GOP opens state convention with call for grass-roots action

Kirsten Searer

Friday, April 30, 2004 | 8:45 a.m.

RENO -- Bush-Cheney supporters around the country held more than 5,000 "Parties for the President" Thursday to rally supporters, and a party in Reno was the largest in the nation.

Nevada Republicans were gathered at the Peppermill in Reno for the first day of their state convention. Many said the presidential party is just one sign that they won't let enthusiastic Democrats take this election.

"We need to pull this party together from top to bottom and organize this state," said Richard Ziser, the Republican candidate challenging Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

As the first order of business, Republicans elected former Assembly candidate Earlene Forsythe as their new party chairwoman. She will replace Lia Roberts, who resigned the post so she can run for president in her native Romania.

Forsythe, who made an unsuccessful bid for Assembly District 37 in 2002, promised Republicans she would raise $300,000 for the state party's efforts and give $10,000 to every county party.

"We are here, or should be here, for no other reason than to get Republicans elected," she told the crowd.

Republicans said they must focus on grass-roots campaigning to win this state for Bush.

"Nevada makes a lot of its political decisions neighbor to neighbor, over the back fence or on the telephone," state Treasurer Brian Krolicki said.

Cliff Nellis of Reno said that many Democrats who preferred candidates such as former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean will lose interest in Sen. John Kerry, the presumed Democratic nominee.

"They really don't know who this John Kerry guy is," he said.

Doug Mathews of Pahrump said Democrats might try to rally party members because of the casualties suffered recently in Iraq, but people ultimately will feel safer with Bush as their leader.

"I see an energy with them, but you've got to wonder, is it going to boil over or burn out?" he said.

Republicans also will elect delegates this weekend to the national convention in New York City.

The convention will feature speeches from many top state Republicans and will be highlighted by an address by Ralph Reed, a presidential adviser and the former head of the conservative Christian Coalition.

On Thursday Democrats sent out a news release criticizing the choice of Reed as a speaker, saying it sent the message that "moderates need not apply" to the party.

But some Republicans defended the speaker, saying the party allows people from different perspectives to speak their mind.

"That is the beauty and the strength of this party," Attorney General Brian Sandoval said.