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Sunday, March 07, 1999
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
COLUMN: John L. Smith
Enemies will try to paint mayoral hopeful Goodman as bad man
The 1999 Las Vegas mayor's race just got dangerous. And colorful. And a little weird.
And, thank goodness, interesting.
Criminal defense attorney Oscar Goodman tends to make things interesting wherever he goes. But can the celebrated and scorned mob mouthpiece go all the way to City Hall?
Conventional political wisdom says Goodman doesn't stand a chance. He has too much blood-soaked baggage, too many notorious former clients who now get their mail in the slammer, the cemetery or the Witness Protection Program. Goodman long ago became married to the mob, at least in the public's eye.
Even the unconventional wisdom, which points to Minnesota's Gov. Jesse "The Body" Ventura as an example that anything is possible, which recognizes his political adviser is seasoned pro Tom Letizia, and which knows a Mason-Dixon poll shows Goodman with an impressive level of name recognition along with plenty of negatives, admits the attorney has uttered too many politically damaging quotes during his 35-year legal career. The mouthpiece's mouth has already sunk him, they say.
Goodman once said he'd rather have his daughter date Chicago mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro than an FBI agent. Until the FBI recorded a mafia induction ceremony in New England several years ago, Goodman was known nationally for saying, "There is no mob."
Forget that he believed such rhetoric was the only way to ensure his notorious clients a fair trial. Goodman made the kind of enemies who never forget. If his candidacy gains steam, expect those enemies to perform an unprecedented political pistol-whipping. Talk about a mob hit. If Goodman's poll percentages rise above the water line, he will get the thumping of his life, the proverbial two behind the ear.
Who will participate?
The easier question to answer: Who won't?
Goodman's political opponents can now count every major player on the Strip as a member of the ABOC (Anyone But Oscar Committee). The dough will flow by the suitcasefull to Jay Bingham, Arnie Adamsen and Mark Fine, who are qualified for the job but next to Goodman are about as exciting as watching concrete harden.
Goodman will be called bad for the city's image, bad for business, bad for everything God-fearing Las Vegans hold dear. In the hypocritical name of saving Las Vegas from sliding into the abyss of its not-so-distant past, Goodman will be savaged.
His candidacy will not become a symbol that our community has grown up and can laugh at itself. No, Oscar Goodman will become known once again as a dangerous man.
On Friday morning, Goodman appeared uncharacteristically nervous as he announced that he was ready to set aside his law practice and become Las Vegas' "spokesperson throughout the world so that everybody will know we live in the jewel of the desert." He took time to thank his wife, Carolyn, to express pride in the success of his four grown children, to criticize the political "coronation" process that takes place here, to chide the casino operators and developers for failing to contribute sufficiently to the betterment of the city, to champion the Constitution, and to remind skeptics that he'll have a cool $200,000 in the bank by Monday.
No one outside his inner circle seems to think he can win. The notorious associations are just too strong. Which is humorous, given the fact Jan Jones was selling Chevys and cutting commercials with a cross-dresser before becoming mayor. But I guess there's a difference between dressing to kill and defending accused killers.
So what's in it for Goodman?
Here's one clue. Hours before Goodman led a parade of Damon Runyon characters to City Hall to file for office, The Associated Press in New York was going wild over the story of the mob attorney and the mayor's race. As long as they spell his name right, Goodman's law practice will benefit from the national media attention.
But it's more than that. At 59, he knows it's reasonably his last chance to run for office, and he wants to become known for more than keeping Tony the Ant out of prison.
He'll be lucky if he's not arrested for endangering the town, but he's already made the '99 mayor's race worth watching.
It will take a political lightning strike, but stranger things have happened. Ask the voters of Minnesota, who grew tired of the same old establishment candidates and sent a message heard around the world by electing a former pro wrestler as governor.
Sound familiar?
Consider these dangerous days, indeed.
John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. His columns also appear online at www.lvrj.com and www.lasvegas.com. He can be reached at Smith@lvrj.com or 383-0295.
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JOHN L. SMITH
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