Political notebook: Goodman says quid pro what?

Erin Neff

Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 | 9:35 a.m.

An angry Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman lashed out at what he termed "yellow journalism" during his weekly news conference Thursday after a reporter asked whether the mayor had received any criticism regarding Wednesday's Citizen of the Month designation.

The Fertitta family, which founded Station Casinos, was designated January Citizen of the Month on Wednesday morning, hours before Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta hosted a $1,000-a-person fund-raiser for Goodman's re-election bid at Texas Station's Austin's steakhouse.

Was there a quid pro quo?

"Whoever said that was a liar and an ignorant pig," Goodman said. "My tolerance for that kind of crap is real slim. It makes me want to revert to my baseball bat days."

Asked what the mayor meant by his "baseball bat days," city spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez said: "His comments stand on their own."

Perhaps the mayor meant to say his "bobblehead days," when an Oscar Goodman bobblehead doll was distributed at a Las Vegas 51s game last summer. In his bobblehead version, Goodman is depicted holding a baseball bat.

Or maybe Goodman, who represented alleged mobsters during his career as a defense attorney, was referencing one of his former clients.

Or perhaps he was suggesting that his next client might be alleged Las Vegas baseball bat murderer William Rundle.

Either way, what a way to kick off the re-election campaign.

Goodman was ticked off by the question because, he said, it was Councilman Michael Mack who picked the Fertittas unbeknownst to Goodman.

We'll have to wait until February to see if there is a quid pro quo. That's the month in which Sig Rogich and Larry Ruvo are hosting Goodman's next $1,000-a-person fund-raiser.

Quid pro quo II

Nobody really thought Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., was going to land a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee after Dick Gephardt stepped down as minority leader.

But Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's appointment Wednesday of Max Sandlin, D-Texas, to the last seat on the powerful committee is fueling speculation of a different sort of quid pro quo.

Sandlin has been a staunch supporter of Pelosi, who has the final say in committee assignments. It also doesn't hurt that he dates Christine Pelosi, who isn't just chief of staff for Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., but also happens to be the minority leader's daughter.

Neither Christine Pelosi, nor representatives from Sandlin's office, returned calls.

Brown bows out

Assemblyman David Brown, R-Henderson, has dropped his bid for Henderson Municipal Court after learning a possibility existed he would have to be sworn in while he was still in session in Carson City.

"My commitment always was if there was anything, even a contingency that would require me to leave the Legislature, I would not do it," Brown said. "I am committed to serving my constituents in the Legislature first and foremost."

If Brown had won the April primary election outright, thus foregoing the need for a general election, he would have to assume the Municipal Court post May 6.

The Legislature's 120-day session does not adjourn until June.

Jostling continues

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., has told several reporters his meeting with White House political guru Karl Rove wasn't really about, well, politics.

Sure, Jim.

We imagine the conversation with the uber political man went something like this.

Gibbons: "You see Karl, I'm willing to take on Harry Reid in 2004 and I know the president would really like to see that happen. Outside of Kenny Guinn, who won't run, I'm really the only one in the state with a shot at him.

"So, I'd really like you to get me a seat on the Appropriations Committee; that way I'll have my hands on all sorts of pork for places in Nevada you've never even heard of."

Rove: "Appropriations? No. Not for a single two-year term. But, we're happy to talk to you about a visit from the chief. He could do a fund-raiser, rake in a few million for the party, stump for you."

Gibbons, hesitantly: "I'll get back to you."

The pressure on Gibbons to run against Reid is already big and will be so huge come April that the congressman will probably be back in the Oval Office asking Rove if his offer is still good.

Until then Gibbons will just continue to run his statewide campaign by opening satellite offices in voter hotbeds like Pahrump (as he did Tuesday) and championing small cemeteries in rural Nevada (as he did this week in several press releases.)

Heller eyeing Gibbons

Secretary of State Dean Heller is one of those within Nevada whose political future is anxious to know Gibbons' intentions.

If Gibbons does run for Senate, Heller is interested in running for Gibbons' congressional district.

In the meantime, Heller is acting as congressional as he can from Carson City. This week he wrote a letter to Nevada's five (yes, finally five!) congressional delegates asking them to pass an appropriations measure to fund the Help America Vote Act.

The act requires $3.8 billion in federal funding to help states implement the election reforms contained in the act.

"I feel strongly that due to the looming fiscal crisis in Nevada, the 2003 Legislature will have a difficult time implementing the necessary changes required by the Help America Vote Act in a timely fashion unless funding is guaranteed and available immediately," Heller wrote.

Now if he could only get Gibbons to give him a timely decision on that other matter.

For the record