Report: For Senate showdown, Dem interests turn out in force while GOP “appears less robust”

"Hundreds of Democratic congressional aides, operatives and lobbyists" have been in Las Vegas to help get out the vote for Sen. Harry Reid, the Wall Street Journal reports today.

They include about 30 aides to Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, the chief of staff to Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, and volunteers from multiple labor unions and lobbying firms and former Reid staffers.

"On the other side, the effort appears less robust," the Journal reports. "The Republican National Committee no longer organizes and pays to send hundreds of Capitol Hill aides and lobbyists into key races in the election's final days. RNC spokesman Doug Heye said those efforts didn't produce results to justify the expense."

Most Republican lobbyists have stayed away from Nevada for fear of angering Reid if he wins, and because the business community prefers him to remain majority leader rather than more liberal Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York or Dick Durbin of Illinois.

"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which plans to spend nearly $75 million on the 2010 elections, hasn't spent a nickel in Nevada," the Journal reports.

On the Republican side, canvassing has been done by volunteers.  American Crossroads, the political group set up with help from former White House adviser Karl Rove, also has taken on a greate share.

Volunteers with Apple iPhones have canvassed neighborhoods to gather voter data in part for Angle and in part "for a larger get-out-the-vote drive for the 2012 presidential election," the Journal reports.