News on Las Vegas

Is GOP missing chance to grow?

2011-11-23T02:31:09Z

Rick Perry, the immigration moderate, is sinking in the Republican presidential polls. GOP Sen. Dean Heller is ditching scheduled campaign appearances at Latin Chamber of Commerce meetings. And even conservatives in the Hispanic community are gaga for Democratic congressional candidate Ruben Kihuen.

So as Latino Republican leaders in Dina Titus helping Las Vegas residents and homeowners in getting the mortgage companies to negotiate. Among other things, Dina has experience in Washingtion. Then again, having experience in Was...

Obama hoping jobs bill gets Nevada support

2011-10-27T02:30:51Z

When President Barack Obama visits Las Vegas today, he'll speak to would-be voters about his No. 1 legislative priority: his jobs bill.

It's a proposal the president has been trying to sell voters since early September, when he laid out to Congress his $447 billion plan to invest in infrastructure. But his message has changed since then.

Obama ha...

Pens, podiums and parity at candidates' debate

2011-10-19T08:32:00Z

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Participants in Tuesday's Republican presidential debate will take part in a classic American political ritual, where the questions are closely vetted for fairness and even the pens and bottled water are regulated.

Good debate performances can boost or break a candidate's UNLV stadium could be built without raising taxes: The public-private partners behind a proposed on-campus stadium at UNLV say they are developing a plan to build it without raising taxes.

2. Paving project brings I-15 traffic to standstill. It's too early to know how bad the traffic problems are going to be for the next six weeks.

3. Tough Tea Party crowd...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

2011-08-24T02:31:20Z

Bachmann can't beat Obama

Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann is being heralded by supporters as the savior of the United States. They feel she alone must dethrone President Barack Obama, making him a "one-term president," as she repeatedly says.

Being backed by ...

Democrats may have too many candidates for their own good

2011-07-12T02:30:30Z

Sen. Harry Reid's Democratic Party has done a remarkable job preventing contentious primaries over the past few elections. The reasoning: Infighting requires campaign spending on something other than defeating Republicans and leaves internal rifts.So the congressional campaign outlook for 2012 presents an interesting math problem: For the three seats ...

Unique style will help Berkley adjust to new Congress

2010-12-15T02:32:57Z

Democrat crosses party lines with ease, engages the power brokers on her big issues

WASHINGTON - Last week, Democrats in the House banded together to send a message to the president: We don't want your tax bill.

The nonbinding vote they took was almost unanimous; in fact just one outspoken congresswoman decided to voice her disapproval of the measure with a loud "No."

"Yeah, it was me,"

2010-11-25T02:31:22Z

On "Report: Las Vegas tops list of worst cities to find a job"

from LVLawDog:

"It's never too late. I have a friend who made a small fortune in construction. This guy is in his upper 40s. When the recession hit, he got wiped out. Rather than sit around and whine about how Harry Reid was not giving him a job, he finished his degree and is now in PA school. He'll be done in...

THE RUNDOWN

2010-11-10T02:31:06Z

Reid mulls ÔDon't Ask' repeal, but needs help

Harry Reid has come under fire for hedging his plans on a potential second swipe at repealing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy — a possibility that's now looking less likely.

In an afternoon tweet Monday, Reid ch...

Presidential Surrogates Present Health Plans at Hospital Conference

2010-11-29T14:57:51Z

...

VOTERS: A VIEW FROM THE STREET Microcosms of Nevada neighborhoods reveal hopes, frustrations of the electorate Online For additionalcoverage of Nevada politics and the Senate race, including photo galleries, go to lasvegassun.com/politics.

2010-11-02T02:32:27Z

Microcosms of Nevada neighborhoods reveal hopes, frustrations of the electorate

The TV ads have almost run their course. The campaign rallies are coming to a close. Soon, the national media will forget, once again, how to pronounce Nevada.
Forty-eight hours until Election Day and the persuasion game in the most-watc...

THE SUN 'S MOST READ STORIES*

2010-11-02T02:32:20Z

1. Why a vote for Angle could steer Senate to the left. Conservatives ' effort to oust Reid might result in more liberal action on weighty Nevada issues.

2. Bail set for man, woman arrested in Orleans stabbing, robbery. The victim was allegedly attacked from behind while entering a van at

9 a.m. Monday, according to a police report.

