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twitterJoe Biden visit signals hard race for Dina Titus
Democrats see her reelection as key to retaining House
Monday, Nov. 16, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Rep. Dina Titus, shown speaking on election night, is the first Democrat to represent her district.
Vice president Biden visits Vegas to help Democratic lawmaker raise money.
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- What East Coast results might hold for Titus, Reid (11-5-2009)
- Dina Titus backing House health care plan after changes (11-4-2009)
- Dina Titus challengers speak to Republican women (10-16-2009)
Bracing for a tough election cycle in 2010, the White House sent Vice President Joe Biden to Las Vegas Sunday to boost the campaign coffers of Democratic Rep. Dina Titus.
Biden’s visit is the largest indication yet that Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District is a top priority for the Obama administration and Democrats as they seek to maintain congressional majorities and stem losses in next year’s midterm elections. The vice president told more than 150 people at a private fundraiser at the Atomic Testing Museum that he had campaigned in 54 House districts this year.
Biden said the economic stimulus package had helped the country avoid a depression and that the economic tide is now turning, predicting net job growth by early next year. And Titus, he said, is among the lawmakers who have cast the tough votes to make it happen.
The Republican National Campaign Committee and the camp of Titus’ leading Republican rival, former state Sen. Joe Heck, used the visit to advance their own narrative: that Titus is a loyal foot soldier in the Washington establishment, promoting an “extreme agenda” that will do little to help the economic recovery.
“No matter how many D.C. politicians line up to help Dina Titus, the line won’t be nearly as long as the one at the Southern Nevada unemployment office,” said Grant Hewitt, Heck’s campaign manager.
While Democrats hold a 10-point registration advantage in the largely suburban district, the political environment ensures the contest will be hard-fought.
Last year, Titus ran a quiet campaign and won, due in no small part to Barack Obama’s wave of support and a worsening economy, which voters blamed on incumbents.
Now, she’s the incumbent, in a state that ranks second in the nation in unemployment. Economists have noted that the state will lag the national recovery because of its heavy reliance on the gaming and construction industries, which have taken severe hits in the recession. Voters will likely be looking to cast blame.
The Pew Reseach Center for the People & the Press found this month that support for incumbents is near an all-time low, on par with ratings in 1994 and 2006, when the party in power lost control.
Titus also faces the challenge of appealing to a strong — and growing — bloc of independent voters in her traditionally conservative district. In a survey last week, Gallup found that since July Republicans have increased their lead among unaffiliated voters by 22 points. Fifty-two percent of independents prefer the Republican in their district. Titus is the first Democrat to hold the seat, after ousting three-term Republican Jon Porter.
After failing to reach the majority threshold in last year’s vote, she has worked doggedly to establish herself as a legislative player. (She received 40,000 fewer votes in her district than Obama.)
“It is a very exciting time to be in Washginton,” Titus told the crowd. “I don’t want to sound immodest, but I do believe we are making history. The challenges we face are great ... but the will and spirit are there to get us out of this recession.”
She cited the cash-for-clunkers program, the stimulus, and the first-time homebuyer tax credit as examples of victories.
“Even the old timers are impressed so much is going on,” Titus said. “It’s not a time for the fainthearted.”
Biden, elected to seven terms in the Senate, said he was impressed. The stimulus, he said, gives Nevada and the country a firm foundation.
“This is about giving middle class people a fighting chance to get back up,” Biden said. “We are not interested in building a new economy based on a new bubble. We’re looking for people to do the things our parents did, their generation did. When they built a foundation for economic growth, they built on basic fundamentals.”
He said the stimulus was responsible for providing 190,000 Nevadans with unemployment insurance. The legislation has also pumped $500 million into people’s pockets through tax cuts and kept about 4,000 educators employed, he said. The state received $187 million to maintain Medicaid. All told, Biden said, Nevada has received $1 billion and will receive another billion.
On health care, he praised Titus for her support, saying that without reform the country had no chance of “getting control of our federal budget.”
