Vote Gibbons Out! Jim Gibbons is America's Worst Governor!

Gibbons' Country: Sordid Daytime Soap Edition

• It's the battle of the Rich Tahoe Gibbons' cronies! Who's lying? The alleged teeny-bopper fancier or the failed political bossman? (RJ)
• Pity the poor Review Journal, it doesn't know which one to discredit, tho it seems to be going after Mason. (RJ)
• Pity the poor Gib-spokester who claims the GIbbers' administration would not support a crappy appointee despite many precedents for the opposite, like Larry Martines and Phil Galeoto.
• The RJ abandons it's support for open government and won't sue to look at the Gibbons' divorce papers because, well, mumble, mumble, mumble...news is news...and have I reached my word count yet so I can go back to my nap? ... (RJ)
• Wasn't me! I wouldn't spend $500 on votebeersout.com. Not when votebeersout.org is available cheap, as is beerisaputz.com. Loyal readers know who Beers' friend is, too. And everybody raise your hand if you thought Beers was really going to "play nice" this campaign.
• Cretins note that divorce could hurt cretin, AP notes, especially if you throw in the mismanagement of the budget crisis, the mismanagement of the health care crisis, and the mismanagement of the mismanagement.
• Looks like Dawn's old boss got a shiny new government contract. He might have a position for her. I wonder if we'll be hearing anything about Dean Heller going on a nice trip to Turkey in a couple of years?

Click the pic for a closer look.

Put some chump on your chest.

SAGE Boss Scandal

According to KLAS TeeVee, Bruce James, who is heading up the Governor's NSAGE team, once engaged in an "incident" with the teen-aged daughter of a former head of the national Nevada Repukelican party, John Mason.

Mason supposedly told Gibbons not to appoint James or he would make the information public. Apparently, John Ensign and former governor Kenny Guinn we also informed:

The incident allegedly occurred nearly five years ago when Mason's daughter was a student in Washington, D.C. James lived there with his wife at the time. No criminal charges were filed.

Well-placed sources tell Eyewitness News the White House intervened in the situation, and then Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez asked John Mason to keep the story quiet so it would not be an embarrassment to President Bush.

Mason has told fellow republicans that he kept quiet at the time. However, other prominent Nevadans, including Jim Gibbons, who was serving in Congress at the time, were informed.

Also allegedly told: Senator John Ensign and former governor, Kenny Guinn.

Yetch. More Repukelican family values.

Move Along...Only Irresponsible Adolescent Scandal Mongering Today

• Who's Kathy? You're asking me? (RJ,CN24-7)
• Erin Neff is Quotabull.
• The worst rewrite of a Brendan Riley piece goes to...the Telegraph! Yay!
• Oh, yeah. We're doomed, in case you haven't figured that out yet.
• In case you're confused: Gibbons is a winner this week... to the guys in New Jersey, anyways.
• [UPDATE: No taxes Jim pulls a Bush-one and now is talking about a hike in room taxes. (AP)]

Gubelets: Ancient Chinese Apes Edition

• Well, Broadway shows didn't really work on the Strip, how about sordid political theater? (Sun) We learn, even Chuck Myth thinks the Gube screwed the pooch in his handling of the divorce. Many GOP apologists are rendered speechless.
• Actually, the divorce proceedings will be moved to Reno from Carson City, judge rules. (AP) The Gube did not oppose the move instigated by Dawn.
• Now that the Governor has instilled all of us with such confidence in his judgment, he'll be asking oh, so sympathetic lawmakers for $800 million in budget cuts, which includes 14 to 20 percent in cuts. (AP,Sun)
• Sigh. I'm gonna miss Dina Titus beating up on the Gube. Said she of the NSAGE commission, which the Gube thinks  will find money for tax cuts: "I don't think anybody is going to look for a tax cut," ... "Right now, we're looking for ways to fill a hole in a budget. We're not in any place to cut taxes, but maybe, hopefully to avoid future cuts in programs and holes in the budget." And of the news that the commission will be stuffed with Gibbons' bidness buddies and cronyies: "If it's already started like that, where he has handpicked the people with his agenda, then I don't think it will be credible," (RGJ)
• With the announcement of a possible 70 cases of  hepatitis caused by those dirty butt-probes, area pundits remind us of how Gibbons wanted to blame it all on the media, as opposed to failed state inspections. (VTS,INP,LVG)
• Worst copy yet on the divorce, over on Greta.
• "Newly discovered fossil teeth of an ancient ape species show clear similarities to those of modern gibbons". Yes, really. (SN) Good article on carbon sequestration over there, too. (SN) Good to know, in case they ever pay their water bill over there at Turdquop.

