norquist-Jim Gibbons No New Taxes Rule!"). She also voted in 1993 to allow casinos to advertise room rates on billboards, giving Santa Fe new marketing opportunities. And really, I'm just scratching the surface. There's even more dirt in those committee minutes, and I only have so much time today to review them.

Now while some of these votes may seem benign on the surface, the motivation should scare all of us. Suzy Lowdown obviously never sees the conflict of interest in voting for and even co-sponsoring (!!) legislation that directly benefits her company. Her record in Carson City even shows that when it comes to the well-being of Nevada's workers, she'll put her personal business interests over the safety of our workers every time!

Let's also remember that during her time in the Nevada Legislature, Ms. Suzy couldn't even be bothered to abide by the very laws she swore to uphold! The Santa Fe was fined by OSHA in 1993 for failing to maintain a clean workplace. The Sahara was fined by OSHA in 1994 for failing to provide medical follow-up to exposure to dangerous bloodborne pathogens. The Hacienda was fined by OSHA in 1995 for failing to maintain its floors and keep the floors free of nails, splinters, holes, and loose boards. And remember, all of these casinos were owned by Suzy Lowdown's Archon while she was serving in the State Senate debating state level workers' rights legislation!

Archon obviously has quite the troubled history here in Nevada. And obviously, Suzy Lowdown can't even think for one moment about the public's best interest without first protecting her corporate profits. Is this someone we really want in the US Senate representing us?

Health Care: What's Next

ABC News posted a good story today explaining how reconciliation can be used to pass the health care reform package, and how Republicans are limited in their attempts to stall the process. It's really a good read.

Meanwhile, the supposedly "dreaded" polling on health care isn't actually looking so bad these days. I usually don't read much Andrew Sullivan (he can be too "insider gossip-y" for me at times), but I actually appreciate his insight (IMHO correct this time) on how the public is slowly, but surely, waking up to the reality of health care and realizing that we need to get reform done soon to rein in costs, get more people covered, and make the system work better for everyone overall.

Now Desert Beacon talked today about AHIP (the insurance industry lobbying group) launching a $1 million final campaign to destroy health care reform this year. As usual, they're peddling the same ol' lies and bullsh*t that we've become accustomed to lately. Basically, it will be more of the "I-hate-big-government-so-leave-my-big-government-benefits-alone" autotune that Suzy Lowdown thought would work so well here...

But Democrats are (FINALLY!) showing some spine and are starting to fight back. Here in Nevada, Harry Reid's campaign continues hammering at Suzy's lying teevee ad and they're actually getting some traction on this as the media, both local and national, are debunking her ridiculous claims.

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

(I tried to get an embed code for "Face to Face", but I guess The Sun & KVBC-3 aren't allowing that any more... So you'll have to go there yourself to watch it. Sorry.)

Oh, and it gets better...



This is an example of the new Americans United for Change plan to hit supposedly "moderate" Republicans who are taking a hard line against reform. Good. Don't let them get away with the "moderate" crap any more if they won't even try to play ball on health care. I'd really like to see something like this hit Suzy Lowdown, since she's the same kind of hypocrite as Johnny Mac.

So what's next? Apparently, a real chance to finally get health care reform done. FINALLY!

NV-Sen: It's Official. He's In. And Guess Who Has Reid's Back?

Harry Reid's in.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid officially filed today to keep his Senate seat.

“While we have made significant progress through the Recovery Act and other measures to prevent this recession from becoming a depression, there is much work to be done. We must never forget our fellow Nevadans who are suffering during this economic downturn," Reid said. "That is why I filed for re-election today."

Reid is being challenged by Republican front-runners Danny Tarkanian, a lawyer and former UNLV basketball star, and Sue Lowden, a former state senator and one-time chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party.

Reid said his goals during another term in office would be diversifying the state's economy and making health care more affordable.

“I will spend the next seven months sharing that vision with the people of Nevada," he said. "I hope they will support my re-election so that I can continue fighting to get Nevada moving again."

Now as usual, we're hearing all the typical premature obituaries. Yeah, yeah, yeah, "Reid is dead". Uh huh. That's why the unions are getting ready for a BIG campaign to help Harry Reid and reveal the real Suzy Lowdown.

"The Lowdens campaigned viciously against the unions," said D. Taylor, secretary-treasurer of Culinary Local 226, who was involved in the effort to unionize the Santa Fe that started in 1993 and ultimately failed. "There were lots of twists and turns on this, and health care was one of the issues." [...]

