Vote Gibbons Out! Jim Gibbons is America's Worst Governor!

This is Your Pilot Speaking...

Insert joke about Gibbons administration being "out of gas" here. Insert another joke about Gube "running on empty" here. Insert yet another joke about "Wrong Way" Gibbons here.

Yes, the Gube's crack team of crackpots can't go a week without another personnel meltdown. This week we learn that a pilot by the name of Richardson who was fired from piloting the state plane--or should I say "Airforce Zero"?--ends up accusing his boss, a guy name Phillips, of flying the Gube around on dangerously low fuel tanks and letting his son pilot the plane.

Um, do people generally take the Fifth at employment hearings, or is this something new to the Gibbons administration?

During a personnel hearing last week in which Richardson sought to get his job back, Phillips was asked about safety violations but repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right of protection against self-incrimination. (Sun)

Not too worry, Gube spokester assures us. The Gube has as much confidence in his pilots as he does in his own ability to govern. Or something to that effect. In any case, grab a parachute and head for Utah while you still can.

Elsewhere, citizens gradually realize that the Gube's no DinaTaxes pledge is leading to the implosion of hospital services and schools. (Sun) This has led to the Governor's decision to inject himself with Franklin D. Roosevelt stem cells and endorse calls for a fed bailout of the state, including using public money to fund jobs repairing Nevada's crumbling infrastructure. (RJ) Suddenly, the neocon from Sparks wants to fund a new-age WPA.

What next? The repeal of Gibbers' supermajority law that requires a 2/3rd's majority in the legislature to vote for higher taxes? Declaring war on California to boost the bottom line of Nevada's defense industry elites and using deficit spending on the Nevada Guard to fuel a recovery?

Or maybe changing the date of the State of the State so that State Dems can go to the Inaugural Obamagasm in Washington in January? (KLAS)

Has the world gone mad?

From One of the Mustier Corners of the Internets

Huh. Ran into an article by Michael Barker on Swans.com about a group called the U.S. Institute for Peace.

It seems that the Institute may be a federally funded group engaged in anti-democratic activities throughout the world:

...writing in 1990, Sara Diamond and Richard Hatch noted that the "supposed peace research sponsored by the federally funded US Institute of Peace (USIP) looks more like the study of new and potential means of aggression, though less in the conventional military realm and more in the vein of trade embargoes, economic austerity programs, and electoral intervention." They go on to point out that although the creation of the Institute (in 1984) was "approved by a wide spectrum of peace advocates" it actually acts as an "arm of the US intelligence apparatus" whose founding President was Robert Turner (a "former US Army Captain and "embassy official" in Saigon during the Vietnam War"). (18)

Just as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has become a central tool for the promotion of political parties, labor unions, and media voices deemed acceptable by bipartisan foreign policymakers, the USIP, using the same rhetoric of "peace" and "democracy" and many of the same recycled defense intellectuals, seeks to control debate and decision-making on conflict resolution. Also like the NED, the USIP performs in public view some of the functions traditionally conducted by the CIA and perpetuates the trend toward public funding of policy-making elites not in any way accountable to taxpayers or voters. (Swans.com)

Hmm. Have a lookee at who's on the board of directors of the group.You'll find one Dr. Ikram U. Khan, a fellow appointed by one James Gibbons to be the Gube's adviser on heath care issues. (Source Watch)

Hey, Khan looks like a great doctor and is running the Three Square food bank. So, what's he doing hanging around with USIP? And is that what made him so endearing to ex-House Intelligence Committee Spook-watcher GIbbers?

Be sure to have a look at an old Z magazine piece "Operation Peace Institute" about the group. You'll be surprised how double-speaky that "peace" bit in the title really is.

Fiscal Laws Don't Apply in Gooberland

Let's see. What was I was reading in the daily fish-wrapper of record?

The median price continues to fall, down 30.8 percent from a year ago to $190,000 in October. (RJ)

That's the median price of houses. In Nevada. Which makes the ever-rising assessed value of the Reno Goobertorium all the more mysterious.

Unless maybe they've installed jewel encrusted toilets in the place.

Hey, look! A grown-up journalist actually looked up the record, too!  And upon asking out-going press sec. Ben Kieckhefer about the sale, learned:

he could not comment on Jim Gibbons' personal life and that the governor was vacationing out of state Wednesday and could not be reached for comment. (RGJ)

I see. Another vacation? Gotta get that work to leisure ratio down, I suppose, after taking a meeting or two with the those legislator folk who really run the state.

Except, is it a vacation? Elsewhere we hear that the Governor off to the GOP Gubefest and Palin Resurrection Party down in Florida. In fact, the headlines promise: "Gibbons To Attend Meeting To Discuss Future Of Republican Party." (KTNV) You know, almost as if someone down at the Gubefest would actually listen to him, and they weren't trying to cut him out of the picture. Read that KTNV story carefully and note that they don't use "popular" as an adjective for Nevada's Gube.

And why, oh, why did NPR leave Gibbons off the rising stars of the GOP list??

Unless--the Goober's meeting with the Moose to plot the Palin-Gibbons dream ticket for 2012?

Oh, look. While the Guv's down in Florida golfing with the Gubes, State finance boss Clinger was left with the task of asking heads of state agencies to take a whole week to come up with more budget cuts. (AP) Hey, I'm guessing there will be a lot of careful planning and deliberation during that whole week.

Did you ever notice that the Gibbons' administration looks a heck of a lot like that mercurial McCain campaign? You just never know what's going to happen next.

[UPDATE: Oh man, this is just too funny. Lt. Gube and fabled mismanager of public records Brian Krolicki is thinking of running against Harry Reid for Senate in 2010. Krolicki apparently still doesn't care about wasting money. (Sun,AP) Wow, I didn't think Krolicki could use the phrase "due diligence" without cracking everybody up.]

['NOTHER UPDATE: Heh.]

The Mystery of the Missing Gube

Okay. Look at that first picture from the Republican Governor's Association of Moose and the guys (and Lingel) from the Republican National Looserfest Convention.

Now, look at this picture from the AP of the same event.

So, tell me, did you notice anything missing in that first pic?

Me neither.

Humpday, Comments-Better-Than-the-Blog, Gubelets

• Mommy and Daddy Nevada are getting a divorce and selling the Reno house, press reports. Mommy's divorce lawyer says that the Elko cattle ranch, which never did get that tax break despite Daddy Nevada's best efforts, will probably be put up for sale, too. (Sun) Check out that first comment on the Sun story by somebody named Judy.
• VGO commenter looks up the assessor record for the GIbbers' Reno home and wonders why its value, unlike every other house in the state, went up. Um, maybe its historic nature has increased the value? You know, like the Depression elevated that of the Herbert Hoover house?
• Anybody else get the feeling that Jon Ralston will soon invest his vast media empire into a recall effort after failing to convince Jim Rogers to do it? Ralston seems to find Gibbers' backtracking on his "everything's on the table"--except pretty much everything--remark a bit duplicitous. (Sun) Hey, I think the revenue from the Anointed One might even finance a bumper sticker.
• What with the proposed tuition increase, the budget cuts, and the two Gube-appointed loony regents, there won't be any more political science perfessers left in Nevada to assign the book as a required text. So, maybe we should just forget about that bumper sticker, too.
• General John Abizaid came home to Nevada to run against Harry? Um...not if he keeps comparing Minden to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, he won't. Doesn't he know that politicians never tell the truth?

Gibbons Country: Reading That Book of Clichés

Somebody was talking about the Gibbons' book of clichés the other day, so I'd thought I'd give a little seminar on what those cute little gibberisms really mean.

And a bunch of folks have caught the Gube lying about his reason for giving his press secretary Keikhefer the boot. (VT&S) But, so what? Stinky McCoaltard's new sidekick sure is a cute little tyke, ain't he?

I'll leave it up to you to decide if he's dancing for joy or leaping in horror and alarm in that last pic.

Heck, I can't tell.

Click the pic for a close up.

Skip the Middle Man: Hire the 'Monger!

