Print edition for October 17, 2006

Carter's missed opportunity: Michael J. Mishak; Like a boxer behind in points in the late rounds, Jack Carter needed to score big in his first televised debate with U.S. Sen. John Ensign on Sunday.

Letter: Bush acting correctly on North Korea: The fact is that President Bush rightfully quit honoring the Clinton/Carter debacle after Kim Jong-Il's mendacious efforts were confirmed in October '02 and after Kim expelled the IAEA inspectors in December '02. Kim violated the "Agreed Framework" from the get go. He has continued to use his two Russian light-water reactors to obtain enriched uranium 235, 238 and plutonium 239, all the while accepting the Carter/Clinton payoffs.

Letter: Nevada overrun by illegal immigrants: Being politically correct is stifling the ability to teach American children and essentially handicaps the future of all our young citizens, regardless of their nationality. Those who support the lawlessness of illegal immigrants are doing more harm than good for those they wish to help. It is a felony to enter this country illegally, and those who aid and abet such activity are criminals as well . Amnesty is not the answer.

Ad revives politically potent Social Security issue: Michael J. Mishak; Less than a week before early voting begins, the two candidates bidding to succeed U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District are engaged in a rhetorical battle over President Bush's plan to overhaul Social Security.

Letter: GOP failing to hurt Sen. Reid's record: He did nothing illegal, he sold some property, and he probably made a mistake in how it was disclosed. He didn't take any bribes, didn't get taken to St. Andrew's Golf Course in Scotland by Jack Abramoff, or take millions in bribes like Republican Rep. Duke Cunningham. He didn't send suggestive e-mails to pages like Republican Rep. Mark Foley, and he didn't get convicted of taking bribes like Republican Rep. Bob Ney, who is refusing to resign his seat.

Editorial: Long, winding road: The report, "Commuting in America III," written by Virginia transportation expert Alan Pisarksi and released Monday by the Transportation Research Board, shows that immigrant workers who have lived in the United States five or fewer years were more likely to carpool, walk, ride bicycles or use public transit to get to work than they were to drive privately owned, single-occupant vehicles. Likewise, the study shows, workers 55 and older were more likely to walk to work or to work from home. About 4 million Americans now work from home, surpassing the number of those who walk to work.

FLASHPOINT for Oct 17, 2006: Imagine the reaction of some folks this week and last who received a missive in their mailboxes touting something called Tax and Spending Control. Some probably were surprised; others, slightly more benighted, perhaps weren't. The pitch to support TASC was sent out the day it was tossed by the state Supreme Court, a spokesman says. But that was only the beginning of Murphy's Law taking hold. The solicitation is signed not by TASCmaster Bob Beers but by Don Chairez, the ex-judge who is pushing another initiative - the gutted eminent domain package. Seems the mail house switched the electronic signatures. ...

Drives and putts to give way to walks and mutts: By Mike Trask; Click here for a printable graphic.

John Katsilometes passes sage advice from Danny Gans along to fellow impressionist Gordie Brown, playing across the street at Venetian: The longtime Mirage headliner, who recently celebrated 10 years in Las Vegas, contacted us Monday afternoon in response to a question we posed last week about Gordie Brown.

LOOKING IN ON: CARSON CITY: CARSON CITY - The "boneyard" wants $270,500 from the state Cultural Affairs Commission.

Jeff Haney on historian David Schwartz and his study of gambling through the ages: By Jeff Haney; After writing a comprehensive narrative history of gambling, UNLV's David Schwartz finds himself in a similar frame of mind.

She gives MDA quite a boost, but can't get one in return: Twelve-year-old Kristin Walters talks glowingly of her appearances on the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon, rhythmically moving her delicate hands for emphasis.

Editorial: Justice should prevail: District Court judges say they're just about stretched beyond their means. Even that lovely but overpriced and delayed Regional Justice Center can't accommodate much of the expected increase in lawsuits and criminal prosecutions.

Editorial: Nightmare before Christmas: But take a stroll through almost any drug store, discount department store or grocery store these days, and you'll see the chocolate Santas sitting right next to the bags of Halloween candy. Some stores, seeking to round out the whole holiday mania, manage to wedge a few singing stuffed turkeys and cornucopia-imprinted paper plates among the tree ornaments and monster masks.