"We have already said a while back that we're going to work hard to make sure that Harry Reid is successful in the election," Taylor said, speaking for one of the Senate majority leader's core support groups in his uphill campaign to win a fifth term.

The AFL-CIO also is gearing up to help Reid and hit Lowden. Nationally, the labor group has identified Nevada as one of six states it will focus on. These states -- including California, New York, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- feature both strong unions and must-win elections for Democrats.

Danny Thompson, executive secretary-treasurer of the Nevada AFL-CIO, said the state organization is in talks now to see how to coordinate the national effort to help Reid.

Thompson walked the picket lines against the Lowdens in the Santa Fe labor dispute, one that was especially intense because it involved an effort to unionize a neighborhood casino.

"It was among the most anti-union campaigns we've seen in this town," Thompson said. "Organizers were singled out and treated differently. It was a very ugly fight." [...]

Lowden has "always touted her record against collective bargaining and her record against public employee unions," Thompson added. "There's a clear message from her past that she is not a friend of anyone who works for a living. If Sue Lowden does win the primary we will be exposing her record."

Whoops. It's always a mistake to attack working Nevadans. Suzy Lowdown should have learned this in the 1990s, but apparently she still doesn't even realize this today. Her campaign is already attacking the unions and bashing the workers they represent.

She obviously doesn't know yet what's coming.

And honestly, none of us really does. This campaign will certainly have its twists and turns. That much is guaranteed, even if little else is.

Meanwhile, the former boxer from Searchlight is smiling.

I asked U.S. Sen. Harry Reid today if he had anything to say to those critics who predicted he may not even file for re-election. With a characteristic, wan smile, he held up a folder of election documents containing the receipt for his official filing papers and said simply, “Copies of everything are right here.”

Translation: Reid is most definitely not going to call it a day and look for a soft landing elsewhere. [...]

“My No. 1 job is to keep working to create jobs,” Reid said. He cited a couple of upcoming bills that he said will do just that, including a bill to re-authorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. “So, there are a lot of good things going on,” he said, adding, “We just have to look at the glass being half full rather than half empty.”

As for his chances, Reid cited a recent poll that shows him winning in a general election matchup that includes third party candidates and a “Tea Party” representative. And, asked if he could win the race, Reid had yet another, simple reply: “I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t.”

Heh. I guess the guy from Searchlight knows something that the big media pundits and GOP operatives can’t see. This race is only just beginning.

Let the games begin.

NV-Sen: Suzy Lowdown- Remember The Santa Fe? Archon?

Oh, my! After releasing her gawd awful "health care ad" yesterday, Suzy Lowdown is having to deal with something that just isn't helping her at all: THE TRUTH. And today, Harry Reid's campaign is firing back by reminding us of Suzy's record of (NOT) providing health care to her own workers.

As President of Santa Fe Hotel, Inc., Sue Lowden illegally denied health insurance to buffet workers both by forcing them to sign a document waiving their right to it and cutting their hours to render them ineligible for it. As a result, her company was found guilty of violating the National Labor Relations Act and was ordered to repay employees whose hours and benefits were unlawfully slashed.

After breaking the law, Lowden tried a different tact as a state senator to undermine quality medical coverage. She voted to put profits over the health needs of Nevada’s women, allowing insurance companies to refuse to cover lifesaving treatments like mammograms. Additionally, she voted to put insurance companies between patients and their doctors, allowing them to refuse coverage for medical services that were not only in their plans but were administered by a physician.

“Sue Lowden’s track record shows that she’s willing to do anything – even break the law – to save a buck by denying quality health insurance from hardworking Nevada families. Whether gutting medical coverage as a state senator or unlawfully refusing to cover employees, Lowden has proven that her idea of ‘leadership’ is not something Nevadans can afford,” said campaign manager Brandon Hall.

“While filled with lies and distortions, at least Lowden’s latest TV ad is actually a legal attempt to deny Nevadans access to quality, affordable health insurance. So for her, I guess that’s progress.”

Apparently back in the 1990s, Suzy and her husband had this habit of illegally denying their Santa Fe employees health care benefits... Oh, and they liked to illegally fire their workers, too!