3. Cosmopolitan chief reveals more details about new resort. The amenities g...

Party brings in its ace, Obama

2010-10-23T02:30:27Z

President's other campaign stops spark early voting surges

President Barack Obama will speak today to a crowd at a Las Vegas middle school. Recent Obama rallies in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio boosted Democratic enthusiasm there, especia...

Danny Tarkanian looks like another Harry Reid up close

2010-11-03T03:16:47Z

...

Obama, what happens in Vegas stay's in Vegas

2010-11-03T03:12:03Z

...

Singer Sara Bareilles to open for Obama in Vegas

2010-10-19T22:43:32Z

Pop singer Sara Bareilles to open for President Barack Obama at Las Vegas Democratic rally

Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, singer of the pop hit "Love Song," will open for President Barack Obama at ...

Reid, Angle fans tussle at Nevada rally

2010-10-13T17:30:49Z

Supporters of Democrat Harry Reid, Republican Sharron Angle tussle in second voter brawl

Las Vegas police say two men were issued summonses for disorderly conduct after a Sharron Angle fan dressed in a sheep costume taunted a Harry Reid supporter at a Nevada.

I can't tell you how many years - and more so this year than ever - I have heard the cries of so-called conservatives throughout this state against our federal government taking taxes from Nevada and redistributing them across this great country, sending some but not all of them back to Nevada.

Forget why this happens - that is a long conversation about the ...

Diverse district key in big races By the numbers 172,677 of voters are registered Democrats 147,383 are Republican 64,447 are nonpartisan 16,456 are Independent American 2,221 are Libertarian 898 are Green Total: 404,082 Source: Nevada secretary of state

2010-09-08T02:10:41Z

One of the most closely contested congressional races in the nation is playing out across a swath of Southern Nevada's desert, encompassing sparkling suburbs and Old West hamlets.

The stakes are high: The political party that wins the 3rd Congressional District will likely take the U.S. House and Senate seats. Likewise, it is ground ze...

Nevada GOP candidate faces copyright lawsuit

2010-09-12T01:20:05Z

...

Obama plans economy speech during 2-day Vegas trip

2010-07-06T15:45:21Z

Obama schedules 2nd day, adds economy speech at UNLV to Las Vegas trip to stump for Harry Reid

The White House says President Barack Obama has added a secon...

THE SUNÕS MOST READ STORIES*

2010-06-11T02:15:39Z

1.Henderson Police: 6 officers fired shots, killing armed woman. Suspects stole a car and had pointed a handgun at residents in area.

2. Sharron Angle wins; Harry Reid gets race he wanted. Senior senator has shaped Nevada politics to slate a ra...

Democrats toil to keep their Senate majority

2010-06-12T08:08:56Z

Nevada Senate Democrats are fighting to hold their slim majority.In the 2008 Democratic wave, the party captured two seats from Republicans, giving it a 12-9 majority and control of the state Senate for the first time in 18 years.

But this year isnÕt shaping up to be friendly to Democrats or incumbents.

The caucus, however, has carefully recruited candidates to run for open seats and in competi...

with jon Ralston

2010-06-12T08:08:38Z

Whose ÔpollingÕ says what?

How do you know when a campaign is grasping at straws? When it releases unscientific polls showing their candidates doing well — results that contradict more scientific results. Two examples from last week: Danny Tarkanian, who has been left behind (or so it seems) by the Sharron Angle-John Ensign.Ensign has damaged his party at home and in Washington with his extramarital affair and his subsequent efforts to land jobs for the womanÕs husband, Doug Hampton, who was his former frie...

Lawyers for ethics committee in Vegas about Ensign

2010-05-06T19:15:45Z

Attorneys for Senate ethics committee in Las Vegas to question executives about Ensign

Attorneys for the Senate Ethics Committee were in Las Vegas questioning executives from Nevada companies and others about U.S. Se...

Palin to tea party rally: Don't sit down, shut up

2010-06-26T03:25:21Z

Palin pumps up tea party activists in dusty Nevada desert hometown of Democrat Harry Reid

Sarah Palin told thousands of tea party activists assembled in the dusty Nevada desert Saturday that Sen. Harry Reid will have to explain his votes when he comes back to his hometown to campaign.

