Berkley casts vote for JFK

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, July 29, 2004 | 11:04 a.m.

BOSTON -- Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley Wednesday night enthusiastically cast the state's votes at the Democratic National Convention for Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

"Since what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, we're here to cast Nevada's 32 votes for the next president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kerry," Berkley said.

She meant John Forbes Kerry, who shares initials with another former Bay State senator and the most recent Massachusetts president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

WILL HE SAY IT?: Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., mentioned Yucca Mountain in his prime-time speech to the convention and Berkley had one applause break when she said the state was standing united against the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

Kerry has pledged to stop Yucca Mountain if he's elected and the party's platform says it will protect Nevada against nuclear waste. So will Kerry mention Yucca Mountain in his speech?

Berkley doubts it.

"I suspect his speech is set and ready to go," Berkley said on the convention floor Wednesday night. "I can't imagine it, it shouldn't be state specific. It should be a combination of his past, what he's done and what he'll do. That's the type of speech I want to hear. The American people are waiting to hear this speech."

NO SIGN: Other delegations had campaign signs touting their favorite sons and daughters when they addressed the convention, but where were the Nevadans' signs for Reid?

No one in the state's delegation had campaign signs, emblazoned with his slogan, Independent Like Nevada, for his speech Wednesday night.

Delegates were not allowed to bring their own signs into the convention. Signs had to be screened by security well in advance of the convention.

PARTY WHIP: Reid, the Senate assistant minority leader, also known as the whip, and his House counterpart Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., held a "Whip Party" Wednesday at Boston's Museum of Fine Art. The lawmakers gave guests woven leather lanyards resembling, well, whips as party favors with a tag in writing styled after the "Indiana Jones" movie logos.

Hoyer passed by Nevada's section moments before the state cast its vote during the roll call and said "This is no gamble. This is Nevada."

FAMILY AFFAIR: North Las Vegas delegate Naomi Goynes brought her husband, Theron, and 10other members of her family to Boston, including four grandchildren between 14 months and 12 years of age.

"This is an educational opportunity," Goynes said. "You have to lead by example."

CHARGE IT! If a Democrat needs an excuse to justify a purchase, he or she can just say the spending was a way to help the party. Visa was giving out free convention T-Shirts if attendees signed up for a credit card. Once approved, a cardholder could donate one percent of their purchases to the party.

GOOD CLEAN FUN: After John Kerry accepts the Democratic nomination tonight, 100,000 balloons will fall onto the crowd. They are biodegradable. The 1,000 pounds of red, white and blue confetti that will fall with the balloons is made from recycled papers.

BUTTON OF THE DAY: Elvis Impersonators for Kerry. Sellers say they're having trouble keeping the buttons in stock.