Don’t call them second string, because the lawyers that former Clark County Commissioner Dario Herrera hired to defend himself from federal political corruption charges are top notch. New York’s Jerry Bernstein is a former federal strike force prosecutor, and knows all the tricks, while local Tony Sgro has seen the inside of more than his share of courtrooms.

But Herrera really wanted Mayor Oscar Goodman on his side, because Herrera believes the mayor when Goodman boasts that because of his popularity, he simply could not lose a jury trial in Clark County. (Who told us that? Why, Goodman himself, several years ago. Sadly, we think he might be right.)

Instead of hire Goodman directly, Herrera initially hired relative newbie Eric Goodman, apparently hoping the old man would come along. (Mayor Goodman is well known for helping his sons whenever he can, even if the circumstances are ethically murky.) My friend and colleague Jon Ralston reported in his FLASH newsletter Monday that the elder Goodman went so far as to review papers before deciding not to defend Herrera. (Too bad; we would have loved to see how that would have affected the legendary Goodman popularity. And what legal strategy would he use? “There’s no such thing as a commissioner-bribing person called Michael Galardi, jurors!”

Once he saw he wasn’t going to get the legendary Oscar Goodman at the defense table, Herrera dumped Eric Goodman for more experienced. (Hey, the government contends the guy is corrupt, not stupid.) And one does not hire lawyers of this sort to negotiate a plea bargain. Herrera — unlike former (and alleged) co-conspirator Erin Kenny — is going to fight until a jury verdict.

We’re glad. This case has been dramatic from the start, and we’d hate for it to end with a whimper and not a bang. So, federal prosecutors, when can we schedule the final season of “Law & Order: Vegas Corruption”?

Omigod! We’ve got celebrities. We’ve got a hotel/casino project. We’ve got Las Vegas. It’s critical mass, baby! A nuclear media meltdown!

Of course, we’re referring to Las Ramblas, the high-rise hotel/casino/restaurant/nightclub/spa project fronted by Clooney, star of such hits as Oceans 11 as well as such bombs as Oceans 12 and personal nightmares like Oceans 13: This Time They’re Serious. He’s joined by Rande Gerber, star of such hits as Whiskey Beach, as well as Centra Properties and The Related Cos.

It’s going to be a $3 billion project, with 11 buildings spread over 25 acres and 8 million square feet. Yowza! Let’s roll the presses!

And roll they did, as the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Las Vegas Sun proceeded to write the heck out of that story, to say nothing of PR Newswire and my colleague Dave Berns’ blog, found on the homepage of the Las Vegas Business Press.

Hmmmm. No orgy of celebrity-connected Vegas building publicity can truly be complete without … what’s the name of that newspaper again? It’s the local rag.

Oh, that’s right! The Review-Journal! Where were they on this thing?

Ah, here we go. A day late, the R-J weighed in with a story titled “Puttin’ on the glitz.” And when the R-J headline writers drop letters, you know something’s big. Or lame. One of the two.

Anyway, we’d like everybody to keep things in perspective. It’s not like the Second Coming, or the season finale of American Idol, or anything like that. Besides, this has all happened before. Does anybody else remember that other celebrity themed casino, the one that was supposed to ride on the name of its founder?

If you guessed “Debbie Reynolds hotel-casino,” you’re a big winner. Unlike, say, Debbie, whose marquee is no more.