J. Patrick Coolican

Story Archive

Election polls under scrutiny after missing mark: Newspaper’s last polls gave edge to Sharron Angle, who lost, and Joe Heck, who barely won; Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010; The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s final polls in the two most closely watched Nevada races wound up having about as much predictive power as the Old Farmer’s Almanac in forecasting the winter snowfall. One of its polls, published Oct. 29, showed Republican Sharron Angle beating Sen. Harry Reid 49-44. Four days later, Reid wound up winning 50-45.
Voters hold their noses as they pick their poison: Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010; Nevadans are disgusted and deflated, angry and anxious. And although obviously winners emerged Election Day, few voters are feeling jubilant.
Are voters apt to cast ballots just for sake of change?: Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010; Imagine yourself stuck in a traffic jam, unable to see where it ends. Are you the type of person to frantically look for an alternate route, pull a U-turn and head out? Or do you figure it’s better to wait it out because that U-turn won’t get you anywhere?
Election 2010: Does it really matter who Nevada chooses?: Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010; Welcome to the state of NevadAARGH! We’re staring down the nation’s worst budget gap, we have a Legislature uniquely ill-suited to fixing it, and somehow voters have heard almost zip about it
Foreclosure fallout: Official says Las Vegas should turn from sprawl: Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010; Alan Mallach is a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington, and a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia who specializes in housing policy and urban planning. He’ll give a free lecture at 5:30 today at Greenspun Hall at UNLV about the long-term effect of the foreclosure crisis in American housing.
Jim Gibbons ﬁrst governor of Nevada to lose a primary race: Wednesday, June 9, 2010; Gov. Jim Gibbons, whose 42-month tenure has been one of near constant adversity, saw his political career end with a whimper Tuesday, as Republican voters roundly rejected his bid for a second term.
Empty coffers final nail in Gov. Jim Gibbons’ coffin: Key financial supporters dumped incumbent governor, diverted dollars to Sandoval, Reid; Sunday, June 6, 2010; Gov. Jim Gibbons’ transformation from establishment favorite four years ago to maverick with only the faintest political support is official. Gibbons has raised a fraction of the Democratic and Republican front-runners’ haul.
GOP Senate primary contest takes a different Angle: Friday, June 4, 2010; The Republican U.S. Senate primary has shifted markedly as early voting ends today and candidates make their final pitches before Tuesday’s primary.
GOP’s feeble voter turnout exposes party flaws: Sunday, May 30, 2010; The Republican Senate primary is turning out to be a rather sleepy affair. There’s been plenty of media attention and advertising, but not much on-the-ground activity and fairly low turnout, according to last week’s early voting results.
Sue Lowden struggles with casino business, soars in real estate: Friday, May 28, 2010; Sue Lowden has touted her career as a businesswoman on the campaign trail, mocking Sen. Harry Reid for having spent scant years in the private sector. She has been described by national political reporters as a wealthy casino owner worth $50 million or more.
Conservative rhetoric flies in primary. General — not so much: Sunday, May 23, 2010; Former Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt summed up the feeling at Saturday’s Conservative Leadership Conference, “It’s kinda nice to preach to the choir.” Hunt went on to castigate Democrats in Washington as “the enemy that lies within.”
GOP Senate race tightens, turns testy: Key endorsements strengthen Angle; Lowden on defensive; Thursday, May 20, 2010; The Republican Senate primary, just days before early voting begins, has gained new intensity, as leading candidates fight for the chance to take on Sen. Harry Reid.
GOP Senate candidates keep it civil during TV debate: Tuesday, May 18, 2010; Perhaps they were obeying Ronald Reagan’s “11th Commandment” — that Republicans shall not speak ill of another Republican — but for the most part, the five leading Republican Senate candidates kept it civil Tuesday.
Danny Tarkanian: Sue Lowden breaking campaign law by accepting donated RV: Monday, May 17, 2010; Sue Lowden, a leading Republican contender to challenge Sen. Harry Reid, is being accused by a chief competitor of breaking campaign finance law for accepting a luxury campaign bus as a campaign contribution. A campaign contributor is “leasing” to Lowden the RV she is using as her campaign bus, according to her campaign.
Gibbons portrayed as absentee governor while state in crisis: Sunday, May 16, 2010; By the summer of 2008, Gov. Jim Gibbons’ whereabouts were often unknown — even to his senior staff. Only he and his longtime scheduler had access to the governor’s calendar.
Ties to influential business interests power Sandoval’s political career: Sunday, May 9, 2010; In fall 2001, just a few months after resigning as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, Brian Sandoval turned to the companies he had recently been regulating and asked them to contribute to his campaign for attorney general.
In mad dash for votes, Senate hopeful John Chachas caught doing 104 mph: Monday, May 3, 2010; There was a curious anecdote in a recent Las Vegas Review-Journal profile of U.S. Senate candidate John Chachas, a Republican from Ely. Chachas, the story relates, is stopped for speeding on State Route 318 between Las Vegas and Ely. His speed: 104 mph.
