Now, it's confirmed. The Secretary of State's office has released the official September voter registration report. And here's what we find.
- Statewide, Democrats now have a 71,561 raw vote lead over Republicans. This amounts to a 6.03% statewide advantage for Nevada Democrats.
- In the whole NV-04 district, Democrats jumped from a 10.56% advantage last month to a 11.84% advantage. This also means Democrats have a 34,457 raw vote advantage here.
- In the key swing region of Washoe County (Metro Reno), Republicans' edge actually fell from 1.55% last month to a mere 1.03% now. Republicans' raw vote edge now stands at 2,385 in Washoe County.
- And as we already covered yesterday, Democrats made HUGE gains in Clark County (Metro Las Vegas) last month.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the official Secretary of State's report today are the Washoe numbers. For all the talk of Washoe Republicansbeing more loyal to Romney and better organized than the rest of the Nevada GOP, Republicans even lost ground there. That really doesn't bode well for Romney or Dean Heller.
And yet again, what's so funny about this is that it comes on the heels of the latest Romney/RNC/Team Nevada voter registration fraud scandal. Despite Nathan Sproul and his likely illegal shenanigans, Nevada Republicans still lost massive ground statewide. It just goes to show how weak both the G-O-TEA brand and Republican field organization have become here in Nevada.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Son Los Latinos, Estupido.
Yesterday, we saw the new Latino Decisions tracking poll showing President Obama bouncing to a record setting 73% to 21% lead over Mitt Romney. Wait, what??!! Can President Obama really win over 70% of Latino voters this fall?
Well, we caught a glimpse last week of how Romney's embrace of "tea party" extremism is hurting the entire Republican brand. Now, CNN is catching a glimpse of how this is finally coming around to bite Romney.
Yep, it's really coming to this. Even CONSERVATIVE Latinos who would otherwise vote Republicano are pausing and second guessing because Romney doesn't respect them enough to give any real answers on immigration policy... Or really anything else, for that matter.
This is something that Steve Kornacki mentioned earlier today.
And so it continues. For some time now, Mitt Romney and his G-O-TEA acolytes have had no answer on immigration policy. That's because they now don't want to admit to pandering to their xenophobic "TEA" fueled base earlier this year. And because they still lack the cojones to buck the teabaggers and agree to a reasonable and comprehensive solution, Congress is still at a stalemate on this. And because Latino voters are not as stupid as Romney operatives were hoping they'd be, their candidate is in a hell of a lot of trouble... And he very well may take down the entire party with him this fall.
And in the end, los Republicanos only have themselves to blame for their pendejo of a "grandstand".
Well, we caught a glimpse last week of how Romney's embrace of "tea party" extremism is hurting the entire Republican brand. Now, CNN is catching a glimpse of how this is finally coming around to bite Romney.
Marlene Monteolivo was a Democrat for many years, then a Republican. Now she's registered as a nonpartisan voter in Nevada who wants to support a candidate who will make the economy better.
The Colombia native, who works for a Las Vegas social services agency, says she's leaning toward GOP challenger Mitt Romney. She likes his business sensibilities.
But there's a hiccup. And it's a big one called immigration. [...]
Monteolivo doesn't like that Republicans blocked passage of the Dream Act, which would have created a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. She bristled at Romney's comment that 47% of Americans feel entitled to government aid. She took it to mean that Latinos, many of whom are not well off, are considered freeloaders.
Come November, Monteolivo says, her option might be to "vote for none of the above."
Yep, it's really coming to this. Even CONSERVATIVE Latinos who would otherwise vote Republicano are pausing and second guessing because Romney doesn't respect them enough to give any real answers on immigration policy... Or really anything else, for that matter.
This is something that Steve Kornacki mentioned earlier today.
The Republican Party has moved far to the right in the Obama-era, and its primary voters have demanded a new level of ideological zeal from GOP candidates. Related to this, the GOP base has also demanded absolute, unwavering opposition to just about every major policy Obama has proposed and action he has taken. On immigration, this has put Romney in a particularly awful spot. To run on the ideas he embraced during the primaries would seriously harm Romney with swing voters. But to move away from those views risks inciting a backlash among the Republican voters Romney is relying on to turn out in droves this fall.
He had a narrow opening, it seemed, but once Obama seized it, Romney had nowhere to go on immigration, and pretty much nothing to say. His belated admission now that he wouldn’t repeal the executive order hardly feels like a bold stroke of leadership. It’s a faint echo.
And so it continues. For some time now, Mitt Romney and his G-O-TEA acolytes have had no answer on immigration policy. That's because they now don't want to admit to pandering to their xenophobic "TEA" fueled base earlier this year. And because they still lack the cojones to buck the teabaggers and agree to a reasonable and comprehensive solution, Congress is still at a stalemate on this. And because Latino voters are not as stupid as Romney operatives were hoping they'd be, their candidate is in a hell of a lot of trouble... And he very well may take down the entire party with him this fall.
And in the end, los Republicanos only have themselves to blame for their pendejo of a "grandstand".
The Winning Hand
So folks in Lake Las Vegas didn't see the President yesterday...
But these fortunate souls did.
Wow. What a journey. And what a fortuitous experience for those OFA volunteers. It's amazing to think of what's happened in that office in the last six months.
And it must have been amazing for Mr. President to think of what's happened here in Nevada just since the start of this year. Who would have ever expected President Obama to take a whopping 52-42 lead over Mitt Romney in a Republican friendly (but nonetheless reputable) poll? And who would have ever expected voter registration to change the dynamic this much in Democrats' favor? Who would have ever expected the kind of playing field that we have now? Wow.
OK, so the election is still not over yet. Much can still change. But then again as we near the end, perhaps there's not enough time left for all that much change. Let's face it, at this point we are finally starting to see who has the winning hand and why.
But these fortunate souls did.
He didn’t look like the average pizza deliveryman.
Wearing tan slacks and a dress shirt — sleeves rolled up, of course — President Barack Obama sauntered into a Henderson field office for his campaign Monday afternoon, clutching six boxes of Settebello pizza. [...]
It’s a safe bet Henderson resident Marcy Ramirez is up for the challenge [of the final month of the campaign]. The campaign volunteer endured a car wreck two days ago while out registering voters. Then someone stole an Obama-Biden sign from her front yard.
“You just wake up and go, ‘Where am I going (today)?’” she said.
Last month, Ramirez met Obama during a rally at Cashman Center. This time was more serendipitous: She stopped by the Henderson field office to drop off some campaign labels.
And, as luck would have it, Ramirez even had a large photo of Obama with her — perfect for the president’s John Hancock.
“I said, ‘You’re going to sign my picture, right?’” she said. “He said, ‘Yes, yes, of course I am.’”
Wow. What a journey. And what a fortuitous experience for those OFA volunteers. It's amazing to think of what's happened in that office in the last six months.
And it must have been amazing for Mr. President to think of what's happened here in Nevada just since the start of this year. Who would have ever expected President Obama to take a whopping 52-42 lead over Mitt Romney in a Republican friendly (but nonetheless reputable) poll? And who would have ever expected voter registration to change the dynamic this much in Democrats' favor? Who would have ever expected the kind of playing field that we have now? Wow.