Republicans have pledged to go after Democrats who supported the health legislation and Titus found herself in the cross-hairs last week. She’s one of eight Democratic lawmakers being targeted in ads by the 60 Plus Association, an advocacy group that calls itself the “conservative alternative” to AARP. The group plans to spend $1.5 million on television ads, highlighting cuts to the popular Medicare Advantage program under the House legislation.
Biden issued a challenge to Titus’ Republican rivals, saying they owe voters more than rhetoric.
“I love these guys who are going after Dina and me and Barack,” he said. “They hate the fact that we’re doing too much ... Mark my words, no matter who her opponent is, they will show up to a new construction project and they will tell you how we shouldn’t have spent that money.”
For her part, Titus told her supporters she’s ready for the fight. She quoted Elvis Presley: “I was born standing up and talking back.”
Discussion: 35 comments so far…
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"All told, Biden said, Nevada has received $1 billion and will receive another billion."
And where are the Jobs Joe?
"It is a very exciting time to be in Washginton," Titus told the crowd. "I don't want to sound immodest, but I do believe we are making history."
And where are the Jobs Dina?
future, your jobs are overseas by your ceo buddies. we don't manufacture enough to put in a manure spreader.
Comment removed by staff. Off topic.
When the people of Nevada become aware that Dina voted "yea" on the health bill which didn't include the e-verify protection it needed to keep illegals from using the provisions of the health bill, her political dreams will become a thing of the past.
frem-
HR 3962 couldn't have been any clearer in not letting undocumented immigrants in the exchange.
When the people of Nevada become aware that health care reform will save us money, give us more options, and deliver better quality care, Dina will be reelected and Joe Heck's political aspirations will become a thing of the past.
Comment removed by staff.
Dina Titus should be nervous. Her yes vote on Government takeover of Health Care was entirely irresponsible. If she just wants to be an Obama lapdog and NOT listen to her constituents then she's out. We will elect a real representative for Congressional District 3. She's already shown her true colors and she will do the same in the future if she's allowed to. We have way better options out there than a Dina Titus. Shelly Berkley is no exception in CD 1.
During the last cycle, I voted for Porter and my wife voted for Titus. If Dina had demonstrated some guts on this issue, my wife and I would have voted for her. We both now plan to vote for Joe Heck, someone who always puts country first.
I agree Joe coming here complicates Dina Titus' life and will harm her prospects.
Anyone who sees Joe as a positive has not been paying attention.
Joe was chosen because he is not competent and his seat was needed to put in new blood, and he will not be able to follow the President with his own term.
Hillary in 2012!
(that must be the plan otherwise how to explain the Obama adminstrations almost deliberately suicidal actions to date?)
Roads were shutdown, dozens of State Troopers used, WHO paid for all this? for a private event to raise money for Dina Titus?
Who are these people? royalty?
This stunt alone tells me Dina Tituts is not fit to be around the public's money.
simply outrageous.
The nut bars are grasping at straws on titus/reid reelection.
The local talk show host on hate-talk radio is obsessed with the Reid Bomb thing. (like the birthers are fixated on OBAMA)
After Gilesspee told her it was legitimate occurrence, she had to get a admitted murderer and mobster to back her story up.
First Birthers now Bombers???
Stephen,
If you knew anything about fundraising and politics, the costs of the event are usually split between the DNC and the campaign of the person involved. No tax dollars are used on anything other than the usual secret service detail that any Vice-President, Republican or Democrat would have. Where were you complaining when Jon Porter had President Bush in town? There was a hell of a lot more roads shut for that event. Give me a break, what's "simply outrageous" is idiocracy...
Dina was fighting the public option at first. I am unsure about her. Any idiot that thinks keeping illegals out of insurance is a fool. Then we pay 100%. How dumb can the republicans be? Let the illegals pay insurance and contribute instead of getting free care at the emergency room.