Arizona immigration law sparks conversation in Nevada: Senate candidates offer varied opinions on range of immigration issues; Friday, April 30, 2010; Nevada politics are suddenly being reshaped by Arizona, where Gov. Jan Brewer signed a tough anti-illegal immigration law last week. In doing so, she awakened the immigration debate that had gone dormant in recent years in the face of the economic collapse.
Harry Reid makes ad buy; GOP opponents top polls: Thursday, April 29, 2010; The U.S. Senate campaign is on full blast, with several developments today:
How the candidates for Senate would fix, not fix, Wall Street: GOP Senate candidates all oppose Democrats’ reform plan, differ on strategies; Wednesday, April 28, 2010; By now the causes of the financial crash that led to the Great Recession are well known. Americans, including homebuyers and regulators, community banks and Wall Street titans, were like skiers blithely ignoring the risk of avalanche, while a few destructive firms lit explosives that got the cascade started.
Racial profiling arises as GOP candidates endorse Arizona’s new law: Tuesday, April 27, 2010; Brian Sandoval and Mike Montandon endorsed a law last week that critics say could lead to racial profiling of Hispanics. A third candidate, Gov. Jim Gibbons, endorsed racial profiling.
John Chachas brings Wall Street outlook to Senate campaign: Republican Chachas, who has roots in Ely and made his fortune in investment banking, is campaigning for U.S. Senate in Nevada; Sunday, April 25, 2010; John Chachas’ candidacy to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is so unlikely that some might think it a Trojan Horse fashioned by the calculating minds of Reid’s political operation.
Blogosphere all in a tizzy over bartering for health care idea: Thursday, April 22, 2010; Sue Lowden’s campaign for U.S. Senate has hit a crisis this week. The Republican front-runner to unseat Harry Reid reiterated a much-ridiculed idea she floated recently that consumers should “barter” for health care.
They said it and they meant it — really: Senate contenders’ comments dissected; Wednesday, April 21, 2010; The U.S. Senate race is sure to be long and entertaining, if this week is any guide.
Sue Lowden stands by health care bartering plan: Tuesday, April 20, 2010; Democrats opened a new round of gleeful attacks today as Sue Lowden, the Republican front-runner to unseat Sen. Harry Reid, again extolled the virtues of "bartering" for health care.
Expect plenty of seasonal activism: Interest groups readying their people, their messages as fall elections draw closer; Sunday, April 18, 2010; When two Sun reporters scraped the data on public employee pay in 2007 and revealed that more than half of the valley’s firefighters made six figures, I assumed it would badly damage them after years of being politically invincible.
Author discusses Las Vegas, nuke energy and suicide: Thursday, April 15, 2010; John D’Agata, who teaches creative writing at the University of Iowa, has written a compelling, if enigmatic, book about Las Vegas that has drawn both praise and jeers.
Has fire union support become a campaign curse?: Thursday, April 15, 2010; Firefighters have long been the most sought after prize in local politics. Candidates of both parties fought hard for their endorsement, which came with money, volunteers in firefighter T-shirts to knock on doors, and a hard-to-beat image: candidate, flag and firefighter.
Hispanic loyalty to Democrats wanes: Inaction on immigration reform has key voting bloc less enthused about election; Sunday, April 11, 2010; Nevada Democrats have a huge problem this fall. No, it’s not the bad economy that has voters in a sour, anti-incumbent mood.
Sen. Harry Reid seeking votes on hostile turf: Powerful nationally but unpopular at home, Sen. Harry Reid ventures onto campaign trail in places much more friendly to his opponents; Sunday, April 11, 2010; When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s campaign tour stopped at a Minden coffee shop last week, he met rancher Nancy Park, who leaned toward him and said: “I respectfully disagree with what you’re doing for Nevada.” Ursula McManus, who stood next to Park, shook Reid’s hand silently, her lips frozen in a grimace.
Fellow Republicans call for John Ensign's resignation: Friday, April 9, 2010; Sen. John Ensign has become further politically isolated this week, with two fellow Republicans calling on him to resign and Rep. Dean Heller, another Republican, stopping just short of doing so.
After back and forth, Sandoval says no to driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants: Wednesday, April 7, 2010; Brian Sandoval, Republican candidate for governor, can be seen in a recently posted YouTube video walking right up to the line of supporting driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.
Deconstructing the facade of John Ensign: Revelations on long history of arrogance expose a persona loyal only to John Ensign; Monday, April 5, 2010; Last summer, Sen. John Ensign was with his wife, Darlene, at Palace Station for a meeting of Nevada Republican women.
Six Questions: A vision for a new economy: Monday, April 5, 2010; Bruce Katz, vice president of the Brookings Institution, will speak at an invitation-only event today at UNLV. He’ll also lead a panel that will include MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren.