OK, so the election is still not over yet. Much can still change. But then again as we near the end, perhaps there's not enough time left for all that much change. Let's face it, at this point we are finally starting to see who has the winning hand and why.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Nevada Democrats Now Have 71k Lead Statewide, Growing Leads in Key Swing Districts
Sorry for the tardy post, but here we are. This is the last week of regular voter registration, so even more is at stake now. Yet just since last week, Nevada Democrats have surged even more in Clark County. Here are the latest numbers:
- Countywide, Democrats' advantage bounced just in the last week from 13.22% to 13.67%, and from 102,950 raw votes to 109,305 raw votes.
- In NV-03, Democrats' advantage grew some more from 0.72% to 1.08%, and from 2,214 to 3,402 raw votes.
- In the Clark County portion of NV-04, Democrats' advantage grew some more from 15.60% to 16.15%, and from 38,091 to 40,557 raw votes.
- And in the key #NVLeg swing Senate seats, we saw big movement as well. In the Henderson-Green Valley based SD 5, Democrats' edge grew just in the last week from 4.16% to 4.51%. In the Las Vegas-Summerlin based SD 6, Democrats' edge grew further in the last week from 5.30% to 5.83%. In the Southwest Valley based SD 9, Democrats' edge jumped some more in the last week from 6.36% to 6.95%. And finally in the Northwest Las Vegas based SD 18, Republicans' edge slipped further from 1.87% to only 1.60%.
Oh, and now Nevada Democrats are reporting that their statewide voter registration advantage has grown to just over 71,000 voters! This means that Nevada Democrats have gained another 6,000 voters statewide just since last week. And this means that it's becoming a very real possibility that Nevada Democrats will close registration this month with a 7% statewide lead. Who could have guessed this early this year?
And what's so funny about this news is that it's coming on the heels of the latest Nathan Sproul/Team Nevada/RNC voter registration fraud scandal. Despite their efforts to actually destroy Democratic registration forms and turn away potential Obama voters in hiding their registration forms under a "poll", they're still losing! The complete and utter incompetence of Nevada Republicans this cycle has been truly wondrous. And between that and the tremendous field effort that Nevada Democrats have put together, we are where we are now.
I wonder who will be having the last laugh come November 6...
- Countywide, Democrats' advantage bounced just in the last week from 13.22% to 13.67%, and from 102,950 raw votes to 109,305 raw votes.
- In NV-03, Democrats' advantage grew some more from 0.72% to 1.08%, and from 2,214 to 3,402 raw votes.
- In the Clark County portion of NV-04, Democrats' advantage grew some more from 15.60% to 16.15%, and from 38,091 to 40,557 raw votes.
- And in the key #NVLeg swing Senate seats, we saw big movement as well. In the Henderson-Green Valley based SD 5, Democrats' edge grew just in the last week from 4.16% to 4.51%. In the Las Vegas-Summerlin based SD 6, Democrats' edge grew further in the last week from 5.30% to 5.83%. In the Southwest Valley based SD 9, Democrats' edge jumped some more in the last week from 6.36% to 6.95%. And finally in the Northwest Las Vegas based SD 18, Republicans' edge slipped further from 1.87% to only 1.60%.
Oh, and now Nevada Democrats are reporting that their statewide voter registration advantage has grown to just over 71,000 voters! This means that Nevada Democrats have gained another 6,000 voters statewide just since last week. And this means that it's becoming a very real possibility that Nevada Democrats will close registration this month with a 7% statewide lead. Who could have guessed this early this year?
And what's so funny about this news is that it's coming on the heels of the latest Nathan Sproul/Team Nevada/RNC voter registration fraud scandal. Despite their efforts to actually destroy Democratic registration forms and turn away potential Obama voters in hiding their registration forms under a "poll", they're still losing! The complete and utter incompetence of Nevada Republicans this cycle has been truly wondrous. And between that and the tremendous field effort that Nevada Democrats have put together, we are where we are now.
I wonder who will be having the last laugh come November 6...
RNC/Nathan Sproul Voter Registration Fraud Found in Nevada?
Last week, we found out about voter registration fraud happening under the watch of Republican operative Nathan Sproul and his company, Strategic Allied Consulting. This is what forced the RNC to cancel its contract with Sproul at the last minute... As well as the last leg of its voter registration drive.
Yet even though Sproul is no longer providing registration workers for Team Nevada (the pro-Romney "Shadow GOP" to circumvent the "real GOP" controlled by Ron Paul followers), he may yet cause more trouble for them.
Here's what reporters at the Las Vegas NBC affiliate have found.
Ah, so Nathan Sproul had been up to his dirty tricks again. His workers did nearly exactly the same thing here in Nevada in 2004. And they were doing it yet again this cycle.
This further explains Team Nevada's boasts from late last month.
Well, this explains it all. Not only were Team Nevada/Nathan Sproul workers turning away Obama supporters, but they were even destroying voter registration forms as soon as someone wanted to register as a Democrat! No wonder why Rick Wiley was boasting about all the pro-Romney Nonpartisans his and Sproul's operation was registering. They were not allowing people to register as Democrats, and they were not registering admitted Obama supporters at all!
What's so ironic about this whole scandal is that "tea party" Republicans have been crying about (nonexistent) "VOTER FRAUD!!!" all year. And they've been pursuing voter suppression tactics under the guise of "fighting fraud". Now, we know that they really care nothing about "fighting fraud". After all, these very "tea party" Republicans had their own party commit fraud.
Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
Yet even though Sproul is no longer providing registration workers for Team Nevada (the pro-Romney "Shadow GOP" to circumvent the "real GOP" controlled by Ron Paul followers), he may yet cause more trouble for them.
Here's what reporters at the Las Vegas NBC affiliate have found.
In a statement this person gave to the Secretary of State's Office, they say they witnessed a man registering voters in Henderson and "he told her she needed to fill out another form. And when she marked democrat he told her to rip it up and fill out another form and leave party affiliation blank."
Our source was later able to fish out the form from the trash and gave us this picture.
In reporting this to the election’s office, the person there told our source the forms were registered to the group Strategic Allied Consulting, the same firm hired and then fired by the national Republican Party for similar fraudulent voter registration tactics in Palm Beach, Fla., and other battleground states.
This past week, Secretary of State Ross Miller appeared on "The Agenda" and spoke about how his office is handling voter registration fraud.
”We have an Election Integrity Task Force. And I was a criminal prosecutor before I took this job,” Miller said. “And I assured the public that should we see any instances or evidence of election law violations or voter fraud I would take any steps to weed that out.”
Ah, so Nathan Sproul had been up to his dirty tricks again. His workers did nearly exactly the same thing here in Nevada in 2004. And they were doing it yet again this cycle.
This further explains Team Nevada's boasts from late last month.
[RNC Political Director Rick] Wiley also said that during registration efforts, volunteers ask the screening question: Who do you support for president? He said more of those who register nonpartisan say they support Romney than Obama.
That claim, however, won’t be verified until Nov. 6.
Well, this explains it all. Not only were Team Nevada/Nathan Sproul workers turning away Obama supporters, but they were even destroying voter registration forms as soon as someone wanted to register as a Democrat! No wonder why Rick Wiley was boasting about all the pro-Romney Nonpartisans his and Sproul's operation was registering. They were not allowing people to register as Democrats, and they were not registering admitted Obama supporters at all!
