Hafen calls close race proving ground

Despite barely winning re-election this month, Henderson City Councilman Andy Hafen is ready for his next race: mayor.

"If filing were today, I would definitely file to run for mayor," Hafen said recently. "I'm very much excited about it. But two years is a long time, and anything can happen."

Hafen, a Democrat, defeated a Republican challenger, police officer Thomas Wagner, by a mere 169 votes. A recount last week came up with the same margin. Hafen decried what he said was an unprecedented and unwelcome level of partisanship in the race, which, like most municipal elections, did not list candidates' party affiliations on the ballot.

The mayoralty will be open in 2009 because Mayor Jim Gibson is prohibited by term limits from seeking it again.

City Councilman Steve Kirk, a Republican, is also considered almost certain to run for mayor. He said last week he's very interested in the position but won't be ready to commit to the race for six months or so.

Observers of Henderson city politics -- and there are some, believe it or not -- say the unexpectedly close call for Hafen leaves him significantly weakened politically.

But Hafen doesn't see it that way. In this past election, "Everything was thrown at me that could possibly be thrown at me, and I still prevailed," he said.

REID ON ABORTION

Is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid trying to have it both ways on abortion?

The Nevada Democrat, who considers himself pro-life, voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. But last week, he appeared to criticize a Supreme Court decision upholding the law's constitutionality.

During a news conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, Reid was asked about the decision and told reporters, "This isn't the only decision a lot of us wish that (Supreme Court Justice Samuel) Alito weren't there and (former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day) O'Connor were there."

Alito was the deciding vote in upholding the federal law in a 5-4 decision that was seen as a reversal for the court. In 2000, a 5-4 vote on a similar state law went the other way, with O'Connor the deciding vote in striking the law down.

The Republican group RNC Catholic Outreach accused Reid of flip-flopping, saying in a statement, "Senator Reid's comments on partial-birth abortion are stunning for their 180-degree turnaround. He voted with an overwhelming bipartisan majority to ban a procedure that former Democrat Senator (Daniel Patrick) Moynihan called 'infanticide.' It makes no sense for Senator Reid to now attack the Supreme Court for upholding a law that he supported."

Reid spokesman Jon Summers said Reid has generally not been a fan of Alito, whose confirmation he opposed. "It was an offhanded remark," Summers said of Reid's comment. "He had no problem with the decision, just with Alito's presence" on the court.

Reid, Summers said, is trying to get Republicans to support legislation he's promoting to prevent unwanted pregnancies. If Republicans are serious about opposition to abortion, they should work with Reid to reduce the number of abortions by reducing unwanted pregnancies, he said.

ROGERS LOVES RICHARDSON

University Chancellor Jim Rogers is opening his Las Vegas home to a political candidate for the first time ever next week, when he hosts a fundraiser for the Democratic presidential campaign of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Rogers was a longtime Republican until he changed his registration to nonpartisan in 2005, when he idly contemplated an independent run for governor. But he said last week he considers himself independent and evaluates candidates based on the individual, not party affiliation. He and his wife, Beverly, a Democrat, also gave to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign.

Rogers said he likes to support a lot of candidates because he believes everyone should have a chance to get a message out. Of the Republican field, he said he couldn't see himself supporting Republican John McCain because he saw the Arizona senator as inflexible and wrong on the Iraq war.

The other top Republicans, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, have not asked for his support, and he knows little about them, Rogers said.

Rogers and Richardson have known each other for years.

Ironically, they last "bonded over their mutual commitment to higher education" when Richardson came to town to campaign for the gubernatorial campaign of state Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, according to Richardson campaign spokesman Josh McNeil. Rogers supported her opponent, Republican Jim Gibbons.

The Rogers-Richardson fundraiser is scheduled for the evening of April 30.

PRESIDENTIAL MONEY

Among Richardson's contributors in the first-quarter presidential fundraising reports that were released last week was well-known Las Vegas Republican consultant Sig Rogich, who is one of the top fundraisers for McCain's campaign.

Rogich said he and Richardson are "really, really, really good friends" who like to go to boxing matches and usually have dinner when Richardson is in Las Vegas.

"I'm all for John McCain. I think he'll make a great president," Rogich said. "But I definitely think Bill Richardson is capable to lead the country."

In fact, plenty of Nevadans' presidential contributions crossed party lines. Clinton's donors include Republicans such as Lorenzo Fertitta of Station Casinos, developer Bill Walters, developer and publisher Brian Greenspun and MGM Mirage executive Jim Murren.

Murren also gave to McCain and Democrat John Edwards, Walters also gave to Giuliani and McCain, and Greenspun also gave to Democrat Chris Dodd.

Another contributor to multiple candidates was Republican political consultant, lobbyist and R&R Partner Pete Ernaut, who donated to Giuliani and McCain, according to the federal paperwork.

Ernaut is also the chair of the Republican presidential caucus effort in Nevada and was asked whether he was playing favorites.

He said he wasn't. He'd also given to Romney, but the donation "somehow didn't get reported."

"I maxed out to all three major candidates," Ernaut said. "I wish them all luck. I don't have a favorite of the three. Since I'm chair of the caucus, that will be my stance till January 19," when the contest is scheduled to be held.

In all, Nevada donors gave $1.3 million to presidential candidates in the first three months of 2007.

TAKING OFFENSE

State Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, had choice words for a correspondent the other day.

Richard Law of Sundance Avenue in Las Vegas had copied Coffin and other state senators on an e-mail addressed to Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, in which he said that had Titus been elected governor, she might have "appointed wetbacks to the bench."

Coffin, who is half Mexican, took offense and didn't mince words in his response.

"Richard: I have a sinking feeling you are a constituent of mine and I had hope that the intelligence quotient of our district was on the rise until your last letter arrived," Coffin wrote.

"It does not take many people with an IQ of 40 to drag Sundance Avenue down and our only prayer is that you have not produced many offspring. ... Trust me when I say that the term 'wetback' is considered seriously by many of the residents in our district and many near your home. I suggest you keep your mouth shut, lock your keyboard and your doors, and please, wear a condom."

Coffin's sinking feeling was unwarranted, it turns out. Law is a constituent of state Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas.

Contact political reporter Molly Ball at 387-2919 or MBall@reviewjournal.com.