Thoughts on where to hang Governor Jim Gibbons’ portrait

Julie Duewel, Nevada Transportation Department

Shrine to mediocrity: The portrait of Gov. Jim Gibbons gets hung in the State Capitol.

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 | 1:01 p.m.

Jim Gibbons’ portrait was hung in the State Capitol this month as part of an honored tradition for outgoing governors. It serves as an eternal visual reminder of the train wreck that was Gibbons’ time in office, which resulted in him being the first Nevada governor to lose a primary race. Gibbons’ gaffes, personal scandals (alleged sexual assault, ugly divorce), odd behavior (using a state cell phone to send hundreds of personal texts to a married woman), questionable ethics and other sordid controversies garnered him the worst governor title from a state historian and a place among the 11 worst governors in America in the eyes of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Should his portrait prove too much of an eyesore for employees at the Capitol, where Gibbons spent little time while in office, here are some other options:

McCormick & Schmick’s seafood restaurant Ground zero for the 2006 sexual assault accusations that would plague the rest of Gibbons’ term.

eTreppid Technologies LLC Ensuring governors enjoy their cruises since 2005.

The offices of plagiarism.org A 2005 Gibbons speech echoed a 2003 speech by Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.

Ireland Gibbons on racial profiling: “Absolutely we ought to profile everybody that looks like a terrorist. I don’t have a problem with that. But if they want to have a racial profile of Irishmen, then I’m going to question that.”

A basement Where the Gibbonses allegedly asked Patricia Pastor Sandoval, their housekeeper from Peru, to hide from guests who might question her immigration status.