Oh, and did I forget that they never really learned from those days? This revelation comes off the heels of the explosive SEC filing showing that the Lowdowns gave themselves a cool $200,000 bonus last year after firing over 100 Archon workers and eliminating employee savings match. Yes, this really came from the person claiming she can do a better job on "creating jobs"!

Uh huh... So the person best suited to work on "creating jobs" is someone who has a history of illegally eliminating health care benefits for her workers and firing workers while giving herself and her husband a healthy six-figure bonus?

And wait, who could forget Suzy Lowdown working so hard at Archon to "create jobs" in Nevada by shutting down Wet & Wild and leaving it as an empty lot for construction equipment?

Yep, that's Suzy Lowdown for us. She works hard... To make sure working class Nevadans get screwed while she laughs her way to the bank.

NV-Sen, Health Care: Suzy Lowdown Goes Autotune on Us

OMG, Suzy Lowdown is back with a new ad!



And as usual, it's filled with a bunch of myths, mistruths, word-twists, and flat-out lies. Hell, just read Desert Beacon's well-researched blog to get the facts! Media Matters has also studied all the same myths that Suzy's trying to shove down our throats, and have found them to be just that: completely false myths!

OK, so you don't feel like reading all the wonky goodness I just provided in the above links? Well, then just sit back and enjoy these vids I pulled up just for you!





What? You thought I'd just link to Harry Reid's myth debunker page and call it a day? Oh no, my kids! I love to treat you with plenty of wonky policy goodness! And unlike Suzy Lowdown, neither Harry nor I need to revert to "same ol' soundbite autotune" to make a point.

Why Doesn't Suzy Lowdown Like Jobs?

Sorry, but this one is just too good to pass up. I have to get a start on my "weekend activities", so for now enjoy this juicy tidbit from NV Elephant Watch:

Lowden opposes job creation and tax cuts, but loves big bonuses

Sue Lowden opposes tax cuts for small businesses and efforts to create jobs in Nevada.

What she doesn't oppose is a $200,000 bonus for her husband the same year her gaming company cut a quarter of its work force and axed the 401(k) contribution while her family took home a $1 million paycheck.

Lowden joined embattled Republican Sen. John Ensign in taking a stand against the Jobs Bill, which would cut taxes for small businesses and create jobs, in response to criticism of her job-killing history as a Las Vegas casino boss.


The same year Sue Lowden's company slashed pensions and cut its work force, the Lowdens made $1 million, including a $200,000 bonus for Paul Lowden.


Taking home $1 million a year including hefty bonuses, the Lowdens don't have to worry about job creation like the maids, dealers and servers who no longer work in their casino do. And considering Sue Lowden's record as a job-killing casino owner, it should come as no surprise that she opposes a bill to create jobs for ordinary Nevadans -- a bill that 13 Republican Senators voted for. Those Republicans were willing to put American jobs first and partisan politics second. But if you look at Lowden's record rather than her rhetoric, it's clear how much she values the kind of jobs that don't bring in seven figures for her and her husband.


The Jobs Bill Lowden opposes, which was endorsed by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, will:

• Save 1 million jobs and invest in our nation's infrastructure
• Cut payroll taxes for business that hire workers who have been out of work for more than 60 days
• Give a tax credit for businesses that hire new workers and keep them on staff for at least a year
• Help small businesses grow by allowing them to write off investments

Poll: Gibbons Gaining in Primary, Reid Gaining in General, & Voters Prefer Tax Hikes Over Further Service Cuts... HUH??!!

So Harry Reid is really a "goner" this year? And Gibbons can't win the GOP primary? And Nevada voters will never, ever support a tax increase?

OK, time to throw that "conventional wisdom" out the window! Believe it or not, these are the results from Republican pollster Glen Bolger's recent survey of 500 likely Nevada voters funded by the Retailers Association of Nevada (a typically GOP-leaning outfit).

Let's start with the US Senate results:

[General Election]

42% SUE LOWDEN
37% HARRY REID
9% JON ASHJIAN

40% DANNY TARKANIAN
39% HARRY REID
11% JON ASHJIAN

21% JOHN CHACHAS
39% HARRY REID
22% JON ASHJIAN

32% SHARRON ANGLE
37% HARRY REID
16% JON ASHJIAN

[Republican Primary]

35% TOTAL LOWDEN
28% TOTAL TARKANIAN
1% TOTAL AMODEI
8% TOTAL ANGLE
4%^ TOTAL CHRISTENSEN
* TOTAL CHACHAS

So he's not there yet, but Harry Reid does look to be closing the gap that had widened to double digits just last month. It's interesting to see the the "analysis" in the charts try to spin this as good news for the Republicans, but it looks clear that when the real threat of the Tea Party candidate (I won't lie, it helps Reid) and real weaknesses of the GOP candidates are considered Reid suddenly becomes viable again. And remember, Reid just started airing TV ads late last year and his campaign hasn't even started "vaporizing" the eventual GOP candidate yet.

