Well, it’s official. After incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jon Porter filed for re-election on Monday, state Sen. Dina Titus filed her own paperwork today.

It’s on, baby!

“This race isn’t going to be personal, it’s going to be about the issues,” Titus said in a news release distributed by Nevada Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirsten Searer. “I’m going to be a champion for people in Congressional District 3.”

Wait, so it’s not going to be personal? Well, that’s disappointing! We were hoping to see Titus in full uncaged-tiger-eating-Roy-for-dinner mode. (We hear your groans, people! Too soon? OK, then.)

Titus highlighted renewable energy in her statement, which makes a nifty contrast with Porter’s encouraging the drilling of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil. (We’re telling you right now congressman: Any proposal to drill off the coast of our beloved Huntington Beach will be met with stiff resistance from us at Various Things & Stuff, well known in these parts as a political kingmaker! Or something.)

Titus said her campaign has “gone from zero to 60 in less than 10 seconds,” according to the statement.

Zero to 60 in 10 seconds? Yeah, that’s not that good. In fact, it’s bad. It’s like, a Nissan Sentra. You want a Ferrari Enzo (3.14 seconds) or a Lamborghini Gallardo (0-100 kph in 3.8 seconds). Now that’s automotive power, baby! Then again, Searer explained that Titus was merely trying to save gas by smooth and even acceleration. Nicely played.
For his part, Porter told the Review-Journal a lot of words. Take a look: “Every race is different. Every race is a challenge. In campaigns, six months is a long time. A lot can happen. It will be a spirited race. I’m excited.”

Hey, congressman, you forgot: “The only poll that counts is the one on Election Day.” Oh, and, “Dina Taxes wants to Steal. Your. Money!” Yeah, we know. That’s personal.

Anyway, Porter did offer a hint about his strategy, noting that Titus’s vocal support of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton for president will be a key difference between them. (Unless Porter is doing the sensible thing, and backing Libertarian Bob Barr for president, we assuming he’s going with U.S. Sen. John McCain, with whom he shares the faith-based belief that the Iraq War was a good thing.) Then again, it seems that Titus’s chosen candidate will be long gone from the race by the time these two face each other on the 3rd District ballot, so she’s no genius at picking them, either.

“Now more than ever we need my leadership and proven success,” Porter summed in the R-J. “I know I’m the right guy for the job.”

Wait, what? In a year when the Democratic front-runner got there by promising change, in a year in which Republicans are looking to get their clocks cleaned because of dissatisfaction with eight years of a president at historic lows in the opinion polls, in a year in which Porter himself has wised up and put plenty of daylight between himself and Bush, he’s going with “stay the course”?

We must say, we are genuinely surprised at that. Yes, it’s true, Porter has supported the Iraq War, tax cuts and big oil company tax incentives, and he can’t run from that now. But if the people are clamoring for change, and if Titus is going to play the role of outsider, isn’t it counterintuitive to assume the role of insider? Does that not play into her hands? Should he not be saying that he disagrees with the president and wants a new direction, too? We’re just saying.