Top Democrat blasts GOP

Tuesday, May 18, 1999 | 12:52 p.m.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Joe Andrew threw down the gauntlet Monday in an all-out campaign to woo the political support of Las Vegas and its gambling industry.

"Let's face it, Republicans do not like Las Vegas," said Andrew, who was here for President Clinton's DNC fund-raising visit. "It's that simple."

Andrew said his counterparts at the Republican National Committee in Washington, who almost voted this year to refuse to take contributions from the casino industry, are controlled by "moral ideologues" who have been "painting Las Vegas with a very bad stroke.

"The Republicans ridicule people here, and we want to stand shoulder to shoulder and say make Las Vegas everything it can be and continue this to be the international tourist destination it has become," Andrew said.

Nevada Republican Party Chairman John Mason said today it was "absurd" for Andrew to claim Republicans don't like Las Vegas.

"I don't know who he thinks he is to make the determination that Republicans are opposed to gaming and this city," Mason said.

Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn, who received heavy campaign support last year from the casino industry, also disputed Andrew's claim.

"It's his job to say those things," Guinn said. "I don't know it to be a fact."

Guinn said Nevada has become fertile fund-raising ground for the Republican Party in Washington and that his fellow GOP governors, including Gov. George W. Bush of Texas, do not speak ill of the state and its top industry.

Bush, who's considering a bid for president, recently made strong anti-gaming remarks when accepting a task force report on illegal gambling in his state.

But Guinn, who expects to chair Bush's Nevada campaign, said the Texas governor told him that he fully supports gambling in Las Vegas. Bush, however, has yet to publicly make that statement.

Andrew, the former Democratic chairman in Indiana, acknowledged that Republicans have indeed gotten more money out of Nevada than his party.

But he said he plans to change that in the future. The DNC took in about $400,000 from the president's visit here over the weekend.

"I just don't understand why anybody who cares about this city and this state and the chief industry of this state would be contributing to advance the causes of Republicans who don't want them," Andrew said.

The 39-year-old DNC chairman, who was appointed to the national post in March, said he hopes others in the casino industry will follow the lead of Mirage Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn, who has decided to help the Democrats regain control of the House in 2000.

"Democrats have a tremendous amount of momentum here," Andrew said.

"People who are smart observers in this political process, like Steve Wynn, understand that we're going to take back the House."

The Sun reported Friday that Wynn, who backed the Republicans when they captured the House and Senate in 1994, now is trying to help Democratic Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri become speaker of the House.

Wynn this month gave Gephardt a $250,000 check for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has had a record fund-raising first quarter in 1999.

Andrew said the Democratic Party, which has benefitted from a backlash against Republican efforts to impeach Clinton, now is perceived as the party of strength and optimism.

Democrats, he said, are being given credit for the nation's booming economy and lower crime rate.

And while Republicans continue to talk about traditional values, Democrats are seen as the party of change and new ideas, Andrew said.

These "built-in advantages," Andrew said, will help the Democrats hold onto the White House in 2000 after Clinton leaves.

Though he acknowledged that Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic front-runner, may not be "as quick on his feet" as Clinton, Andrew said the vice president has other attributes that can carry him into the White House.

Gore's family life, with his wife Tipper Gore and four "great kids" can't be matched by any Republican candidate in the race," Andrew said.