Now that the Governor has burned through his second press secretary in so many years fourth press secretary in half as many years, I think it's time that the Guv just get rid of the middle man. (Sun) Why hire up some fancy, dancy wordsmith when he could cut costs and get the same bang for the buck?

He should hire the 'Monger for PR.

Heck, he'd still be at the same position in the polls if'n he just let me do the posting for his administration. And the state site would have all sorts of colorful little pictures of Stinky McCoaltard all over it, too.

Well, I'll miss old Ben Kieckhefer. His was by far the best character in Gibbons' Country.

Man, it's almost like losing Opus.

Dang, I was so sure that Clinger would be taking the bullet for the latest round of gaffiness.

I guess the next order of business is to slap Uithoven out of his daze and crank up the re-elect the Goober campaign for the Deathrace 2010. (Sun)

And isn't there some county ordinance against feeding stray pundits? Coolican and Manning should be ashamed of themselves. Isn't there a new law that says you have to neuter 'em first? (Sun)

Nor'Town Fun with Search Engines

Okay, okay. I know most of you couldn't give a, um, fig about North Las Vegas. But if you ever wonder if elected officials worry about their Google rankings, you might find a post over on Nor'Town amusing.

Apocalypse Near

I'm almost sure this is one of the signs of the Apocalypse:

Gov. Jim Gibbons said today that “nothing is off the table” and that even tax increases might be required to deal with a growing state budget deficit.

and...

“We are going to have to look at some of our revenue (sources) and see if that is an option,” said Gibbons when questioned by reporters whether he would support tax increases. “I don’t want to raise taxes, as everybody knows. It would be a terrible thing in a time of recession.” (RJ)

It looks like the Gube has been researching those election returns, and doesn't like those two (three, if you count Carson City County) blue counties that gave Obama Nevada. I'm guessing he's decided that catering to  desiccated Tahoe elites is not the sure road to the Gube house it once was and is sprinting to the center.

Either that, or he's been in the sauce again.

Or he's setting up the ever gullible state Dems.

So, how far will the Gube go to win reelection? Crank up the gaming tax? Up them mining fees?

Reconcile with Dawn?

Post-Obamagasm Gubelets

• I think George Knappster misspelled my moniker. Anyways, George Knapp raises doubts about whether the FBI has really called off the eTreppid-related investigation of Gibbers, or at least doubts that they would tell anyone about it if they did. He cites the rather squirrelly sourcing of the story and the fact that the FBI doesn't inform potential perps about the status of investigations into their perpetrations. As for Gibbons' contention that the investigation was without ground:

Somehow, I doubt Justice and the FBI told Gibbons that he is "cleared of all wrongdoing" and that there was never a basis for an investigation to begin with. That sounds suspiciously like spin. The FBI spent two years looking into something that had no basis whatsoever? I doubt it. My own experience with federal agents is that they have too much to do to waste time on any investigation that is completely without foundation. (LVCityLife)

• Oh, and George, its Scandalmonger, not Rumormonger. Why would anyone want to monger a rumor?
• Teleconference day tomorrow! Gibbers will try to appear relevant to a legislature that can pretty much ignore him now. (RJ)
• Assembly Spokester and the Gube are trading love letters. Speaker Barbara Buckley apparently was upset that her proposal to double check to make sure our Insurance Overlords are paying their taxes interfered with the Governor's daily nap. (Sun) He replied that he was sorry, but he needs his beauty sleep cuz it's hard enough for an older guy to get a date without all those ugly work lines around the eyes. Or something like that. And then he said this: "It is imperative that each of us take a hard look at all ideas that will generate revenues to our state so we do not minimize public services [sic] that would impact the people of the State of Nevada." (Sun) Um. Does that mean the Gube would consider more DinaTaxes? No, I don't really believe that, either.
• Christmas is coming early this year! Speaker Barbara Buckley wants to hold three meetings of the Interim Finance Committee on December 8, 9, and the 15th to discuss the budget mess. Please tell me the Governor will be required to testify dressed as the Grinch. Oh, please, please, please, please, please.

Elect Gibbons, Or the Terrorists Win!

Just when you thought the loonies were on the run, Jim Gibbons opens his mouth and assures us that he'll be following the discredited Bush-Rove-Rush playbook of the past in the Deathrace 2010 Gubeathon.

Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons says more Democrats in office could affect the state's homeland security efforts. Gibbons says if funds are cut, it will hurt Nevada's efforts to stop a potential terrorist event. (KLAS)

Yep. He's said it. A  vote for Democrats is a vote for terrorism! Democrats are secretly in league with terrorists to destroy the nation!

And the only way to stop it is, like Sheldon Adelson, to cut a check for the reelect the goof fund.

Make no mistake about it. That's the whole point of the stupid tirades. To shake checks out of desiccated wingut Incline Village defense contractor/mining/casino fatcats. That's why he added the tacit threat:

The governor adds one terrorist incident anywhere in the state will affect the economy of the whole state, "The security of the state is affected by what we can and cannot do financially."

Yep. If you don't cut the Gube that check, the terrorist Democrats will blow up your mine/casino/defense contracting business and ruin Nevada's economy!

Um. Just like Gibbons did. But he didn't need terrorists to do it. Give him that much.

And you thought the last election season seemed to go on forever.

Come on Bob and Joe. You don't have anything better to do now. Take him out.

Let's see. I'm trying to remember some of the Goober's homeland security triumphs. Like pushing for an unnecessary third terrorism "fusion" center in Carson, when law enforcement was happy with two, one in Reno and one in Vegas. Don't forget Gibbons' first appointee to the Nevada homeland security job. He resigned in disgrace after misleading Nevada's congressional delegation about law enforcement wanting that Carson fusion center.

And what was it that happened to the guy that used to run the state public safety office? Oh, yeah, something about being fired because the Fallon office lost track of some guns and dope.

Then there was the primordial sin, or, rather, the late night first lie, of the Gibbons' administration. You remember. The bit about having to take the oath of office at midnight to protect Nevada from Islamofacists. Or at least from Kenny Guinn's appontees.

Man, Osama bin Laden couldn't have done a better job on Nevada.

Hey, folks. Time to catch up on your Gibstory.

The Final Adventure of Moose and Squirrel?

Is this the end of Moose and Squirrel? Not if a truly grotesque suggestion by the Gleaner comes true: Palin-Gibbons 2012!

The end of the 2008 election season means only one, thing, however. The start of the Deathrace 2010 Gubeathon. Somehow the Gube cajoled Sue Lowden to let him address the Republican loserfest gathering this evening, and the speech was all dull boilerplate soaked in pablum.

Today we learned that the Gibbers can't wait to be knocked out of the race in the Republican primary, and that Nor'Town's mayor is snooping around seeing if he can grub enough money to make a run at the Gube's seat. (Nor'Town)

A fitting beginning to the Deathrace 2010 Gubeathon.

Despite all the Democratic wins this evening, Nevada wouldn't be home if one loon in the sticks didn't win on a Gibbers' platform. (RGJ)

He's Not Quite Done

George Bush ain't quite done with us yet. He's planning on signing some last minute federal regulations, most of which are stinkers:

The new rules would be among the most controversial deregulatory steps of the Bush era and could be difficult for his successor to undo. Some would ease or lift constraints on private industry, including power plants, mines and farms.

Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking-water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining. (WaPo)

We don't need more of the McSame. Act like a grown up citizen in a democracy and vote for a change for the better.

Need  help getting ready for election day? Read Jimbo's list of e-day essentials.

Quite the Party Poop

So, Gibbons has one of the best days of his disastrous reign of terror--that's counting best days for him, natch--and what does he do with it? Channel  the ghost of the vindictive Richard Nixon in a paranoic tirade against all his enemies, real and imagined.

"In case you haven't noticed, there is a pattern of false accusations against me that become widely reported and are proven to be absolutely untrue." (RJ)

As many others have already noted, "proven" is a strong word, and "absolutely" is absolutely out of place. (VT&S) The decision by the department of justice to give up on chasing the Gube means his money-grubbing with wealthy defense contractors never quite reached the egregious levels of indictability. Or, rather, the DoJ couldn't muster the evidence to make the case in court.