OK, so what about the Governor's race? Oh my, get ready for this!

[Republican Primary]

32% TOTAL GIBBONS
38% TOTAL SANDOVAL
9% TOTAL MONTANDON

[General Election]

50% BRIAN SANDOVAL
34% RORY REID
15% UNDECIDED

40% MIKE MONTANDON
40% RORY REID
19% UNDECIDED

36% JIM GIBBONS
47% RORY REID
14% UNDECIDED

It's looking increasingly clear that Sandoval will be the clear favorite if he wins the GOP primary, but (Rory) Reid will be the clear favorite is Gibbons wins the GOP primary. And fortunately for Rory Reid, Gibbons is (re)gaining ground among GOoPer voters (but NOT everyone else). So maybe "Governor Sandoval" isn't really inevitable?

Oh, and I'm sure this just killed the GOoPer pollsters!

And, thinking some more about the budget shortfall, would you rather the Governor and State
Legislature CUT SPENDING for state employee salaries and government services such as
education and health care, or RAISE YOUR TAXES to avoid these cuts?
5/09 2/10
40% 38% CUT SPENDING
47% 47% RAISE YOUR TAXES
3% 5% BOTH/PRIMARILY CUT SPENDING (DO NOT READ)
1% 2% BOTH/PRIMARILY RAISE YOUR TAXES (DO NOT READ)
7% 6% DON’T KNOW (DO NOT READ)
3% 3% REFUSED (DO NOT READ) [...]

And, if the Governor and State Legislature were to raise taxes, who do you think should be
paying increased taxes? (DO NOT READ) (ACCEPT MULTIPLE RESPONSES)
5/09 2/10
2% 1% SMALL BUSINESSES
13% 9% LARGE BUSINESSES
21% 17% CASINOS
6% 12% MINING COMPANIES
18% 16% THE RICH
3% 4% THE MIDDLE CLASS
53% 61% EVERYONE
3% 3% DON’T KNOW (DO NOT READ)
* 1% REFUSED (DO NOT READ)

It's so funny to see this despite all the attempting push-polling against this. Nevadans really are starting to "get it"! And while a corporate income tax still has plurality opposition, it's been gaining ground since last May (now only a 5% gap). And as you can see above, a fairer mining tax seems to be gaining steam.

So really, feel free to throw out all that "conventional wisdom" you've been hearing for the past few months. 2010 is just getting started, and things may change dramatically with major events coming up (jobs bill, health care reform, state budget, etc.).

NV-Sen: Suzy Lowdown Hits a New Low, Speaks Ill of the Dead, Doesn't Even Tell the Whole Story

Oh, looky here! Another day, another Suzy Lowdown scandal emerging...



OK, so the ad doesn't seem so bad? How about the facts behind it?

Former colleagues of a longtime state senator are criticizing Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sue Lowden over her latest campaign ad, which references her 1992 campaign to unseat the late John “Jack” Vergiels.

In the advertisement Lowden tells the audience that she “took on a powerful politician and defeated him because he taxed us while enriching himself” — a reference to Vergiels’ vote to raise lawmakers’ pensions. The increase was reversed before it took effect.

Vergiels, who passed away in December at age 72, was the state Senate majority leader and a former Assembly speaker when Lowden defeated him in the strongly Democratic district. [...]

“Sue Lowden showed an insensitive side to her character with her ad,” said Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas. Asked if she should keep the ad up, Coffin said, “It depends on her humanity. If she’s not a humane person, she will leave it up.”

Helena Vergiels, the majority leader’s widow, said she first saw the commercial Sunday.

“I’m absolutely outraged,” she said. “My husband never profited from anything in the Legislature. If anything, we lost money. I’m just flabbergasted. I think she should take it off the air and owes me an apology, and owes my husband’s name an apology.”

