U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., addresses Nevada lawmakers Wednesday at the Legislature in Carson City. Photo by The Associated Press

CARSON CITY -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said Wednesday that he may try to secure an early Republican primary caucus for Nevada like the Democratic caucus scheduled for next Jan. 19.

"We may do something like that," Ensign said following a 20-minute speech to the Legislature.

Ensign was in the capital city on a day when eight Democratic candidates, including Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., appeared at the year's first presidential forum.

As chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Ensign said he would have a say if Republicans decided to make Nevada an early primary state.

But Ensign refused to elaborate specifically what he will do to attract Republican presidential candidates to Nevada.

"I will leave that as my last statement," he said. "You never know what the future may bring."

He took only a few questions from the media following a speech in which he advised legislators to work in a bipartisan manner.

Ensign said he was "very proud of my good friend," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the success he has achieved. Ensign and Reid have a compact not to criticize each other.

"Washington, D.C., is a very partisan place, I wish I could tell you it wasn't," he said. "As an individual I am trying to show there is a different way to do it. Let's try to accomplish things together."

Ensign added states no longer can rely on the federal government for a "blank check" for highway funding.

Instead he said it is time for "innovative steps" to construct highways. A task force in November found Nevada must raise $3.8 billion to construct 13 major highway projects between now and 2015.

In an interview, Ensign said he made suggestions to the Nevada Department of Transportation that have resulted in extra travel lanes on Interstate 15 between Spring Mountain Road and Tropicana Avenue.

Ensign added the British government plan to begin moving troops from Iraq is a sign they were successful in the areas they were based.

If President Bush's "surge" plan to add more than 20,000 additional troops is successful, then Ensign said the United States can draw down its troops in six months or nine months.

"I support it," he said. "I don't see anything else out there that would work."