Yes, we hear the false cries of "vindication, vindication" from the Gube. But we also hear the far uglier growls for revenge.

Asked if he would consider suing [Dennis] Montgomery now that the Justice Department and FBI have ended the investigation, Gibbons said: "You know, some days you're harmed and the doors to the courthouse should remain open. And let me say that my thoughts remain open." (AP)

But the Gube doesn't limit his Nixonian malice to Montgomery alone. It looks like he wants the Republican party to feel his vengeance for deserting him and spurning him during the election. He has chosen just about the worst moment for the McCain campaign to remind the electorate of his follies, and the money-grubbing that has helped precipitate the Republican party's fall from power.

What a grotesque way to show the McCain campaign what it really means to be raped by big Jim. (Gleaner,PolitikerNV)

Gibbons must have really taken to heart those words he spoke during the dark hours after the police interrogated him for that alleged involuntary nonspousal groping.

"Gosh I learned an important lesson, never to offer a helping hand to anybody ever again." (RJ)

Why lend them a helping hand when they really deserve a mailed fist in punishment for their real, or imaginary, persecutions of his oh so delicate, yet dull, self?

Gibbons has done tricky Dick proud this day.

During the next legislative session, the rest of us too will likely learn what it means to cross tricky Jim.

Well, It Doesn't Prove THAT

Gibbons' high powered attorney Abbe Lowell--who knew he was still working the case?--had this to say today:

“The people of Nevada should be proud to know that their governor is the hardworking, honest and ethical man they elected in the first place.” (AP)

Well, we already know he's not hard working, and he's not honest, and if you call alleged involuntary nonspousal gropin' "ethical", or kicking his wife out the door for no reason "ethical," or running the state into the ground all for the sake of a few votes in Incline Village, well, then by all means, call the Governor "ethical".

Anyways, Lowell is claiming that the FBI is dropping its investigation of the Goober for alleged bribe taking in the eTreppid scandal.

The Department of Justice has yet to make a statement but the AP reporter claims that "a law enforcement official" close to the case, speaking anonymously, has confirmed that the FBI will be dropping the investigation.

This does not mean, as Gibbons' pricey attorney claims, that Gibbons "did nothing wrong and there was no basis for any allegations against him." No, it means, if true, that the FBI couldn't get sufficient evidence against him, or that what Gibbons was doing is just Washington business as usual. It may be corrupt, evil, and a worse threat to our democracy than Al Qaeda, but most everybody is doing it, too.

What it does not change is that Gibbons was and remains the worst governor in the nation and that he should be removed from office at the first opportunity. It also doesn't change the fact that Gibbons thought nothing of taking cruises and gifts from fatcats who were using him to get access to your money.

Bear in mind, too, that Gibbons was pulling the money out of the secret appropriations for the spookier parts of our government. A number of his buddies, and the contractors they fed off of, are either in jail or facing charges for abusing those funds. Congress decided as soon as the Republicans lost their majority that that particular practice was unacceptable and made such appropriations more public.

So, Congress has determined that what Gibbons was doing was slimy, but it's just, apparently, not indictable.

It just won't be the FBI the gets rid of the governor, if what Lowell claims is true. It will have to be the folks that should have gotten rid of him long ago.

It's up to you.

Good thing the election will save us from paying any attention to the gloatfest that our desparate goober will no doubt indulge himself in the next few days. Take some consolation in that. And in the fact that the Reagan-Bush-Gingrich-Bush nightmare, of which Gibbers was such a willing part, will soon be part of past.

It's just too bad that we'll be left to clean up their nasty mess.

[UPDATE: NYT sez Lowell sez the Gube was interviewed by the FBI.]

If You're Not Gary Gray, You've Got the Wrong Job

Boy howdy, I know I've got the wrong job.

I was looking through County Commissioner Tom Collins' finance reports and I found out how much political consultant Gary Gray made off of the, um, "race" for district B.