What's so ironic about this whole scandal is that "tea party" Republicans have been crying about (nonexistent) "VOTER FRAUD!!!" all year. And they've been pursuing voter suppression tactics under the guise of "fighting fraud". Now, we know that they really care nothing about "fighting fraud". After all, these very "tea party" Republicans had their own party commit fraud.
Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
Sunday, September 30, 2012
"The Closing Act" Begins This Week
Today, President Obama will be arriving in Las Vegas to do a rally tonight... Then do debate prep for the following two days.
While there's been much discussion on the importance of this debate, there may be something happening this week that's just as important. Early voting is now happening in many states... Including several key swing states. And even though we're not voting yet here in Nevada, many minds have already been made up.
So with only 37 days to go until "The Last Day of Election Month", this may be the week that sets in stone the narrative of the 2012 Election. This is why President Obama is doing a rally tonight at Desert Pines High School followed by 2 solid days of debate prep in the quieter confines of Lake Las Vegas. And this is why Mitt Romney's surrogates are scrambling to spin what's about to happen this week.
We're finally in the home stretch now. There are few truly undecided voters left. And there is very little time left to sway them. And unless we see some epic "game change" this week, it's almost time to declare game over.
So it's nice to see Southern Nevada play host to the opening of the closing act. ;-)
While there's been much discussion on the importance of this debate, there may be something happening this week that's just as important. Early voting is now happening in many states... Including several key swing states. And even though we're not voting yet here in Nevada, many minds have already been made up.
So with only 37 days to go until "The Last Day of Election Month", this may be the week that sets in stone the narrative of the 2012 Election. This is why President Obama is doing a rally tonight at Desert Pines High School followed by 2 solid days of debate prep in the quieter confines of Lake Las Vegas. And this is why Mitt Romney's surrogates are scrambling to spin what's about to happen this week.
We're finally in the home stretch now. There are few truly undecided voters left. And there is very little time left to sway them. And unless we see some epic "game change" this week, it's almost time to declare game over.
So it's nice to see Southern Nevada play host to the opening of the closing act. ;-)
Friday, September 28, 2012
Dean Heller's "Uninvited Guests" at Last Night's NV-Sen Debate
Did you notice what happened at last night's debate? Anjeanette Damon caught a glimpse of it...
This may have been the continuation of Dean Heller's worst nightmare coming true. He's given so much of himself to his beloved Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, only for them to turn around and bite him in the ass.
How? Both Joan Walsh and Kevin Drum both pointed at Paul Ryan's now infamous plan to "voucher-ize" and cut Medicare to death. And indeed, that's been something that's haunted Mitt Romney ever since he picked Ryan as his running mate. However, there's something that's even more central to Romney's campaign that is now hurting him... And hurting Dean Heller here in Nevada.
Mitt Romney seems hellbent on self-destructing on the weight of his own 1% privilege and his disdain for the needs and the concerns of the 99%. No matter how he tries to spin away his "47%" comments, we all know what he really meant. And we all know what he still believes.
And guess what? Dean Heller also knows this. That's why he tried so hard last night to run away from Romney & Ryan. It's too bad for him (and so good for Nevada Democrats) that Heller's own extensive record points otherwise.
Heller went on to say he believes “it’s the responsibility this federal government has to help those who have come by hard times in this economy.”
But Berkley wouldn’t let it slide.
“Look, the fact of the matter is my opponent actually did call unemployed people hobos and that puts him very much in line with what Mitt Romney said about the 47 percent,” Berkley said.
This may have been the continuation of Dean Heller's worst nightmare coming true. He's given so much of himself to his beloved Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, only for them to turn around and bite him in the ass.
How? Both Joan Walsh and Kevin Drum both pointed at Paul Ryan's now infamous plan to "voucher-ize" and cut Medicare to death. And indeed, that's been something that's haunted Mitt Romney ever since he picked Ryan as his running mate. However, there's something that's even more central to Romney's campaign that is now hurting him... And hurting Dean Heller here in Nevada.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Mitt Romney seems hellbent on self-destructing on the weight of his own 1% privilege and his disdain for the needs and the concerns of the 99%. No matter how he tries to spin away his "47%" comments, we all know what he really meant. And we all know what he still believes.
And guess what? Dean Heller also knows this. That's why he tried so hard last night to run away from Romney & Ryan. It's too bad for him (and so good for Nevada Democrats) that Heller's own extensive record points otherwise.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
NV-Sen Debate Liveblog
It's here, it's here, it's finally here. KNPB (Reno PBS) is hosting the first NV-Sen debate of 2012 tonight. And tonight, Nevada Progressive is hosting the "unofficial official snarky liveblog" of this debate. So let the fun begin!
8:07 PM: After opening statements, the first question was on reaching across the aisle. Shelley Berkley went first, and she began talking about the Nevada Congressional Delegation working together on Yucca Mountain issues, foreign policy (Israel), and tourism bills. Dean Heller, meanwhile, tried to backtrack his support for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan... And strangely brought up the "Balanced Budget" nonsense. Huh?!
8:12 PM: Heller keeps trying to laugh it off and run away from Romney, but Berkley keeps reminding the audience of his record showing otherwise. Heller is now talking about Berkley "raising more money from Wall Street". So who again is benefitting from all the Koch funded ads?
8:15 PM: Sigh, both candidates are getting super hawkish on Middle East affairs. Can we really afford another war there?
8:19 PM: Hmmm... The sage grouse. Both candidates are saying odd things about saving this threatened species. So it shouldn't be endangered... But it can be saved?
Oh gawd, and Heller is now bashing Obama and the EPA. Oh yes, who cares about that damned environment.
8:22 PM: And here it is... Kidney-gate! Shelley is now talking up the 99%. She's dismissing perhaps the most ridiculous "SCANDAL!!!" of this cycle by making a contrast between her support for the middle class versus Heller's fealty to the teabaggers. Meanwhile, Heller is... Making some silly rant about health care and Keystone Pipeline and regulations and stuff.
Seriously, folks, Shelley is showing how to handle this "SCANDAL!!!" of pure stupidity.
8:27 PM: Dean Heller probably just killed his last chance to make inroads with Latinos. He just said the DREAM Act is "going nowhere", then said some bullshit about "bringing people together to work on reform". Heh. All Shelley had to do was remind the audience of Heller's support for Arizona SB 1070 and Kris Kobach/Mitt Romney approved "self deportation" policies. Heller is babbling on about "jobs bills now". Latino voters are probably now tuning him out.
8:32 PM: This last question was on federal debt. Shelley Berkley smartly turned it around and made a very pro 99% platform of ending "billionaire bailouts" while protecting Medicare & Social Security. Shelley then demolished Heller's facade of a "balanced budget amendment" by pointing out exactly how it would force the end of Medicare & Social Security as we know it if enacted.
8:37 PM: Here it is! Dean Heller is scrambling to toss as many "Obamacare" and Harry Reid attacks on Shelley Berkley as possible, but Shelley again demolished him. And the reason why? Paul Ryan. Shelley must be thanking her lucky stars for Romney picking Ryan as his VP.
