Jim Gibbons, GOP gubernatorial candidate and congressman, is shown at a September meeting of the Latin Chamber of Commerce. He wrote geothermal energy provisions in a 2005 energy bill. Photos by Ronda Churchill. Dina Titus, Democratic candidate for governor, introduces New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, right, at a recent campaign rally in Las Vegas targeting Hispanic voters.

When Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus attacked her opponent's record on funding for alternative energy research in last week's debate, Republican Jim Gibbons indignantly replied, "I wrote the Geothermal Steam Act for this country."

But Gibbons did not write the act, which was passed in 1970, long before Gibbons entered politics.

His campaign explained that Gibbons proposed legislation in 2003 that substantially amended the act, effectively writing the nation's modern-day regulations for the geothermal energy industry.

But that legislation didn't pass -- it never even made it out of committee hearings.

The amendments written by Gibbons in 2003 were eventually incorporated into the energy bill that passed in 2005. So Gibbons can plausibly claim to have written the provisions that regulate the modern production of electricity from geothermal, which involves drilling wells to tap into underground heat sources.

Environmentalists are generally no fan of Gibbons, who once co-authored a report saying people shouldn't worry too much about toxic mercury. But they acknowledge that Gibbons can genuinely claim environmental kudos for the geothermal provisions.

"It does some really good things, especially for folks that live in areas that are rich in geothermal," such as Gibbons' rural Nevada congressional district, said Scot Rutledge, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, which has endorsed Titus. "It expands geothermal use for private individuals."

But Rutledge said any positives were vastly outweighed by the negatives of the 2005 energy bill as a whole, "which paid out too many subsidies to the oil, gas and nuclear industries."

GIBBONS GETS HELP WITH ADS

For the past couple of weeks, Jim Gibbons has been getting a little help from his friends at the Republican Governors Association in the form of slick television ads.

"Dina Titus: She's out of the mainstream when it comes to protecting Nevada," the ad ominously intones. "Titus voted to allow convicted prisoners to get parole faster, thus reducing jail time for many prisoners."

The ad cites a 1991 bill in the Nevada Legislature that reduced the minimum time for prison inmates to be eligible for parole to one-third of their sentences. Its intent was to alleviate prison overcrowding.

Titus, then and now a state senator, voted for it; Gibbons, then a state assemblyman, voted against it.

But there were five other bills in the 1991 session that aimed to alleviate prison crowding by releasing parolees earlier, and Gibbons voted for all of them.

The one in the ad is the only one he didn't support.

Gibbons supported allowing inmates to be paroled 12 months rather than nine months before the end of their sentences; allowing sheriffs to ask courts for early prisoner releases to ease overcrowding; allowing parolees to reduce their time by earning credits; and allowing parole violators to be kept on house arrest rather than in jail.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, called the Republican ad hypocritical. The ad was not coordinated with the Gibbons campaign.

Charlie Spies, the Republican association's general counsel, said he wasn't even aware Gibbons had been in the Legislature that year.

"Our ad is about Dina Titus and why she's out of the mainstream," Spies said. "I'm not familiar with what (Gibbons') votes were, but I believe our characterizations of her votes are correct."

GOODMAN PRAISES TITUS

"Did you park at the pizza place?" Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was asked as he headed for a photo opportunity with Dina Titus on Friday.

"No, I parked at the strip club," Goodman said. "I want to start a rumor about what the mayor does on Friday afternoon."

Goodman and Titus held a news conference downtown to announce the mayor's endorsement of her gubernatorial candidacy.

Goodman said in an interview weeks ago, reported in this space, that he endorsed her candidacy, but that didn't occur in front of the "Welcome to Fabulous Downtown Las Vegas" sign at Fourth Street and Las Vegas Boulevard.

Goodman said he was happy to endorse a woman who has been a great educator and great state senator. Titus would help to revitalize downtown Las Vegas, Goodman said.

Meanwhile, Titus opponent Jim Gibbons last week announced that he had the support of 15 mayors from around the state, representing cities ranging from Reno, population 206,735, to Wells, population 1,400 and change.

"My one mayor trumps all of his mayors," Titus said.

WHO IS MARK FOLEY?

Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., was in a tourism caucus with him. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., took a Spanish class with him once and had an office just a couple of doors down. But like everyone else in Washington, D.C., they swear up and down that they could barely pick disgraced Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., out of a lineup.

"He was down the hall, but I didn't socialize with him," Gibbons said in a recent interview.

Their congressional offices were practically next door: Gibbons' is 100 Cannon House Office Building. Foley's, already shuttered, was 104 Cannon.

Likewise, Porter said, "We would say, 'Hi,' but I didn't know him real well."

Gibbons and Porter have called for a quick and thorough investigation and for anyone in Congress to resign who knew about Foley's salacious interactions with underage congressional pages and failed to act.

Porter has joined at least three other House members in calling for the page program to be suspended until "Foleygate" can be sorted out, while Gibbons said the solution should be more careful monitoring.

Gibbons said in a recent interview that it wouldn't be fair to punish "the girls and boys in that wonderful program" for one man's misdeeds, but Porter said the program can't go on until safeguards are put in place.

HEALTH CARE ISSUES

A Henderson health advocate is not happy with Jon Porter.

Cyndi Ortiz said she met with Porter in September 2004 looking for him to sponsor a bill for Medicare to cover new treatments for lymphedema, the excess buildup of fluids in the tissue of many cancer patients, and other vascular diseases.

Porter expressed enthusiasm and "made a commitment to sponsor a bill," said Ortiz, president of a small group called the Coalition for Quality Healthcare. But after that, she said, the lawmaker "strung us along for two years."

"Earlier this year, 2006, Mr. Porter backed out on his promise," Ortiz wrote on her organization's Web site. "Mr. Porter gave no explanation."

Ortiz said she is a registered Republican. Records show she donated $500 last year to the National Republican Congressional Committee. She said she made two donations to Porter in 2004 totaling $400.

"I am a big believer in accountability of public officials," Ortiz said. "When they blow people off I believe that is highly inappropriate."

Porter said in a statement that he has not dropped the issue. He said it might be faster to add benefits through administrative changes in Medicare than through the bill process.

"As with any Medicare issue, it is particularly difficult to achieve immediate results through legislation," he said. "I have never ruled out legislation, but am hopeful this can be resolved through regulatory change in a speedier fashion."

Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault and Review-Journal writer Paul Harasim contributed to this report. Contact political reporter Molly Ball at 387-2919 or MBall@reviewjournal.com.