2008 Caucus Guide

Chris Morris / Las Vegas Sun

For the first time, Nevada’s Democrats and Republicans will have a chance to play a stronger role in who the nominees will be for president by being among a select group of states picked to hold primaries and caucuses in January.

Caucus 101: A basic guide on how to participate. Or, read more about the logistics of Jan. 19.

By being one of the early states, Nevada’s caucuses are hoped to gain the state more national attention, bring in more presidential candidates and thus raise awareness of Western issues. More background...

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Interactive Graphic: Clark County Political Breakdown

Play the Caucus Trivia Game

From The Politics Blog

No Internet? No problem for Goodman: Mayor Goodman is wondering if his wife, Carolyn, uses Twitter. Maybe he should start following her.

Titus pushes for equity changes under Obama housing plan: Democratic Rep. Dina Titus continues her campaign to change the mortgage equity requirements for homeowners wishing to refinance under Obama’s housing plan, seeing an opening ...

Reid, Salazar announcing solar plans in Las Vegas: WASHINGTON -- Greetings, Early Liners. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will join Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this morning in Las Vegas to announce solar energy ...

Because this is online, Mayor Goodman is likely not reading: Mayor Goodman reads a lot, but never online, and claims never to use e-mail.

Radio show host says he first called for Ensign to resign: WASHINGTON -- Conservative talk radio host Bill Manders wants to make it clear: He was the first to call for Republican Sen. John Ensign’s resignation. ...

GOP to announce Reid challenger 'in coming weeks': WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the Senate's Republican campaign committee expects to announce a challenger to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in "coming weeks."

Goodman in his element during mayoral icing: Already depicted in wax, Mayor Oscar Goodman yesterday was immortalized in a block of ice at a Strip ice lounge.

Monday List: Ways in which the mayor has not been memorialized: Wax and ice are befitting methods of sculpting the mayor, but what about soap?

Politics Stories

Ensign’s pal lacked usual qualifications for top job: THE SENATOR’S SCANDAL :; By J. Patrick Coolican, Torey Van Oot; When Sen. John Ensign hired Doug Hampton to be his senior aide in November 2006, Nevada Republicans were baffled. Hampton was an unknown, without a policy profile or political experience.

Heidi Harris, who has a morning talk show on KDWN-AM 720 in Las Vegas, is a conservative but can be

Local conservative radio talk reflects right’s downcast state: POLITICAL MEMO:; By J. Patrick Coolican; One might expect Heidi Harris, as a conservative talk show host, to be filled with fire and fury, given the liberal ascendancy and Age of Obama. But she was unwilling to engage in the apocalyptic rhetoric heard in other quarters.

Reid has his 60, but probably not a legislative lock: LETTER FROM WASHINGTON: Democrats can end filibusters — if they’re all present and united; By Lisa Mascaro; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is tamping down expectations for the new Deomcratic supermajority he now heads in the Senate. His 60 votes, he reasoned, are on paper only.

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Popular in their cities, could Reno or Las Vegas mayor be governor?: By David McGrath Schwartz; Nevada’s two most colorful mayors, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, met a couple of weeks ago for a talk. After hours together in Goodman’s office, they emerged to give supporters a similar account of the meeting: If one is in, the other guy will support him.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announces that she is stepping down from her position as governor in Wasilla

Palin links resignation to 'higher calling': Politics:; Associated Press; Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday laid the groundwork to take on a larger, national role after leaving state government, citing a "higher calling" with the aim of uniting the country along conservative lines.

Senator Harry Reid, with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, holds a press conference about a propo

A boost for DesertXpress: TRANSPORTATION: Reid uses corridor designation to show backing for private project; By Lisa Mascaro, Stephanie Tavares; Nowhere on the official documents from Thursday’s announcement of a new high-speed rail corridor between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is the proposed DesertXpress featured as the preferred project. But make no mistake: DesertXpress is the chosen one, at least for now.

Director of state ethics commission resigns: carson city:; By Cy Ryan; CARSON CITY – Patti Cafferata, who has held a number of elective offices and has the record of losing both to Gov. Jim Gibbons and his estranged wife in political races, has resigned as executive director of the Nevada Ethics Commission.

The fully electric DesertXpress trains will reach top speeds of 150 miles-per-hour and travel 184 mi

Path clears for federal support of fast train to California: transportation: Transportation chief will announce key designation for Las Vegas route today; By Lisa Mascaro; The U.S. Transportation secretary will announce today designation of a Las Vegas-California high-speed-rail corridor, enabling the train route to compete for $8 billion in economic recovery money and other support, the Las Vegas Sun has learned.

Love it or hate it, climate change bill heads to Senate: WASHINGTON POLITICS: As legislation squeezed through House, partisan divide showed; By Lisa Mascaro; The rowdy House floor debate on climate change provided one of those moments of political theater when it is hard to know whether the warring sides are even talking about the same bill.

From left, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and State Sena

Reid, Titus, Horsford: Green energy means more Nevada jobs: economy:; By Jinae West; Nevada elected officials and local business leaders met today with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to discuss the Silver State’s future as a green state and to brainstorm ways to create more jobs through energy efficiency during a meeting of Reid’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Energy at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.