Editorial: Time for politics light

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 | 9:28 a.m.

No announcer has yet proclaimed "In this corner ... " but two of Nevada's political heavyweights are expected to be in the ring for the Republican primary for governor. Neither Chancellor Jim Rogers nor Rep. Jim Gibbons has yet committed to battling each other, but Rogers couldn't resist a jab earlier this month. Appearing on Las Vegas ONE, Cox Cable Channel 19, Rogers said he didn't think Gibbons was "very bright." He added he did not think the congressman could handle the governor's job.

Now we learn that the Gibbons camp has been swinging back, with phone calls to members of the Board of Regents, who serve as Rogers' boss. Rogers is charging foul. "I do not know why he'd (Gibbons' aide Robert Uithoven) call the regents other than to try to muzzle me," Rogers said.

Uithoven, innocently, says, "I made some calls to see if (the regents) shared concerns that were publicly aired by the chancellor. We could have the congressman come sit down privately and discuss higher education." He said it's "absolutely not true" that he was actually trying to pressure the regents into disciplining Rogers for commenting as he did.

Ahh, politics. It's in the air, and it's not even an election year.