Dina Titus, above, Democratic candidate for governor, and Republican candidate Jim Gibbons, below, have exchanged accusations about questionable contributions. The Web site www.propertybillofrights.com features cartoon versions of characters from television's "Sopranos" discussing eminent domain and the Property Owners' Bill of Rights.

There's no doubt Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dina Titus can dish it out. But can she take it?

Last month, Titus' camp crowed as loudly as possible about having turned up several cases of apparently illegal campaign donations accepted by her opponent. Spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said even if they weren't intentional, they were evidence of an untrustworthy "sloppiness."

In each case, Republican Jim Gibbons' campaign went to work researching the allegations and, within 24 hours, produced proof of its explanations in the form of copies of checks from as long ago as 2002.

The Gibbons camp also didn't pass up the obvious opportunity for a counterpunch, pointing to a discrepancy in Titus' own campaign-finance paperwork. Titus, like Gibbons, says it's a matter of a simple mistake. But she won't prove it.

After putting off a week of repeated requests to produce the contribution check that would prove that the problem with her campaign filings is just a typo, Grey now says the campaign will not show proof except to the secretary of state's office, which is looking into Gibbons' allegations.

"We don't want to try this case in the media," Grey said.

For a campaign that issues near-daily press releases, that may be a first.

AN OFFER OWNERS CAN'T REFUSE

It's the question on everyone's mind this election season: What candidates and positions have the Sopranos endorsed?

Backers of the ballot initiative that seeks to amend the Nevada Constitution to restrict government's ability to seize private land have new animation on their Web site that breaks down the complicated issue in a mock episode of the hit HBO show. It turns out that rank-and-file mafiosi initially sympathized with the aims of the Property Owners' Bill of Rights; but when their don found a way to turn government abuse to his advantage, they were all for that.

The cartoon can be viewed at www.propertybillofrights.com and starts with the show's trademark opening montage of scenes from a highway.

Cut to characters obviously based on "Soprano" henchmen Paulie and Silvio -- although the Web site notes that the animation is in no way approved by HBO -- who are reading the paper.

In a rather laughable bit of exposition, another character asks, "Sil, can a politician throw people out of their houses, legally?"

Silvio answers, "Yeah -- the Supreme Court just ruled that politicians can invoke what they call, uh, eminent domain and throw people out for the greater good."

Tony Soprano gets wind of this concept and convinces the corrupt "Mayor Sellout" to get him some land by booting out an ice-cream parlor, a home and a church.

The final voice-over urges Nevadans to vote for the initiative -- "before your rights as property owners get whacked for good."

MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS

Has Kate Marshall flip-flopped on the Millennium Scholarship?

Marshall, the Democratic nominee for state treasurer, recently presented a plan for the office that includes requiring those who apply for a Millennium Scholarship to provide valid Social Security numbers -- a measure that's seen as a way of preventing illegal immigrants from getting the state grant.

But on a May episode of the Reno current affairs television program "Nevada NewsMakers," Marshall declined to take a stand on the issue.

"We need to say to the high schools, 'You know your students, you know what they can apply for, talk to them. Make sure they apply for all the things that they can apply for and don't apply for the things they can't apply for.' "

Pressed by the show's host, Marshall wouldn't say whether she thought Social Security numbers should be required.

Interviewed last week, she said requiring Social Security numbers wasn't something she would definitely push for, just one of many things she would consider as a way of keeping the scholarship solvent. However, her seven-point plan says she would urge the Legislature to "require a Social Security number for each applicant"; by contrast, it says she would "review" whether to raise the required grade-point average and "consider" a means test for the grant.

"I'm committing to putting Social Security numbers on the table and discussing them," Marshall said. "I'm committing to putting all of those things on the table. The goal is making sure the Millennium Scholarship is solvent."

Marshall would not take a position on whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to get the scholarship, saying it wasn't the treasurer's purview and her opponent was using the hot-button issue of immigration to inflame political passions.

The Republican nominee, Mark DeStefano, said he's consistently opposed scholarships for illegal immigrants. He called Marshall a flip-flopper who can't be trusted.

"My position hasn't changed," he said. "Illegal immigrants should not receive the Millennium Scholarship. (To give it to them would be) condoning illegal behavior."

GOODMAN ENDORSES UNGER

The world's happiest mayor has endorsed the man who's aiming to be the world's happiest lieutenant governor.

Democrat Bob Unger announced last week that he had received the support of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who won his last election with 86 percent of the vote.

"I am thrilled to accept the endorsement of Mayor Goodman," Unger, a businessman and political newcomer, said in a statement.

"The mayor has been a champion throughout the world for the city of Las Vegas, and we will work closely to bring innovation and solutions to the issues that face us as a state."

Although there's been no equivalent announcement, Goodman said he also has endorsed Titus for governor. Goodman said he hadn't yet worked out how actively he'll help either candidate, in terms of campaign appearances and fundraisers.

Goodman said his friendship with Unger originated with Goodman's minority partnership in the Showcase Mall, which Unger developed.

"He treated me very honorably, and I got a nice paycheck out of it," Goodman said.

ELECTION COMPLAINTS

Republican Secretary of State Dean Heller is in the tricky position of being both the official who oversees elections and a candidate for office. He's running for the Northern Nevada Congressional District 2 seat.

That double role has already caused him to recuse his office from examining a campaign-finance complaint because he shared campaign workers with the subject of the complaint, embattled Republican Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald. Heller and Boggs McDonald's campaigns both have the same treasurer, Christine Hastie.

Hastie also is treasurer for the campaign of Mark DeStefano, the Republican nominee for state treasurer. In June, one of DeStefano's primary opponents, Joseph Pitts, filed a campaign finance complaint against him with Heller's office.

The complaint still is pending.

Asked whether that case, too, constituted a conflict, Heller said he hadn't known about the connection but probably will move the case out of his office.

"Until you pointed it out to me, I didn't know who DeStefano's treasurer was," Heller said. "If there's a conflict, we'll address that. We'll kick it over to (the Nevada Department of Investigation) just like the Boggs McDonald complaint."

Review-Journal writer David McGrath Schwartz contributed to this report. Contact political reporter Molly Ball at 387-2919 or MBall@reviewjournal.com.