Old comment by Ensign resurfaces

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., was asked Tuesday about a decade-old remark that seems freshly apropos: He once said unmarried women who have children "need to be somewhat stigmatized."

Out-of-wedlock births are suddenly a hot topic with the revelation that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. In a brief audience with reporters at the convention Tuesday, Ensign noted that his own father left his mother when he was very young and said society shouldn't be accepting of that kind of behavior.

"She's not going to have an out-of-wedlock birth," he noted of Bristol Palin, who plans to marry the baby's father. "She made a mistake, and she's taking the responsibility."

Ensign was bumped from the program of the Republican National Convention Monday night, along with all the other political speakers.

He didn't get to speak Tuesday night, when the convention got back to normal, either, and it wasn't clear whether his slot would come up in the last two days of the program or be dropped altogether. Convention and Ensign aides said much remains up in the air about the schedule going forward.

Ensign heaped praise on Palin, saying "the potential is there" for her to be a brilliant choice.

Nevadans, he said, will like Palin because "she's a reformer. She's a Westerner. She has conservative values. She believes in gun rights. She believes in taking care of our natural resources but using our natural resources. She's fiscally conservative."

Ensign also said Palin shouldn't be criticized for her family situation or her choices as a mother. "I thought it was part of the women's movement that women have the freedom to do whatever they want to do," he said.

BREAKFAST WITH GROVER

A dozen or so Nevada delegates started their day Tuesday at the Arizona breakfast, which cost $25 to attend.

The speaker was Grover Norquist, right-wing guru and president of Americans for Tax Reform, who laid out his world view and how it applies to the current election.

Taxpayers, gun advocates, home schoolers, property owners and people of faith form one of the two teams in U.S. politics, he said: the "leave us alone coalition." They all get along because they agree on the basic idea of government leaving them to pursue their priorities, even if their priorities are different.

On the other hand, the forces of the left -- trial lawyers, labor unions, "corrupt political machines," welfare dependents and government workers -- rely on government to dole out the money to allow them to pursue their aims, he said. He called them the "takings coalition."

In Norquist's view, it's the right's job is to keep taxes low to "put our foot on the air hose." This, he said, simultaneously makes for good government and prevents the other side from succeeding politically.

Norquist criticized Democrat Barack Obama and praised Republican John McCain for their views on taxes and spending. His rapprochement with McCain is rather remarkable: Norquist and McCain had one of Capitol Hill's more impressive animosities for some time, as McCain spearheaded the investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff, with whom Norquist was closely involved.

Now, however, Norquist has come around. He also mentioned his friend Chuck Muth, the Nevada conservative activist who is a local mouthpiece for Norquist's philosophy.

Norquist said it's imperative that Republicans not make any exceptions to their no-taxes creed. He compared it to a consumer finding a rat head in a bottle of Coke: That person isn't going to want more Coke. "Republican elected officials who vote for tax increases are rat heads in a Coke bottle," he said. "They damage the brand of everyone else. This is not a victimless crime. ... It confuses small children about the nature of the world."

Norquist's sarcastic humor was evident in another borderline tasteless line, as he referred the audience to information packets that had been distributed.

"Ever since that tree killed Sonny Bono, I've always thought it was important to have large quantities of non-recyclable handouts," he said.

There was a few moments' puzzled silence before people got it and gasped.

The Nevada delegates were briefed standing up in the lobby of their hotel after some of them attended the breakfast. Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden informed them that they can go on Arizona's scheduled activity this morning, paddle boating, but they'll have to pay $150.

The Arizonans can go paddle boating for just $15. Unlike Nevada, they have sponsors helping to pay their way.

MORE DEMOCRATS

Democrats' edge in voter registration in Nevada inched up over the month of August, according to the secretary of state's office.

As of mid-July, when registration closed for the Aug. 12 primary, there were 60,670 more Democrats than Republicans, according to the office's tabulation of active voters.

New active voter totals released Tuesday show that as of the end of August, there were 61,705 more Democrats than Republicans on the active voter rolls.

Of 1.1 million active Nevada voters, 458,877 are Democrats, 397,172 Republicans. Democrats now make up 44 percent of the electorate, Republicans 38 percent.

In the 3rd Congressional District, there are now 25,445 more Democrats than Republicans.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@ reviewjournal.com or 702 387-2919