Free Republic

n his New York Times bestselling book, Throw Them All Out, Breitbart editor Peter Schweizer revealed how members of Congress enrich themselves and their relatives using earmarks and insider information. Now, the Washington Post, following in Schweizer’s footsteps, has conducted a study that found 16 members of Congress have used their power of the purse to benefit companies, colleges, and community groups tied to their relatives. *snip* Among those cited in the Washington Post report were the following (below):

A motorist who was pulled over after driving erratically and was methodically kicked in the head by a Henderson Police officer — while being videotaped by a Nevada Highway Patrol dashboard camera — will receive a $158,000 settlement. The motorist said he was weaving because he was in diabetic shock. Police found a vial of insulin in his pocket. The settlement amount was blessed by the city attorney then approved by the Henderson City Council tonight.

Reid’s floor maneuvers leave some Senate Democrats frustratedBy Alexander Bolton - 02/07/12 05:15 AM ET Some Democrats are grumbling over how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has run the floor this year. The frustration is felt mostly among junior lawmakers, who want more of a role in decision-making and have yet to resign themselves to the traditional pace of the Senate, where seniority rules and lawmakers often have to wait years to have significant influence. They say Reid’s style leaves them feeling out of the loop. Colleagues have second-guessed Reid’s decision to greenlight a deal with Republicans on the...

The voting ended half a day ago. The networks have called the race. The GOP presidential candidates have delivered their speeches and left the state. And, still, party officials in Nevada’s largest county continue to count the vote. “We are going to get this right,” Clark County Chairman David Gibbs told the Las Vegas Sun today. “If it takes us a little bit of time to get it rights, we are going to take the time.” Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was declared the victor of the Nevada caucuses Saturday evening, based on results from the rest of the state...

LAS VEGAS — A special Saturday night Republican caucus intended to accommodate orthodox Jews who couldn’t vote until after sundown became the scene of controversy and confrontation after caucusgoers were told that to gain admittance they had to sign a legal declaration under penalty of perjury that they could not attend their daytime caucus because of “my religious beliefs.” The use of the declaration brought protests from many supporters of Representative Ron Paul of Texas who arrived at the polling place — a school in an upscale neighborhood here named after its benefactors, the casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his...

One of Mitt Romney's leading backers in Congress is publicly calling on Newt Gingrich to drop out of the presidential race. Nevada Rep. Joe Heck, who has been closely allied with Romney since his 2008 presidential bid, said the results of Saturday's Nevada caucuses - likely a blowout win for Romney - should be a wake-up call for Gingrich. Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker "I hope he takes the message that it's time to withdraw gracefully and not continue to divide the party," Heck told reporters in Las Vegas, shortly before the first round of caucus results were announced....

Las Vegas -- Newt Gingrich delivered a fiery closing argument here on the eve of Nevada's Republican caucuses, predicting he would win the GOP nomination and taking several swings at Mitt Romney. The former Georgia congressman vowed to fight for the nomination all the way to Tampa, called Romney "Obama-lite," and challenged him to another debate. "It isn't good enough for the Republican Party to nominate Obama-lite," Gingrich told hundreds of cheering supporters at Stoney's Rockin' Country, a country music nightclub in Las Vegas..... The lighter public schedule could reflect Gingrich’s efforts to raise more money behind the scenes to...

Las Vegas -- Today's Republican caucuses in Nevada differ from primary elections by requiring voters to devote a block of time to make their preferences known in a process that takes more time than just filling out a ballot. There are also some unusual rules set this year by the GOP officials in the state, including:Timing: Republican Party officials in each county decide when to hold caucus meetings. In Clark County, home to Las Vegas and 70 percent of state residents, the meetings are at 9 a.m. today - a time that is inconvenient for the city's taxi drivers, waitresses...

Gingrich to Hold Post-Caucus Press Conference By Ethan Klapper Updated: February 4, 2012 | 9:19 a.m. February 4, 2012 | 8:20 a.m. Instead of the traditional election night party, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will hold a press conference after the Nevada Caucus on Saturday, raising new speculation about his future in the race. (snip)

Very, very good e-mail lists — and an internal debate over whether to use them. “I'm getting really tired of the ads for Romney campaign trips coming from this list serve,” writes one young Mormon. LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- At Mitt Romney’s first rally here earlier this week, there were plenty of hints that the enthusiastic crowd of 1,000 was stacked with Mormons. Kids walked around in BYU sweatshirts, moms chatted about LDS youth groups, and at least one supporter was overheard talking about making phone calls for the candidate as part of "family home evening" -- a weekly family...

