Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 | 10:08 a.m.
LOS ANGELES -- President Clinton gave Senate candidate Ed Bernstein a quick piece of advice two weeks ago at a national gathering of lawyers in Chicago.
"He said, 'Eddie, keep talking about the differences and you'll win the race because there are huge differences between you and Ensign,' " Bernstein said during a break at the Democratic National Convention. "And that's what I'm going to keep doing."
Bernstein's campaign trail brought him here this week for networking with party leaders. He's trying to boost his profile -- and his underdog campaign against Republican John Ensign, who holds a comfortable lead in the polls.
Bernstein was one of dozens of candidates for Congress this week who made brief afternoon speeches to a mostly empty Staples Center.
But Bernstein is used to playing to small audiences. These days he chats up seniors groups, mothers, veterans. His strategy is to hammer health care issues to win the elderly vote and win over a majority of women on the abortion issue. Bernstein is adamantly pro-choice; Ensign is pro-life.
Bernstein said that unlike his opponent he would fight in the Senate to give patients the ability to sue their health maintenance organization, and he slams Ensign for taking money from health insurance companies.
Ensign campaign chief Pete Ernaut said Ensign supports a patient's ability to sue an HMO but not their employer.
"This whole diatribe that Ed is on -- that John has been bought and paid for -- is not supported by factual information and is insulting to his integrity," Ernaut said.
Bernstein's favorite convention pin here reads: "It's the Supreme Court, stupid!" He reminds voters that the Senate confirms Supreme Court justices.
"Nevada women have not had in the past to make a decision that would so significantly impact their rights for the rest of their lives," Bernstein said.
Bernstein's own life as a prominent trial lawyer has been turned upside down since Democrats dubbed him their best candidate when former Gov. Bob Miller declined to run and Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa quit her campaign due to lack of campaign money.
Bernstein brushes aside the lawyer jokes, he said. One of the first people he sought out for advice was former trial lawyer Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., who jumped directly from the courtroom to Congress, just as Bernstein hopes to do.
"I'm proud of what I do," Bernstein said. "I'm in the trenches every day with people who are getting ripped off by insurance companies, and there are very few people out there to help them. Most Nevadans, if they can't work next month, their lives fall apart. I don't think my opponent understands that."
Again, Ernaut differs.
"Ed Bernstein hasn't seen the inside of a courtroom in decades," Ernaut said. "He manages a business in which he makes money by suing people. It's a little hard to swallow from a guy who is a multimillionaire and drives a $50,000 car that he is somehow committed to the little guy."
Bernstein vividly remembers one early night of campaigning, speaking to about 30 veterans who told him they sometimes can't see a doctor for six months because of health care red tape, he said.
Bernstein was overwhelmed, he said. He left the meeting late that night, came home and cried.
"I said, 'I'm embarrassed that there are people who are struggling after they served our country and paid such a price, and we are not treating them,' " Bernstein said.
The candidate's wife, Nancy, said that night she told her husband, "Make it better. That's why we are in this race."
"I get to see the more emotional side of Eddie," Nancy Bernstein said. "He has a very highly developed feminine side. He feels things in his heart."
But Bernstein knows winning a Senate race is more than connecting with pockets of voters -- it takes voter pocketbooks.
To help make him a more viable contender, Bernstein said he plans to raise another $1 million or so to add to the $2 million he has raised so far, $888,000 of it his own. Bernstein said voters will see new commercials before the November election, featuring his positions on health care and the environment.
The sooner the better, say some observers.
"I've been in Las Vegas for three years, and that's long enough to recognize a long shot," UNLV professor Ted Jelen said. "(Bernstein) needs to do something to make himself a credible candidate -- in a hurry."
Both retiring Sen. Richard Bryan, whom Bernstein and Ensign are battling to replace, and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Bernstein is a better Bryan successor than Ensign on topics ranging from affordable prescription medications, environment, Social Security and abortion.
"Bernstein is right on the issues," Bryan said, "Ensign has the better financed campaign."
But Nevada Democratic Chairman Rory Reid added, "Senate races are traditionally close in Nevada. At the end of the day, this one will be close."
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