His “divorce could be [a] liability” to his “career in politics”?

Oh, man. That’s a good one. All this time I was certain that the biggest liability to Gibbons’ career in politics is … well, his career in politics.

“Rebate checks already spent” honks a headline on Page 1 of the Review-Journal. Along with offering the saddest words I expect to read today (”Tony and Gerri Roberto, a Guam couple who spent $600 Monday shopping at Wal-Mart in Las Vegas …”), the story details how locals plan to spend their stimulus checks (mostly: bills; also: some new threads). “That’s the purpose of it … spending,” one woman tells the paper.
As the owner of a house, two cars and three teenage sons, I’m pretty adept at deficit spending — I’d be a natural in Washington, D.C., if I could pass the dress code — but I’m not so sure about this check. The government giving us money it doesn’t really have to make up for money we don’t have so we can buy flat screens to improve the dividends for the shareholding suckfish of Big Biz? Sounds dicey.

“You know what we should do with that check?” I said to my wife. “What?” she asked. She was hoping I’d say flat screen, I think. “Bank it,” I said, “until the war is over. As, you know, a protest. In the spirit of sticking it to Bush and so forth.” Not a bad idea, she allowed.

Maybe we will. Maybe not — three kids, house, etc. It adds up, faster than simple addition can account for. Our household is like an early train: Someone’s gotta frantically shovel cash into the furnace to budge it even an inch. But it would be nice to hold on to the cash for at least a while before giving it back to Bush’s business pals.

We at Various Things & Stuff have just learned — after we read a Review-Journal news flash on the subject — that the state Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Nevada Resort Association’s appeal of a decision to allow a gambling tax increase to go on the ballot.

That hearing will be July 1.

That’s assuming, of course, that the Nevada State Education Association can gather the required 58,836 valid signatures by the deadline of May 20.

As you can see by those dates, if the high court rules the petition is invalid — or suggests the union needs to change the petition’s wording to make it valid — it’s very likely game over, since there will be no opportunity to go back and collect signatures again this year.

Sure, the union could still pivot and try a legislative referendum, which asks the state Legislature to consider passing a gambling tax increase, but we don’t see that being an effective strategy. First, it’s doubtful very many lawmakers would sign on to a gambling tax increase. Second, even though the measure would automatically end up on the 2010 ballot anyway, it would only be a statute, not a constitutional amendment. And after three years, that statute could be changed.

So, how will the high court rule? The initiative, as written, has already passed muster with Senior Judge Miriam Shearing, a former member of the high court, which tends to argue for its constitutionality.

But let’s not forget the politics involved: The court may want to side with the state’s No. 1 industry, given the fact that that industry can help unseat a justice who doesn’t see things the way casinos do. On the other hand, the court may be reluctant to interfere with a (by then) duly qualified ballot initiative, given what happened the last time a voter-approved measure was upended by judicial fiat. (Read — justices bounced from their seats by voters after trying to set aside the two-thirds requirement for the Legislature to raise taxes.)

Or, the high court could rule that the wording is insufficient, but edit it just enough to leave it on the ballot. And given that Shearing in an earlier ruling identified a bit of “logrolling,” when the union linked the gambling tax increase with a salary boost, it could very well end up that the court says:

a.) the petition is legal;

b.) proceeds of the increased tax can go to education; BUT

c.) the money doesn’t necessarily have to be spent on salaries.

In that way, nobody would be happy. Casinos would see taxes in the top tier of the gross gambling tax rise from 6.75 percent to 9.75 percent, and teachers would see money flow to schools but not necessarily to them. And the court would look like it’s splitting the Solomonic baby.

We can’t wait for the fallout on this one.

UPDATE: The Review-Journal, in an editorial that clearly shows somebody’s been reading too much Ann Coulter, comes out against term limits. Lawmakers are old and showing signs of Alzheimer’s? Ha. We get it. Funny.  What we don’t get is why the editorial didn’t make a cogent case for term limits beyond “government = bad.”