The wind whipped

Nevada tea party candidate facing felony charges

2010-03-29T05:45:19Z

Tea Party of Nevada candidate hit with felony bad check charges, also facing home foreclosure

A Nevada asphalt contractor who faces a legal challenge to his Tea Party of Nevada candidacy for U.S. Senate was hit Friday with felony theft an...

Different routes, leading to the same ÔayeÕ

2010-06-26T03:19:36Z

Washington

In the end, there was really no other choice for NevadaÕs two House Democrats than to vote yes on the health care bill.

Reps. Shelley Berkley and Dina Titus withheld their support for todayÕs scheduled vote until the last minute, playing out a story line whose end was clearly in sight.

But drama ensued as the political powers in Federal grand jury subpoenas GOP senatorial committee, companies in Sen. Ensign probe

A federal grand jury has issued subpoenas to a Republican campaign committee and companies in Nevada in a probe of Sen. John Ensign, who has been under scrutiny for his efforts to find lobbying work for the hus...

CULTIVATING CONSERVATIVES

2010-06-12T08:45:15Z

gop candidates seek embrace of small-town nevada by touting their IDEOLOGICAL zeal, bashing harry reid

Battle Mountain

Carolyn Mering cant believe the news: Harry Reid is coming to town.

At least thats what the local airport operator told her a minute ago, calling to organize the opposite of a welcoming party. See, the Senate majority le...

A Vegas-style gamble on ObamaÕs agenda

2010-06-25T21:15:05Z

Democrats, facing tough midterm elections, know passing key legislation may be their only ticket to re-election in November

WASHINGTON The political strategy in Washington these days is a familiar one to Las Vegas. It amounts to going for broke. All in.

After a year of impasse on key legislation and sobering results in recent special elections, o...

'I love Vegas' : Obama contrite after Sin City jab

2010-04-16T07:02:16Z

&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;US President Barack Obama on Friday declared "I love Vegas" in a bid to ease a row which flared when he warned people not to blow their savings in the gambling paradise.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Obama addressed the controversy at the start of a speech to the Las Vegas chamber of commerce at the plush Aria Resort Cas...

Obama aligns himself with Bennet, attacks gridlock

2010-06-25T18:33:33Z

Obama aligns himself with Bennet, calls for tackling real problems despite Washington politics

President Barack Obama rallied behind Colorado's junior senator and his entire reeling party Thursday, portraying Democrats as the le...

Obama responds to ire over 2nd anti-Vegas remark

2010-06-25T18:40:40Z

Obama tells Sen. Harry Reid he wasn't saying anything negative about Las Vegas

President Barack Obama is known for having a way with words, but some lawmakers from Nevada wish he would pipe down about trips to Sin City. After sparking a firestorm of criticism from N...

The Tea PartyÕs (old) paranoia

2010-06-12T09:32:26Z

TodayÕs fervent ideological movement has roots in post-World War II right

The federal government, under the guise of helping the mentally ill, is establishing a concentration camp in Alaska to house political opponents a new step on the path toward totalitarianism.

Dan Smoot and other historical footnotes made the allegation in 1956, and it briefly became an obsessive cause of the right-wing grass roots, with eac...

Democrats groom future leaders

2010-06-25T19:26:57Z

State party aims to build on 2008 momentum, give Horsford some help

As a rough political season approaches, Nevada Democrats long for the days of 2008.

Back then a tanking economy, anti-incumbent sentiment and the muscular campaign of Sen. Barack Obama combined to create the perfect storm, lifting two political neophytes to victory and giving CityCenter unveils Crystals retail district. High-end mall is the

second of three CityCenter

components opening this week.

2. Learn and win: No. 24 UNLV gutsy in 74-72 victory at Arizona Rebels try to stay undefeated on the road against

Jon Ralston on the unintentional comedic stylings of John Ensign

2010-06-12T08:05:40Z

John EnsignÕs future in the United States Senate may be limited, but his future as a stand-up comedian is assured.

During the few minutes Monday that KXNT radio host Alan Stock allowed the scandalized senator to present unchallenged talking points on his scandal while scandalously not asking important questions about payoffs and potential lawbreaking, Ensign still managed to c...

