Monday, Nov. 3, 2008 | 2:16 p.m.
WASHINGTON -- If Arnold were Energy Secretary, would he terminate Yucca Mountain?
It’s the question to consider when reviewing Politico’s list of potential cabinet picks in an Obama or McCain administration.
California’s Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have recently been stumping for his party’s presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, in Ohio, but word is he’s on Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s list to potentially head the Energy Department if elected. (The Energy Department, remember, is the agency developing the nuclear waste dump 90 miles north of Las Vegas.)
Both campaigns have been making final visits to Nevada, as the swing state is increasingly moving to the blue-ish column on national maps. More than half the state’s expected voters have already cast ballots, causing Secretary of State Ross Miller to boost projected turnout to 1.1 million come Tuesday.
New polls by the R-J over the weekend have Obama up by 4 points in Nevada, 47-43, with 8 percent undecided.
The poll also says the race between Republican Rep. Jon Porter and Democratic challenger Dina Titus is a dead heat at 44-44.
Appearing on one of the Sunday talk shows, Republican Sen. John Ensign denied having said VP nominee Sarah Palin is not experienced enough to be president -- a clarification columnist Jon Ralston questions by posting the then-and-now comments here.
Several national political observers, including Politico’s Jonathan Martin, picked up Ensign’s comment last week as further evidence the senator, who leads his party’s Senate re-election committee, was deflecting blame for the wave of expected Senate seat losses.
Also interesting during Ensign's interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" was his suggestion that Mark Begich, the Democrat challenging convicted Republican Sen. Ted Stevens in Alaska, wouldn’t have a shot at winning if a “normal” senator was running.
Ensign has criticized the feds, saying they should have launched their corruption trial against the Alaska incumbent before election season. Stevens is refusing to step down, hoping to win re-election and retain his seat while he appeals the jury verdict.
And lastly, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons has been cleared in the FBI probe of his dealings with a defense contractor, the Associated Press reported late Sunday.
Other interesting reads over the weekend:
- The Sun’s Alexandra Berzon takes the politico pulse in Elko.
- J. Patrick Coolican and Sam Skolnick lift the curtain on the money race.
- Ralston’s predictions are here.
Check back later today for updates on political news from Nevada.
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