Berkley, Chairez hit different fronts

Two new television ads that began airing this week take decidedly different tacks in attempting to define Nevada's 1st Congressional District race between Democrat Shelley Berkley and Republican Don Chairez.

Berkley's spot, paid for by her campaign, touts her views on health care reform and the need to make medical decisions based on a patient's condition instead of a hospital's bottom line.

Meanwhile, an ad sponsored by the Foundation for Responsible Government, a conservative advocacy group in Washington, D.C., hammers Berkley for comments she made last year suggesting that money buys favors from politicians.

Berkley spokesman Richard Urey said the latest attack ad is an extension of a one-note campaign that has done little more than bash the university regent. While character remains a crucial political issue, voters want to hear more about what a candidate will attempt to accomplish once in office, Urey said.

"When you get down to it, folks in the community are talking about the future of medical plans, Social Security. Those are the issues you hear repeatedly when you go to the candidates' forums," he said.

Chairez campaign manager Bob Spretnak responded that the former District Court judge has articulated his views on an array of issues in public appearances, but that character is perhaps the most crucial of those.

"The (ethics) issues that are being raised are very important because when you vote for a representative, you are voting not only for the person's positions on the issues, but on the person's character," Spretnak said.

Since the Sept. 1 statewide primaries the Republican national party has funded a series of ads that assail Berkley's character, while the Nevada Democratic Party has bankrolled a spot that calls into question Chairez's judiciary record. Berkley's campaign also has sponsored an ad that detailed her views on education.

Noting that Chairez has yet to air any of his own ads, Urey said that the Republican has allowed outside entities to shape his campaign.

"Shelley's paying for these (ads) and she's raised her own money as a candidate should ... Don Chairez has purchased no advertising here, he's been virtually invisible in the community," Urey said.

Spretnak countered that until now Chairez has focused on grass-roots efforts, and that he will start airing ads "well in advance" of early voting, which begins about two weeks before the Nov. 3 election. He added that the Republican Party's commercials have not shaded public perception of Chairez as running only an anti-Berkley campaign.

"If I felt like we weren't going to be able to get our message out, I'd be concerned," Spretnak said. "But we are getting our message out at candidate forums and meetings, and we'll be getting our message out on television very soon."

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