Learning from stimulus, it’s better to sell your victories: Sunday, April 4, 2010; Rep. Dina Titus doesn’t repeat mistakes too often. During her victorious 2008 campaign in the 3rd Congressional District, unlike her 2006 campaign for governor, she hired professionals and stayed on message.
John Ensign faces ethics complaint over apartment rent rate: Thursday, April 1, 2010; Sen. John Ensign faces another ethics problem, this time related to his relationship with a religious group that allegedly rented him a room in a Washington house at below-market rates, in violation of congressional gift rules.
Dina Titus works to sell health care plan back home: Tuesday, March 30, 2010; Rep. Dina Titus, the Henderson Democrat, began the work of selling health care reform this morning with a press conference to highlight the benefits of the bill for women. Advocates said the recently passed legislation is an important first step toward a more equitable and humane health care policy.
Tea Party draws faithful, but important work awaits: Sunday, March 28, 2010; The Tea Party activists are committed. They endured traffic and a cold, stinging wind that whipped up a sheen of dust and pollen. They traveled from as far as Washington state and Wyoming to a desolate moonscape to be part of the “Showdown in Searchlight.”
Sarah Palin rallies thousands in Harry Reid's hometown: Police estimate 8,000 at rally in protest of Democrats, health care overhaul; Saturday, March 27, 2010; SEARCHLIGHT -- Sarah Palin told thousands of tea party activists gathered in the Nevada desert that Harry Reid will have to explain his votes when he comes back to his hometown.
Oceguera, next likely Assembly speaker, better eat his Wheaties: Sunday, March 21, 2010; John Oceguera is no Barbara Buckley.
It must be an annoying refrain for the presumed next speaker of the Nevada Assembly to hear, although he’ll have to get used to it.
GOP stands for ‘getting outta politics’ in Nevada: Sunday, March 21, 2010; Nevada Republicans seem more like Democrats this year. They should be ready for a big year, but seem intent on embracing failure, like a blackjack player hitting on 20.
Worst of recession may be over, but Las Vegas still has to hold on: In the way of recovery, Brookings report finds, are our tourism-dependent economy, unskilled workers; Wednesday, March 17, 2010; The worst of it finally appears to have passed.
After two years of economic decline, the gross metropolitan product of Las Vegas, which measures Southern Nevada’s total output of goods and services, grew slightly in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to a new report.
Harry Reid takes on Sue Lowden early, hoping labor is listening: Sunday, March 14, 2010; The headline was tough and blunt: “Lowden’s Casinos a Dangerous Place to Work.” Its origins were a little surprising — the re-election campaign of Sen. Harry Reid. Surprising because Republican Sue Lowden is widely viewed as Reid’s strongest challenger.
(Tea) party on!: Tea Party of Nevada Jon Scott Ashjian’s candidacy is good news for the Democrats—sort of; Wednesday, March 10, 2010; Tea Party of Nevada Jon Scott Ashjian’s candidacy is good news for the Democrats—sort of
Only Nevada to blame for puny share of U.S. money: Wednesday, March 10, 2010; Nevada is dead last in per-capita federal funding for state programs such as health, education and transportation, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution. Nevada received $742 per person during fiscal year 2008 from the federal government for these programs.
Tea Party candidate adds drama to Great Reid Hunt: Sunday, March 7, 2010; It was a week of emotional highs and lows for Nevada Democrats.
Tea Party candidate could siphon GOP votes in bid to remove Harry Reid: Tea Party candidate Ashjian insists he’s not a plant for Reid campaign, has confidence to overcome business troubles; Friday, March 5, 2010; One thing has become clear in the days since the mostly obscure political upstart Jon Scott Ashjian became a candidate for U.S. Senate: He’s no stooge of Sen. Harry Reid. Republicans are fearful Ashjian, running on the Tea Party of Nevada ballot line, will siphon Republican votes from their effort to take down the majority leader in his re-election bid this year.
Why Horsford took on gaming; what’s next?: Senator wants all parties at table to talk about new revenue, while industry balks; Friday, March 5, 2010; It was a dramatic showdown.
State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, trying to close a nearly $900 million budget deficit, demanded that the gaming industry come to the table and contribute.
GOP could be poised to score a repeat of 1994 election: Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010; It was 1994, and the insipid Collective Soul song “Shine” was on incessantly. Abercrombie & Fitch was selling a lot of flannel. O.J. was busy looking for the real killers.
Please, sir, may we tax you more?: Nevada history repeats at special session — lawmakers hesitant to tax industries that are reluctant to pay; Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010; Gaming lobbyist Billy Vassiliadis stepped to the microphone Friday and forlornly said this to state legislators trying to close a massive budget deficit: “I’m sorry to say, this year, for the first time, we just can’t help.”