Live stream of Newt Gingrich event. International Church of Las Vegas Friday, February 3 - 7:30-8:30 pm PT Location: International Church of Las Vegas 8100 Westcliff Drive Las Vegas, NV 89145 Note: this event will be streamed live on http://www.iclv.com.

LAS VEGAS—It’s Donald Trump’s world. Mitt Romney just diminished himself in it. That’s the lasting impression left by Thursday’s media frenzy in Las Vegas, where Romney steered his increasingly momentous drive for the Republican presidential nomination into the cartoon arms of a clearly delighted Donald. Endorsements come, endorsements go — and in most elections, they don’t mean all that much. Especially coming from self-aggrandizing hype factories on the sidelines. But in making the pilgrimage for what was essentially a ring-kissing ceremony inside Trump’s gilded hotel on the Vegas strip, Romney appears to have gone carnival barking up the wrong tree....

One of Mitt Romney's fundraising "bundlers" works as a lobbyist for the Green energy firm Ener1, which became a flash point for Republicans last week after it filed for bankruptcy three years after receiving a $118.5 million grant from the Obama administration...

In the Nevada caucus, Mitt Romney has a crucial advantage: his Mormon faith. Just 7.5 percent of Silver State residents are Mormon, but when it comes to Saturday’s caucuses, Mormons will likely constitute a significant chunk of voters. In 2008, about a quarter of Republican caucus voters were Mormon. “Not only will they vote for Romney,” says Nevada GOP strategist Robert Uithoven of the state’s Mormons, “but they always turn out. No matter what election, no matter who’s on the ballot, they are as reliable voters as you can find in Nevada.” “Typically political strategists in this state try to...

Sharron Angle, a Nevada Republican and tea-party favorite, will endorse Rick Santorum. She issued the following statement to National Review Online: Rick Santorum and I have known each other for years. He is a strong fiscal and social conservative who stands on principles above politics. He has never wavered in his support for family values understanding the impact that strong families have on a prosperous economy. His continuous opposition to Amnesty, Obamacare, the bail-outs, and cap and trade are a perfect fit with our main street Tea Party movement. Angle was the Nevada GOP’s nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010.

Updated Full Primary/Caucus Calendar Jan 3 Iowa (caucus) 28 Delegates 28 Unbound - Allocation at State Convention Jan 10 New Hampshire (primary) 12 Delegates 12 Bound - Proportional with 10% threshold Jan 21 South Carolina (primary) 25 Delegates 25 Bound - Winner-take-all per statewide vote Jan 31 Florida (primary) 50 Delegates 50 Bound - winner-take-all per statewide vote Feb 4 Nevada (caucus) 28 Delegates 28 Bound - Allocated on results of primary Feb 4-11 Maine (caucus) 24 Delegates 24 Unbound - Convention elects delegates Feb 7 Colorado (caucus) 36 Delegates 36 Unbound - Allocated at State Convention Minnesota (caucus) 40...

She's made this point about keeping the primaries going at least three times before, I believe. Has any Fox News reporter thought to ask her point-blank yet whether in theory that would mean encouraging people to vote for Romney if suddenly there were a big momentum shift and Newt started winning states? Somehow it's hard for me to imagine that, but she should at least have a chance to answer. Also, what's the endgame here? The idea is that the race should roll on because “competition breeds success.� Fair enough; in that case, presumably undecideds in any given state should...

(CNSNews.com) – Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has pledged multiple times that he would repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s signature health care reform law. However, his repeal proposals are light on specific details. “If I were president, day one I will take action to repeal Obamacare. It's bad medicine. It's bad economy. I'll repeal it,” Romney said at the Jan. 26 GOP debate in Florida. “And I believe the people -- I believe the people of each state should be able to craft programs that they feel are best for their people.” However, Romney’s plans...

