Jon Ralston is thankful?!

By Jon Ralston (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008 | 2:01 a.m.

Politicians and high-profile figures celebrate this week’s holiday just like the rest of us — by giving thanks for the blessings in their lives.

Here’s what some of them will be thankful for Thursday:

• Sen. Harry Reid: For Team Reid — it turned the state blue and removed titles from two potential 2010 opponents, Joe Heck and Jon Porter. For Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto — she turned prospective Reid opponent Brian Krolicki blue with a prospective indictment.

• Sen. John Ensign: For merit raises being integral to the GOP platform but not to the caucus promotion policies — lose a half-dozen seats in the election as head of the campaign arm and get to climb another rung on the leadership ladder! For not having to run again until 2012 — the same thanks he gave last year, but even more so this year.

• Gov. Jim Gibbons: For Nevadans, especially in the cow counties, being so IQ-challenged they think his “no new taxes” is a philosophy and not a mindless chant. For Gibbonsworld, his own virtual reality version of The Happiest Place on Earth, where a governor doesn’t have to be in the office much, can spend much of his time in Reno and where a 30 percent approval rating is no impediment to reelection.

• Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki: For Democrats being in powerful positions so partisanship can be blamed when you face indictment. For newspapers that will emblazon your only defense as a banner headline.

• Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto: For building a reputation as an apolitical, deliberate AG, which incensed some of the partisans but now bolsters her defense against the Krolicki attack on her integrity. For being as inscrutable as a pol can be, keeping folks guessing what your ambition might be.

• Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley: For no law that prohibits a town hall tour from doubling as a gubernatorial kickoff tour. For the magic number 28 and caucus discipline — the combination means she can pass whatever she wants and entomb whatever she wants, power that is almost ... gubernatorial.

• County Commission Chairman Rory Reid: For Chris Giunchigliani, whose dominance of board meetings may guarantee he runs for governor, just so he can get away from her. For that wonderful law that puts a six-month fundraising straitjacket on any legislators who might want to run for governor.

• State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford: For the power of the Obama/Democratic Party team that changed one important word in his title. For Bob Coffin and Mike Schneider, snubbed for committee chairmanships they coveted, not being gun nuts.

• Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio: For the Gibbons Tax Restraint Initiative, which guarantees he will be relevant, even pivotal, in Session ’09. For that political Viagra he takes, making him as potent a force at a critical time as he ever has been.

• Rep. Dean Heller: For rural Nevada, aka his base. For Jim Gibbons, the governor who makes Republicans want the congressman to be governor.

• Rep.-elect Dina Titus: For the power of the Obama/Democratic Party team that changed her course from two-time major-race loser to reborn pol as a new congresswoman. For the irony of forgoing a chance to become state Senate majority leader but becoming part of a majority on a much larger stage.

• Mayor Oscar Goodman: For the greatest acting talent of any pol in Nevada history, able to make dissembling look like candor, tax-incentive whoredom look like productive redevelopment. For the six enabling dwarves — whatever Oscar wants, Oscar gets, no questions asked.

• North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon: For being first in the GOP gubernatorial fundraising waters — might he be the first man in and last man standing? For the GOP chickens who want to run but are content to wait until the incumbent signals his intentions.

• Chancellor Jim Rogers: For money and TV moguldom — it doesn’t get better than that when you want something done. For reviving the art of memo- and letter-writing in the pursuit of higher ed funding.

• Nevada Democrats: For Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Jim Gibbons. For the best field effort in the state’s history.

• Nevada Republicans: For the two years they have until another partisan election occurs. For having only two constitutional officers, so no more of them can get into trouble before 2010.

• Gondolier Numero Uno Sheldon Adelson: For whatever billions he has left. For the end of Freedom’s Watch, a worse investment than any he made this year.

• Advocates of infrastructure investment and tax structure reform: For the power of positive thinking. Or, more likely: For the power of fairy tales.