‘Back to the Future’ spoof a hoot
It's not my job to plug other publications, but you have to love USA Today's "Back to the Future" commemorative edition Thursday. It was over the top and an absolute hoot.
It brought back a lot of memories of the movie and an era when absolutely no one, all self-delusion to the contrary, looked good in parachute pants.
For the record, the fact candidates named Bush and Clinton are on a collision course in the 2016 presidential campaign is not part of the gag.
DRAFT BIDEN: ... Oh, never mind. It's not exactly a scientific snapshot of the groundswell of public support for a presidential candidacy for Vice President Joe Biden, but the @DraftBidenNV Twitter page boasted 44 followers on Thursday morning.
His valid personal reasons for not running aside, there was more sentiment than support here for a Biden candidacy.
NEVADA BUSH: Call it pandering, but Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush had to have scored points with some Nevadans by promising to move the Department of Interior out of Washington, D.C., and move it to closer to where it belongs — in the West.
Even if the Bush proposal fades, and it's hard to imagine Interior headquarters being shuttered, it at least proves he's listening to his Nevada advisers. Bush's obvious admiration for Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval figures to further kindle speculation about Sandoval's political future.
JEB JAB: But that doesn't mean Bush will have all smooth sailing in Nevada. Not only does Hillary Clinton have an experienced and well-focused campaign team here, but Bush has no shortage of critics who accuse him of softening his stance on dynamic immigration reform and the so-called path to citizenship.
Dulce Valencia, a woman described as a "Student Dreamer" in an email blast by the liberal Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, took after Bush on the issue this week following an appearance at the College of Southern Nevada.
Bush's wife, Columba, was born in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. The couple were married in 1974. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1979.
After being accused of courting a double standard, Bush replied, "My wife didn't come here illegally. There's a difference."
'VICTIM' SPECULATION: Frankly, I wish some of you took as much interest in local government as you are in discovering the identity of the local businessman described as an extortion 'victim' in a federal case involving his extramarital liaison with a Las Vegas stripper during a trip out of the country. The name seems bound to come out.
GIVING BACK: The city of North Las Vegas has more than its share of challenges these days, but it's good to see some government staffers aren't letting that prevent them from contributing to the community's most needy citizens. A group of approximately 30 employees and their family members was set to volunteer today at Three Square Food Bank.
ON THE BOULEVARD: Speaking of friends of Three Square, longtime Las Vegas gaming executive Diana Bennett continues to make big contributions to the local food bank in creative ways. Some locals will remember when her late father, casino man Bill Bennett, fed striking Culinary workers at the Frontier. ... Your Town: Several generations of Southern Nevadans attended Fremont Junior High, and hardworking principal Ann Schiller is inviting them to the venerable school's 60th anniversary Nov. 18. More on this soon, but it could be quite a turnout. Hope they provide enough little cartons of milk for everyone. And maybe some of those gigantic peanut butter cookies, too. ... As noted elsewhere, in "Back to the Future Part II" the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2015. In reality, on Wednesday they went back to the drawing board.
— John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Contact him at 702 383-0295, or jsmith@reviewjournal.com. On Twitter: @jlnevadasmith
