Posted on 02/11/2006 7:52:13 PM PST by NormsRevenge
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Democratic candidates - including the two vying for the nomination in the governor's race - made their pitch to the party faithful Saturday, trying to set a fiery tone for a campaign season where six state offices are up for grabs.
The two gubernatorial candidates - state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus and Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson - aimed most of their direct attacks at the Republican front-runner in the race, U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons.
Titus, a state senator since 1989 who has questioned Gibson's Democratic credentials, basked in a standing ovation at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was cheered on by a loud gaggle of backers.
"I know almost everybody in this room. We've been though a lot of battles over the years. We walked a lot of precincts. We've attended a lot of these caucus meetings. We've worked for candidates, and for Democratic principles," she said.
Gibson, a pro-life Mormon who's largely built support outside the party, made a plea for the loyalists support.
"I recognize it's people like you who make the difference. I salute you for that," he said. "In the end, it's really all about accountability for the people, in particular, people who can't do it for themselves. And this is what the party stands for and has stood for forever."
Both candidates said they'd work to improve education, mental health services and the economy.
Party officials called for a renewed focus on grassroots activism and took aim at the state's largest newspaper, whose editorial board is known as bastion of conservative and libertarian opinion.
The party announced the launch of a web blog, http://www.rjwatch.com, to monitor the Las Vegas Review-Journal's editorial page and rebut what it considers unfair attacks on Democrats.
Political watchers say the state is trending red, but Democrats refuted that.
"This state is not growing more Republican," Clark County Democrats vice chairman Justin Gilbert told a crowd of about 150 people gathered at a precinct caucus at UNLV. "It's just been through a rough patch."
The caucuses held throughout the state Saturday did not include a straw poll and largely were used as an organizing tool.
Most of the candidates for statewide office spent the day precinct-hopping in Clark County.
In his remarks at UNLV, U.S. Senate candidate Jack Carter, the oldest son of former President Jimmy Carter, reiterated a call for a return to America's "core values" first made Monday at his campaign launch.
"The administration has lost its moorings and is drifting out to sea," he said, criticizing the Bush administration's Medicare reform bill and domestic eavesdropping program.
Carter did not mention ethics reform, a hot topic in Washington following the conviction of lobbyist Jack Abramoff on bribery and fraud charges.
In an interview following his speech, Carter said he did not believe Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's attempts to portray the Abramoff controversy as a Republican scandal were effective.
"It's probably a two-edged sword," he said. "I do believe this is a Republican problem, but I think the larger reason is because they're the ones that are in power. I don't believe Republicans, in general, are worse than Democrats are. Being a Democrat doesn't make you any more or less moral than being a Republican."
A recent Associated Press report revealed that Reid wrote at least four letters to the Bush administration helpful to Indian tribes Abramoff represented and collected donations from Abramoff-related sources.
Carter said Reid did nothing wrong in accepting the donations.
In Reno, surrogates for Titus and Gibson slapped stickers and T-shirts on party faithful at the Washoe County caucus.
Legislative candidates and some contenders for statewide office also attended the caucus.
"If you're not involved, you have no say, no way to complain," said precinct captain Diego Martin of Sparks.
"The administration has lost its moorings and is drifting out to sea," he said, criticizing the Bush administration's Medicare reform bill and domestic eavesdropping program.
Carter did not mention ethics reform, a hot topic in Washington following the conviction of lobbyist Jack Abramoff on bribery and fraud charges.
In an interview following his speech, Carter said he did not believe Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's attempts to portray the Abramoff controversy as a Republican scandal were effective.
"It's probably a two-edged sword," he said. "I do believe this is a Republican problem, but I think the larger reason is because they're the ones that are in power. I don't believe Republicans, in general, are worse than Democrats are. Being a Democrat doesn't make you any more or less moral than being a Republican."
A recent Associated Press report revealed that Reid wrote at least four letters to the Bush administration helpful to Indian tribes Abramoff represented and collected donations from Abramoff-related sources.
Carter said Reid did nothing wrong in accepting the donations.
Five years ago I asked Jim to talk to State legislators about writing a Bill that would require the enforcement of immigratiom laws in Nevada. He said it would never pass. We just may see JG pass on to the civilian side of life. It is going to be a New World for our legislator.
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