So it's bad enough that she won't tell the whole story about the Legislature promptly repealing the pension increase. It's even worse to accuse the recently deceased Jack Vergiels of "taxing us while enriching himself" when he never really made money in the Legislature. But to trash someone who just died a couple months ago and insult his legacy and his family like this?

That's just low... LOW-DOWN.

Congratulations, Suzy Lowdown. You just embarrassed yourself some more and reminded Nevada voters why we can't trust you in any more elected positions.

Something That Makes Suzy Lowdown's Ad Look Good? Yes, It's That Baaaaaaaaaad.

Could anything be more laughable than Sue Lowden's badly Windows Media-ed attempt at creating the warm & fuzzies on the teevee? Yes, and one very promising California GOoPer has provided it:



Please excuse me while I step aside and laugh some more. This YouTube moment is so bad, it's good... Just not "good" in the kind of way that helps "Carlyfailorina" and her poll numbers.

Sue Lowden's debut ad, meanwhile, is just lame.

NV-Sen: Krook-licki Back In? Johnny Mac Wants Him Back In?

Oh, noezzz! Harry Reid must be crying in a corner over this... Perhaps crying because he's laughing so hard?

Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki is now strongly considering a run for the U.S. Senate this year against Sen. Harry Reid, he told the Sun today.

"There are serious people making compelling arguments to me both in the state and out of the state to reconsider the Harry Reid race, and based on that pressure and those conversations I am indeed looking at it," Krolicki said.

Republicans in Washington are displeased with the current crop of candidates taking on Reid, which includes former state Sen. Sue Lowden, former UNLV basketball star Danny Tarkanian and former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle. [...]

Krolicki said Sen. John McCain, whose Nevada presidential campaign he chaired, had reached out to him in the past week.

"It's hard not to consider this when you have people like John McCain asking you to," Krolicki said. [...]

If he is the preferred candidate of Republicans in Washington, he could see a quick cash infusion and pressure on other candidates to bow out.

Obviously, Republicans still don't get it. First off, the only way "Senator Centerfold" was able to snatch the MA-Sen election win was because he distanced himself from "the establishment". And come on, what could possibly be more "establishment" than John McCain and McCain Campaign Chair Brian Krook-licki?

And secondly, just because a judge of questionable repute dismisses the corruption case (while leaving the door wide open for a retrial with a stronger indictment) doesn't mean there's no corruption to be found. Oh yes, I'm sure Team Reid is (re)starting the oppo research should Krook-licki decide to jump back in this race... Which he still may not if wiser heads (the few left in the Nevada GOP) prevail.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the "conventional wisdom" is that Krook-licki has so much mojo and we're supposed to be running scared. YEAH. RIGHT! If this is the best the GOoPers have, then I'm not feeling too scared right now. As I said this morning, as long as Reid delivers the goods he'll be reelected.

And if GOoPers screw up by forsaking their "grassroots", ignoring their wishes, kicking other candidates out of what's supposed to be a fairly contested primary, and forcing Krook-licki upon them, it may backfire on them in ways they won't like in November. After all, Suzy Lowdown already knows an awful lot about that.

NV-Sen: Harry Reid Gets Some Help... From REPUBLICANS??!!

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know it's all supposed to be "doom and gloom" right now about how everyone supposedly hates Harry Reid. Uh-huh.

Well, as I've been saying all along, it won't take long for the "nothingness scandal" to die down when Suzy Lowdown crawls out of her bunker to spew crap like this on Faux News.

Think about what Lowden's reaction says about her raw political instincts.

In a state that after eight years of Bush overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama and rejected John McCain, in a state that is suffering more than just about any other thanks to Greenspan's real estate bubble, she decides to compare Reid's remarks about Obama to remarks critical of Bush and Greenspan?

Not only does it help Harry Reid to remind people that he isn't a fan of Greenspan or Bush, whining somebody getting called "a political hack" or "a loser" won't win Lowden a single vote. In a state with 12.6% unemployment, does anybody care that Trent Lott was forced to resign 8 years ago after praising segregation?

Even if Lowden were right that Republicans are held to a different standard than Democrats, what does that matter to the people of Nevada?

Everybody knows Reid has a brutal road ahead of him, and he clearly hasn't been making it any easier on himself, but with opponents like Sue Lowden, even Reid might be able to win.

Correction: Especially with opponents like Lil' Tark Shark and Suzy Lowdown, Harry Reid can and WILL win.

Oh, and look who's also suddenly appeared to give Harry Reid a helping hand. It's none other than Johnny Casino!

