Simply Politics & News

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Democrats disappoint again.

Dec. 18, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Democrats leave Bono disappointed

Anti-poverty activist gets no promise of funds

By STEVE TETREAULT and MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Meetings in Washington last Thursday between rock star Bono and Democrats, including Senate leader Harry Reid of Nevada, yielded a nice photo-op but not much else, according to Bono.

Bono, the U2 frontman and anti-poverty activist, was on Capitol Hill to seek assurances that $1 billion in planned U.S. spending to fight AIDS and malaria in Africa would not be lost if Congress freezes agency budgets in the coming year.

Bono said he also was seeking to close a "commitment gap" between what President Bush has requested for anti-poverty efforts and what Congress has agreed to spend in the past.

After meetings with incoming Senate Majority Leader Reid, House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, Bono said he came away empty-handed.

"I'm alarmed we could not get a commitment from the Democratic leadership to prevent the loss of $1 billion in the continuing resolution," Bono said Thursday in a statement.

"I don't know who to blame. Democrats are blaming Republicans. Republicans are blaming Democrats. But the million people who were expecting (mosquito) bed nets don't know who to blame. They just know that a promise made by the United States to keep their families safe is in danger of being broken next year."

A day later, Bono reconsidered his tough comments and took a softer tone in a follow-up.

Bono said Friday that Reid "acknowledged a difficult situation" with the congressional budget "but he sincerely pledged his best efforts to improve the situation."

Bono said Reid "made my day taking me onto the Senate floor and leading me through the history of that great room."

Reid spokesman Jon Summers said he could not provide details of the sessions, but said the Nevadan "enjoyed his meeting with Bono. They come from different places, but both share a true commitment to solving these critical problems."

EARLY CAUCUS ENVY

With an early 2008 presidential caucus slated for Nevada in just over a year, Democrats are hoping their candidates' Western exposure will improve their chances.

Nevada Republicans are wondering why their party doesn't do the same thing and are talking about ways to counter the coming Democratic surge.

"I congratulate the Democrats for taking the initiative" to hold the early Nevada caucus, state Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said Friday.

Townsend said he plans to spend the coming weeks promoting the idea of planning an early GOP selection in Nevada to see how it goes over.

"It could help them not only federally, but also on the state level. Republicans should look at doing the same very strongly, for reasons that are very, very obvious to me."

Unless the GOP does something to counter the Democrats' early push in Nevada, Democratic candidates will dominate the attention of Nevadans, and the Nevada Democratic Party will have a huge advantage in organization and motivation, Townsend said.

"At the very least, they (national GOP officials) should meet with Nevada electeds and explain why it's not a good idea" to have an early Republican showing here, Townsend said.

State Republican Party chairman Paul Adams said he already has been having discussions along those lines with the Republican National Committee.

Under RNC rules, Adams said, Nevada must select presidential convention delegates between Feb. 5 and early August, 30 days before the 2008 Republican National Convention, which is scheduled for Labor Day weekend.

Adams said the discussions are preliminary but he is hopeful something will be worked out to put an early Republican focus on the Silver State.

Adams said RNC bigwigs "see Nevada as an important battleground; but the concern is how early everything is being pushed back, how prepared we would be and how prepared the candidates would be, plus the arguments with Iowa and New Hampshire."

SETTLING DEBTS

Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson's loss in the Democratic gubernatorial primary wasn't just politically costly. It also left him more than $1.5 million in debt, the biggest debt of any state candidate, according to his campaign-finance filings.

Some of that was money he contributed to his campaign in a last-ditch effort to win the primary; some was money he had to return to donors because it was earmarked for use in the general election under state campaign finance laws.

The law allows candidates to accept a total of $10,000 per donor, but $5,000 is supposed to be for the primary and $5,000 for the general election. Candidates who don't make it to the general election must refund $5,000 to donors who gave them $10,000 checks, and Gibson got a lot of those.

In an attempt to recoup the cash, Gibson held a "debt retirement party" on Thursday at the Las Vegas Country Club. The host was John Marchiano, an attorney who regularly represents developers and other interests before the Henderson City Council.

Marchiano's invitation, sent last month, stated: "The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and hopefully will continue until all of his debt is eliminated."

Reached Friday, Marchiano was unable to say whether that goal was achieved. He wouldn't estimate how much money was raised or, if the target wasn't reached, whether guests were allowed to leave nonetheless.

Gibson did not respond to requests for comments.

"It went very well," Marchiano said. "A bunch of people brought a bunch of checks."