13-Feb-08    Gray & Assoc   $8,626.29       1   
14-Feb-08    Gray & Assoc    $50,000.00    1   
17-Jul-08     Gray & Assoc    $5,733.00      2   
07-Aug-08    Gray & Assoc    $27,896.62    2   
19-Aug-08    Gray & Assoc    $47,578.85    2   
17-Sep-08    Gray & Assoc    $50,000.00    2   
15-Oct-08    Gray & Assoc    $50,000.00    2   

                               Total: $239,834.76

That's for only one campaign. Suppose Gray has four more going? Why, Gray's inching towards that 5 percent that will have to pay more taxes under Obama!

Well, I suppose he's worth it. Gray knows how to scrounge up a couple hundred grand for the price of one signature. (Sun)

And Casino magnates love Tom, too. Lookee here:

09-Jun-07    LV Sands    $1,000.00    a
16-Jun-08    LV Sands    $5,000.00    1
14-Nov-07    Venetian Casino    $5,000.00    a
21-Oct-07    Palms Casino    $10,000.00    a
02-Nov-07    Boyd Gaming    $10,000.00    a
14-Nov-07    Boulder Station    $5,000.00    a
14-Nov-07    Station Casinos    $5,000.00    a
03-Jun-08    Station Casinos Corporate    $5,000.00    1
04-Dec-07    Santa Fe Station    $5,000.00    a
04-Dec-07    Texas Station    $5,000.00    a
14-Nov-07    Harrah's Operating Co.    $10,000.00    a
28-Nov-07    Wynn Las Vegas    $5,000.00    a
28-Nov-07    Wynn Resorts    $5,000.00    a
09-Apr-08    Wynn Las Vegas    $5,000.00    1
14-Dec-07    Riviera Hotel    $3,000.00    a
23-Apr-08    Riviera Hotel    $2,500.00    1
27-Dec-07    Bellagio    $10,000.00    a
27-Dec-07    MGM Mirage    $10,000.00    a
17-Apr-08    Mirage    $10,000.00    1
17-Apr-08    MGM Grand    $10,000.00    1
05-May-08    South Point Hotel    $5,000.00    1
02-Oct-08    South Point Hotel    $5,000.00    2
31-Jul-08    Fontainebleau Resorts    $10,000.00    1
29-Sep-08    Gold Coast Hotel    $5,000.00    2
29-Sep-08    Orleans Hotel & Casino    $5,000.00    2

                                              Total $156,500.00

Well, how else is he supposed to pay for Gray??? Oh, and if you're confused because you're thinking, hey, isn't there a $10,000 max per election cycle for contributions? $5,000 for the primary and $5,000 for the general?

Ha.

Ha ha ha, sucker. That only applies to mere mortals, not to megacorporations with scores of corporate fronts and limited liability corporations to hide behind. So, how many Station Casinos does it take to buy an election? And is it the MGM, the Mirage, or the MGM-Mirage? Who knows?

And if the money comes in during the last week of 2007, it doesn't count for the 2008 election cycle!

Hey, Nevada! Campaign finance laws are just our politicians' homey little way of lifting up the middle finger and sayin': F--- you, slack-jawed rubes!

Hey, anybody seen that database driven, super terrific, searchable web app for campaign finances over on Ross Millers' pathetic site yet? Me neither.

Oh, the little "1" and "2" at the end of a line refers to the first and second campaign and expense report over at the shitty clark county campaign site. The little "a" stands for the annual report for 2007.

As for the "race" in quotation marks for Commission B, Collins showed how seriously he took his opponent by doling out tens of thousands of dollars to other candidates' funds. Boy Scouts and other charities did okay, too.

Of course, who can blame him? The local MSM seems to be unaware that the seat is up for election this year.

Where would incumbents be if the local press didn't help them out that way?