Updated Jan. 31, 2012: Support for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has remained one of the few constants during the Republican nomination race. But as contenders to Mr. Romney have emerged and then faded, the GOP still seems hesitant to embrace him. The most recent candidate to play the Anyone But Romney role is former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who recently finished first in the party’s South Carolina primary. The National Post’s graphics team takes a look at the ups and downs of the race so far. [great grapics at source]

Newt Gingrich is fighting for nothing less than the soul of the Republican Party, says political analyst Howard Fineman. Fineman’s assessment came as he discussed the Florida primary race and the GOP presidential contest in general with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and former national Republican Chairman Michael Steele on “Hardball with Chris Matthews” Monday night. Noting that Gingrich has vowed to stay in the presidential contest through the national GOP convention in Tampa, Fla., in August, Fineman observed that some of the former House speaker’s friends "strongly advised him to go all the way to the convention, and they didn't have...

DUNEDIN, FLORIDA, January 31, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – As polls show Mitt Romney poised to win the Florida primary, some are questioning his wisdom in seeking the advice of a climate scientist who wrote in favor of compulsory abortion for American women. ... As governor of Massachusetts, Romney asked current Obama administration Science Czar John Holdren for advice on a plan to impose statewide limits on carbon emissions from power plants. President Barack Obama has made a similar proposal as president. A December 7, 2005, press release states, “In the development of greenhouse gas policy, Romney Administration officials have elicited input...

1) He's not a conservative. There have been a lot of conservatives who've talked a good game during the primaries and then have let us down in D.C., but if Mitt Romney becomes the nominee and gets elected, some people seem to be hoping that he'll be the first Republican moderate to go to D.C. and turn into a fire-breathing conservative. Based on his record, if Mitt Romney is nominated, he will be the least conservative candidate since Nixon. >snip 2) He doesn't believe in anything politically other than Mitt Romney. What conservative cause has Mitt Romney ever fought like...

Sarah Palin now on Hannity busting the GOP-e for lying about Newt!! Newt up next!!

The 2012 Republican primary race has passed well beyond the rabbit hole into some extra-dimensional bizarro world where up is down, black is white and the allies of the candidate who disavowed Reaganism would have us believe that the leader of the “second stage of the Reagan Revolution” is somehow insufficiently Reaganesque. It’s no secret that the GOP establishment backs Mitt Romney. The same folks who gave us John McCain and Bob Dole have picked their winner. When Mr. Romney is down, their panic shows. They start floating desperate ideas like late-entry candidates or a brokered convention. They also pull...

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was joined by President Ronald Reagan's son Michael on Monday morning in Jacksonville, Florida. Michael Reagan is supporting Mr. Gingrich for the presidency and helping Mr. Gingrich fend off critics who say that the former speaker did not have a politically close relationship with his father. "One of the reasons I was glad Michael agreed to come on is that there’s been a question raised by the establishment as to whether or not I was really in any way active with Ronald Reagan," said Gingrich to a group of supporters in meeting room...

UPDATE: The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama says their ad buy in Nevada currently stands at five figures, with the spots going up in the Las Vegas, Reno and Pahrump markets. They say they hope to expand the ad buy if fundraising allows. (CNN) – An independent conservative group associated with the tea party movement says it's backing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for the Republican presidential nomination. The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, which touts itself as one of the nation's largest conservative activist organizations, emailed supporters Sunday to "announce our endorsement of Newt Gingrich for President. We are...

Newt Gingrich's 2012 campaign is showing signs that the former House speaker may pull off a win in the Feb. 4 Nevada GOP caucus, as preliminary polls and news reports show him surging in the Silver State. Gingrich's candidacy was declared dead repeatedly over the last several months, but with his trouncing of assumed frontrunner Mitt Romney Saturday in the South Carolina GOP primary, news outlets and early polling suggest he may be able to sieze another key win in Nevada, the "first in the West" of this year's caucuses. Las Vegas-based political TV reporter Jon Ralston tweeted the following...

A proposed two-year contract between Clark County and its unionized service employees appears to provide better benefits to future employees at the expense of raises for the union’s current 5,000 workers. The pact with Service Employees International Union would represent a big change from an offer Clark County made to the union last year, which resulted in a stalemate between management and the union and then mediation. In that deal, the county offered merit raises of 1 percent in the first year and 3 percent in the second year, but only if the union gave up longevity pay for future...

