J. Patrick Coolican

Reporter/ GA/ Politics

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Recent Stories (view all stories)

Teamsters may undercut members: Complaints of union collusion to hire nonunion convention labor spur revolt; Tuesday, May 6, 2008; Members of Teamsters Local 631 complain their union is colluding with major convention center contractors to wean them of union labor, a suspicion that has spurred efforts to replace local leadership with a slate of insurgent candidates.
Mischief-making blockers are signature gatherers’ bane: They holler to dissuade potential backers of teachers union petition; Monday, May 5, 2008; Russ Stevens walks out of the North Las Vegas DMV office and is approached by a woman asking him to sign a petition in favor of raising casino taxes to benefit teachers and schools.
In politics, spoils go to those who have fun: Sunday, May 4, 2008; In politics you can often tell which party, candidate or movement is winning by what could be called the “fun gap.”
Dems fail to aim at big target: Not attacking governor when he’s down may be major mistake; Sunday, April 27, 2008; Nevada Democrats are operating with a faulty strategic premise. They’ve heard politicos and journalists on TV chuckling about an old rule in politics: When your opponent is facing scandal, say nothing, get out of the way and watch.
Ron Paul campaign dominates convention: Meeting reveals a party, in this state at least, far from united; Sunday, April 27, 2008; Call 2008 the year of the great tumult, the year of the outsiders, the young, the tech-savvy who are changing American politics.
Beers’ rival is ‘nice,’ but is nice enough?: Democrat says she’ll talk issues — later; Friday, April 25, 2008; Allison Copening is in some ways a dream candidate to take on Republican stalwart Bob Beers in the pivotal race to decide the future of the state Senate, which Republicans control by one vote.
Orleans case sparks investigation: Official’s involvement draws attorney general’s interest; Friday, April 25, 2008; The Nevada attorney general’s office has opened an investigation into the state Business and Industry Department’s handling of a case involving the deaths of two workers at the Orleans, the Sun has learned.
Workhorse, or stalking-horse?: As Nevada's attorney general takes a deliberate approach to her job, some observers wonder where her priorities lie; Sunday, April 20, 2008; Catherine Cortez Masto is always well-prepared and articulate. She’s graced with an angular face framed by a bob of jet-black hair and wears fine suits. With a little practice, she would make great television: the tough, youthful but mature attorney general, standing on the steps of a corrupt mortgage lender or corporate polluter, railing on behalf of the great state of Nevada. But like Melville’s Bartleby in “Bartleby the Scrivener,” she would prefer not to. She pursues popular initiatives with little fanfare, head down, studying, avoiding conflict. It’s her style. It’s who she is.
Beers takes center stage: Republican Senator a pivotal character in gaming’s direction of election; Sunday, April 20, 2008; A lobbyist with close ties to the Strip doesn’t mean to be arrogant, and indeed, he isn’t. But his description of the calculations on the Strip heading into the 2008 election, and his gaming out of the possibilities, sounded like a TV director musing about the arrangement of actors on the set, the timing of the comic lines, the timing and pitch of audience laugh track.
Quietly, Reid works to void term limits: Effort to strike amendment comes as top legislators stand to lose seats; Thursday, April 10, 2008; Sen. Harry Reid continues to play a key role in a quiet but widespread effort in both parties to upend a state constitutional amendment passed in the 1990s imposing term limits on legislators.