Hallonevadadayween Gubelets

• Gube makes number one in Sun's scariest Nevada stuff, and that's counting all the scary crap in Hammargren's house. (Sun)
• What has he done to Dawn?!? Contrary to earlier reports, Gibbons will not be handing out tasty treats to the children of suck-ups visiting the manse for Hallonevadadayween this year. Hmm. I'd say the Governor did it in the dining room with the lead pipe, wouldn't you? (Sun)
• Gibbons snubbed by Moose's parents. Palin's handlers denied that Gibbons would be handing out candy with Sarah Palin's parents this Hallonevadadayween. See? The McCain campaign isn't completely screwed up. (Sun)
• Gibbons, out of ideas besides "no new taxes" to handle the budget crisis, digs deep into his Reaganaut-Newt Gingrich contract-on-for-America roots and starts begging Washington to use some of their tax money to bail him out. (KRNV)
• In itself perhaps not a bad idea, the Gube follows grown-up governors in suggesting feds hand bailout money over to states for distribution. (Sun) However, I think we all know the major impediment to that idea in Nevada, don't we? I'd feel more comfortable handing a bazooka over to a moose hunter on crack.
• Lawyers for farmers want the Gube to take a more active role in drafting the Environmental Impact Statement for Walker Lake. (RGJ) Good luck with that. The Governor is busy trying to keep the Nevada Sage Grouse off of the endangered species list while contending he wants to preserve the bird. (Gube) You'd have to be a two-headed mutant hatchling to figure that one out.

Hey, Don't Say That Out Loud!

The McCain campaign has apparently called Elko a "dried up fishing hole." (CW)

Well, duh. But polite people don't say it out loud. That's so rude.

Getting Bluer

Over at electoral-vote.com, Nevada just went a little bluer thanks to some recent polls showing Obama might actually win the Silver State.

There's nothing to take for granted, of course, what with ex-Gube employees murmuring about Repuklican get out the vote efforts.

GOP political consultant Robert [Bob] Uithoven, who’s representing both the Beers and Heck campaigns, said that at this stage “it’s all about turnout ... It’s a lot of knocking on doors and phone calls. Thousands a day.” (Sun)

And despite all their whimpering just because they actually had to campaign this time around instead of just sitting on their rumps using Adelson's cash to send out attack mailers, Bob Beers and Joe Heck still lead in campaign contributions. (RJ)

So, get out and vote early and often. Oh, okay, Just vote.

Oh, yeah, there's this, too:

Change We Need Rally
with Barack Obama

Coronado High School
Football Field
1001 Coronado Drive
Henderson, NV 89052

Saturday, November 1st
Doors Open: 7:00 a.m.

Parking is limited. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. Shuttle service will begin at 6:00 a.m. and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Return shuttle service will run until 12:00 p.m. Free shuttle service will be available from the following locations:

Silverado High School
1650 Silver Hawk Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89123

Liberty High School
3700 Liberty Heights Avenue
Henderson, NV 89052

For security reasons do not bring bags and umbrellas, and limit personal items. No signs or banners permitted.

Humpday Bogart Booblets

• Shocking news! Assembly spokestress easily outmaneuvers Gube by taking over the budget issue. (KLAS,Sun,AP) Gube reportedly heard screeching "no more Dinataxus!!!" in the backrooms of the manse while playing with some ball bearings. Okay, I made that last part up.
• Let's see. 150 prominent Nevadans, a "who's who of Southern Nevada" meetin' at UNLV, and wait! There's someone missing. Can't quite figure out who it is, though. (Sun)
• Oh, silly old Nevada. Just when we learn that even George Bush is all for nationalizing stuff, we're still privatizing stuff. (RJ)  It's like Jimmy Carter's in charge. Or Ronnie Raygun. Or Captain Queeg.
• Proof that you don't have to be smart to be a multi-bazillionaire casino owner. (VT&S)
• And if you're 401k ain't enough reason to jump out a window, how about listening to geezers recounting stories about how great the first Great Depression was? (RJ) If you don't know what the second Great Depression is, just ask Sheldon. Man, who's gonna pay Bob Beers' bills if Sheldon goes belly up?
• And it looks like they probably have only one worker and the slowest, cheapest scanner going over at the county, cuz those campaign finance reports aren't showing up very fast over at their shitty campaign site. You know, if a fellow can't even get the campaign reports up in his own jurisdiction, then he probably shouldn't be governor.