Wildfire sweeps through south Reno, several homes destroyed, evacuations underway

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today made the following statement after President Obama announced new initiatives to significantly increase travel and tourism in the United States: “President Obama’s announcement today is a shot in the arm for Nevada’s largest industry: tourism. This incredibly important initiative for Nevada will take the necessary steps to increase travel and tourism in the United States. Nevada is home to some of the world’s premier travel destinations. From Lake Tahoe to the Las Vegas Strip, tourists from around the world enjoy our state’s hospitality. As our economy continues to recover, the President’s plan...

Congressional support for controversial online piracy legislation eroded dramatically on Wednesday in the face of an unprecedented online protest supported by tech titans such as Google, Wikipedia and Facebook. Several key senators withdrew their support from the Senate's Protect IP Act (PIPA), including Tea Party favorite Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), an elected member of his party's leadership. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who leads the Senate GOP's campaign team, said the legislation should be put on hold, while Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a sponsor and the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, retreated from the...

CARSON CITY — Synthetic drugs that mirror cocaine and marijuana are showing up more often in Nevada, and some state legislators are unhappy that the state Pharmacy Board has not taken action to ban them. Assemblywoman April Mastroluca, chairwoman of the Legislative Committee on Health Care, said it’s been almost a year since the 2011 Legislature discussed the problem and she is frustrated the Pharmacy Board had not adopted a regulation to prohibit the “synthetic cannabinoids and bath salts.”

The State Bar of Nevada is investigating the CEO of Righthaven, a company known for its prolific filing of copyright lawsuits against bloggers who allegedly infringed by reposting newspaper content, as well as two lawyers who worked there. ... a federal judge in Las Vegas has fined Righthaven $5,000 and rebuked the company for “inaccurate and likely dishonest” statements in court filings, the article continues. The judge also suggested that the company could have been involved in unauthorized practice of law.

A Las Vegas attorney will launch a legal and political effort this week aimed at establishing and funding a parallel state budget, beyond the reach of the Legislature and governor. Kermitt Waters seeks to place on the November ballot a proposed constitutional amendment calling for a sweeping overhaul of Nevada’s tax system — abolishing property taxes on single-family homes among other things while identifying and allocating new tax revenue. Waters said last week his proposal is borne of frustration with the status quo in Carson City. The state’s 63 lawmakers represent the powerful interests who fund their campaigns, he said,...

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of Las Vegas killer Clayton L. Wrencher, who complained his rights were violated when he was warned not to cry or show remorse during his trial. Wrencher was admonished by District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt not to shed tears or display emotion, and he maintains that prejudiced him before the jury. The court said Wrencher did not object at trial but raised the issue later.

A conservative think tank is moving forward with its challenge of the legality of a public employee serving in the Legislature, even though the state senator and target of the lawsuit has resigned from his state job. The Nevada Policy Research Institute filed a brief Monday asking the court to deny state Sen. Mo Denis’ motion to dismiss the case because he quit his job as computer technician at the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. NPRI argued that the court should still rule on the case because of its “widespread importance” and “substantial public interest.”

David Stilwell and a band of motorcyclists parked their bikes Friday afternoon close to the Long John Silver's on Flamingo Road and Maryland Parkway. Nearby, a group of Metro Police — also on motorcycles — waited. Stilwell, joined by about 10 of his friends wearing black leather jackets, some with firearms resting in holsters on their hips, stood along the sidewalk waving signs that read "Police Checkpoint Ahead." But up ahead wasn't a typical DUI checkpoint; the officers on Flamingo Road were pulling over drivers on cellphones. "Police enforcement should be up front," said Stilwell, of Las Vegas.

Hey gents, have you ever found yourself jealous of Captain James T. Kirk and his, …er intergalactic conquests? Do you longingly watch Jabba the Hutt’s dancing slave (her name is Oola, if you’re interested) and wonder, what if? Do you long to go where no man has gone before? Well, once a new sci-fi brothel opens in Nevada, you can. Nevada is the only state that allows legal prostitution, and there are two dozen licensed brothels in the state,

It will be a while before the NTSB issues its findings about the crash of The Galloping Ghost at the Reno Air Races this year. There were so many witnesses, however, and photographic and video coverage of the disastrous accident was so clear, that it did not take long for theorizing about the cause to converge on a single scenario.