Oh, that’s right. This editorial was a signal to the state Supreme Court, that the R-J would look with disfavor on anybody who votes to strike down term limits (regardless of the legal merits involved in doing so). They’re prepared with the Guinn v. Legislature treatment for anybody who dares show anti-term limits thinking, so as to perpetuate not good government policy, but R-J power over government policy. It all makes sense now.

Congressional candidate Robert Daskas today confirmed that he is not — we repeat, not — in a band. Well, that pretty much means his upstart campaign against U.S. Rep. Jon Porter is over. Porter, you may know, is in two bands. One of his bands is made up of fellow members of Congress. So how the band-less Daskas thinks he can challenge Porter is beyond us.

But whatever: It’s not our job to decide who should run. It’s our job to ask them tough questions once they do. (First question: “Are you in a band?”)

Daskas may not be musically inclined, but he totally gave a little talk on taxes today at the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades building this morning. There, he railed against the tax policies of “George Bush and Jon Porter,” clearly implying the two are somehow connected, like, say, through a voting record or something.

The would-be congressman especially targeted the president’s soon-to-expire tax cuts, noting they affect the wealthiest 1 percent of America, people who’s average incomes are $1.5 million a year. “When did it become OK to fight for 1 percent?” he asked. (Note to Daskas: Right around the time the Republicans took over.)

If he’s elected, Daskas promised to let the Bush tax cuts expire, repeal oil company subsidies and use the proceeds to fund research into alternative energy and give tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the United States, rather than those that send jobs to foreign countries. He’d also favor a child care tax credit, tuition tax deduction, home ownership tax deduction and preserving the sales tax deduction.

“We cannot afford two more years of Jon Porter,” Daskas said. “I’m asking you to send me to Congress because I know a good deal from a Halliburton deal.” (That’s Halliburton, as in oil field services and not high-end briefcases.)

Later, chatting with reporters, Daskas said he supports beginning to bring troops home immediately, but he refused to set a date for when all the soldiers would return to the United States. And he ruled out getting troops home by refusing to fund more wars in Iraq.

He refused to call allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire a “tax increase,” as Republicans argue. (Their reasoning: People will be paying more once the temporary cuts go away.) He also refused to say anything along the lines of, “yeah, but they’re rich, they can afford it so fuck them.” We, however, have no problem saying that, given that our income isn’t $1.5 million per year. (At least not yet!)

On health care, Daskas said he supports affordable health care for everybody, but not “universal health care,” because — we’re paraphrasing again — some slimy GOP consultant A-hole might claim he’s for “socialized medicine.” But he does support allowing all Americans to buy into a plan similar to the one congressmen enjoy; reimporting prescription drugs from Canada; allowing the government to negotiate for prescription drug prices and stressing preventative care.

Hey, you know, that’s funny, because Porter voted not to let Medicare negotiate for prescription drug prices or re-import drugs from Canada. Hey, maybe that will be a campaign issue, huh?

We forgot to ask Daskas if he supports allowing Americans to grow their own all-natural drugs, say in backyards or basement rooms with grow lights. We’ve got to remember to ask that one, although the dude was a prosecutor for 12 years who put murderers on death row, so we’re guessing no.

Oh, and Daskas wouldn’t say who he’s supporting for president, but he did make the radical suggestion that whoever wins the popular vote should get the nomination. So that means “Obama, baby!” Besides, if Hillary Clinton steals the election from Barack Obama, say by use of superdelegates, the clear winner would be … Jon Porter, since many disappointed Obama fans might very well sit the 2008 elections out. And even though Daskas enjoys a registration lead today of 77,278 active voters, he still needs everybody to turn out.

But again, we must stress, Daskas is not in a band. “I’m too busy to be in a band,” he said.

Hey! Do you think that might have been a shot at Porter? We think it could.

It is, of course, your American duty to have already made up your mind about who should be president, and by now firmly closed it. The only ones still on the fence are the magpies. So we won’t tout New York magazine’s Electopedia 2008 it terms of its usefulness, thank God. We won’t argue that its tidily arranged breakdown of candidate facts, from information you ought to know about the three contenders (Most Egregious Flip-Flop, Never-Altered Core Position, Greatest Private-Sector Liability) to stuff you just want to know (Best Debate Smackdown, Most Spectacular Source of Income) will aid you in the commission of democracy. We won’t even propose it as a source of quick-rebuttal info next the the family gets together and your dad gets on your case about supporting a communist (or maybe that’s just me).