Nevada Sen. John Ensign said Monday it is wrong for his fellow Republicans to call for the resignation of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid over racially insensitive comments he made about President Obama. [...]

Ensign said Monday that Reid's apology was sincere and that the Nevada Democrat regretted how his comments were taken.

"I think we need to get away from this politics of gotcha," Ensign told KKOH radio in Reno.

"I don't think there's a person walking, certainly not a politician out there, that hasn't made comments they regret," he said. "When you make those comments, as long as you take responsibility for your comments and apologize for them, I think people should accept that."

I can't believe I'm saying this... But for once, I agree with John Ensign on something. No really, this may be the classiest thing I've ever seen our other Senator do.

Of course, he later tried to use the false analogy of the 2002 Trent Lott comments... Again, something where there's just no comparison. But putting that aside for now, Ensign knows which way his bread is buttered. He knows that Reid knows. And come on, he can't afford for any more "dirty little secrets" about the Hampton brouhaha to come out.

So with even Johnny Casino wanting to brush it aside, along with the usual GOP circus clown candidates taking teh stupid to a whole new level, maybe the DC Beltway pundits shouldn't be counting Reid out just yet.

Meanwhile, the Radical Right Becomes Even More Pathetic in "Targeting Reid" (While Killing Themselves)

Yippee, we have ourselves some real GOP infighting! No really, Lil' Tark Shark sent out a recent Human Events blog post (that suspiciously sounds like a list of Team Tark talking points) in a fundraising appeal that points to Baby Danny as "the true conservative" in the race. How precious. When fewer and fewer Nevadans consider themselves "Republicans" and sound more and more progressive every day, the best thing to do for a Republican trying to knock off Nevada's most powerful politician is to tack to the extreme right!

Good thinking, Lil' Tark Shark... For Harry Reid!

And of course, these attacks against Suzy Lowdown come just as she starts internal GOP warfare against all her fellow primary candidates... Since of course, we know how popular Miss Suzy is among her fellow Republicans.

But wait, there's more! We now have "Batsh*t Crazy Sharron Angle" (since we know this is her full name) topping both of the "GOP frontrunners" by:

- Wanting a "national referendum on Harry Reid"... HUH???!! I thought he was our Senator here in Nevada?

- Shut down the stimulus... To take away Nevada jobs.

- Make sure the repaid TARP funds don't get spent on creating more Nevada jobs.

- Freeze the national budget to screw with the livelihood of even more Nevada families!

Oh yeah, Sharron Angle wants to make sure this state suffers some more. I'm sure that will win her plenty of support from the teabaggers... And absolutely no one else!

So there you have it, the radical right is getting even more radical and planning to further alienate themselves from the sane majority in this state. Now perhaps if Harry Reid grows the spine that The Obama White House is so afraid of, he might actually beat any of these GOoPer losers in a landslide!

Just a thought.

NV-Sen: Suzy Lowdown's Keeping "Heidi-Gate" Alive... By Lying Some MORE About It!

I can't help it. I thought I wasn't in the mood for any more political talk this week... Then Steve Sebelius made me laugh by posting this:

Sue Lowden, running for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Harry Reid next year, says in a CQ Politics blog that “…she was aware there had been a police report and some news coverage of a device found underneath his family’s car. She faced criticism for making light of the incident in a radio interview in October.” (Hat tip to my colleague Jon Ralston for the link.)

But the fact is, she didn’t just “make light” of the incident. Lowden said flatly in that radio interview that she’d never heard anything about the 1981 attempt on Reid’s life.

So, which is it? Was she dissembling back in October on the radio (perhaps prompted by the host [the always "unintentionally comical" Heidi Harris], who herself declared that she’d never heard about the incident)? Or was she dissembling to the CQ Politics blogger when she claimed that, in fact, she had been aware of the incident?

Hmmmmmm?

So which is it, Suzy? Did you remember the attempted hit on Harry Reid or not? Do you agree with your BFF Heidi Harris or not?

Oh, hell... I just must ask this again:

Is Sue Lowden THAT stupid??!! Did she really think she could get away with this [brand new!] lie and act like it never really happened? Did she actually think that she'd somehow score political points by [trying to have it both ways] with some hare-brained attempted smear by Heidi Harris of all people?

Keep it klassy, Nevada Republicans!

And the Suzy Lowdown-Heidi Harris 2010 Political Comedy Tour continues...

