Take Gibbons’ phone, please

Wed, Jun 11, 2008 (2:01 a.m.)

"The parties have agreed that there will be no further public comment from either side while the parties attempt to resolve issues related to the divorce action."

— Joint statement from Gibbons’ attorneys, Monday

Thank goodness the nightmare is over — that is, if you don’t count People magazine, the Los Angeles Times and other national media inquiring about our illustrious governor.

“She won’t move out,” declared the all-caps, boldface headline in People a few days ago. And the Los Angeles Times piece Tuesday synthesized much of the chatter reverberating from Reno to Elko to Las Vegas under the headline, “Nevada governor’s messy divorce is a gossip jackpot.”

Oh, and there’s this, too: The revelation Tuesday in the Reno Gazette-Journal that Gov. Jim Gibbons used his state phone to text the woman the first lady says he is involved with 850 times in one month and 160 times one day during the legislative session. Now we know why the governor always looked as if he were clueless during the session — he was busy texting his girlfriend.

We thought it was embarrassing when the national media lampooned our gin-swilling, showgirl-escorting mayor. But think of the ongoing field day the networks and cable programs will have with our text-messaging, “Sex and the City”-going governor.

Unlike Oscar Goodman, Jim Gibbons has a real job that affects millions of Nevadans. And even his most ardent supporters now have to deal with the fact that he apparently had no idea there were foreclosure and budget crises because he was too busy having text with the wife of a Reno podiatrist.

You can’t make this stuff up, folks.

For all those who have lamented the coverage of Gibbons’ private life — and I have been one of the high-minded pontificators — this no longer is simply the story of a messy divorce. The nexus between public and private behavior is now too apparent for anyone to ignore. This is a story of an elected official utterly bereft of good judgment, one who has been recklessly gallivanting around Reno with married women just as he has recklessly gallivanted around the state with the governorship, showing the same disrespect to the office that he has shown to his wife.

The governor’s behavior has been an escalating series of embarrassments, beginning with his dazed legislative performance, continuing with his maladroit handling of the economic crisis and then his filing for divorce from a mercurial wife. The first lady then publicly accused him of adultery, and the governor responded by cavorting with married women around the biggest little gossip center in the world.

And now the text messages — an average of almost 30 a day during one month of the Legislature with a woman he claims is only a friend — a disclosure that may finally induce someone, whether it be impeaching lawmakers or frustrated friends, not only to take away his phone but also to tell him to relinquish his elected position.

“Of all the atrocious decisions this guy has made as governor, in every facet of being governor, this actually is such a real-life thing,” one Republican said Tuesday soon after learning of Gibbons’ text-messaging extravaganza. “That is far more damaging to him, as a leader — the picture of a governor cracking off this many text messages.”

The text-message story, which will have the whole state talking, will only further pique the national media’s interest. And it will be hard for the state to stay red when the Republicans here are so red-faced about the governor’s unstoppable humiliation.

As The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder so snidely put it Tuesday, “Putting the swing in swing state, one wonders whether Gov. Jim Gibbons’ nasty divorce will further demoralize Republicans in the state and boost Barack Obama’s chances of winning. At the very least, it’ll be hard for John McCain (to) appear in public with an alleged adulterer.”

Republicans here are reduced to arguing that Dawn Gibbons should stop the attacks so the governor is employable after his tenure — how pathetic is that? — and to banking on a promised housecleaning that will sweep out the highest levels of staff in his office — as if that will keep the governor at home and off his cell phone.

Gibbons and his sycophants may well be able to weather yet another storm, even though this one would seem to have Katrinalike devastation because he is not doing a heck of a job as governor. I don’t know why, but I keep imagining Gov. Brian Krolicki in front of TV cameras and solemnly intoning, “Our long state nightmare is over.”

Discussion: 10 comments so far…

By DavidMorgan

6/11/08 at 7:18 a.m.

Suggest removal

You know, I've often wondered if there was more method than madness in play when Brian Krolicki filed for Lt. Governor. Insiders always knew Gibbons was a goober, and a potentially reckless one at that. And with his plan to "pay day loan" our tobacco money, since the fund probably won't be there much longer due to a long string of lawsuits, he might be looking smarter by the day.
By Juice

6/11/08 at 9:18 a.m.

Suggest removal

If this so called Governor were an ethical man he would at least own up to what he has done. Given that he has not addressed the issue of his texting messages to another man's wife DURING the legistlate session, we can expect not hear anything but denials from this womanizer.
Where is the serial denial master?
The good citizens of Nevada deserve a resignation from this assclown.
By Stoplying

6/11/08 at 9:56 a.m.

Suggest removal

A resignation for being a fool in love? How sad. Apparently sex is the only thing that matters to the people of Nevada. The budget, the lack of concern for education and vital services, the lack of concern about the hepatitis issues and on and on, none of this matters. But act like a love sick teenager with a pager and everybody wants a resignation. PLEASE, I do not care if this governor is in love with this other woman. I want the State to be taken care of even if it means tha the Casinos have to pay for the Gaming Control Board, etc. Besides, how does getting Krolicki improve anything? Better to keep lame duck Jim and have a fresh start in 2 years than to get stuck with "I should already have been indicted" Krolicki for 6 years.

At the rate we are going with these public officials, Governor Masto should be in office by December.
By azsk8fan

6/11/08 at 10:42 a.m.

Suggest removal

"A fool in love"....... oh please........how old is this guy? 16? He's an idiot and the state deserves better.
By darkhorse

6/11/08 at 7:05 p.m.

Suggest removal

Its not about this clown in love. It is the fact he cant go one day without trying to cover one lie after another. I would think people should expect that they can TRUST their Governor. If his text messages have disappeared, have his e-mails as well. This guy should do us all a favor a come up with the standard medical issues is forcing him to resign. GOP or Dem, lets get someone that truly wants to make the State better and actual deal with adversity. Just like Clinton's State Troopers in Arkansas, I bet Gibbos boys have a few stories to tell.
By Reno_Muse

6/11/08 at 8:47 p.m.

Suggest removal

Time to look at all of his emails, Dawn's emails, all phone records that are public including communication records from Congressional offices. Or maybe the FBI already has those?
By azsk8fan

6/12/08 at 6:48 a.m.

Suggest removal

With the money these politicians make why in the hell do the taxpayers have to provide them with a phone anyway? Let them pay for their own phone and they can deduct a portion of their phone bill on their income tax return as a 'business' expense. Stop the madness!
By AngryPostman

6/12/08 at 12:44 p.m.

Suggest removal

The budget mess matters far more than $130 worth of text messages.

If ole Jimbo the Bimbo chaser can fix the budget I won't care if he is texting goats in Winnemuca.

The LVSUN also needs a lesson on the difference between 'reporting' and 'editorializing'. Did any of your hacks attend journalism school Greenspun? If they did, they all were probably out smoking dope during the ethics portions.
By indigo_girl

6/12/08 at 8:26 p.m.

Suggest removal

We could save a great deal of money by cutting all those Blackberries floting around in all state agencies and our NSHE campuses. Even our hardest hit instituions of higher learning like NSC are still paying for a bunch of Blackberries and service a freeby to staff and faculty. Can someone investigate how much money is costing us for all these free talking?
By roamer

6/13/08 at 9:20 a.m.

Suggest removal

The Governor is an incompetent disgrace and should resign. If he won't, he should be removed from office. The people of Nevada deserve better.

We should all make sure that we vote in any upcoming election. If less than half of us even bother to vote, we get the government we deserve.