Columnist Jon Ralston: Rounding up week of political spin

Jon Ralston, who publishes the Ralston Report, writes a column for the Sun on Sundays and Wednesdays. Ralston can be reached at 870-7997 or by e-mail at [email protected].

A trio of noteworthy items from the past week:

So now, Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid have to use all of their legislative legerdemain to try to bottle up the bill, lest they be embarrassed by an up-or-down vote that probably won't go their way. And with the partisan edge now dulled by the performance of those hostile Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, the unkindest cut will be on Reid and Bryan if their pals in the Club of 100 pass the measure.

It may well still be D.O.A. in the House, thanks to leadership's desire to make congressional candidate Porter look good in one of the most important contests in America. But someone will be made to be a scapegoat soon. My guess: The American Gaming Association, which appears to have been created partially as a punching bag for the delegation, will absorb some shots.

But the real story here is that whatever happens, this is merely a reprieve until the next Congress. And everyone -- the proponents, the gamers, the delegation -- knows it. Have to hand it to Bryan, who is retiring just as the nuclear waste train is revving up and anti-gaming legislation is moving forward: Timing is everything.

Well, now there's proof of Bush's original thoughts on Yucca Mountain, evidence that his handlers didn't just use a template to paste in palaver. The Miami Herald reported last week that Bush gave this answer when he was asked whether drilling for oil should be permitted off the Florida coast: "Efforts to improve our environment must be based on sound science, not social fads ... That's why I'll work in full partnership with state and local leaders on this."

We never should have doubted his sincerity on the dump.

That is the prism through which I viewed the amazing news release issued last week by Ryan Erwin, who has the unpleasant task of being the executive director of the state Republican Party. I say unpleasant because of the general surfeit of loons -- and not just among the elected officials.

On to the news release: The purpose was to offer some incisive commentary into Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson's visit to Las Vegas earlier this month and to tie him to the Clinton administration's role in having "furthered the progress of building a nuclear dumpsite at Yucca Mountain."

OK, fine. Boiler plate stuff.

But what caught my eye was the end of the release: "Erwin expressed concern with the media being shut out of such an important visit."

Really? So I assume that Erwin, his boss Bob Seale, the state chairman, and other Republicans were absolutely outraged that zipper-mouthed presidential candidate Bush came to Nevada this month and wouldn't take questions about Yucca Mountain, either?

I'll expect a release to that effect brimming with outrage anytime now.

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