Columnist Jeff German: Wynn throws his weight behind Goodman in LV mayor's race

He stayed neutral in the primary race for Las Vegas mayor, but Mirage Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn now is taking sides in the general election.

Insiders report Wynn is throwing his support to criminal defense attorney Oscar Goodman.

The casino mogul is writing Goodman a $10,000 check and is offering him the use of the Mirage's political machine the last month of the race.

Wynn, insiders say, has not been impressed with the campaign being run by Goodman's opponent, three-term City Councilman Arnie Adamsen, who has been described by Wynn's people as "uninspiring."

News of Wynn's movement toward Goodman -- likely to bring in more Strip money to the front-runner's campaign as the race heats up -- comes after Tuesday's televised debate between the two candidates on Las Vegas 1.

If we've learned anything from the debate, it's that voters indeed will have a clear choice when they cast their ballots on June 8.

They can vote for Goodman -- the flashy, "rainbow coalition," mob attorney who has vowed to shake up the establishment and promote Las Vegas at the same time.

Or they can go with Adamsen, the steady, unassuming political veteran who understands how things work at City Hall but has trouble communicating his vision for the city.

The debate provided further evidence of the unorthodox campaign Goodman is running.

He has devoted a lifetime to attacking the government while defending some of the most notorious criminals in the country. Yet in the heat of a political campaign, he refuses to lift a finger to defend himself.

He has pledged to take the high road but has welcomed to his team Kent Oram, a longtime political strategist who has been associated with some of the dirtiest campaigns ever in Nevada.

Most amazing of all, Goodman has attempted to turn his biggest liability -- his legal dealings with the nation's mob kingpins -- into a campaign asset.

He told television viewers Tuesday that he believes he's the best person to sell Las Vegas because more than anyone he knows the mob no longer has a foothold in the casino industry here.

But in the same lawyer's breath, he also said he wanted to use his past to help attract publicity to the City of Glitz.

"When people come to Las Vegas, they want to think of excitement," he said. "They don't want to see a little Mickey Mouse under a rock. They want to see a little Bugsy Siegel."

That may be true. But Adamsen made it clear the Bugsy image doesn't play well on Wall Street, where the city's casinos, including Wynn's, have begun to wield influence.

"I'm afraid if my opponent is elected mayor that his past is going to become our future," Adamsen warned during the debate.

Adamsen, though he appeared to lack Goodman's passion and charisma, performed well on television the other night. The councilman was well prepared and demonstrated that he has more knowledge about the political system than his colorful opponent, who came within a hair of winning the race outright in the primary.

But Adamsen also left us with little doubt that the voters will have a clear choice on June 8.

It's a choice that some, like Wynn, already have made.

This year's World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe Club is the biggest ever.

But you won't see one particularly familiar face at the tables.

Word is former casino owner Bob Stupak tried to get into the Horseshoe this week to hang out at the tournament but was denied access by Horseshoe security officers, who read him the state's trespassing law.

Stupak, locked in a chip-cashing dispute at the Horseshoe, has been 86'd from the downtown casino.

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