8:40 PM: Strange. Heller is now trying to run to the LEFT of Shelley on housing. He's bashing her for voting for financial deregulation in 1999... And yes, she screwed up there. However, Heller has been voting for deregulation ever since he got into Congress. So really, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?
8:44 PM: Lordy, help us all! Dean Heller keeps singing the praises of the horrific Keystone XL pipeline that experts keep saying will do nothing to help America achieve energy independence... Yet he's also trying to call himself a "renewable energy champion"? It didn't take too much for Shelley to point out Heller's record of voting to cut efforts to build a better energy future, though even she engaged in a bit of Keystone nonsense.
8:50 PM: Here's something to keep in mind: When Shelley Berkley talks military and veterans' issues, don't try to fuck with her. Dean Heller is trying to do this by bashing her over last year's debt debacle. But here's the problem: Because Heller dug in his heels on coddling the 1%, the debt agreement passed. And if Heller actually wants to save military spending like he claims to, something's got to give...
Oh wait, here he goes on the Department of Education. So he wants to cut school funding! He's going crazy now.
8:57 PM: Shelley rebutted Heller some more on education by explaining how she used Pell Grants to make her way through college, just like many more thousands of Nevadans. She then pointed out Heller's enduring support for the Paul Ryan plan to gut Pell Grants to death and kick Nevadans out of higher education.
And now, we're hearing the closing arguments. Heller is waxing poetic about Ronald Reagan and 1980 and some mystical mythical past that never really existed... While Shelley concluded with a blend of her personal story of rising from hardship to success with a strong case for standing up for Nevada's 99%. The contrast couldn't be clearer.
9:20 PM: Here are my first impressions from the whole debate-
- Both candidates tried hard to stick to talking points. And unfortunately, tonight's format made that incredibly easy.
- Dean Heller tried so hard to stay "above the fray" and "moderate", but that image showed serious cracks when he struggled to defend his votes for Paul Ryan's budget... And when he pretty much kissed the Nevada Latino vote goodbye with his condescending dismissal of the DREAM Act.
- Heller tried at first to push hard on "Kidney-gate", but even I was surprised by how quickly that fizzled.
- Two words we didn't hear from Dean Heller: MITT ROMNEY. Thankfully for the audience, Shelley Berkley regularly reminded everyone of who Heller has been endorsing for President.
- Oh, and both candidates are quite hawkish and potentially to the right of most Nevadans on foreign policy. Seriously, people here have "war fatigue" after two long and draining wars in the Middle East. Yet for some reason, both candidates kept yakking on who wants to saber rattle more on Iran.
- Also, it was weird seeing Heller trying to run to the LEFT of Berkley on financial regulation. Seriously, if Heller really wants Glass-Steagall reinstated, why hasn't he said so before tonight? And why hasn't he urged his fellow Republicans to stop fighting regulation?
- All in all, I honestly don't see tonight as a "game change". Heller kept playing by the Mike Slanker playbook in lobbing personal attacks at Shelley while puffing himself up with empty platitudes. And Shelley Berkley got to repeat her talking points in reminding everyone of Dean Heller's loyalty to the G-O-TEA. It was frustrating to watch at times, and perhaps Berkley was a bit uneven at times, but Heller in the end started to crack under pressure. And as long as Romney & Ryan hang around here, Heller will probably continue to show more cracks.
8:07 PM: After opening statements, the first question was on reaching across the aisle. Shelley Berkley went first, and she began talking about the Nevada Congressional Delegation working together on Yucca Mountain issues, foreign policy (Israel), and tourism bills. Dean Heller, meanwhile, tried to backtrack his support for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan... And strangely brought up the "Balanced Budget" nonsense. Huh?!
8:12 PM: Heller keeps trying to laugh it off and run away from Romney, but Berkley keeps reminding the audience of his record showing otherwise. Heller is now talking about Berkley "raising more money from Wall Street". So who again is benefitting from all the Koch funded ads?
8:15 PM: Sigh, both candidates are getting super hawkish on Middle East affairs. Can we really afford another war there?
8:19 PM: Hmmm... The sage grouse. Both candidates are saying odd things about saving this threatened species. So it shouldn't be endangered... But it can be saved?
Oh gawd, and Heller is now bashing Obama and the EPA. Oh yes, who cares about that damned environment.
8:22 PM: And here it is... Kidney-gate! Shelley is now talking up the 99%. She's dismissing perhaps the most ridiculous "SCANDAL!!!" of this cycle by making a contrast between her support for the middle class versus Heller's fealty to the teabaggers. Meanwhile, Heller is... Making some silly rant about health care and Keystone Pipeline and regulations and stuff.
Seriously, folks, Shelley is showing how to handle this "SCANDAL!!!" of pure stupidity.
8:27 PM: Dean Heller probably just killed his last chance to make inroads with Latinos. He just said the DREAM Act is "going nowhere", then said some bullshit about "bringing people together to work on reform". Heh. All Shelley had to do was remind the audience of Heller's support for Arizona SB 1070 and Kris Kobach/Mitt Romney approved "self deportation" policies. Heller is babbling on about "jobs bills now". Latino voters are probably now tuning him out.
8:32 PM: This last question was on federal debt. Shelley Berkley smartly turned it around and made a very pro 99% platform of ending "billionaire bailouts" while protecting Medicare & Social Security. Shelley then demolished Heller's facade of a "balanced budget amendment" by pointing out exactly how it would force the end of Medicare & Social Security as we know it if enacted.
8:37 PM: Here it is! Dean Heller is scrambling to toss as many "Obamacare" and Harry Reid attacks on Shelley Berkley as possible, but Shelley again demolished him. And the reason why? Paul Ryan. Shelley must be thanking her lucky stars for Romney picking Ryan as his VP.
8:40 PM: Strange. Heller is now trying to run to the LEFT of Shelley on housing. He's bashing her for voting for financial deregulation in 1999... And yes, she screwed up there. However, Heller has been voting for deregulation ever since he got into Congress. So really, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?
8:44 PM: Lordy, help us all! Dean Heller keeps singing the praises of the horrific Keystone XL pipeline that experts keep saying will do nothing to help America achieve energy independence... Yet he's also trying to call himself a "renewable energy champion"? It didn't take too much for Shelley to point out Heller's record of voting to cut efforts to build a better energy future, though even she engaged in a bit of Keystone nonsense.
8:50 PM: Here's something to keep in mind: When Shelley Berkley talks military and veterans' issues, don't try to fuck with her. Dean Heller is trying to do this by bashing her over last year's debt debacle. But here's the problem: Because Heller dug in his heels on coddling the 1%, the debt agreement passed. And if Heller actually wants to save military spending like he claims to, something's got to give...
Oh wait, here he goes on the Department of Education. So he wants to cut school funding! He's going crazy now.
8:57 PM: Shelley rebutted Heller some more on education by explaining how she used Pell Grants to make her way through college, just like many more thousands of Nevadans. She then pointed out Heller's enduring support for the Paul Ryan plan to gut Pell Grants to death and kick Nevadans out of higher education.
And now, we're hearing the closing arguments. Heller is waxing poetic about Ronald Reagan and 1980 and some mystical mythical past that never really existed... While Shelley concluded with a blend of her personal story of rising from hardship to success with a strong case for standing up for Nevada's 99%. The contrast couldn't be clearer.
