(Chuck Muth) – A rather nasty email spat erupted last Thursday between former Reaganite Sig Rogich and former Nevada Gov. Bob List, both Republicans. Rogich heads up Republicans for Reid (Harry, not Rory) and List is Nevada’s Republican National Committeeman.
In an email to Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steel, List took issue with Rogich co-hosting a Las Vegas fundraiser for California GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina. List advised the national GOP that “You will get no support for this event from me or anyone with whom I may have influence, nor from many others who might otherwise have contributed to her campaign.”
List added that if Fiorina knew of Rogich’s involvement in the fundraiser that “it reflects a horrible absence of judgment on her part,” and concluded that “Rogich’s name on the invitation will have a major chilling effect upon attendance. Needless to say, I will not be in attendance.”
Ouch.
Rogich, no shrinking violet, responded in kind with an email directly to List:
“It's amazing that after all the years, Nevada still takes a second seat to you and your ambitions,” Rogich wrote. “From your scandal ridden, one term failure as Governor, to your sell out of our state to the nuclear industry as the head lobbyist for Yucca Mountain, I'm not surprised that now you are a fan of a woman (Sharron Angle) who is so fringe, she cannot even hold support from the Republican State Senate Leader, Bill Raggio.”
Double ouch.
To which List return-volleyed:
“Your political schizophrenia in this situation is a perfect example of the business-as-usual approach on the part of many insiders in today’s political world. Your desire to have it both ways entirely ignores any notion of honest, integrity-based positions grounded upon principled beliefs. It is this kind of conduct that disgusts people about today’s politics. One of these days you are going to meet yourself coming around the corner, and it will be one hell of a crash.”
Triple ouch.
It is quite understandable why Republicans would be less than happy with Rogich, also a former ambassador to Iceland under Bush the First, heading up a committee to re-elect the GOP’s #1 target in the 2010 election cycle. But when the dust settles and the smoke clears, I suspect Rogich is gonna come out on top in this one.
Sure, Republicans have every reason in the world to be angry with Republican Rogich helping Democrat Harry Reid. But to suggest that that disqualifies him from helping other Republicans from other states isn’t exactly the moral high ground.
List’s position is equally untenable due to the fact that most of Angle’s big money fundraising is also coming from out-of-state, and the fact that the GOP’s brass has come to Nevada to do fundraising for Fiorina but not for Nevada’s GOP nominee.
Indeed, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senatorial Committee Chairman Jon Cornyn did a big Lake Tahoe fundraiser for Fiorina in August, but neither has yet to appear in Nevada on behalf of Angle. What gives?
And by the way, where’s Sarah Palin?
The bottom line in the List/Rogich brouhaha is that Rogich is trying to help a Republican U.S. Senate candidate take out Barbara Boxer; therefore, the RNC is likely to ignore List’s objections and take the money and run. Just as it should.