Johnny Casino's Even Lost Vucanovich. He's a Goner.

Poor Johnny Casino. None of the pols (at least the sane ones) want to play with him, not even Nevada's most famous former GOoPer Congresscritter.

Painting a bleak outlook for Nevada Republicans in general, former U.S. Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, R-Reno, said Tuesday she's "extremely disappointed" that U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., had an affair and thinks it "is going to be tough" for him to win re-election in 2012. [...]

The former seven-term U.S. representative said she's especially disappointed in Ensign's scandal because she personally helped recruit him as a candidate in Las Vegas in the early 1990s when he first ran for the U.S. House.

"I met with his family. I thought he would be a wonderful candidate," said Vucanovich, who served in 1983-97.

"I'm extremely disappointed in him and frankly, very surprised, because I think that isn't the character that everybody thought he was. I'm very, very disappointed," she said. [...]

"Watching him, it has been very hard," she said. "He certainly had to back away from what he was doing in the leadership position he had. I haven't seen a great demonstration of him doing very much."

And before Johnny gets too excited about gladly giving "help" to Suzy Low-down or Lil' Tark Shark, he should listen to the grown-ups in the room.

She also said a host of GOP challengers face an "uphill" battle in their bid to unseat U.S Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. That's primarily because his huge campaign war chest keeps growing thanks in part to help from GOP business leaders who argue Nevada needs his clout in Congress, she said.

"I think it is going to be very difficult for Republicans," Vucanovich said in describing the overall outlook for her party in the coming elections during an appearance Tuesday on KRNV-TV's "Nevada Newsmakers."

Nevada Republicans have really pulled off something amazing. They've recruited such craptastic Senate candidates (for 2010 and 2012!) that even senior Republicans are running AWAY from them as fast as they can!

Johnny Casino can still do the honorable thing and either resign or announce he won't seek a third term in 2012. But of course, that would require he show some honor. Our favorite hairdo just can't handle doing something honorably!

So instead he'll continue to drag down the Nevada GOP with his moral hypocrisy, and we'll keep standing back and laughing as he brings down their sinking ship. :-D

Nope, Nevada GOoPers Still Have Nothing to Say on Health Care

Oh, wow. Miss Sue Low-down & Lil' Tark Shark open their mouths... And once again reveal themselves to be fools.

Republican candidates for U.S. Senate Danny Tarkanian and Sue Lowden, who are among several Republicans seeking the nomination to challenge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., each made health care moves.

Tarkanian announced he would launch an initiative drive that would ensure that if states are given a choice to opt in or out of new federal health programs, the decision in Nevada would be up to the voters.

Tarkanian said he was opposed to much of the reforms the Democratic majority in Congress crafted, but that he does support access to health insurance coverage for all children even if it costs the government money.

Huh??!! If Baby Tark cared so much about children's health care, why didn't he lobby Johnny Casino and "Helluva" Heller to support SCHIP when it was up for a vote earlier this year? So he'll only agree to something after Harry Reid already gets it done? Weak.

And WTF with the new initiatives? He obviously never sees the polls. Nevadans want the public option, so he can take his silly "opt-out initiative" and "shove it where the sun don't shine"!

Oh, but wait! Miss Sue thinks she can "one-up" him on the crazy AND the stupid!

Lowden issued a statement challenging Reid to answer three questions about the legislation: one about the cost, another about whether the plan would raise taxes, and a third about whether it would improve Medicare.

Why doesn't she just read the legislation? Reid's worked to improve Medicare by cutting out the waste in the corporate subsidies to Medicare Advantage so that our tax dollars actually go to caring for seniors. And while there is a provision on taxing employee health benefits in the Senate bill that I hope is removed in Conference, the House's plan will not tax anyone making under $500,000 per year, which means that 99% of Nevadans won't be taxed for health care reform.

But hey, I'm just a progressive blogger. I'm not a Republican running for Harry Reid's Senate seat, so I don't have the privilege of foregoing the facts to talk random jibberish.

NV-Sen: Lowden the Lousy Liar

I can't believe this lady. Is she that inept? After denying Harry Reid's VERY serious bomb scare that happened almost 30 years ago, she's now denying she laughed about it.

[Radio host Ray] Hagar noted that Lowden was a Las Vegas news reporter at the time.

“It seems like a really big story, how could you forget that? And then you laughed about it on the radio,” Hagar said.