9:20 PM: Here are my first impressions from the whole debate-
- Both candidates tried hard to stick to talking points. And unfortunately, tonight's format made that incredibly easy.
- Dean Heller tried so hard to stay "above the fray" and "moderate", but that image showed serious cracks when he struggled to defend his votes for Paul Ryan's budget... And when he pretty much kissed the Nevada Latino vote goodbye with his condescending dismissal of the DREAM Act.
- Heller tried at first to push hard on "Kidney-gate", but even I was surprised by how quickly that fizzled.
- Two words we didn't hear from Dean Heller: MITT ROMNEY. Thankfully for the audience, Shelley Berkley regularly reminded everyone of who Heller has been endorsing for President.
- Oh, and both candidates are quite hawkish and potentially to the right of most Nevadans on foreign policy. Seriously, people here have "war fatigue" after two long and draining wars in the Middle East. Yet for some reason, both candidates kept yakking on who wants to saber rattle more on Iran.
- Also, it was weird seeing Heller trying to run to the LEFT of Berkley on financial regulation. Seriously, if Heller really wants Glass-Steagall reinstated, why hasn't he said so before tonight? And why hasn't he urged his fellow Republicans to stop fighting regulation?
- All in all, I honestly don't see tonight as a "game change". Heller kept playing by the Mike Slanker playbook in lobbing personal attacks at Shelley while puffing himself up with empty platitudes. And Shelley Berkley got to repeat her talking points in reminding everyone of Dean Heller's loyalty to the G-O-TEA. It was frustrating to watch at times, and perhaps Berkley was a bit uneven at times, but Heller in the end started to crack under pressure. And as long as Romney & Ryan hang around here, Heller will probably continue to show more cracks.
Is This What Republicans Mean by "Voter Fraud"?
Honestly, I may have "misunderestimated" the grave danger behind this video that we found on Tuesday.
Believe it or not, there's more to this story... And BradBlog has been continuing to dig into it. Apparently, Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee have hired none other than Nathan Sproul and his company, Strategic Allied Consulting, to do "voter registration". Sproul's company is known to handle "voter registration" for Republicans in Colorado, and in other swing states. And it turns out that Nathan Sproul has quite the history when it comes to "voter registration".
Oh yes, that's right. Sproul has a history here in Nevada. And it looks like he's back for more!
This brings me back to what happened at the Henderson DMV last Friday. There, I sawShadow GOP Team Nevada staff barking "Quick Poll: Romney or Obama!" at people while hiding voter registration forms under a tally sheet. Funny enough, they were deploying the same tactics as the young woman in Colorado... Except that they weren't stupid enough to claim they were working for the Clark County Election Department.
But is there more to Team Nevada's "voter registration project" than what we've seen in public? What's happening behind the scenes? And if Nathan Sproul has indeed returned to Nevada (as his recent hiring spree suggests), is he engaging in the same kind of fraudulent activities that nearly jeopardized Nevada Republicans in 2004?
We've already been catching a glimpse of suspicious activity in Colorado. And now, the Palm Beach County, Florida, election supervisor is asking her state to investigate fraudulent voter registration forms given to her office by the Florida Republican Party (which hired Nathan Sproul to handle "voter registration"). Might this be happening (again) here in Nevada?
2:45 PM UPDATE: MSNBC's First Read reported earlier today that the RNC announced it's cutting ties to Nathan Sproul. However, First Read also noted this.
So indeed, Team Nevada was using Nathan Sproul. That explains the strange tactics they've been using at the DMV.
Oh, and First Read also provided an update on the Florida investigation.
Indeed, it's ironic. The G-O-TEA forces always cry about "voter fraud", yet it increasingly looks like they are actually the ones who are committing fraud!
Believe it or not, there's more to this story... And BradBlog has been continuing to dig into it. Apparently, Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee have hired none other than Nathan Sproul and his company, Strategic Allied Consulting, to do "voter registration". Sproul's company is known to handle "voter registration" for Republicans in Colorado, and in other swing states. And it turns out that Nathan Sproul has quite the history when it comes to "voter registration".
Brad Friedman has put up a history of Sproul’s companies, and their work for Republican interests. They range from antics like gathering signatures to put Nader on the ballot and being banned from Walmart for partisan voting drives to more serious offenses, like allegedly destroying Democratic registration forms in several states while on the payroll of the RNC. [...]
In 2004, a voter registration worker in Nevada hired by Sproul’s firm told reporters that he had witnessed his surpervisors chucking registration forms signed by Democrats. “They were thrown away in the trash,” he claimed. Sproul’s canvassers in Oregon confessed to doing the same thing, and other reports emerged across several swing states. In Minnesota, workers said they were actually fired for bringing in registration forms signed by Democrats. CBS News obtained faxes showing that Sproul's firm had even impersonated the left-leaning America Votes! to organize voter registration drives at libraries.
Oh yes, that's right. Sproul has a history here in Nevada. And it looks like he's back for more!
Strategic Allied Consulting recently put up a proxy to hide the fact that its website was registered by Sproul; but not before Flynn took a screen shot. Flynn notes that the firm has been aggressively hiring in Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. He flagged two large payments to the firm from GOP committees in Florida and North Carolina.
This brings me back to what happened at the Henderson DMV last Friday. There, I saw
But is there more to Team Nevada's "voter registration project" than what we've seen in public? What's happening behind the scenes? And if Nathan Sproul has indeed returned to Nevada (as his recent hiring spree suggests), is he engaging in the same kind of fraudulent activities that nearly jeopardized Nevada Republicans in 2004?
We've already been catching a glimpse of suspicious activity in Colorado. And now, the Palm Beach County, Florida, election supervisor is asking her state to investigate fraudulent voter registration forms given to her office by the Florida Republican Party (which hired Nathan Sproul to handle "voter registration"). Might this be happening (again) here in Nevada?
2:45 PM UPDATE: MSNBC's First Read reported earlier today that the RNC announced it's cutting ties to Nathan Sproul. However, First Read also noted this.
Sproul, who runs both Strategic Allied Consulting and Lincoln Strategy, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News. Besides Florida, the firm has been hired to register GOP voters in Nevada, North Carolina, Colorado and Virginia. In Nevada, the RNC was paying the firm directly; in the other four states, the firm was being paid by state parties with the funds reimbursed by the RNC.
So indeed, Team Nevada was using Nathan Sproul. That explains the strange tactics they've been using at the DMV.
Oh, and First Read also provided an update on the Florida investigation.
Christine Weiss, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office, told NBC News Thursday that the alleged voter fraud by a Strategic Allied Consulting employee is "currently being investigated" by prosecutors in her office after it was brought to the attention of prosecutors on MondaybyPalm Beach election supervisor Susan Bucher.
Paul Lux, the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections, and a Republican, said that an employee of the firm had dropped off suspected fraudulent registration forms with his office for both Okaloosa County and nearby Santa Rosa County. Some of the Santa Rosa County new registrants appeared to be dead people, he said.
“It’s kind of ironic that the dead people they accused ACORN of registering are now being done by the RPOF” [Republican Party of Florida], said Lux.
