FLASHPOINT for Feb 10, 2007

By now, most people know of first lady Dawn Gibbons' crusade against methamphetamine use in Nevada. She deserves kudos for using her profile to highlight the issue. But after Gibbons testified briefly and platitudinously before a legislative committee this week, a woman who has made this an issue even when no one was paying attention really made an impact. Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto was compelling as she made a presentation complete with facts and visuals. She knows this issue inside and out and was prescient in identifying it as a critical issue for the state to address. Cortez Masto has not always been the smoothest on the stump, but she was impressive this week. A star is born.