Taking down website for makeover smudges Angle campaign

The Sharron Angle Makeover continues.

Rather than living with her at times controversial but undeniably clear views on topics ranging from Social Security to health care reform, the strategists now in charge of Republican Angle's U.S. Senate campaign are trying to soften her.

Trouble is, Angle's tough comments were not only a big part of her personal appeal but also a part of her upstart campaign's website, which now has been redrafted to attempt to make her positions more acceptable to moderate Republicans.

But nothing really disappears from the Internet, and Harry Reid's campaign staffers managed to get a copy of the original site. Meanwhile, Angle's camp has cried foul, whined about copyright infringement and threatened to sue -- anything but admit they screwed up by taking down the site and trying to reinvent the firebrand social conservative.

After a cease-and-desist letter from Angle's side, Reid's political operatives have countered with therealsharronangle.com. Angle is fighting back, but the damage is done.

THE FAN: Who can blame Marla Letizia for giving up on her husband, Tom?

She's tried to civilize him and save him from himself, but she finally had to admit it: She's powerless against his baseball addiction.

Tom grew up in Southern California and has been a Dodgers fan since the team moved from Brooklyn. Over the years he has witnessed Sandy Koufax's perfect game, Bill Singer's no-hitter and Herculean Pirates slugger Willie Stargell's 506-foot blast, the longest home run ever hit at Dodger Stadium.

Given all that, Marla was left with only one choice for Tom's 60th birthday. She arranged to have him throw out the first pitch at Sunday's nationally televised game at Dodger Stadium.

Marla had the message delivered via video by former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda.

FIRE, RAISE: I see a group of local firefighters raised $50,000 for the Southern Nevada Burn Foundation at the 11th annual Fire & Rain bachelor auction at Rain Nightclub inside the Palms.

I think the firefighters had better be careful. Given the cutbacks they're facing, they can expect to be asked to auction themselves to the highest bidder in lieu of their next pay raise.

BRUCE WHO? Big Bruce Chapman usually stands out in a crowd. He's tall, outgoing and, as a former UNLV basketball standout, knows just about everyone in the valley on a first-name basis. Over the years he has helped raise a small fortune for various charities and is known as a soft touch for just about anyone with a child in need.

So imagine his surprise when he saw the recent photo of someone else over his name in the Review-Journal's popular series on the greatest Rebel athletes. The error has been corrected, and knowing Chapman, he's laughing about it.

ON THE BOULEVARD: As the prescription drug investigation of Metro Lt. Steve Menger continues, it appears someone working the case erred in calculating the number of pills the cop is suspected of securing through fraudulent prescriptions. Instead of more than 50,000 involved, it's "only" about 25,000. Either way, that's far too many pills for personal use.

BOULEVARD II: The Southern Nevada Water Authority is constructing a massive intake pipeline to move water from depleted Lake Mead to parched Las Vegas, and the project strikes ... water.

And that's not a good thing?

Seriously, though, outsiders to the process are left to wonder how even a large amount of water flowing can't be controlled by the experts without necessitating what has been described as "several months" of delays.

BOULEVARD III: On the subject of the Wynn dealers tip dispute, I have labored under the belief the state labor commissioner has 30 days to make a decision following submission of the final brief. That brief was stamped May 3.

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.