Out of 304 Republican voter-registration forms recently dropped off by a firm employee at a small "satellite office" of the Palm Beach elections office, 106 were flagged as potentially fraudulent -- including "a lot" with "similar looking" signatures and others with apparently phony addresses, Bucher said in an interview.
Among the suspect home addresses were those that matched a gas station in Miami, a medical building in Boca Raton and a Land Rover dealership elsewhere in South Florida, she told NBC News.
Indeed, it's ironic. The G-O-TEA forces always cry about "voter fraud", yet it increasingly looks like they are actually the ones who are committing fraud!
NV-03: What the Heck?!
This is Gold Butte.
Less than two hours away (driving) from the hustle and bustle of the Fabulous Las Vegas Strip lies perhaps the most valuable treasure of Nevada that you haven't (yet) heard about. This is indeed a special place, a place filled with ancient Native American petroglyphs and stunning rock formations. This is truly the Mojave Desert at its finest.
And believe it or not, it has the potential to boost Southern Nevada's economy exactly when we need help the most.
And there is widespread bipartisan support from local environmental AND business leaders for federal action to preserve Gold Butte... Yet someone is missing in this picture. Can you tell who?
As we've discussed before, Joe Heck likes to talk about creating jobs... But he won't actually put his votes where his mouth is. We're seeing this yet again with Gold Butte, and that's why ProgressNow Nevada has launched WhatTheHeckJoe.com. Southern Nevada needs federal level action on Gold Butte in order to protect this special natural treasure and boost our local economy by giving tourists a good reason to stay and play longer here (thereby creating more jobs). And while Heck has occasionally staged quite the razzle dazzle of a show for the media, he still has not introduced any legislation in Congress to solve this problem.
Yet while Heck dilly-dallies and hems and haws and finds more excuses for inaction, vandalism, off trail ATV drives, unruly shooting, and other harmful activities of some disrespectful visitors threaten the future of Gold Butte. Again, there's widespread support for meaningful action to save Gold Butte. So what the heck is Joe Heck waiting for?
Less than two hours away (driving) from the hustle and bustle of the Fabulous Las Vegas Strip lies perhaps the most valuable treasure of Nevada that you haven't (yet) heard about. This is indeed a special place, a place filled with ancient Native American petroglyphs and stunning rock formations. This is truly the Mojave Desert at its finest.
And believe it or not, it has the potential to boost Southern Nevada's economy exactly when we need help the most.
And there is widespread bipartisan support from local environmental AND business leaders for federal action to preserve Gold Butte... Yet someone is missing in this picture. Can you tell who?
Gold Butte protection has been endorsed by prominent local leaders –including Caesars Entertainment Group, the Mesquite City Council and the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians. Businesses large and small are recognizing that Gold Butte provides vital recreation and tourism jobs and is increasingly important to the Southern Nevada economy.
Rep. Joe Heck currently represents the Gold Butte area. He has met with local residents to discuss possible legislation but so far has not introduced a bill creating a National Conservation Area with Wilderness for Gold Butte.
“It’s a false argument to say that Gold Butte would be ‘locked up’ with no public access if it were to become a national conservation area,” Tull said. “The law would guarantee that not a single mile of the 500 miles of roads in Gold Butte would be closed.”
Instead, making the area a National Conservation Area with Wilderness could have the effect of opening up Gold Butte to more admirers, Tull said.
“Instead of rushing past the exit sign on Interstate 15, travelers would be drawn into Mesquite, where a new visitor center would introduce them to the amenities of Gold Butte, educate them about nearby recreational opportunities, and help them plan how to enjoy their exploration of the area,” he said. “Such a visitor center has long been needed for this important corner of Nevada.”
As we've discussed before, Joe Heck likes to talk about creating jobs... But he won't actually put his votes where his mouth is. We're seeing this yet again with Gold Butte, and that's why ProgressNow Nevada has launched WhatTheHeckJoe.com. Southern Nevada needs federal level action on Gold Butte in order to protect this special natural treasure and boost our local economy by giving tourists a good reason to stay and play longer here (thereby creating more jobs). And while Heck has occasionally staged quite the razzle dazzle of a show for the media, he still has not introduced any legislation in Congress to solve this problem.
Yet while Heck dilly-dallies and hems and haws and finds more excuses for inaction, vandalism, off trail ATV drives, unruly shooting, and other harmful activities of some disrespectful visitors threaten the future of Gold Butte. Again, there's widespread support for meaningful action to save Gold Butte. So what the heck is Joe Heck waiting for?
NV-04: From Delusional to Just Plain Desperate
Last night, Rachel Maddow pointed out the disturbing trend of G-O-TEA Congressional candidates campaigning on racially charged "wedge issues".
As soon as I saw this, I started thinking about what's been happening here in Nevada as Danny Tarkanian continues his campaign of nonstop race baiting. No really, think about it. He's been bashing President Obama and Steven Horsford on immigration reform while he touts his support from anti-Latino and anti-immigrant hate groups. And while he suggests Horsford isn't "black enough", Tarkanian can win African-American voters because he plays basketball! So far, Baby Tark's campaign has been nothing short of appalling in its embrace of this kind of ugly "campaigning".
And now, Baby Tark and his allies are throwing a temper tantrum because Horsford is calling them out on what they're doing.
This is what Chuck Muth is attacking.
And even though Baby Tark's campaign is now pretending to be offended by what Muth said, Muth is only piggybacking off Tarkanian campaign messaging. And even though Danny Tarkanian pretends to want to "talk about the important issues we face", the reality of this race is far from that. No really, he's deliberately race baiting to distract from the real issues.
Baby Tark and Muth can cling onto faulty data for as long as they want, but the real fact of the matter is that Mitt Romney is tanking here in Nevada... And Dean Heller is at greater risk of going down with Romney than ever before. Danny Tarkanian is their fellow G-O-TEA traveller, he's at risk of going down along with the both of them. So in a desperate move to save his own skin, Baby Tark is tossing these racial attacks at Steven Horsford. And apparently, he can't tell that his pure desperation is showing.
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As soon as I saw this, I started thinking about what's been happening here in Nevada as Danny Tarkanian continues his campaign of nonstop race baiting. No really, think about it. He's been bashing President Obama and Steven Horsford on immigration reform while he touts his support from anti-Latino and anti-immigrant hate groups. And while he suggests Horsford isn't "black enough", Tarkanian can win African-American voters because he plays basketball! So far, Baby Tark's campaign has been nothing short of appalling in its embrace of this kind of ugly "campaigning".
And now, Baby Tark and his allies are throwing a temper tantrum because Horsford is calling them out on what they're doing.
Horsford, the first African-American state senate majority leader, called on Tarkanian to condemn a blog post by conservative operative Chuck Muth that mocks a tweet Horsford sent about the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Steven Horsford continues to play the race card (he’s black) with this mindless, irrelevant re-tweet of a White House tweet on Saturday,” Muth wrote on his blog of Horsford’s tweet about the Emancipation Proclamation. “Sounds like somebody’s scared by last week’s poll showing him losing the urban vote to his white-bread Republican opponent, Danny Tarkanian.”
In his blog post, Muth also chides Horsford for using “two black kids” playing basketball in one of his television ads. Horsford has criticized Tarkanian for implying he can win the black vote because of his work with black youth through his non-profit basketball clinic.