Jon Ralston on why having 10 candidates doesnÕt help GOP

2010-06-25T19:40:35Z

There was this moment during the first forum of the 2010 U.S. Senate race Thursday that encapsulates the Republican PartyÕs problem and could undermine its unprecedented opportunity to excise the Senate majority leader from the D.C. landscape:

Nine — count Õem — GOP Senate candidates lined up together (No.Ê10, the recently announced Chuck Flume, was not there) and smiled for a group photo at the event sponso...

Jon Ralson says a GOP in disarray wonÕt assure Dems an easy ride here in 2010

2010-06-12T08:05:48Z

By now, the instant post-mortems on Election 2009 results will have been written, either overstating (most likely) or understating their significance for Campaign 2010.

Such is the standard day-after fare. But the relevant question is: What does all of this mean, if anything, for Nevada, where the stateÕs two most important races could be affected by how a restive GOP<...

Nothing funny about it

2010-06-12T08:05:51Z

Republican laughter about ReidÕs bomb scare shows despicable lack of judgment

Metro Police determined in JulyÊ1981 that Harry Reid was the victim of an attempted homicide after bomb squad investigators found a wire that ran from the distributor of his Oldsmobile station wagon to its fuel tank. Having just served as chairman of the

Jon Ralston weighs the pros and cons of giving every candidate his chance to speak

2010-04-16T09:40:08Z

Just because you announce your candidacy for a serious office doesnÕt mean you should be taken seriously.

But if you are part of a serious (we hope) television program, how do you separate the serious from the unserious?

ThatÕs the conundrum confronting the ÒFace to FaceÓ team as the silly season already has reached an unusual intensity with more than a year to go and so many folks seem primed to take advantage of what they see as a toxic Campaign 2010 for incumbents, most o...

Jon Ralston on why Ensign might not have ally in minority leader

2010-06-12T08:06:05Z

Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky senator, could take it no more.

Even though the senator embroiled in the scandal was of McConnellÕs own party, his conduct toward a female staffer and his subsequent behavior had become Òoffensive and degrading,Ó and potentially illegal. The senator had to go, even though the After being fired in what was widely regarded as a political move, Daniel Bogden will soon return to Las Vegas as U.S. attorney

Reno

Soon after the presidential election in November, Daniel Bogden was attending a settlement conference at the U.S. courthouse here in a complex contractual case. A civil attorney with one of Renos leading firms, he had st...

US attorney ousted in 2006 returning to Nevada job

2010-04-16T10:07:03Z

US attorney ousted with 8 others in 2006 says he's glad to return to Nevada job

Daniel Bogden never really got a good answer why President George W. Bush fired him from his post as U.S. attorney for Nevada in 2006. But it doesn't matter to Bogden a...

Early endorsement draws grumbles

2010-06-25T20:35:00Z

Senate Democratic Caucus takes a money-saving step to avoid primary spending

CARSON CITY — In early August, with Election Day still 15 months away, the Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus announced it will back Harry Reid Death Watch occurring within a few hours. The election seems a fortnight away, not 417 days. If itÕs this intense now, I canÕt imagine what it will be like next year. To wit:

¥ NRSC Frothing, Part 1: This was ...

A do-over for Ensign, tourism bill

2010-06-25T20:44:04Z

Nevadan shares in passage of bill that would boost promotion of travel to U.S.

WASHINGTON Crisis managers have said the best way Republican Sen. John Ensign could rehabilitate his image after disclosing his affair with a former staff member would be to bury himself in his work.

Ensign should not be seen or heard much, they said, unless he is showing that he is working hard for his home state.

The ...

Jon Ralston puzzles over an unlikely GOP challenge to Sen. Reid

2010-06-12T08:06:12Z

Of all the entrants in the Retire Harry Reid Sweepstakes, state Sen. Mark Amodei is the most puzzling, even confounding candidate.

Amodei today will announce his participation in a GOP primary that is as bizarre as it is colorful, as totally unexpected as it is potentially damaging — to the Rep...

Jon Ralston on political maneuvering for 2010 elections

2010-06-12T08:06:20Z

Emptying the reporterÕs notebook with reckless, idle and remotely fact-based speculation:

¥ÊAnointment brings disappointment? News this week that County Commission Chairman Rory Reid has won the endorsement of the local machinists union continues a gubernatorial anointment drumbeat.

