Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Ex-Gov. List to national GOP: Don’t let Reid-lover Rogich host event; Rogich to List: You’re a failure and a sell-out

That's the gist of some extraordinary correspondence between ex-Gov. Bob List, the GOP national committeeman, and longtime GOP consultant Sig Rogich. List protested to RNC boss Michael Steele that Rogich was slated to host a fundraiser for California Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina, pointing out Rogich is backing Harry Reid as head of Republicans for Reid. When Rogich found out, he fired back a scathing missive, accusing List of selling out to help bring Yucca Mountain to Nevada and of being a failed governor.

The history makes this even more striking: Rogich ran List's campaigns in the late 1970s and has run campaigns for and against Reid.

The exchange is below (UPDATE: With List's response to Rogich):

From: Robert List>

Date: October 7, 2010 7:42:39 PM EDT

To: Paige Marriott >

Cc: 'Michael Steele - Chairman'

Subject: Las Vegas fundraiser for Fiorina

Paige,

As a former Republican Governor of Nevada and as the state’s current Republican National Committeeman, I am appalled that you would allow Sig Rogich to serve as a co-host for the Fiorina event in Las Vegas. Are you and Ms. Fiorina not aware that Rogich is leader of the “Republicans for Reid” and that he has been a totally committed negative force in our efforts to defeat the Senate Majority Leader? Rogich has burned virtually every bridge to our party and to the Las Vegas business community.

You will get no support for this event from me or anyone with whom I may have influence, nor from many others who might otherwise have contributed to her campaign.

These comments are not a reflection of my view of Ms. Fiorina. I only hope she was unaware of Rogich’s involvement because, otherwise, it reflects a horrible absence of judgment on her part.

I must suggest that Rogich’s name on the invitation will have a major chilling effect upon attendance. Needless to say, I will not be in attendance.

Robert List

-------------

Dear Bob,

It's amazing that after all the years, Nevada still takes a second seat to you and your ambitions. From your scandal ridden, one term failure as Governor, to your sell out of our state to the nuclear industry as the head lobbyist for Yucca Mountain, I'm not surprised that now you are a fan of a woman who is so fringe, she cannot even hold support from the Republican State Senate Leader, Bill Raggio.

Your hatred of Harry Reid for killing Yucca Mountain, your biggest client, is stuff of legend among Nevadans.

I, and our former National Republican Chairman, Frank Fahrenkopf both support Harry Reid because he is needed more than ever for our great state at this time of economic peril. It's that simple, Bob.

That, and the fact that Nevada would be a national laughing stock with someone like Sharron Angle in the United States Senate. Does that strike a chord to the years so many of us were forced to defend your time as Governor? Or does time cloud your loyalties and memory?

It's why I told you at at the memorable meeting at Lake Tahoe in 1978 not to run for a second term, that you were not electable. And it's why now it's hard to take your comments as nothing more than winded political rhetoric.

Unlike a small minority, I and hundreds of other longtime Republicans happen to have faith in the people of Nevada and their ability to think for themselves. We do not fall prey to party lines and petty politics when it comes to the greater good of our state at this critical time in Nevada history. My support of Harry Reid should not be a litmus test for my or any one else’s commitment to the Republican Party and its candidates. My contributions to the Republican Party and past national administrations, speaks for itself. But rather my support for Harry Reid is based on deep rooted friendship and, more important, what I believe to be best for our state. After all, isn’t that the benefit of a democratic society, something we as members of the Republican Party embrace with passion.

Sig Rogich

----

Dear Sig,

First, you are as badly mistaken about my motivation in the Senate race as you are about the real significance of the race itself. My support for Sharron Angle and my opposition to Sen. Reid is not based upon his position on Yucca Mountain. I will be just fine, with or without the project, thank you. And please understand I do not “hate” Harry Reid. In fact, I admire his leadership abilities and respect his commitment to the principles in which he believes. Be clear: My opposition to him is not personal. It is based upon sincerely-held beliefs about our nation and what is best for the country.

I am supporting Sharron for several reasons: She believes in our fundamental Republican principles – low taxes, small government, states’ rights, and the need to reduce the national debt before the country is totally bankrupt.

Secondly, I take my responsibility as Nevada’s Republican National Committeeman and as a loyal member of the GOP seriously.

Thirdly, Harry is out of step with Nevadans and Americans. He is the key player advancing the Obama agenda in the U.S. Senate, as the Majority Leader successfully advocating for the President’s policies of reckless spending, soaring debt, higher taxes, the government takeover of healthcare, and the frightening socialist direction of this administration. I, and most Americans and most Nevadans, believe that Senator Reid has personally adopted Obama’s left-wing goals, and has abandoned the free enterprise, limited government philosophy which has made this country – and this state - great. That is precisely why Senator Reid is in so much trouble with his constituents. Sure, he is a powerful guy, but he is using that power to run our nation into the ditch. Perhaps he can “do more for Nevada” (although there is little evidence of it), but frankly, putting our personal interests and the parochial interests of our state ahead of the long-term larger interests of America, is selfish and short-sighted.

Incidentally, I understand and respect Bill Raggio’s “reluctant support” for the Senator, given the personal history of animosity between Bill and Sharron. And I understand and respect Frank Fahrenkopf”s position – it is about his job.

I believe I also understand your motives in supporting Sen. Reid: No one is buying your rhetoric about your support for Harry Reid being driven by “what is best for Nevada”. It is patently clear that your support for Senator Reid is all about your personal economic interests, as every knowledgeable political observer and operative in this state knows, as the loyal mainstream GOP contributors, office-holders and activists know, and as the media knows.

That awareness also explains why there is such widespread recognition and resentment about the hypocrisy of your support for Harry Reid, on the one hand, and for Carly Fiorina, on the other. The two candidates, their policies, positions, goals and visions for the future direction of America are at polar-opposite ends of the political spectrum. Your political schizophrenia in this situation is a perfect example of the business-as-usual approach on the part of many insiders in today’s political world. Your desire to have it both ways entirely ignores any notion of honest, integrity-based positions grounded upon principled beliefs. It is this kind of conduct that disgusts people about today’s politics. One of these days you are going to meet yourself coming around the corner, and it will be one hell of a crash.

I’m sorry our friendship has reached this level, Sig, but the grave consequences for our county entailed in this election cycle beg for some integrity.

Bob

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy