List not on list of Republicans supporting Harry Reid
Not all the high-profile Republicans are for Harry Reid.
While Reid's campaign was busy Thursday announcing another 200 GOP stalwarts had joined "Republicans for Reid," former Gov. Bob List took to the AM radio airwaves to argue the Nevada Republican Party is stronger than ever.
"I think there's been a real good coming together, a real convergence of purpose and principle between the Tea Party people and the Republican Party," List told AM 720 talk show host Heidi Harris. "It did take awhile, but in the end it's a good thing because we've got a lot of new blood and a lot of new people that are very enthusiastic and very energized and fired up, and so it's been a good thing."
List says the GOP defectors will be offset by throngs of fired-up conservatives, disgruntled Democrats and independents.
We'll see. The Republicans for Reid list is jammed with professionals, gaming executives, business owners, political figures, developers and a couple names that will excite sports fans: UNR football coach Chris Ault and future big league Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux.
Call them country club Republicans, RINOs, squishy moderates or whatever. That list is long and loaded with recognizable names.
CANDLELIGHTERS CHEER: In tough economic times, Candlelighters of Southern Nevada ran the risk of being forced to shutter its emergency assistance program, which provides funding to families of children with cancer to pay for everything from airline tickets to electricity bills.
On Thursday, the childhood cancer charity was visited by an angel in the form of the folks from Southern Nevada Walmarts, who presented Candlelighters with a $50,000 check.
"This $50,000 grant means the world to Candlelighters because it will allow us to continue our emergency assistance program that means so much to our families and our families rely on while they're going through a cancer treatment with their child," Candlelighters executive director Melissa Cipriano says. "Not only are our families suffering by having a child that is very ill, there's a lot of our families that have hit hard times just as everybody in our community has."
Walmart market manager Ramon Alvarez calls it an ideal match for the discount store giant, which this year is distributing about $1 million to charities in Nevada.
"Candlelighters is an exceptional organization that certainly focuses successfully on taking care of children's welfare especially in this critical time of need," Alvarez says.
GOODMAN RUNNING MATE: While the rest of us are recovering from the Reid-Sharron Angle debate, Mayor Oscar Goodman on Friday will be joined by "Mini Me" Verne Troyer to kick off the OktoberFrightFest at the Fremont Street Experience.
Goodman will then do what he does so well: pour a strong drink.
He'll toast the 31st year of Robert Ansara's popular Ricardo's restaurant (Flamingo/Decatur) with the "World's Largest" margarita. (That's 7,800 gallons.)
No truth to the rumor Troyer will do the backstroke in that margarita glass.
ON THE BOULEVARD: On 10-10-10, Bobby Fechser and bride Deborah Huck turned the impeccable Vintner Grille into their wedding wonderland.
BOULEVARD II: On Thursday, the Elko Daily Free Press, published in the heart of Angle country, endorsed Reid and lauded the Democrat's ability to ensure "anti-mining legislation will not reach the president's desk."
BOULEVARD III: The Las Vegas chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals has chosen pediatric oncologist Dr. Jonathan Bernstein as its 2010 Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year. The cancer specialist will be honored by the group on November 18. And speaking of helping children, led by Carter Powersports the Las Vegas Ride for Kids recently raised nearly $54,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Meanwhile, special interests are spending millions on political ads.
Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? E-mail comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith.