No, we’ll merely suggest it as a form of surprisingly nutritious brain-snacking — like improbably tasty granola bites you can’t stop popping. McCain caught right-wing crap for his Wedding Crashers cameo! Obama gets a weekly trim at the Hyde Park Hair Barber Studio! Hillary is worth an estimated $34.9 million! We could consume this junk all day.

The latest batch of Election 2008 financial disclosure reports rolled in late last week, detailing the record-breaking amounts of campaign cash that each major presidential candidate raised in the last quarter. But a closer look at how much Las Vegans are ponying up to fund the lamest political show on Earth is revealing.

Among the report’s most revealing takeaways:

1. No surprise here, but Las Vegas led the state as ground zero in this year’s political fund raising war, at $9,873,552. Reno politicos came in second here in the state, donating $2,096, 901.

2. Of the Top 10 Nevada ZIP Codes in which voters have thus far donated the most, Vegas neighborhoods locked up each of the top five spots: 89109 (home to many of the biggest casinos on the Strip) at $825,213; 89117 at $721,678; 89113 at $696,048; 89134 at $567,969; and 89102 at $448, 559. Interestingly, residents in the Henderson ZIP Code 89074 nearly cracked the top five, giving $424,717.

In a bizarrely cruel twist of fate, former presidential hopeful, ex-Massachusetts governor and 2008 Nevada Republican Caucus champ Mitt Romney, despite pulling out of the race back in early February, still leads with the largest cumulative donation, at $783,020. Willard is followed by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, at $574,390; U.S. Sen. Hillary “Duck-and-Cover” Clinton, D-N.Y., at $541,809; U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at $357,864; and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at $343,378.

Follow the money here. Get local here.

Reader Gabriel Gentile writes:

If this business with Pastor Jeremiah Wright has convinced you to not vote for Obama in the upcoming presidential primary and/or election, here’s my advice to you:

DON’T!

Because the only type of people who would push aside issues such as the economy, health care and the war in Iraq in order to make such a decision based solely on an insignificant item such as this are precisely the types of people who form all of their opinions, outlooks and philosophies on life from what somebody else has to say, be it pastor, politician or pundit, rather than taking in their input, analyzing it, criticizing it, comparing it to whatever other input they may have received and forming their own conclusion based thereof, and can’t even begin to comprehend that there are those who prefer to do the latter.

And as an Obama supporter myself, I’d really rather not associate with that type of person, regardless of the color of his skin.

7. Officer McNulty

6. Bret Michaels

5. Christian Siriano

4. That guy with the calm, authoritative yet reassuring voice who narrates the “Frontline” specials on PBS

3. The Keno twins from “Antiques Roadshow”

2. The Cloverfield Monster

1. Chewbacca

There’s a sad trend in newspapers, which is to sell advertising space on the front page, or at least a section front. And from the looks of things, the Review-Journal has done just that.

But wait! That’s not an ad! It’s an actual story penned by state Sen. Joe Heck from the desert sands of Iraq, where he’s  serving as an Army colonel in charge of a medical unit. (It’s also front-and-center on the R-J’s website today.)

In fact, it’s the first in “a series of dispatches,” according to an editor’s note that disclosed Heck’s service in the Nevada Legislature. What the note didn’t disclose, however, was the fact that Heck is up for re-election in November!

Talk about publicity you can’t buy. As if this maudlin sendoff story wasn’t enough to ensure Heck’s re-election, this “series of dispatches” certainly is! By the way, that sound you heard this morning was Democratic state Sen. Dina Titus’s head exploding when she took a look at Chapter One of the Heck Chronicles. (Heck was one of the two state Senate candidates that Titus was hoping to unseat. Good luck with that, now.)

This is no knock on Heck. We salute his decision to deploy to Iraq, something he could have avoided if he chose. He went, and that takes major cojones.