Recognized, Established Business Leaders

Ralston's flash, which always makes me think of a guy in a trench coat, notes that the Gube's new NSAGE efficiency commission only has room for businessmen, as if they were experts on what makes government efficient, as opposed to spending most of their time trying to fool the board of directors into shoveling mounds of cash into their retirement funds.

From the Gube's executive order:

Members: The members of the SAGE [sic] Commission shall be recognized, established business leaders, either active or retired, with the expertise and experience required to carry out the mission of the SAGE [sic] Commission. No member should have a personal or professional conflict of interest that would prevent such a member from fully and objectively discharging his or her duties. (Gube)

Well, at least that last line pretty well excludes most of Jimbo's pals, including chairman Bruce James, a notorious Republican enabler.

We wouldn't want any ordinary citizens, or planning or budget specialists on that committee, would we? And it was an especially good idea to keep all those pesky eggheads from the local ivy covered halls of academe away from the commission lest they pollute the universal back scratching by tendering an actual idea or two.

And for some reason, not disclosed in the gube press release, the name of one Frank Partlow is listed, presumably because he's supposed to be James' wingman. (Damon confirms that, sorta.) He's a retired General, worked as a bureaucrat in the government printing office with James, and wrote for some rag up north. He also has a book out from that exciting Sparks publishing house, ColDoc, a book only read by Herzik's unlucky undergraduates, probably.

Doesn't Partlow sound like a recognized, established business leader?

Wonkette Struggles to Keep Up With Gube Breakup

Our Governor makes Wonkette, again. The best part is the post-breakup picture of the Governor's room at the mansion cum bachelor pad, in the comments.

Check out Inside Nevada Politics as the Carson City press corps asks the darnedest questions, like does the Gube waste gas on his Reno commute to the manse? or Will the Gube be able to cut the manse budget if he's the only one there? Funny stuff, guys and gals.

[UPDATE: over on Wonkette, there is an exclusive video of Gibbons' last trip to the doctor. Where do they get those ideas?]

Hump Day Boo Hoo Goobettes

• Jon Ralston, who was chortling like a fifth grader in a sex ed class when jabbering with spin-meisters over on a Pate to Pate devoted to the Gubernatorial divorce, gives us a truly roller-coaster ride today as he try to convince us that he feels the Goober's and first co-conspirator's pain while slipping them a knife or two in the back. Warning: take your dramamine before reading. (Sun)
• John L. Smith and the Sun Editorial staff aren't so charitable. I for one was truly surprised to learn from Dawn's lawyer that she suddenly favors "transparency." So, she'll be telling us all about how her hubby's job in Congress helped her get that consulting gig with Sierra Nevada Corp, I suppose. Right? The MSM wouldn't happen to have an update on that story, would they? No? Thought not.
• Northerners don't seem to want to be bothered by the dying gasps of their favored son's failed marriage--or his failed administration. (NA)
• Soldiering on, the Governor tries to pretend he's relevant by inefficiently creating his 4000th gube commission, the RJ lovingly and dutifully reports.
• Hey, wanna meet Repukelican candidates  for northwest Clark County? Me neither. But, all you'll need is $10.00, a willing suspension of disbelief, and I'm guessing a tux. There will even be turkey burgers by a top chef. Turkey burgers by a top chef? Take that, all you liberal, effete snobs! (BBB)

Life Under Fluted, Ionic Columns

• Brendan Riley takes on the thankless task of trying to explain the Gube and his divorce to non-Nevadans. (AP) Now, all we need is somebody to explain it to us.
• Dawn's mouthpiece wants a change of venue from Carson City to Washoe County, where the events that led Gibbers to file papers "accrued." (INP,RGJ) Hey, if you guys want a real change in venue, send it down here! I wonder if they let people watch a sealed trial? Do they allow popcorn?
• The Reno Gazette-Journal loses its case to peek at the papers from the Gibbons' gun permit fiasco, tho they plan to appeal. (INP,RGJ)
• Washoe DA was afeared that making the papers public would make Gibbons the target "of dangerous and deranged individuals." (INP) What, he's afraid of a suicide attempt?
  

