Sunday, April 30, 2006 | 7:17 a.m.
What was Jon Porter thinking?
As the incumbent in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, Jon Porter has considerable heft when it comes to raising money for his re-election effort. And, as an incumbent, he also has an overwhelming advantage over all comers when it comes to retaining the seat in the House of Representatives that he won two elections ago.
You would think, therefore, that Porter needn't have to do too much to skate into a third term, courtesy of an electorate that is short on memory and even shorter on the patience needed to pay attention to such things as elections.
This is the kind of election that can usually only be lost by the incumbent, not won by the challenger. Except that Mr. Porter has tied himself hook, line and sinker to the coattails of President Bush, with the emphasis on sinker. And with our president's approval ratings hovering just above the 30-point mark, that could be a recipe for disaster if Jon can't, in the voters' minds, cut himself loose from the Bush albatross.
And, here's the big one, "except" - except if the incumbent Nevada congressman makes such a bonehead move as to invite President Bush to Nevada for a fundraiser at a time in our history when there are only two men going way the heck out of their way to bury this state, its people and its booming economy under the rubble of the nation's high-level nuclear waste.
Guess what Jon Porter did last Monday.
For a fistful of campaign cash, Porter invited one of those men to Nevada as if to flaunt whatever power may be derived because of some illusive friendship with the president. The other man, the former governor of Nevada, Robert List, and now a high-paid pitchman for the nuclear power industry, was in the audience to cheer for the unabashed leader of the Screw Nevada section of the federal government.
The trouble I am having is my inability to square an invitation to the man who would like to bury our state beneath mountains of radioactive nuclear waste and the insensitivity of a congressman who would rather have the dollars than stand up for the health and happiness of the men, women and children who will suffer because of Bush's arrogance when it comes to the Yucca Mountain issue.
Perhaps there are some out there who can explain it, but the way I see this thing, Jon Porter has decided that a principled stand against the most dangerous man to the future of Nevada was not worth having to raise campaign funds the old-fashioned way. Better a gift from the g od of the nuclear power industry than working for his money by convincing voters he is representing them ably and wisely.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand the value of having a president come to your city and your campaign fundraiser. It gives you the kind of dollars you desperately need - especially in light of the very formidable opponent you have drawn in the general election. But I also understand the much greater value that voters attach to the principles of loyalty, friendship and, most importantly, the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately syndrome.
We know what Bush has done for Nevada - absolutely nothing. And we also know what President Bush is trying to do to Nevada - absolutely everything bad. At a time when not only science but also a large number of responsible leaders across the country have turned thumbs down on the Yucca Mountain project, President Bush has single-handedly and quite proudly resurrected Yucca from the ash heap of really bad ideas and foisted it upon Nevadans and the rest of the country in his usual arrogant and insensitive way.
Arrogant because he doesn't believe he has to pay attention to science, reason or logic like most responsible people. Insensitive because he doesn't have to give a darn about the people way out in Nevada who will be most directly affected by his attempt to continue to curry favor with some of his largest political benefactors. What President Bush is doing for the nuclear power industry titans and against the people of Nevada is the epitome of the corruptive nature of near absolute power.
Whatever Jon Porter claims to have done in Nevada's fight against Yucca Mountain, it is all for naught because of his coziness with the nuclear "decider-in-chief" who has decided that a few thousand Nevadans can die for the greater good of the nuclear power good old boys.
That may sound a bit harsh to the few people out there who still believe President Bush is acting in their best interests, but it is a far cry from the scrutiny level to which Nevada voters will hold Porter come election time. With the potential of a first class opponent in Tessa Hafen, voters need not worry about the quality of representation they will have in Washington if they decide to term-limit Jon Porter.
And if that happens, or even looks like it could happen, whatever few dollars President Bush helped raise for Porter will not be able to save his political hide.
Which brings me back to the operative question: What was Jon Porter thinking?
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