The children in Horsford’s ad are his own.
“This shot was of me playing with my children in our backyard,” Horsford said in a written statement. “And to refer to my kids as just some ‘black kids playing basketball’ is extremely offensive. My children will be off limits in this campaign. I won’t accept my kids being exploited as pawns in a political game and these racially charged attacks must stop.”
This is what Chuck Muth is attacking.
And even though Baby Tark's campaign is now pretending to be offended by what Muth said, Muth is only piggybacking off Tarkanian campaign messaging. And even though Danny Tarkanian pretends to want to "talk about the important issues we face", the reality of this race is far from that. No really, he's deliberately race baiting to distract from the real issues.
Baby Tark and Muth can cling onto faulty data for as long as they want, but the real fact of the matter is that Mitt Romney is tanking here in Nevada... And Dean Heller is at greater risk of going down with Romney than ever before. Danny Tarkanian is their fellow G-O-TEA traveller, he's at risk of going down along with the both of them. So in a desperate move to save his own skin, Baby Tark is tossing these racial attacks at Steven Horsford. And apparently, he can't tell that his pure desperation is showing.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Are Nevada Republicans' Woes Now Spreading to #NVLeg?
I guess Dean Heller isn't the only Nevada Republican who's panicking. State Senate Republican leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) is scrambling to form new PACs (so late this cycle??!!) to funnel money into attack ads on TV and in mailboxes "efforts to inform voters". And especially with recent voter registration updates showing big gains for Democrats in the key swing districts that will determine control of the Nevada Legislature this tear, a group of G-O-TEA State Senate candidates are starting to panic as well. And funny enough, this is being televised statewide.
Monday night on Jon Ralston's show, SD 9 Republican candidate Mari St. Martin conjured up some nonexistent "SCANDAL!!!" in hopes of deflecting attention from her lack of knowledge on how this state's government works.
So not only does Mari St. Martin want to do something that the Legislature actually already did last year, but she wants to waste the state's time and money to "justify" the existence of things like the agency that oversees the largest and most powerful component of Nevada's economy. WHAT??!! No wonder why she has to conjure up fictitious "SCANDAL!!!"
And in case that wasn't embarrassing enough for Nevada Republicans, outgoing Assembly Member and current SD 18 candidate Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas) caused even more trouble for them.
Perhaps Ross was being a little too harsh on the north, but the fact of the matter is that Clark County provides for over 80% of the state's revenue and over 70% of the state's population, yet we're lucky if we even see 50% of the state's investment and expenditures return here. The median of public infrastructure investment is already woefully low in Nevada, yet it's even lower here in Clark County because the south has historically been shortchanged in Carson City.
Even though Scott Hammond has already served a term in the Legislature and now wants a promotion to the upper chamber, he can't give an answer on the discrepancy in state funding? Seriously, is this dude for real?
But wait, it gets worse! Hammond himself is a teacher, yet he's now positioning himself to the right of Governor and fellow Republican Brian Sandoval on education funding.
This is especially a huge blow to Governor Sandoval because Hammond was backed by Sandoval in the SD 18 Republican primary because he was considered more "cooperative" than professional "tea party" flame thrower Richard MacArthur. But apparently now, Hammond is drinking the "TEA"... And he's doing so just as Sandoval's preferred budget is starting to fall apart. Even though both he and Roberson decided to let the sun rise again on the 2009/2011 "sunset taxes" in order to diffuse this specific issue of public education funding, Hammond is signaling that the G-O-TEA Caucus may not go along with their leaders' preferred plan, especially now that Sandoval's plan may not be enough to prevent further cuts to schools next year.
Perhaps this gets us to the biggest problem that Nevada Republicans face in their quest to expand their ranks in the Legislature next year: Who is their real leader? And what do they stand for? No, really. Mitt Romney may end up being a political millstone around their necks, Brian Sandoval's master plan is showing major cracks, and now their caucus can't keep with a unified message on what they seek to do next year. This is a major problem for them.
And perhaps this explains why there may be no SD 5 debate on TV this week. Perhaps considering what's already been going down on Ralston's show, Steve Kirk just doesn't want to risk going "Face to Face" with Joyce Woodhouse? Wow, what a mess.
Monday night on Jon Ralston's show, SD 9 Republican candidate Mari St. Martin conjured up some nonexistent "SCANDAL!!!" in hopes of deflecting attention from her lack of knowledge on how this state's government works.
On other topics, St. Martin said she would look at sponsoring legislation to require each agency to “justify its existence” in front of the Legislature every six or seven years, on a rotating basis.
An incredulous Ralston asked if that included agencies like the Gaming Control Board. St. Martin said, yes.
[SD 9 Democratic candidate Justin] Jones didn’t like that idea.
“It would cost more money to have the Gaming Control Board, the Gaming Commission come and justify their existence,” he said. “It doesn’t make a lot more sense.”
The state formed a Sunset Commission to look at doing away with unnecessary boards and commissions in 2011.
So not only does Mari St. Martin want to do something that the Legislature actually already did last year, but she wants to waste the state's time and money to "justify" the existence of things like the agency that oversees the largest and most powerful component of Nevada's economy. WHAT??!! No wonder why she has to conjure up fictitious "SCANDAL!!!"
And in case that wasn't embarrassing enough for Nevada Republicans, outgoing Assembly Member and current SD 18 candidate Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas) caused even more trouble for them.
[Kelli] Ross, a Democrat who owned an electrical contracting business, said on “Face to Face with Jon Ralston” that the state needs to stop redistributing Clark County money to other areas of the state.
“So much money gets sent to Northern Nevada and rural Nevada,” she said. “The money needs to stay in Clark County. We’d be able to have smaller class sizes. Kids will be able to have desks. That’s reprehensible.”
Hammond, the Republican candidate, dodged the question about whether Clark County was losing out to other areas of the state, and said he favored giving parents a choice in schools.
Perhaps Ross was being a little too harsh on the north, but the fact of the matter is that Clark County provides for over 80% of the state's revenue and over 70% of the state's population, yet we're lucky if we even see 50% of the state's investment and expenditures return here. The median of public infrastructure investment is already woefully low in Nevada, yet it's even lower here in Clark County because the south has historically been shortchanged in Carson City.
Even though Scott Hammond has already served a term in the Legislature and now wants a promotion to the upper chamber, he can't give an answer on the discrepancy in state funding? Seriously, is this dude for real?
But wait, it gets worse! Hammond himself is a teacher, yet he's now positioning himself to the right of Governor and fellow Republican Brian Sandoval on education funding.
Hammond, a Clark County School District teacher, said he would not be beholden to unions. But he also wouldn’t commit to extend about $600 million in taxes, which he voted to extend for two years at the end of the 2011 Legislative session. Gov. Brian Sandoval has said he will support extending them again, but will need a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.
“I’ve never officially said anything to anybody,” Hammond said in the interview. He wants to see what type of tax projections the state’s Economic Forum, which forecasts tax revenues, makes over the next couple of months.