“I didn’t laugh about it, but I know it was made out to be that way,” Lowden said.

During Lowden’s appearance on Harris’ show, Harris told Lowden that she had never heard about the bomb and asked Lowden if she had heard of it.

Lowden said (without laughing) that she only remembered the bomb that exploded under colleague Ned Day’s car.

“I don’t remember Harry Reid’s bomb,” Lowden said (still, without laughing).

“So maybe he’s claiming Ned Day’s bomb,” Harris said.

Lowden gave a breathy chuckle. “Maybe,” she said.

Give me a break! Seriously, this lady isn't even a good liar. She's a joke. I hope Harry Reid defeats her all the way back to Santa Fe Station next year!

Is Sue Lowden a Stupid Liar? Or Just Plain Stupid?

OMG, she really went for it! Sue Lowden is so desperate to gain traction as a Senate candidate that she went on slimeball Heidi Harris' radio show and denied ever knowing about the infamous attempted assassination of Harry Reid! WTF??!!

She was a reporter. She was around when it happened. Even The R-J isn't hesitating to dig through its archives and unveil the evidence!

(Courtesy of The R-J)

So we must ask: Is Sue Lowden THAT stupid??!! Did she really think she could get away with this lie and act like it never really happened? Did she actually think that she'd somehow score political points by going along with some hare-brained attempted smear by Heidi Harris of all people?

Keep it klassy, Nevada Republicans!

Oh wait, and it gets better! Miss Sue now looks to have yet another scandal of her own brewing up in Reno.

In a quick recap of the last state [Republican] convention, [Ron] Paul supporters succeeded in winning a rules change that allowed the entire delegation to compete for the 34 national delegate spots. McCain was already the party's presumptive nominee, but Paul supporters thought they might have a shot of ousting him at the national convention. Balloting in the three congressional districts occurred but were counted in only two. With counting still continuing and the at-large delegates yet to be selected, the convention organizers, including Lowden, chairman Bob Beers and McCain consultants decided to abruptly end the convention and reschedule it for another day. The box of ballots from the 2nd Congressional District were never fully counted.

The convention was never rescheduled. The party came up with its own delegates, which included a few Paul supporters. The RNC gave their blessing to the slate and the rest is history.

But some Paul supporters have always wanted to know what was in that box. National Committeewoman Heidi Smith, who has had her own maverick streak and always had an affinity for the Paul supporters, twice asked the Peppermill to search the hotel for the missing box. It was never found.

Earlier this month, however, Smith obtained the key to the safe that contained the ballots at a Republican women's event in Las Vegas. She said the key was given to Lowden, who gave it to Carole Del Carlo, who gave it to Smith.

Last week, Smith went back to the Peppermill with a Paul supporter. They found the safe, which had the box with envelopes full of ballots. Those envelopes are still sealed. They will be opened and counted at Washoe Republican headquarters at 4 p.m. Friday.

"Counting the ballots won't do any good, but at least it will put an end to the fight, I hope," Smith said. "There are some people who will never heal. Some people who will always carry a grudge. But I want them counted. I want it done honestly and then I want everybody to shut up about it."

So now the long lost Republican ballots that were mysteriously found at The Peppermill in Reno will be counted. But why were they lost in the first place? And why were these ballots lost under Sue Lowden's watch? Remember that Sue Lowden was the Nevada Republican Party Chair until earlier this year?

It looks to me like Miss Sue is agreeing with Heidi Harris' batsh*t crazy conspiracy theory on Reid so she can hide her own deep, dark secrets. So what is she hiding? Why weren't those ballots counted last year?

And is Lowden so stupid as to think she could get away with all of this?

NV-Sen: GOP Is Still a Hot Mess

Such is the story being told by today's Sun story on the GOP "circus clown candidates" coming out to challenge Harry Reid. The ones that seem most likely to excite the teabagger base are precisely the ones so extreme they turn off mainstream voters. The one that looks "media savvy" screwed up her own "debut" with easily traced lies on Yucca Mountain.

Oh, and the rest? They're just amusing sideshows.

And do any of them have any real solutions to the problems we face? Foreclosure crisis? Health care? Jobs? Energy? Nope, but they'll say stuff that makes no sense!

This is why fewer and fewer Nevadans identify as Republicans. That party has gone from merely annoying to downright psychotic and extremist!

No wonder why even Sig Rogich now backs Reid.