ÒThe last few years under Jim Gibbons have been devastating for working families in

Jon Ralston on why Reid has nothing to worry about, except .. .HEAD:

2010-06-12T08:06:24Z

On Friday morning The Washington PostÕs Chris Cillizza, who helps set the Beltway conventional wisdom, took Harry Reid out of his top 10 list of most vulnerable senators.

Cillizza sees with his D.C. telescope what Nevada insiders see with their naked eyes: The Senate majority leader has no formidable opponent, he is on track to...

Another Gibbons tirade

2010-04-16T11:07:17Z

Governor shows ignorance by renewing criticism of the Obama administration

Gov. Jim Gibbons let Nevadans know Wednesday that he is Òoutraged.Ó No, it is not the anger that his constituents are feeling about state budget cuts in education and social services or their frustration over his inability to display even a hint of leadership.

Gibbons has his...

Nevada, Florida officials protest US `blacklist'

2010-06-25T21:20:45Z

Nevada, Florida officials protest resorts' reported inclusion on US conference `blacklist'

Gov. Jim Gibbons says he's angered by a report that some federal agencies have put Nevada and other tourism-dependent locations on a "blacklist" when deciding where to hold co...

Nev., Fla. officials protest federal `blacklist'

2010-06-25T21:21:30Z

Nev., Fla. officials protest resorts' reported inclusion on federal conference `blacklist'

Politicians from Nevada and Florida expressed outrage Thursday at a report that some federal agencies have put the two tourist hotspots in the states on a "blacklist" when deciding where to hold conferences or meetings.

A Federal Election Commission

filing this week containing

contribution information

2.7%

NevadaÕs share of donations

to the PAC

$6,250

Amount from contributors living in

WASHINGTON The letter begins: My wife and I are frustrated, as are many people in Las Vegas who are looking at losing their homes.

We have gone through two companies, the husbands note to the Sun continues, at a cost of $2,500 each, with no help from the lenders. We are at a loss ... and we can afford this home with some help!

The complaint is a familiar one. Home...

Titus presses administration to act fast on highway spending

2010-04-16T11:43:54Z

Washington

Democratic Rep. Dina Titus has urged the transportation secretary to help speed along stimulus spending in Nevada, where no highway project is yet under way.

The issue is important to TitusÕ Southern Nevada district. Unemployment is at 10.4 percent in the Las Vegas area. Highway spending

means jobs.

But her ...

Sen. Ensign's admission blurs conservative image

2010-04-16T11:45:53Z

Sen. Ensign's affair admission blurs image of up-and-coming, confident Christian conservative

For much of his public career, Sen. John Ensign has appeared a model of the religious right. By this week, he had become just another politician diminished by scandal. Rattled, humbled and alone at the podium, Ensign acknowledged to reporters an extramarital affair, the sort of moral failing he's criticized in the past...

ÔMighty expensive dinosaurÕ

2010-06-25T21:59:04Z

Some members of Congress may not like it, but nuclear dump plan in Nevada deserves to be killed

Some of the folks in the House of Representatives who are responsible for overseeing how much money is spent on the Yucca Mountain project are none too happy with President

Yet another embarrassment

2010-06-15T09:43:04Z

Gov. Jim Gibbons continues to add to his legacy as a laughingstock

Gov. Jim Gibbons, in a desperate attempt to divert attention from his own failed leadership, engaged in petulant theatrics by first demanding an audience with President Barack Obama in Las Vegas and then declining the presidentÕs offer to m...

Mr. President, thank you for coming to Vegas

2010-06-25T22:05:54Z

Now, hereÕs how you and Sen. Reid can help us achieve a bright future

Welcome to Las Vegas, Mr. President.

President Barack Obama will do today what millions and millions of Americans and others do every year. In that regard, the president of the United States will be just like the 40-plus millio...

Obama raises money for Democrats out West

2010-04-16T12:06:30Z

From high court to raw politics: Obama raises money for fellow Democrats

Hours after exercising a cherished presidential right Tuesday — naming a Supreme Court nominee — Barack Obama engaged in one of the office's grubbier traditions: raising money for an embattled lawmaker.

The president launched a two-day, three-stop Western trip that...

