Nevada’s presence greater than usual

Suzanne Struglinski

Friday, July 30, 2004 | 9:18 a.m.

BOSTON -- Nevada's presence in this week's Democratic National Convention was much bigger than what its five electoral votes would typically command. Nevada, which has less than 2 percent of the electoral votes needed to elect the next president, witnessed a newfound prominence at the convention:

Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton told the Nevada delegation Thursday simply: "Nevada is important."

"Please remember as we approach Nov. 2, the people of Nevada are depending on you to make a red (Republican) state a blue (Democratic) state," he said. "It is not an exaggeration to say Nevada is going to be key to this election. Nevada is close to No. 1 on the list."

There's no doubt that Nevada is only seeing the beginning of the attention it will receive over the next 95 days before the election and the Democrats made that clear.

"From the Democrats point of view, Nevada is a battleground state, not from only how close it was in 2000 but for the clear broken promise that (President) Bush has made to the people of Nevada on Yucca Mountain and a variety of issues since Bush took office," said Jano Cabrera, national spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. "We are going to have a very aggressive and strong presence. You can't take any vote for granted."

George W. Bush won Nevada's vote in 2000 by 3 percent, or less than 25,000 votes.

"We are going to fight for every vote in Nevada," said Anne Sheridan, state director of the Kerry Campaign in Nevada. "There are 240,000 new voters in Nevada and we think these folks are ours."

After the convention ended with Kerry's acceptance speech Thursday, Nevada delegates were enthusiastic. "I could register 100 voters right now," said state party spokesman Jon Summer after the speech, confetti still in his hair.

Delegate Ida Gaines of Las Vegas said the delegation had to "go back home and be aggressive." 'I'm ready to go back home inspired and reinvigorated," she said.

Sheridan said the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is a chief issue.

Cabrera said the party's platform language naming Yucca Mountain has never been done before and Nevada is the only state singled out in the document.

Yucca Mountain has been a key point in the campaign for Democrats as they have seized upon President Bush's approval of the dump in 2002. State Republicans responded on Wednesday -- right before the Democrats passed their platform with the Yucca Mountain plank.

While Kerry voted against Yucca Mountain in 2002 and has pledged to stop the project if he's elected, Republicans found seven Kerry votes from 1987 to 1997 which they characterize as votes for Yucca Mountain, including the infamous 1987 "Screw Nevada" bill which narrowed the search for a repository to Nevada.

Sheridan said "there is a very clear contrast between President Bush and a John Kerry presidency" when it comes to the project. Kerry has pledge to stop the Energy Department plan while the Bush administration wants to move it ahead.

Republicans called it a "flip-flop," and tried to use it to deflect the president's approval.

"Whether it is Iraq, the Patriot Act, or Yucca Mountain, this is yet another example of John Kerry's inability to take and keep a principled position on important issues," said Bush Campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. "John Kerry is using this issues to distract voters from his troubling record on national security and the economy.

Democrats called the Republican move "desperate." Sheridan called the Republican's Wednesday announcement on Kerry's voting record on the day the platform was approved a "convention week tactic."

"If John Kerry is president Yucca Mountain will not happen and George Bush remains fully committed to making it happen," she said. "They (the state Republicans) are obviously in a pickle. The 'agree to disagree' isn't going to cut it with Nevadans on something that is so important."

Nevada Republicans Gov. Kenny Guinn, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, Sen. John Ensign and Reps. Jim Gibbons and Jon Porter all strongly oppose the project but constantly say they agree to disagree with Bush on his position while continuing to support his presidency.

Ensign spokesman Jack Finn said Yucca Mountain is now an issue for the courts to decide and said Kerry's campaign had not explained his votes "adequately."

Ensign said the Democrats portrayed their convention as a positive thing but have not talk about either candidate's record.

"You would think with such a long career in the U.S. Senate that people at the convention should be talking about it, but having studied his (Kerry's) voting record I can understand why he's not," Ensign said.

Ensign said Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney "have pretty simple messages," that Americans now live in a dangerous world and the policies the administration has or will put in place will make the country safer.

But Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., the leader of the state's delegation to the convention, said "the Republicans can send any spin they want to but they can't change the facts on the ground."

Yucca Mountain is the biggest and most visible issue in Nevada, but with issues of medical care, education, Iraq and terrorism, there will be plenty of other things to target.

Kerry's campaign said he will visit the state next month on a cross country tour although an exact date for Nevada was not available.

Schmitt said Nevada will see a continued presence from the Republicans.

"Nevadans can expect to see more campaign and administration officials" in the state, Schmitt said.

Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to be in Reno Saturday, although it was unclear when and if the president would return to Nevada.