Reporters’ notebook

northbound U.S. Highway 95 was a racetrack as usual during drive-time Thursday morning. Then, right around the Eastern Avenue exit, traffic suddenly slowed to a respectful 5 mph below the posted speed limit.

The cause? A cluster of about 15 police motorcycles that merged at once onto the freeway, headed north.

Little did motorists know the officers were in no position to stop and write citations. They were headed to Summerlin to provide security for President Bush's motorcade.

HENRY BREAN

THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ORGANIZED A PROTEST ACROSS RAMPART BOULEVARD FROM THE SITE OF BUSH'S SPEECH THURSDAY. Some passing motorists blasted their horns in support as they drove by the small group of sign-waving Bush-haters. One woman somehow managed to honk and wave while steering her car with one hand and talking on her cell phone.

Kirsten Searer, deputy executive director of the Nevada Democratic Party, couldn't help but wince. "I appreciate the support, but don't jump the curb and run us down."

HENRY BREAN

AS LAS VEGAS MAYOR OSCAR GOODMAN APPROACHED THE McCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TARMAC where he was about to greet President Bush, he was drawn to the small pen of waiting media Wednesday night.

The brave reporters, photographers and cameramen were shivering in the windy cold where they were forced to wait, unlike the elected officials, who were kept on a heated bus until Air Force One landed.

"You're going to write, 'The president came to balmy Las Vegas,'" Goodman instructed.

Asked whether he could stop the wind, the mayor, never one to sell himself short, said he could if he wanted to.

MOLLY BALL

IN A REVIEW-JOURNAL MEETING ROOM, FRAMED FRONT PAGES FROM BIG DAYS IN HISTORY HANG ON THE WALL. One in particular caught the eye of a visiting Tom DeLay, the Republican former House majority leader. "I like that one," he said, pointing and chuckling.

The headline? "CLINTON IMPEACHED."

MOLLY BALL

LONGTIME LAS VEGAS BUSINESSMAN AND UNLV ALUMNUS BRUCE LAYNE WAS PRAISED WEDNESDAY AFTER ANNOUNCING HIS $500,000 donation to the University of Nevada Health Sciences System.

Among those praising him was university system Chancellor Jim Rogers, who commended Layne's donation and his work on the Health Sciences System Foundation.

"And besides that, you told me what your net worth was," said the multimillionaire Rogers, who is always on the lookout for donors to the university system.

"Am I looking prettier?" Layne asked.

"You're looking prettier, but there's still some room there," Rogers replied.

LAWRENCE MOWER

GOV. JIM GIBBONS WISHES RUNNING NEVADA WERE MORE LIKE A STAPLES COMMERCIAL.

In a Review-Journal interview last week, Gibbons was asked why the state, faced with revenue problems, couldn't raise as much revenue as desired through taxes.

"I don't see the 'Easy' button on this table," the governor said, pretending to look around.

MOLLY BALL

AT CITY EVENTS, GOODMAN USUALLY IS THE GUY WHO GETS THE MOST LAUGHS, GENERALLY BY RIFFING ON HIS LOVE OF GIN OR HIS PAST as an attorney representing organized crime figures.

Take this quip at a recent ceremony for a subdivision of environmentally friendly homes in northwest Las Vegas. Goodman noted that in another era, that land was valued for its remoteness, not for its development potential.

"I was always worried, when some of these developments got started, that some of my old clients' work would be unearthed," Goodman said.

Councilman Ricki Barlow did even better at an event last week commemorating a new apartment complex for low-income households, upstaging Goodman who spoke before him. Since opening in December, the complex has been 100 percent full.

Barlow remarked: "100 percent? We're more occupied than the Monte Carlo right now!"

ALAN CHOATE

DURING A MURDER-FOR-HIRE TRIAL in District Court last week, a juror was having trouble hearing the proceedings, so a bailiff handed him a pair of headphones.

"You can't get any radio stations," joked District Judge Douglas Herndon. "But I'm entertaining anyway."

DAVID KIHARA