Obama calls Supreme Court nominee 'brilliant'

2010-06-25T22:10:44Z

Obama praises Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor as 'brilliant individual'

President Barack Obama is singing the praises of his Supreme Court nominee.

Speaking at a fundraiser tonight in Las Vegas, Obama described federal appeals judge Carson City to another engine that has run off the tracks: The Republican Party’s effort to end the career of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The most damaging line to the GOP about Reid’s 2010 prospects came not fro...

Feel-good lawmaking: Credit card reform

2010-06-25T22:19:00Z

Banks would disagree, but consumers — and both parties — are onboard

WASHINGTON — Congress is hoping to do for credit card borrowers this week what it could not accomplish for homeowners: Sock it to the banks that have become targets of so much populist anger about the nation’s sorry state of financial affairs.

Proposal to change the way we elect presidents would hurt small states

When this nation’s Founding Fathers established our federal government, one of the things they wanted to avoid was more populous states using their clout to trample the interests of smaller ones.

One way they did this was by creating the Electoral College, which ensured that voices of small states wouldn’t be taken for granted in the election of the president.

There is a nationwide...

Foreclosure option on rocky turf in Senate

2010-06-16T10:43:05Z

Bankruptcy court provision in Obama’s plan would let judges mandate loan rewrites

WASHINGTON — Legislation that could provide a last-ditch option for Nevada homeowners facing foreclosure has passed the House but is facing a tougher time in the Senate.

The bill, an element of Preside...

Jon Ralston on how political posturing masquerades as outrage

2010-06-26T02:00:39Z

Whenever I hear that politicians are, in their words, “outraged,” I figure they have been refused a dinner reservation, portrayed as less than godlike in the media or snubbed by a campaign contributor. That is, I don’t take it too seriously.

That’s the main reason I find it hard to simply soak in the geyser of outrage springing up on Capitol Hill over those After stories, editorials, safety on Strip improved

The Las Vegas Sun has won the 2009 Roy W. Howard public service reporting award for stories and editorials that led to sweeping safety improvements at Las Vegas Strip construction sites following a string of worker deaths.

The award was ...

Housing aid Bush stopped may return

2010-06-16T11:02:06Z

U.S. House bill would revive down payment assistance programs

Boosters of down payment assistance programs that had benefited poorer homebuyers before they were abolished by the Bush administration are lobbying for their revival, saying they could help rejuvenate the distressed housing market.

Since 1997, the programs have produced more than $2.36 billion in home sales...

The hum of the Republican machine

2010-06-26T00:13:20Z

In nearly unanimous opposition to stimulus, a way back to prominence?

WASHINGTON — Just steps from the Capitol complex’s House office buildings stands the grand Republican Party headquarters, a stately structure bathed in clean white that anchors a prominent corner in the circa-1880 neighborhood.

The Democra...

Jon Ralston finds similarities between budget battles near, far

2010-06-12T08:06:56Z

If the Beltway progression is any indication of the post-partisan era and if what happens in D.C. doesn’t stay in D.C., the lessons of the ongoing stimulus fight have ominous implications for the state capital budget battle to come.

The parallels are clear, as are the echoes from the The Great Tax Debate of 2003 in Carson City. It’s not just deja vu all over again; it’s more like Vegas mayor tells Obama he's harming city with comments critical of companies' events there

The mayor of Las Vegas told President Barack Obama in a letter that his criticism of companies using taxpayer money to visit Sin City is harmful to the tourist-dependent destination.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar...

SHORT STACK

2010-04-16T15:23:47Z

Reid, Ensign heart each other

That Nevada’s U.S. senators, Harry Reid and John Ensign, refrain from criticizing each other in public is known — it’s part of their nonaggression pact.

But did anyone ever peg them to be soul mates?

Apparently Reid thinks so, as he ex...

Energy in the valley

2010-10-13T14:04:33Z

Obama supporters turn out to show that voting was just the beginning

Two weeks ago David Plouffe, who managed Barack Obama’s campaign, e-mailed supporters of the president-elect and asked them to organize or participate in local meetings the weekend of Dec. 13 and 14.

The request followed through on a key Obama goal, that those who or...

