Friday, March 8, 2002 | 10:43 a.m.
You'd think talk of a vast right-wing conspiracy would come from the mouths of disgruntled Democrats.
But it's some Republicans who are charging a fix over this weekend's county GOP convention endorsement process.
The controversial decision to endorse candidates before the primaries -- and even before filing opens for office -- was four months and many hearings in the making. But some who weren't a part of that process are skeptical this weekend's convention will work.
County GOP Chairman Steve Wark discounted the criticism saying the pre-primary endorsement process "will go fine."
"We wanted to make sure it's a very fair process for everybody," Wark said.
As a result, anyone seeking an endorsement had to send a certified letter to the county party asking to speak to delegates at the convention. Candidates were then offered a list of delegates they could lobby to support them.
Candidates for local offices and seats in the state Legislature will each have two minutes to address the convention Saturday at the Castaways.
"It's really messed up," said Chuck Muth, the Republican consultant helping organize state Assembly races. "There's absolutely no criteria. You don't know if it's based on money or experience or what. It's just a beauty contest."
Assemblyman Dennis Nolan, who is running against businessman Bill Brady for state Senate, takes the criticism one step further.
"It's even worse than a beauty contest because in this case the contestants are asked to bring their own judges," Nolan said.
Conspiracy theories are swirling around the early endorsement issue as some Republicans allege that GOP central committee members have ties to certain campaigns and could help them win the endorsement.
Wark says the county GOP's endorsement carries significant weight in that it keeps others out of the race for the next eight weeks until filing officially opens. He said the candidates who win endorsements will have proven their ability to campaign for delegate support -- an important pre-cursor to selling themselves to voters.
"We basically feel that the campaigns that are up and running now are the most viable," Wark said.
Brady said he supported "my leadership in the Republican party."
"I'm just going to play by the rules they set up," he said.
But several incumbents questioned why the party would force them to lobby for endorsements. Many interviewed by the Sun said they would be reserving comment on the process until after the convention.
Muth is asking officials to pass a resolution granting incumbents an automatic endorsement.
"It doesn't make sense to insult incumbents," Muth said. "The party should spend it's time on open seats and beating Democrats, not insulting incumbent Republicans."
Wark said even Gov. Kenny Guinn agrees incumbents should have to work for their endorsements.
"It gets the candidate plugged back in to the party," Wark said.
Either way you look at it, this weekend's convention won't be a boring discussion of issue platforms like many past gatherings. But the party better hope the host hotel's name doesn't serve as a future reminder to the faithful who felt cast away by the inaugural pre-primary endorsements.
Segerblom returns
Two of the Assembly's elder stateswomen are throwing their names back into the political arena.
Gene Segerblom, a Democrat who served eight years in the Assembly, announced she will seek election to the newly created District 20, covering Boulder City, Laughlin, Searchlight, Nelson, Mesquite, Overton, Bunkerville, Logandale, Moapa and a tiny portion of Henderson.
Segerblom, known best for sponsoring the state's early voting and eminent domain laws, lost her District 22 seat in 2000 to Republican lawyer Dave Brown.
Vivian Freeman, D-Reno, who has served 16 years in the Assembly, announced she is seeking re-election to her Northern Nevada district. Freeman, 74, is a registered nurse.
Elder Bush to visit
Two Republican congressional candidates are hoping "41" can help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for their campaigns.
Former President George H.W. Bush will speak at a joint reception for Jon Porter and Lynette Boggs McDonald on March 22 at the Venetian.
Mike Slanker, a Republican consultant working on Porter's campaign, said Porter hopes to raise $150,000 from the $1,000-a-person event hosted by Sig Rogich.
The Porter and Boggs McDonald campaigns will split the cost of the event and invite their own guests to raise the money.
Gov. Kenny Guinn, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., are expected to attend.
The host committee includes Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, Guinn campaign manager Pete Ernaut and wife, Wendy, Ensign's father and casino executive Mike Ensign, Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury and Nevada GOP Chairman Bob Seale.
The 41st president of the United States has been in Las Vegas twice recently -- once to speak to a convention. Current President Bush visited Northern Nevada as a presidential candidate in 2000 but has not been back to the state since.
For the record
A panel of national experts in politics and economics will speak at UNLV's Artemus Ham Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. March 26 as part of the Barrick Lecture Series.
"Politics, the Economy and the Presidency," will feature journalist Gloria Borger, economist Frank Cappiello, presidential historian Richard Norton Smith and commentator Ray Suarez.
The event is free but requires tickets that may be picked up at the Performing Arts Center box office at Ham Hall beginning Saturday. For information call 895-2787.
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