We’re also not saying there’s no news value in having a local guy report from the front. If this was Henderson resident and Lance Cpl. John Smith of the 1st Marine Battalion writing about his experiences, fine. But Heck is not just any soldier/doctor. He’s also a politician, and he’s got a race coming up. And if the laws were just, the R-J would have to declare the loan of its Nevada section front as an in-kind contribution.

So how was the piece? There are some pretty good passages, even if the outlook is predictable. (The Iraqis are happy to have been liberated; they’re very grateful; etc.)

You know, now that we think about it, this could be a whole new genre in R-J journalism. Why not have other senators write about their private enterprises, too? You could have state Sen. Maurice Washington of Sparks write about insurance reform. You could have state Sen. Mark Amodei write about how mining works for Nevada. State Sen. Warren Hardy could opine about the evils of prevailing wage laws. And state Sen. Bob Beers could pen stories about what it’s like to be so damn good looking.

Yes, all those lawmakers are Republicans. But we’re not being partisan. We just can’t conceive of a situation in which a Democrat would get this kind of opportunity in the R-J. Even if said Democrat went off to war like Heck.

Compare. Contrast. Disgust. Um, discuss.

In the most exciting primary season in decades, we find it a bit odd that the Mainstream Media hasn’t besought America’s Dark Lord of the Stolen Election Karl Rove for his view. Democrats think this man is the Antichrist, but Rove’s unholy, preternatural ability to manipulate the electorate at will and grind opponents into sapless, writhing shadows of their former selves ranks him No. 1 in America’s political pantheon.

As fate would have it, Rove does handicap the three remaining presidential candidates, at last. If each of them has the balls to take Rove’s advice, Election 2008 could be the best political theater since Macbeth.

Jesus, it’s about time Sue Lowden commented publicly on the race for the White House.

In a release today, Lowden, chair of the Nevada Republican Party, lauded U.S. Sen. John McCain for clinching his party’s nomination before warning her fellow GOP’ers to gird their loins for “a classic barn-burner contest of liberal vs. conservative … against what is now likely to be an Obama/Clinton ticket.”

Lady, we know how convoluted this whole election balderdash might get for you. Especially with a woman and a (gasp!) black man running for office. But there’s a better chance of John McCain winning the presidency than there is of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton playing second fiddle on the ticket of the junior senator from Illinois. Do you … ever read a newspaper?

As if all the other initiatives out there weren’t enough, there’s a new one that’s really going to blow your mind. And by “blow your mind,” of course, we mean “induce a giant yawn.” But pay attention anyway, as this one has legs: Any initiative that calls for a tax increase would require a two-thirds supermajority vote of the public, the same way any vote in the Legislature to raise taxes needs two-thirds.

You know, because that two-thirds thing has worked out so well in Carson City. It’s the brainchild of then-Assemblyman Jim Gibbons. But we tend to think this one has the fingerprints of one Sheldon Adelson, chairman of Las Vegas Sands.

Here’s the release, sent out just moments ago from Steve Martin, a former Nevada state controller:

(Carson City, NV) – Today, former Nevada State Controller Steve Martin filed a ballot initiative with Secretary of State Ross Miller’s office hat will require a 2/3 supermajority vote of the public for passage on allot initiatives that seek to raise taxes. Currently, ballot easures that seek to raise taxes only require a simple majority vote
in order to pass. The Gibbons Tax Restraint Amendment to the Nevada constitution – which passed with overwhelming support in both the 1994 nd 1996 general elections – requires a supermajority vote of the Legislature in order for lawmakers to pass tax increases. This measure seeks to apply the same standard to the initiative process.

“Taxpayers have been protected for more than a decade by the Gibbons Tax Restraint Amendment. The 2/3rds requirement in the State Legislature forces those promoting tax increases to make a stronger case to our elected leaders that a tax increase is necessary. This initiative would give the voters the same level of security.” stated
former Nevada State Controller Steve Martin.

“Unfortunately, special interest groups are now trying to circumvent the legislature’s two-thirds requirement by placing massive tax increases on the ballot, where they only need a simple majority vote” continued Martin. “The Nevada Taxpayers’ Protection Act will apply the same supermajority requirements to all tax increase proposals, further
protecting Nevada taxpayers and the economic viability of our State.”