Worker safety eroded during the Bush years

2010-10-27T14:24:41Z

Bush administration has stripped workers of basic protections and slowed OSHA

After President George W. Bush took office, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration quickly felt the effects of the administration’s anti-government bent.

In its first two years, the Bush administration pulled 22 items off the agen...

WHY SHOULD NEVADA CARE ABOUT THE AUTOMAKERS?

2010-10-22T11:17:57Z

As a precondition of $25 billion in aid, Democrats demanded a recovery plan from the Big Three. “The sad reality is that no one has come up with a plan that can be passed by the House and Senate.” Fewer visitors are coming to Vegas. If more people lose jobs, tourism numbers could keep dropping.

WASHINGTON &...

Jon Ralston ponders the future of state politics as Democrats inch closer to control of Carson City

2010-06-26T00:21:14Z

Can a political tsunami become a policy wave?

That is the question analysts across the country are asking about President-elect Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders as they look at the hammerlock the party has on the federal government. As conservatives rationalize and fulminate, or try to spin the devastation as a chance to rebuild and become stronger, the Obama-Pelosi-Reid government will try to solve the metas...

Jon Ralston finds the silliness season has started early this year

2010-10-22T09:29:50Z

In campaigns, the line between the overused and rendered-meaningless phrase “negative campaigning” and legitimate criticism of records or statements is as thin as Sarah Palin’s resume to be vice president or Barack Obama’s curriculum vitae to be president.

So as the biennial, obnoxious whine begins, starting at the top of the ticket,...

McCain cannot relate to today’s veterans

2010-04-16T14:55:15Z

McCain cannot relate to today’s veterans

Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s address to the Disabled American Veterans Convention at Bally’s on Aug. 9 evidently was not very well-received.

I am a 30-year Navy vet who did not attend the function because I am fortunate not to have been disabled as were so man...

Michelle Obama aims past crowd, to undecideds

2010-04-16T14:57:48Z

ONLINE: MORE PICTURES OF JOHN McCAIN, SARAH PALIN AND MICHELLE OBAMA FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AT WWW.LASVEGASSUN.COM.

Michelle Obama showed up at an outdoor rally in North Las Vegas on Monday and found the party had begun without her.

Barbecue was s...

McCain’s empty campaign

2010-04-16T14:59:10Z

Republican presidential candidate has failed to make the case why he is different from Bush

When McCain stops in Las Vegas today .. the real news will be what he won’t tell Nevadans

No matter how often Republican presidential candidate John McCain crisscrosses the United States masquerading as a m...

OVER HEARD

2010-06-15T09:51:10Z

“We never know what

to tell people when

they call.”

Mayor Oscar Goodman

asking Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for the phone numbers of free credit counseling services the senator was telling residents about during a tour of foreclosed homes in Las Vegas this week.

&#8...

Conservative groups dig deep to prevent Senate supermajority

2010-04-16T16:23:08Z

WASHINGTON — Propelled by voter anxiety over the economic downturn, Democrats are possibly poised to win a filibuster-proof majority of seats in the U.S. Senate, as outside groups pour money into Republican races to reverse the trend.

Some Republican senators thought to be safe for reelection a...

CALIFORNIANS’ WORK FOR OBAMA IS HERE

2010-06-12T08:30:54Z

Their own state in the bag, they trek east, brave cold to boost campaign

Las Vegas has gone Hollywood for Barack Obama — or perhaps it’s more correct to say Hollywood has gone Las Vegas.

Last weekend, on one of this fall’s coldest and windiest days, about half of the Democratic presidential candidate’s more than 6...

Jon Ralston wonders if anyone can get the candidates to actually engage in debate

2010-04-16T16:33:00Z

I don’t envy Bob Schieffer tonight.

The veteran CBS journalist is charged with what stymied previous moderators — Jim Lehrer, Gwen Ifill and Tom Brokaw — turning a joint candidate appearance into what it is...

Hawaiians for Obama are working their Vegas links

2010-04-16T13:03:46Z

Here and on the islands, many feel a special tie to the Democratic candidate

Maya Soetero Ng was speaking last week at a rally on Oahu for her brother, Barack Obama, when she reminded her fellow islanders not to overlook a potential source of support for the presidential candidate:

Jon Ralston says state numbers favor Obama, but .. .HEAD:

2010-06-12T08:06:29Z

With 75,000 more Democrats than Republicans, with the GOP brand the wrong kind of red (etched in scarlet letters) this year and with the state Democratic Party-Barack Obama organization as potent as any this state has seen, a question lingers: Why is Nevada still polling as — and considered by ...

