(Chuck Muth) – It was a pretty amazing event. Hosted by the Service First Fund, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo kicked off the “Nevada Way Leadership Forum” at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday morning. The event featured an all-star lineup of elected officials, policy leaders and a couple hundred grassroots activists – a number of whom haven’t exactly gotten along in the past – who gathered together with one common objective… Help the state’s new Republican governor “get sh*t done.” Lombardo has proposed an ambitious legislative agenda to undo some of the worst policies enacted under former Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak and his Democrat accomplices in the Legislature. However, the D’s still control both houses – and enjoy a super-majority in the Assembly. So getting reforms actually passed is gonna be, to say the least, a challenge. But Lombardo, the party’s titular head, isn’t just sitting back, wringing his hands. The event was designed to activate and engage supporters of his agenda and call on them to take the fight to the other side in the closing days of the current legislative session.
Following the governor’s remarks and call-to-action, a Legislative panel – moderated by Ryan Erwin, campaign manager for Lombardo’s ’s award winning “Campaign of the Year” for 2022 – commenced. It featured Sen. Scott Hammond and Assembly members Melissa Hardy, Brian Hibbets & Toby Yurek.
Next was an Education panel featuring Valerie Gurr – an absolute super-star on school choice – John Guedry, Sen. Scott Hammond, and moderator Erin Phillips of Power2Parent.
That was followed by a panel discussing Public Safety featuring Assemblyman Brian Hibbets, newly-elected Henderson Councilman Jim Seebock, Pastor Troy Martinez & John Abel of the Las Vegas Police Protection Association.
Not surprisingly, all oppose Democrat Attorney General A.Ron Ford’s soft on fentanyl position and support getting tough on crime again. What a radical idea. Next panel up: Political Activism featuring Jeremy Hughes, Ryan Erwin, Mike Slanker and Matt Brasseaux, all of whom were instrumental in Gov. Lombardo’s victory over Sisolak – the only Democrat governor ousted in the country – last year.
The four are tasked with building a “Reid-like machine” for the “right” side, including candidate recruitment, training, development & support. Count me in! Then my longtime friend, Randi Thompson, moderated a Small Business panel with Rocky Finseth, Dan Tuntland, Tisha Black and (hidden behind the podium) Latin Chamber of Commerce chief Peter Guzman.
Imagine the crazy notion of supporting job creators instead of ham-stringing them. What a concept. Political Director Joe Weaver and I wrapped it all up with a “7 Habits of Highly Effective Citizen Activists” presentation.
Heckuva day! Legislative Democrats in swing districts thinking about voting mindlessly in lock-step against the Governor’s common-sense bills – which are supported by the majority of NEVADANS – should take a look at this “class photo” from the event…
These folks are loaded for bear and filled with resolve. This is what winning looks like. And unlike your standard-issue GOP meeting, there were no silly, toothless resolutions proposed or constant interruptions with points of parliamentary procedure. Just … what’s the phrase I’m looking for? … oh, yeah – getting sh*t done. Indeed, the one thing clearly missing yesterday was the toxic asininities so often displayed by Hatfield & McCoy Republicans who have been at each other’s throats for years. Instead, historical adversaries laid down their swords and came to the event in unified support of the governor. Meanwhile, at the Nevada GOP… Nevada Republican National Committeewoman Sigal Chattah, who was not at the forum, continued her incessant chirping against Gov. Lombardo – who she has a longtime personal grudge against – and a pair of moderate Republican state senators (Heidi Gansert and Carrie Buck) who could very well lose their seats next year and hand the Democrats a super-majority there.
In a series of discombobulated tweets last night after the event, Chattah seemed to suggest she was preparing to use her party position to hang the governor and senators from a crane. “RNC censures AND criticizes their own when necessary,” the bitterly unhinged turd-in-the-punchbowl committeewoman – who can’t get over how badly she was spanked in her race for attorney general last November – wrote. Good luck with that. Chattah – once a darling of Nevada conservatives, including me – has since proved herself to be a major embarrassment to the Nevada Republican Party, Chairman Michael McDonald and members of the party’s Central Committee. She’s out of control, out of her depth, and pretty much out of her mind. She’s blaming everyone but her own big mouth and political stupidity for the beating she took at the polls last year. To refresh your memory… Republicans Joe Lombardo (Governor), Stavros Anthony (Lieutenant Governor) and Andy Matthews (Controller) all won their statewide races. Republicans Adam Laxalt (US Senate), Jim Marchant (Secretary of State) and Michele Fiore (Treasurer) all lost close races by margins ranging from 8,000 votes to 23,000 votes. Chattah (Attorney General) got slaughtered by over 77,000 votes! Yes, by all means Nevada Republicans, follow the advice and leadership of this political genius who’s now using her party position to settle petty scores and exact revenge. What could go wrong? Look, it’s one thing to be an outside conservative activist who criticizes elected Republicans for bad votes and policies. Lord knows I’ve done more than my share over the years. But it’s a totally different situation when you’re an elected Republican Party official – a distinction Chattah can’t seem to grasp. She’s become a one-woman wrecking ball; lashing out and hellbent on using her party position to take a pound of flesh from those who hurt her tender sensibilities. If she doesn’t get some adult supervision – and maybe some anger management – petty soon, she’s gonna cost Nevada Republicans a lot more races in 2024 than the one she tanked in 2022. Elephants, ye be warned.FAMOUS LAST WORDS “I just want to let you know that I will be supporting RINOs (in the 2024 elections) because two of ‘em are vulnerable due to redistricting and we are one seat from a super-minority in the legislature… which would take away the Governor’s veto pen. Be as self-righteous as you wanna be. I’ll be protecting the veto power. Sometimes, listen to people who know what they are talking about.” – Nevada conservative columnist/activist Brittany Sheehan Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views, and founder of CampaignDoctor.com. You can sign up for his conservative, Nevada-focused e-newsletter at MuthsTruths.com. His views are his own.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
RSS