This is especially a huge blow to Governor Sandoval because Hammond was backed by Sandoval in the SD 18 Republican primary because he was considered more "cooperative" than professional "tea party" flame thrower Richard MacArthur. But apparently now, Hammond is drinking the "TEA"... And he's doing so just as Sandoval's preferred budget is starting to fall apart. Even though both he and Roberson decided to let the sun rise again on the 2009/2011 "sunset taxes" in order to diffuse this specific issue of public education funding, Hammond is signaling that the G-O-TEA Caucus may not go along with their leaders' preferred plan, especially now that Sandoval's plan may not be enough to prevent further cuts to schools next year.
Perhaps this gets us to the biggest problem that Nevada Republicans face in their quest to expand their ranks in the Legislature next year: Who is their real leader? And what do they stand for? No, really. Mitt Romney may end up being a political millstone around their necks, Brian Sandoval's master plan is showing major cracks, and now their caucus can't keep with a unified message on what they seek to do next year. This is a major problem for them.
And perhaps this explains why there may be no SD 5 debate on TV this week. Perhaps considering what's already been going down on Ralston's show, Steve Kirk just doesn't want to risk going "Face to Face" with Joyce Woodhouse? Wow, what a mess.
Nevada Republicans' Ongoing "Latino Problem"
This week, the Nevada G-O-TEA is in total panic mode. Recent polls have not been looking good at all for Mitt Romney. Nevada Democrats have expanded their voter registration advantage to a higher level than they had two years ago. And now, Romney's own fellow Republicans (!!!) are speaking openly of abandoning his campaign to focus on saving their seats in Congress.
So why is this all happening? Last night, Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart spoke to Rachel Maddow... And specifically mentioned "The Great Nevada Surprise of 2010". There was a big component behind that election that is manifesting itself again now.
As we've discussed before, Nevada's changing demographics are causing major problems for Republicans. In particular, their extreme anti-immigrant stance is repelling Latin@ voters like never before. And with both Mitt Romney and Dean Heller embracing the extreme "tea party" agenda of xenophobia and "Reverse Robin Hood Economics", they're having as hard a time now as Sharron Angle did in 2010 in convincing Latin@ voters to vote for them and their Republican Party.
As Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart hinted at above, all Republicans can hope for now is depressed Latino turnout. This is why they were complaining about "all the Democrats!" in the most recent PPP poll, even though its sample was slightly LESS Democratic than the most recent registration numbers... And it undersampled Latinos. Republicans' only hope now lies in preventing Latinos from voting, and that's why they've been pursuing a two-pronged strategy of bashing President Obama in TV ads while pushing voter suppression tactics to keep Latin@ voters away even if they decide to vote. But since voter suppression has been turned back here in Nevada and Republicans here keep flailing in their "minority outreach", they're approaching serious peligro... Y ellos saben.
So why is this all happening? Last night, Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart spoke to Rachel Maddow... And specifically mentioned "The Great Nevada Surprise of 2010". There was a big component behind that election that is manifesting itself again now.
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As we've discussed before, Nevada's changing demographics are causing major problems for Republicans. In particular, their extreme anti-immigrant stance is repelling Latin@ voters like never before. And with both Mitt Romney and Dean Heller embracing the extreme "tea party" agenda of xenophobia and "Reverse Robin Hood Economics", they're having as hard a time now as Sharron Angle did in 2010 in convincing Latin@ voters to vote for them and their Republican Party.
As Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart hinted at above, all Republicans can hope for now is depressed Latino turnout. This is why they were complaining about "all the Democrats!" in the most recent PPP poll, even though its sample was slightly LESS Democratic than the most recent registration numbers... And it undersampled Latinos. Republicans' only hope now lies in preventing Latinos from voting, and that's why they've been pursuing a two-pronged strategy of bashing President Obama in TV ads while pushing voter suppression tactics to keep Latin@ voters away even if they decide to vote. But since voter suppression has been turned back here in Nevada and Republicans here keep flailing in their "minority outreach", they're approaching serious peligro... Y ellos saben.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
If Only Nevada Republicans Were This "(Un)Genious"
Wow. Just wow. You just have to see this for yourself.
Colorado Republicans are freaking out because denying registration to anyone because of party preference is actually a crime. Oh, and this probably means Mitt Romney's campaign is even more trouble. Whoops.
This actually makes Nevada Republicans look not so bad by comparison. And that's really saying something. As I mentioned last Friday, they do the samevoter screening "poll" before deciding to ask someone to register to vote. But jeez, not even the Team Nevada people try to claim they work for the county!
What a hot mess.
The person recording the video exits a Safeway grocery store and a young woman who is registering voters outside the store asks her, "Are you voting for Romney or Obama?"
The woman recording responds, "Well, wait, I thought you were registering voters a minute ago."
To which the young woman replies, "I am." The person recording then asks, "Well, who are you registering? All voters?"
"Well, I'm actually trying to register people for a particular party. Because we're out here in support of Romney, actually," the young woman registering voters says. [...]
Republicans in El Paso County claim that the video was recorded more than a month ago by a Democratic "campaign operative" and has been released now to damage the Romney campaign. But, Christy Lelait, Chairman for the El Paso County Democrats denies that charge to KOAA. "It's an interesting charge. I don't know of any campaign operatives here in El Paso County and I know for certain that the woman who shot this video is not a campaign operative, she's a volunteer with several different organizations including the El Paso Democratic Party and she's also a precinct chair."
Colorado Republicans are freaking out because denying registration to anyone because of party preference is actually a crime. Oh, and this probably means Mitt Romney's campaign is even more trouble. Whoops.
This actually makes Nevada Republicans look not so bad by comparison. And that's really saying something. As I mentioned last Friday, they do the same
What a hot mess.
NV-Sen: #GameOver for Romney AND Heller?
Just when it seemed like the news couldn't get any better for Nevada Democrats, Jon Ralston had even more good news this morning.
At first, this may be surprising. But when one remembers what's been happening in the field, it all makes more sense.
We can also better understand why Dean Heller has been so dour lately. While the G-O-TEA base continues to turn on Romney, Dean Heller is running into increasing trouble because his political and ideological kinship to Romney is turning off Nonpartisan voters. And with the Republican field effort increasingly looking like a sad joke, it's an open question as to whether Team Nevada really has the resources to turn out enough Romney & Heller voters to even keep the election all that close here in Nevada.
Might this be a sign of the beginning of the end for the Nevada GOP? If Nevada Democrats keep up their work in the field, it may very well be.
President Obama is stretching his lead to 9 percentage points in Nevada and Rep. Shelley Berkley is up 4 over Sen. Dean Heller in a new Public Policy Polling survey taken for the League of Conservation Voters.
The survey, which you can see below and was taken last week of 501 likley voters, shows Obama up 52-43 and Berkley up 48-44. Those numbers are even greater for the president than other public polls and Berkley's lead will come as a surprise considering other results.
At first, this may be surprising. But when one remembers what's been happening in the field, it all makes more sense.
We can also better understand why Dean Heller has been so dour lately. While the G-O-TEA base continues to turn on Romney, Dean Heller is running into increasing trouble because his political and ideological kinship to Romney is turning off Nonpartisan voters. And with the Republican field effort increasingly looking like a sad joke, it's an open question as to whether Team Nevada really has the resources to turn out enough Romney & Heller voters to even keep the election all that close here in Nevada.
Might this be a sign of the beginning of the end for the Nevada GOP? If Nevada Democrats keep up their work in the field, it may very well be.
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