Heck is a loser that only supports the top 2%
Many Pro-Illegal or Anti-Citizen proponents often do not realize that benefits are for citizens only. We need to keep it that way. I would be sickened to hear of a poor widow (a citizen) being denied benefits because some Illegal Mexican got her share. It's not right if it happened that way. Charity starts at home, folks, and resources are getting scarce for the poor, downtrodden citizenry.
Allowing illegals to pay for insurance is the same as accepting them as part of the system which they have circumvented by coming here illegally in the first place. This Congress should deal with immigration first and then deal with health care for the rest of us. I do not disparage immigrants from entering this wonderful country but they should be given the opportunity to enter legally if their labor and/or talents are needed.
Oh, and by the way, Dina is out and Joe is in next year.
Well Nick, I suppose I and the great majority of Americans are idiots because they do not want to pay for illegals health insurance.
As far as I know, currently, illegal immigrants can purchase health insurance regardless of their immigration status.
The repungnutz need a decent candidate, and Heck was just ousted from this very district at the state level.
Heck? NO !
Did "We The People" pay for Biden's plugs?
@anewkindofpolitics
and I am sure you can prove all your claims? Where is the disclosure? Why hide this visit?
Simple, because these trips are BS is why.
Dr. Heck is awesome! The only reason he lost was because the district was flooded with ill-informed, first-time voters who voted blindly along party lines ............ Dina rode the Obama coat tails, nothing more, and she'll be ousted next fall.
Professor Dina was a reliable liberal until she got to Congress.
Once she was elected, she became a politician, and became a DINO because she figured that move would get her re-elected.
Now Biden is coming to town to try to shore up her credibility among the Democratic wing of the Democratic party.
Sorry Dina. You've shown your true colors in a few committee votes. You will pander to those who will come out and vote in 2010. It won't be the young people who turned out to vote for Obama, and simply coincidentally voted for you.
The 18-30 year old crowd is dissatisfied with Obama, as being weak and a sell out. They just won't vote. They also know they can't count on you Dina. To them you're just some old lady who sounds like an Okie Republican.
Want a laugh?...http://twitter.com/dinatitus
Clueless is your keyword
atdleft If the bill had e-verify in it and then it was taken out, how will the government know if a person is illegal or not? The more I think about Joe Wilson yelling "you lie", the more he keeps getting to be my favorite Congressman. The voice that won't ever be forgotten.
It's time for dina and harry to be voted out. Niether one of them is good for nevada. There record stands for itself. They have done nothing except spend money for more big gov't. The unemployment and foreclosures are getting worse every day. Pretty sad when our state is #2 in unemployment behind michigan. Dina titus votes with her party on everything. Maybe she needs to read what she is voting on, or have somebody explain it to her!!!
timinvegas, good post, but don't forget about Shelly Berkely. She is sponsoring the Dream Act bill in the house while Harry Reid is sponsoring the Dream Act bill in the senate. This bill will ultimately enable illegals citizenship into our country. HAH! Of the people for the peolple?
Stumbling, Bumbling, Fumbling Biden and Dina Taxes; priceless.
FYI (Attn..Mr.Fremmasind)...
The e-verify system is an employment verification database, period....The system you might be referring to is called SAVE (The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements), which is used to validate the immigration status of all applicants seeking public benefits.
Wow, this reading is better than watching Springer.
Thanks for the correction angelo.
Don't make fun of my buddy Joe Biden. I think he is doing a great job as Vice President. Too bad he's not the President instead of Obama. I bet Joe would not be still waiting to make a decision on Afghanistan. And Joe wouldn't be a President bought and paid for by the SEIU...
Biden was here for one reason......a 4 letter word...M..O..N..E..Y.
lcdrmandingonamvet - I never get tired of reading your posts. They are always fresh, on topic and very eloquently stated. You never repeat yourself and your comments are always constructive, never dwelling on negatives, and they give me sufficient reason to re-think my position on the issues. Thank you for bringing so much intelligence to this forum.