Print edition for November 6, 2006

Every vote counts: Every election is important but Tuesday's has an added heft, given the number of offices on the ballot and the political swirl around the president's policies and the very real possibility that Democrats could gain control of Congress.

Titus tours churches in election's stretch run: By J. Patrick Coolican; Prayer is more important than politics, said Dr. Percell Church, Jr., the senior pastor of Zion Ministries in North Las Vegas,

LOOKING IN ON: CITY HALL: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is so determined to keep "smut peddlers" away from the Fremont Street Experience that he is willing to take the matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

LOOKING IN ON: GAMING: By Liz Benston; Focus Property Group isn't sure when it will build its Inspirada hotel and casino in Henderson, but it wants to stake its claim before the surrounding community is built and residents start moving in to gum up the works.

A MOMENT CAPTURED: Tiffany Brown, Las Vegas Sun; Captain Mike Seitman appears lost in his thoughts as he pilots Forever Earth on Lake Mead. Seitman was on the upper deck of the 70-foot customized houseboat, a floating environmental laboratory and learning center, on Tuesday. Then the guests found their way to the roof.

Learning how to beat the odds: By Liz Benston; Like mediocre math students wrestling with high-level calculus, the gamblers gathered at the Silverton are shifting in their seats.

Parties push to get voter turnout: WASHINGTON - For all the talk of a wave that could sweep Democrats to power in Congress and beyond on Tuesday, there is still one major hurdle to clear: getting Democrats to vote.

Poker champion's promise of a gift may not be all that golden: By Liz Benston; Forget about that message on the answering machine.

One more belt, one more f ight: Floyd Mayweather Jr. made a startling announcement late Saturday night, vowing to retire from his beloved sport of boxing after fighting just one more time.

KJUL maintains its standards: Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the resurrection of KJUL, and that's music to the ears of tens of thousands of fans who like music that doesn't assault their ears.

Stranded at home: The U.S. Census figures, detailed in a recent story by USA Today, show that many of these carless residents live in such major cities as New York and San Francisco, where mass transit and walking are typically easier methods of getting around. Some live in remote rural regions. Most are poor.

Letter: Heed the words of Twain's 'War Prayer': "O Lord, our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle - be Thou near them!

Doling out nuclear secrets: According to a story by The New York Times on Friday, the site, which was launched in March, was taken down Thursday night after the Times exposed its existence and asked U.S. intelligence officials why such information had been posted. The site's contents included a trove of Iraqi documents dating back more than 15 years that have been seized during the war. Among them were details of Iraq's secret nuclear research that predates the 1991 Gulf War, the Times reports.

Letter: Anything to get Republicans out of office: President Bush failed to capture Osama bin Laden, the man behind the 9/11 attacks. Against strong advice to the contrary he contrived an invasion of Iraq on the contrived idea that Iraq was a threat to the U.S. He failed to secure that country and turned it into a breeding ground for anti-American terrorists that will last for generations. His failure in Iraq has cost 2,800 American soldiers their lives, billions of dollars and the respect of the world.

FLASHPOINT for Nov 06, 2006: This has been a campaign of exploitation - of nativist feel- ings, of taxophobia, of anti-good old boyism. But nothing is as low as trying to intrude on a mother's grief for her son. But that's what Jack Carter's futile U.S. Senate campaign did. Under his campaign letterhead, Carter's press secretary wrote to the mother of a slain serviceman. Without even expressing sympathy for her loss, he declared, "I hope you will not be offended" by the request in the letter. That request is to appear at a news conference with Carter - presumably to attack Ensign for supporting President ...

Letter: A plea to cell phone makers for peace: This way cell phone junkies could communicate to other cell phone junkies by mental telepathy. This would leave the rest of us with some well-deserved peace and quiet.

Jeff Haney on the Stardust sports book's glory days: When the venerable hotel and casino closed its doors last week, it evoked little emotion in Scotty Schettler, the boss of the Stardust sports book from 1983 to 1991.

THE OPENING LINE: Just when you thought it was semi-safe to attend an air show, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has bestowed his blessing upon something called the Rocket Racing League, to be based in Las Cruces in his home state.