Dawn's Death Grip

Weirdly prophetic once again, Gibbons' Country showed Dawn Gibbons' death grip on the Gubernatorium before her attorney told us about it. (RJ)

Like a trooper, or a failed politician looking for her next gig, Dawn tells us that she will continue her duties despite the fact that once divorced, she will have lost the one and only qualification for her current position.

The court order sealing the divorce proceedings will allow us to see Jimbo's complaint, Dawn's counter-complaint, the ruling and any motions. We won't get to see the testimony, though, wherein we may learn where those Trepp poker chips are stashed.

Oddly, Northern egghead sez that "politically, nothing good" will come from the trial. Except perhaps the failed re-election bid of America's Worst Governor? The end of the GIbbons' family reign of terror? That's not good, Mr. Egghead? (RGJ) Always good to see UNR professors maintaining their scientific objectivity.

Updates on the Blatherin'

I haven't seen so much blatherin' over Gibbons' failed Gubeship since everybody was blatherin' about a recall in Spring 2007.

Maybe this will become an annual event. Once a year Jim Gibbons will do something outstandingly stupid, as opposed to the weekly gaffe, and everyone will get into a frenzy, flash VGO in the background of pointless TeeVee news reports, and then forget all about the Gube for eleven months.

Last year it was something truly serious, though: allegations of bribery and an FBI investigation, which is still going on, by the way, in case you, like most Nevadans, forgot.

When was the last time there was a substantive update on that affair in the media, by the way?

Instead we got the divorce, which will probably prove more harmful to Gibbons' sorry career than rumors of bribery because, I suppose, the Gibbons' core can forgive shady deals for a fast buck because that's what makes them the Gibbons' core: building fortunes from shady deals for a fast buck. But to divorce one's second wife? Well, it's just not done--unless there's a twenty-something trophy honey waiting in the wings, maybe.

Anyways, the divorce was the subject of a Pate to Pate with the Gleaner in a suit and Steve Wark, the one guy in the state who hates Dawn more than Jimbo. We learn from Dawn's attorney what I told you a few days ago and smarter people have been saying for awhile--Dawn wears the political pants in the family.

Steve Friess has been keeping the WaPo crowd apprised of the sorry affair, though relying on Muth to support a claim that Nevada Republicans are really worried about Gibbers' re-election isn't all that convincing. (WaPo)

What should really concern them is: who will run the campaign if Dawn is gone? Siggy and Bobby? By themselves?

A VGO commentator makes an interesting comment: how come a judge who was going to recuse himself from the divorce suddenly decides to seal the records?

This won't be the first time a judge will have recused himself from a case involving the Guber. Anybody remember Judge Larry Hicks?

Anyways, if you'd like to join a google group organizing to remove Gibbons, you can join the huge membership over here. Okay, maybe not so huge, but that's up to you. If we actually start to organize, Gibbons won't be gube after 2010. If we don't, even the divorce won't matter.

Besides, the whole divorce thing is just Jimbo's way of helping out Porter by creating a scandal to overshadow Dina Titus' campaign. You know, like last time.

     

Remove-Jim-Gibbons

Visit this group

Gibbers' Divorce Makes the Mucker

Our governor's most recent shenanigans have won him a spot on TPMMuckraker, with the obligatory reprise of his other gaffes and failings.

Ooo. The astroturf group funded by coal-mine owners and electric companies, which was formerly known as ABEC, now has a new name. Something like brek-kek-kek-kek koax koax. (Sun) Well, a turd by any other name still smells as bad.

