Health care legislation slowly on the move

By Lisa Mascaro

Monday, June 15, 2009 | 10:05 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Greetings, Early Liners, from the nation’s capital, where the slow grind of policy making is seriously underway as Congress presses forward on President Barack Obama’s top agenda item: health care.

With that in mind, be sure to check out today’s “By the Numbers” from the Sun’s Alex Richards and Chris Morris, always an interesting Monday morning read.

Today, their number crunching reminds that Nevada is No. 2 in the nation for those uninsured (the top worst goes to Texas). They report that 24.7 percent of 18- to 64-year-olds are without any type of insurance coverage, up a whopping 5.5 percent from a decade ago. (Nevada also had one of the bigger increases in the ranks of the uninsured.)

But the long, hard slog of legislating is beginning to be crowded out by the political season, as the 2010 midterm election fast approaches.

The Sun’s David McGrath Schwartz sizes up potential winners/losers from Nevada’s earlier primary, which will now be held in June rather than August under a law passed this session of the Legislature.

Already, candidates are eyeing the congressional seats. Banker John Geudry told friends and colleagues in an e-mail message last week he is considering a run against first-term Democratic Rep. Dina Titus. Douglas County School board member Cindy Olivas Trigg previously announced her run against Republican Rep. Dean Heller.

A few local challenges to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, including Lyon County Dr. Robin Titus (no relation to the congresswoman), though no nationally backed candidate as yet.

But that’s not stopping the senator from early campaigning in Nevada. The Associated Press reported over the weekend that the Reid campaign’s Google ads are being criticized by Republicans as misleading because they are not disclosed campaign sponsored.

In other weekend news:

Reid also is coming under scrutiny for his decision to tap ousted U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden to return to the post in Nevada.

Current and former federal prosecutors, in interviews with the Sun, were critical of Bogden’s leadership style and said the decision to re-nominate him for his old job has left some in the office demoralized.

The White House has sent several U.S. Attorney nominations up to the Senate for confirmation, but so far not Bogden’s.

That’s it for now. Check back later for updates on all the political news in Nevada.