Columnist Jeff German: Adelson steps up his political presence

NEVADA'S POLITICAL ARENA may be in for another jolt in the near future.

Las Vegas Sands Inc. Chairman Sheldon Adelson, who has left many uncomfortable on the Strip with his independent style, has created his own political organization.

And that should make him an even more potent political force.

It was reported here in late June that Adelson, a prominent Republican Party donor, was considering going off on his own. Adelson, you'll recall, had spent a lot of money helping the Nevada GOP push its paycheck protection initiative only to see the party abort the anti-labor campaign at the last minute.

This week, Adelson's top man in Las Vegas, Bill Weidner, confirmed his boss has hired Andy Abboud, a former Nebraska Republican Party leader, to run his organization. Several other staffers have come on board, as well, Weidner said.

Abboud's hiring is not without its ironies.

He served, for example, as executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party in 1996, when it went on record against the expansion of gambling in the state.

His most recent job was managing the failed Republican gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Jon Christensen in Nebraska.

Christensen, a pro-family conservative and former Washington roommate of Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., was considered the favorite heading into the GOP primary. But last-minute negative tactics backfired on him, and he lost the nomination. Christensen also wound up being denounced by many of his fellow Republican office-holders.

Weidner said Abboud brings a wealth of expertise to his company, which is looking to take the political pulse of the community.

"The whole idea behind this is for us to get a better feel for how the voting populous is thinking," Weidner said. "Information is power, and if we know how people think better than the candidates know how they think, we can do an effective job."

Weidner said Adelson decided to create his own organization after becoming disenchanted with the way politics is practiced in the state.

"We've been involved in the insider's game here and didn't necessarily like the way the insider's game works," Weidner said. "It is corrupt."

Abboud's first objective, according to Weidner, is to coordinate political polling in the coming weeks.

From there, anything can happen.

Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones has hired Washington veteran Susan McCue as her chief spokeswoman in her Democratic bid for governor.

McCue has taken a leave from her job of handling public affairs for Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo to join the Jones team.

Her presence on the campaign seems to be the work of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who has a strong interest in furthering the mayor's gubernatorial bid.

Reid needs the Jones campaign to help him bring out Democratic voters in his heated re-election battle with Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev.

McCue, a former Reid press secretary, remains a trusted confidante of the senator. She has much political experience and should be up to the task of helping get out the mayor's message and the voters at the same time.

Former District Judge Don Chairez has come up with a slogan that some say is fitting for his Republican bid for Congress.

"Fairness -- not favors," is what Chairez says in a campaign brochure is guiding his candidacy.

Chairez is one of nine Republicans looking to succeed John Ensign in the 1st Congressional District.

The top Democrat in the House race is Regent Shelley Berkley, who came under fire recently for acknowledging business is conducted in Las Vegas by doing favors for politicians.

Berkley's admission, which was secretly recorded by a former friend, is something many Las Vegans believe to be true.

Leading in the polls in what is considered a heavy Democratic district, Berkley remains the favorite in the race.

But Chairez, who like Berkley is receiving heavy casino industry support, is hoping his message will play well with the voters.

In his brochure, Chairez calls himself a "common man of uncommon courage who succeeded against great odds."

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