Can't post article as they are a Righthaven client, though the copyright troll is all but bankrupt due to lost court case and bummed up agreements, but here the authors are basically saying that a "Newt Bomb" is exploding all over Romney's chances in Nevada. Link http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/newt-ering-romney-in-nevada-136201318.html?ref=318

....The move has had the most effect in Iowa. For example, it's normal to have the last debate a few days before the caucuses. When Iowa was planning to hold the caucuses on Feb.6, a Monday, a debate was planned for the Thursday before, on Feb.2. Now, with the caucuses on Jan. 3, it's just not possible to hold a debate a few days beforehand, unless Republicans wanted to do it on NewYear'sEve. So the last debate of a debate-packed season was Dec.15 -- nearly three weeks before the caucuses. Because of Florida's move, Iowa voters won't get a last...

Carson City judge James Russell told the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System to release the names of all retired employees including their benefits by January 4, 2012. The Reno Gazette-Journal sued to get the information several years ago. The following will be public: names, salary, retirement dates and benefit amounts.

A trio of Senate Republicans on Monday strongly urged House Republicans to embrace the payroll tax cut extension bill passed in the Senate over the weekend. Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) joined Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in calling for the House GOP to back the two-month extension, which overwhelmingly passed the Senate by a vote of 89-10 on Saturday. All three senators are up for reelection in 2012. "There is no question we need to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance for the entire year," Heller said in a statement. "The American people deserve...

Now comes citizen Newt, clear of voice, deepened in his determination to tackle an issue that is basically his alone to tout; because unlike his leading rival Romney who can not get his arms around something that he can’t take two different positions on; Newt is the real solid constitutional deal. Iowa is not the only state where this should be stirring some turbulent political waters. Conservatives in states like South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan, as well as other GOP political king making states, should be taking careful notes. Core values issues like preserving life, a...

Dem Keystone support creates tougher fight for Reid, ObamaBy Alexander Bolton - 12/16/11 04:08 PM ET Republicans want to jam Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on the Keystone oil sands pipeline and the Democratic leader will have a tough time resisting, given support within his caucus for the project. GOP leaders have made clear to Reid that they will not approve an extension of the payroll tax holiday unless it includes language to speed up construction of the pipeline. Senate Republicans estimate as many as 14 Senate Democrats support the project. Labor unions have also voiced strong backing, complicating...

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today issued the following statement observing the end of the Iraq War: “The end of the Iraq War marks a historic day in our country. I commend President Obama for keeping his promise to remove all American troops from Iraq by the end of this year. After nine years of conflict, this is the right decision at the right time.  “Our experience in Iraq has left us humbled by the strategic miscalculations that made the war more difficult and costly than necessary, but also proud of the overwhelming valor and courage displayed by...

On Tuesday morning, the braintrust of President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign gathered a select handful of reporters to make a simple case: the incumbent has a number of different paths — five, to be exact — he can follow to win the 270 electoral votes necessary to secure a second term. Since we’ve spent lots and lots of time breaking down the electoral map — and making the case that Obama is stronger than his job approval ratings indicate — we thought it might be fun to look at each of the paths laid out by his team to see...

Pay increases given to 42 Las Vegas city employees is raising some eyebrows as the cash-strapped city deals with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. The city recently gave employees identified in a salary compensation study pay increases averaging $6,302 a year. The largest: $25,179 to an engineering program manager whose base annual salary is now $121,566. The smallest: a $2,291 increase to an office specialist, who now makes $48,108 a year. In total, $264,677 dollars in pay increases were given.

But when I learn that a cultural affairs manager at Las Vegas City Hall quietly received a nearly 20 percent raise during this recession to a new salary of $107,000, I fear my goodwill is misplaced. When I learn that four dozen other employees also received pay increases as the city demanded concessions and cut services — a total cost of $265,000 — I wonder if these people have any sense at all. And when I learn that the average salary of those who received raises was — please put down any sharp objects — $77,557 — and that the...