Hastert to make stop in Vegas

WASHINGTON -- Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert plans a fund-raising stop in Las Vegas Wednesday for an insider's tour of the gambling industry and to encourage state Sen. Jon Porter to run for Congress.

U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., the state's lone GOP member in Congress, helped broker the speaker's visit to Las Vegas, said Gibbons' chief of staff Michael Dayton.

Hastert, D-Ill., plans a breakfast with Vegas civic, business and education leaders, then a "back of the house" tour of Mandalay Bay's casino operation. He then plans a fund-raiser luncheon to raise an estimated $500,000 for the the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. The luncheon is sponsored by the American Gaming Association.

Hastert had huddled with Gibbons and gaming leaders in June when the National Gambling Impact Study was released.

"The focus (of the Mandalay tour) is to show the speaker how tightly regulated the gaming industry is," Dayton said. "The congressman is very excited to have the new speaker in town."

Porter or Hastert aides could not be reached for comment. Dayton said the speaker is eyeing Porter, R-Henderson, an insurance company manager elected in 1994, for an eventual run at Congress.

Hastert, who has two riverboat casinos in his district, became speaker eight months ago, taking over for Bob Livingston, who resigned shortly after being designated for the post amid allegations of an affair.

Livingston was to assume the speaker's chair after Newt Gingrich stepped down. Hastert plans several fund-raising stops during a tour of Western states before Congress returns in September from its summer break.

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