Columnist Jeff German: Berkley lashes out at Adelson at labor convention

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL candidate Shelley Berkley is firing back at her chief political nemesis, billionaire gaming mogul Sheldon Adelson.

The strategy appears risky given Adelson's wealth and influence in political circles.

It might explain why Berkley chose the friendly setting of the Nevada State AFL-CIO convention Monday to retaliate against Adelson, her former boss who is strongly backing her Republican opponent, ex-District Judge Don Chairez. Organized Labor has made Berkley's campaign and the reelection of Sen. Harry, D-Nev., its top priority.

"Who's going to decide the destiny of this community?" Berkley asked in a speech to labor leaders. "The people who live here, work here, raise children here? Or some billionaire who doesn't care about anyone or anything but himself?"

Berkley, who's running for the seat being vacated by Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., drew applause several times when telling the labor delegates she intends to stand up to Adelson, chairman of Las Vegas Sands Inc., which is building the $1 billion-plus Venetian megaresort on the Strip.

"Right now, as I speak," Berkley said, "Sheldon Adelson has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to both the national Republican Party and the state Republican Party to defeat both Sen. Reid and myself. That's a fact.

"Right now, just blocks from here, there's a telephone boiler room operation with hundreds of lines ... for the purpose of destroying the Democratic party, the unions and the rights of working men and women to organize."

Adelson, a prominent Republican donor union leaders regard as an enemy, recently created his own organization to step up his political involvement in the community. He has led the charge for the GOP's aborted paycheck protection initiative against labor and has been working to defeat two Democratic County Commissioners and recall a third.

Democrats and labor bosses consider Adelson a dangerous political foe because of his deep pockets.

His right hand man in Las Vegas, Bill Weidner, accused Berkley on Monday of trying to deflect attention away from her own misdeeds.

"Sheldon is disappointed that she would run a negative campaign against him," Weidner said. "He wishes to inform her that he's not running against her."

Weidner suggested Berkley talk about issues that matter to the voters, such "honesty, integrity and trust," rather than attack someone who's not even in the race.

But Berkley, borrowing a phrase the Culinary Union made famous during the Frontier hotel-casino strike, vowed to fight one day longer than Adelson.

"Will you fight with me?" she asked the labor delegates. "Can we stand up to a billionaire boss and his henchmen?"

Berkley, who also has been airing television ads blasting Adelson, said she's going on the offensive "because Nevada needs a strong voice for working people in Congress."

Afterwards, Berkley said her anti-Adelson message has struck a chord with the voters in the 1st Congressional District.

"My opponent has refused to discuss any issues," she said. "He's allowing Sheldon to dictate what his campaign is about, and I needed to flush that out and make the connection. If Chairez thinks he's going to sit in the background like he did in his primary, he's got another thing coming."

Berkley said her television spot against Adelson is a response to what she described as a "hideously brutal" GOP attack ad on her ethics.

That ad, put together by the Republican Party in Washington, refers to private memos Berkley once wrote to Adelson suggesting he do favors for local politicians.

Berkley, who was fired by Adelson after the memos were written, has apologized for leaving the impression that business is conducted in Las Vegas that way.

Chairez, meanwhile, was in Washington this week and could not be reached for comment.

But his campaign manager, Bob Spretnak, said Chairez is looking forward to appearing on the same forum with Berkley in the coming weeks.

"He wants to give the voters every opportunity to compare the two of them," Spretnak said.

The Chairez campaign slogan is "fairness, not favors," an indirect reference to Berkley's troubles over the memos.

The ethics issue should heat up next month, when House leaders come to town to campaign for Chairez. Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Tex., plans an Oct. 13 visit and Speaker Newt Gingrich hopes to come here on Oct. 27.

In the meantime, Berkley seems to have her hands full with Adelson.

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