REPORTERS’ NOTEBOOK

WHEN POLITICAL CANDIDATES AREN'T SLINGING MUD at each other, they like to get on their high horses and accuse their opponents of slinging mud.

That's certainly the case in the Clark County Commission race between Republican Brian Scroggins and Democrat Steve Sisolak. Both are attacking each other in the mail and on television, and both are accusing each other of not playing fair.

At least Scroggins can joke about it.

Taking the stage Tuesday to introduce himself to the crowd that overflowed the Henderson Pavilion to see Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, he said, "One thing my opponent is saying about me in the media is true: My name is Brian Scroggins."

MOLLY BALL

AT THE SARAH PALIN RALLY IN HENDERSON, an elderly man was heard calming his wife down by repeating what he'd heard on the Rush Limbaugh radio program.

Don't worry, he said, George Bush was 11 points behind John Kerry at this point in 2004.

In fact, most polls showed the race as dead even, or put one or the other slightly ahead in the weeks leading up to the election. Bush won the overall popular vote 50.7 percent to Kerry's 48.3 percent.

RICHARD LAKE

THE HOUSING MARKET'S IN THE TANK, but that doesn't mean home builders can't indulge in a little hilarity.

At Thursday's Crystal Ball Seminar, a quarterly event on the future of the valley's housing market, local builder Mary Connelly peppered her speech with a host of one-liners. But she drew the line, sort of, at one jest.

"I was going to tell a joke about being a desperate home builder and becoming a street walker, but I'm not sure if anyone from the Review-Journal is here," she said.

Besides, Connelly's not the kind of woman who would ever consider such a career change. It'd be too hard on her feet.

"The sex is probably the easy part. It's the shoes that'll kill you," she said. "My husband is glaring at me. Boy, I can't wait to see this headline."

Here you go, Mary: Desperate House Builder Mulls Career in Sales.

JENNIFER ROBISON

REP. SHELLEY BERKLEY KNOWS you've got hang onto your youth.

Speaking to students at the College of Southern Nevada last week, the Nevada Democrat, who is 57, noted, "I just celebrated my 40th high school reunion. Those people look so old!

"The most popular guy is bald, and the head cheerleader has no teeth!"

MOLLY BALL

AT A RECENT NEWS CONFERENCE, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman mentioned the football picks he makes each week on his Papa Joe Chevalier's talk show.

Lately, his picks "have stunk," the mayor said.

"If you wanted to make some money, you would listen very carefully to what I said and then bet the other way," advised Goodman.

Papa Joe's Web site lists Goodman's record as 8-14-0 as of Oct. 14.

ALAN CHOATE