Protect the public’s health

2010-04-16T13:17:17Z

Environmental Protection Agency won’t regulate hazardous perchlorate in drinking water

Longtime residents of Southern Nevada will recall that two manufacturers in Henderson once made ammonium perchlorate, a rocket fuel booster much in demand as this country stockpiled ...

FLASHPOINT

2010-06-25T23:16:16Z

You may know that Oct. 2 is a much-awaited date on this year’s political calendar [--] it’s the night Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden are scheduled to have at it in the vice presidential debate. Not since the Quayle-Bentsen veep debate of 1988 has one of these been so anticipated. What you probably don’t know, though, is that on the sa...

Organizers strike back

2010-07-28T11:46:27Z

Palin’s convention remark riles community leaders

From Sarah Palin’s speech at the Republican National Convention:

“I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer. Except that you have actual responsibilities.”

Reaction from

Campaigns show candidates’ executive skills

2010-04-16T13:28:13Z

’60s counterculture values weaken U.S.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s Friday story “Attacks on media may fail in fall”:

All political analysis aside, there is a very simple reason why the mainstream media lean toward the left. The culture warriors of the 1960s are the university professors of today and 90 percent are left-wing liberals.

Most journalists get their educations under these professors. Like most young...

GOP policies are far from fiscally responsible

2010-04-16T13:29:12Z

GOP policies are far from fiscally responsible

I am so tired of Republicans’ labeling the Democrats as tax-and-spend liberals. Republicans apparently think all forms of taxation are evil and must be avoided at all costs. However, it seems they have forgotten that without some form of taxation, the functions of government would either run poorly or cease to exist.

I am also tired of hearing the Republica...

GOP ticket is not built for the 21st century

2010-04-16T13:29:49Z

GOP ticket is not built for the 21st century

Vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin just might be the change every Republican is excited about but not the kind of change one wants. After all, with a 72-year-old presidential nominee such as John McCain, change is inevitable.

As one reaches age 60 and beyond, rapid change, both mentally and physically, is a given. At this ...

Black, proud of Obama, but voting her conscience — for McCain

2010-04-16T13:29:49Z

St. Paul, Minn.

Thirty-six.

That’s how many black delegates are reportedly at the Republican National Convention this week.

Lorraine Marshall of Las Vegas is one of them. She is the only black delegate in the

McCain pick won’t win over Hillary backers

2010-04-16T13:31:40Z

McCain pick won’t win over Hillary backers

In his first major decision and one that could affect us all, John McCain picks for his vice presidential running mate the least qualified Republican woman in his party. This is good judgment?

I am delighted that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is a wonderful wife and mother, but what does that have to do with being second in command b...

SENATORS DEMAND ACTION

2010-08-04T12:12:07Z

In a letter to federal labor secretary signed by Obama, Clinton, Kennedy, Reid and others .. .SUBH:

Washington

High-profile senators including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Edward M. Kennedy have urged the Bush administration to enforce safety regulations that could pre...

Gadget Show Future of Chips

2011-01-04T14:01:51Z

FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2010 file photo, Intel CEO Paul Otellini gives the keynote address at a conference in San Francisco. Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc., whose processors are the “brains” of PCs, are bot...

Las Vegas Snow

2011-01-05T08:05:30Z

A thin layer of snow sits on rooftops west of The Strip, Monday, Jan. 3, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nev. Between one and two inches of snow fell on the west side of town. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

...

Toshiba Tablet

2011-01-04T08:31:01Z

An image provided by Toshiba shows the Toshiba Tablet. The Japanese computer and flat-screen TV maker is set to unveil the tablet at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. (AP Photo/Toshiba)

Copyrigh...

UFC 125 Mixed Martial Arts

2011-01-02T00:00:58Z

Frankie Edgar reacts as his fight against Gray Maynard is declared a draw shortly after their UFC lightweight mixed martial arts title match Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011 at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in

Nevada Pot Shops

2010-12-29T15:01:29Z

In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010, empty bottles for cola containing THC, known as consumables, are pictured in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

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