“Raising taxes in Nevada should never be the easy way out. Establishing criteria for the uses and needs of the additional revenue should always be important criteria before raising any tax,” Martin continued. “It simply is not right for special interest groups to come to Nevada, place tax increases on our ballot, run a slick campaign to
pass them, and stick our residents and businesses paying the bill. Requiring two-thirds of voters to approve any tax increase will help our state continue to grow, create new jobs and provide a better quality of life for today and tomorrow”.

Nice. We have become California, without the beautiful beaches, delicious wineries, cultural diversity, computer innovators or Hollywood.

Democrats had a news conference today to announce the appointment of the well-respected state Sen. Terry Care as Clark County’s very own Official Jimmy Carter Election Monitor. So, you know, that should fix all the problems of a do-over county Democratic convention slated for April 12.

Still, we thought it was amusing that somebody had hoisted the Nevada flag upside down in front the Thomas & Mack Center, where the news conference was held. That is generally regarded as a sign of distress. (Maybe some college types angry at Gov. Jim Gibbons for those budget cuts?)

But it was all smiles and cooperation as anxious Democrats tried to smooth over Feb. 23’s Clusterfuck Convention and prepare everybody for April 12, the date selected for Clark County Democratic Party Convention II: Revenge of the Clusterfuck.

Somehow, we think the current (as of this writing) chairman of the county party has been humbled by the metric tons of criticism heaped upon him by pretty much everybody except the Republicans since Feb. 23 went horribly awry. He apologized again, and this time didn’t try to weasel out of it by once again angrily blaming the Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama campaigns or pretending that “it’s all good.”

“I want to apologize to all Democrats who were inconvenienced or frustrated,” said He Who Shall Not Be Named. (We call him that ever since a source told us he loves seeing his name in print or hearing it uttered on TV. We’re not enablers!)

At least, that’s what we think he said. The news conference was constantly interrupted by aircraft taking off from McCarran’s Runway One-Niner Right, so it was hard to hear sometimes.

As a result of the negotiations between the campaigns, the county party and the state party (which has been tasked by the Democratic National Committee to “fix it”), an executive committee has been appointed. Members are: He Who Shall Not Be Named; state party Chairman Sam Lieberman; state Sen. Steven Horsford, representing the Obama campaign; Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, representing the Clinton campaign, and Care, introduced as the “third party administrator.” He will have the job of arbitrating disputes between the parties.

The fact that the convention has to essentially be turned over to a third-party administrator is a statement in itself that the existing leadership totally screwed the political pooch Feb. 23, and could not be trusted to run things smoothly April 12. But it seems like the best way to restore confidence in the process, and avoid a potential riot.

Currently, volunteers from the state party, the county party, and the two conventions are sorting through records to identify duly elected delegates, who will receive their credentials and instructions on April 1. (Oh, my God! April 1! As if this thing hasn’t been enough of a joke!) The April 12 gathering will be held at the Thomas & Mack, and voting will take place starting at 8 a.m. and continuing until 7 p.m., allowing shift workers and the totally lazy to cast their votes.

All we can say is this: We really hope the county party goes the extra mile and has the beer concessions open that day. Because it took three Scotches for us to wash off the residue of the last convention. We prefer the fine taste of Gordon Biersch, if you’re listening, county party.

Speaking of that, He Who Shall Not Be Named says the county party will bear the majority of the costs of the second convention, but may ask the state party or the campaigns to pitch in. Nobody will be asked to pay a registration fee at the second convention. And he’s negotiating to get the Thomas & Mack at cost.

“Again, I want to assure Democrats this will be an entirely different experience than the one of Feb. 23,” He said, apologizing again for failing to foresee the easily foreseeable problems of that day. Aw, gee, with everybody so happy and coming together Obama-style, we almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost sorry enough to use his name, maybe just once.

Almost.

Today’s balloting has us excited, but not because of Clinton vs. Obama. Residents of a tiny Vermont town are voting today on whether or not President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted for violating the Constitution.