Hmm. Let's encourage people to hold off paying their taxes as long as possible by declaring a tax amnesty program! (Gube) Yay! That'll teach 'em not to break the law!

Oh, wait...

[UPDATE: Some of the Gibbons' divorce proceedings will be sealed. (INP,AP) So, where's the Review Journal attorneys suing for their beloved open records?

Well, at least the judge has ordered the couple not to sell those Trepp poker chips. (Sun)

Oooo. Gibbers gun hearing tomorrow. (INP)]

Gibbons Country: More Budget Cuts

Latest: Deck bass family, bumpkin reactions.

Archives.

Tard on a shirt. Nixtard on a shirt.

Gube Gives Boot to Bride

Well, here we go again. We get to watch as Jim Gibbons commits yet another seeming act of political suicide. This time the Guber files divorce papers during that part of the news cycle when everybody's home for the start of the weekend and thinking about everything but the latest gube-atrocity. (Sun)

And we're all thinking, "well, that's it. That's the end of Jim Gibbons' career. There will be no coming back from this."

But then one can only remember Mazzeo, the illegal in the basement, Trepp and the money boat, on and on, blah blah blah.

Can the Gube make a come back from this?

Now, this hits the Incline Village core where they live. All those moneyed wives fearful of being replaced by the next trophy wife will feel Dawn's pain and might hesitate to write wife waitress-beater** Jim those hefty campaign checks.

The hubby's on the other, might just slap him on the back and give him a chummy wink.

But of all the WTF moments I've witnessed during the long years of blogging Gibbers, this is certainly the most WTFy. Even if Dawn were--and I'm not saying she is--the biggest skank in Carson, why not just shrug it off and enjoy the Gubernatorial perks?

Even if the marriage has been a sham meant to appease the empty-headed crowd populating the family-values party that hypocritically insists it's politicians appear to have perfect marriages while dumping the hubby or wife at the first sight of something better, why throw it and possibly the re-election away?

What the heck is he thinking? Assuming he is thinking, that is.

Well, the worst part of this whole mess won't be watching the MSM wringing it's hands as it tries to figure out the "proper" way to deal with the story. Nor will it be reading the stomach churning calls from the RJ to respect the Gube's, and the ex-Gubette's, privacy--mainly because doing so will cynically help the re-election effort of their no taxes man. Nor will it be watching Dawn as she figures out how to use the situation to garner sympathy for her next campaign.

Nope. it will be the prospect of perhaps learning what deep, dark secret has motivated the Governor to take such a bizarre, even for him, step. Trust me folks, I don't think any of us are ready to gaze into the dizzying abyss of Jim Gibbons' soul.

[UPDATE: Gibbons is requesting that Dawn pay all attorney's fee's, and his complaint states that the "cause of the divorce"--whatever that is--took place in Reno. (AP)]

_______

** Is that better??

Our Apologies to Nsage, Angola

As Editor in Chief of Vote Gibbons Out, I wish to express my apologies for suggesting that the acronym NSAGE sounded like Japanese porn. It actually sounds like the name of an African village in Angola. Really. (FG,TL)

Private Funds Will Be Raised to Cover Costs

That's what Nevada's new efficiency czar said when discussing how he will pay for investigative staff on the new NSAGE commission. (RJ)

So, how will that work?

Perhaps the Governor can start up another fund like that legal defense slush account? Perhaps hit up Sheldon Adelson for a few hundred thousand? Well, we won't be so surprised, then, will we, when the commission recommends cuts to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority?

Ralston's all for NSAGE as long as the Governor can avoid cronyism when making his appointments. (Sun) Hey, stop laughing. Ralston thinks that if NSAGE remains bi-partisan (hey, stop laughing), it will shut up all the wingnuts who think there's tons of waste to be cut out of the Nevada budget. Lot of ifs. Ralston also sees NSAGE as the first move in GIbbons' 2010 re-election stratigery.

Ha! Now you're not laughing.

Anyways, here's what the efficiency czar, and rumored candidate for Harry Reid's seat, Bruce James has been spending some of his money on lately:

• Rupukelican and Gube-enabler Monte Miller via Bruce's Nevada New-Tech, Corporation. (FEC) Monte has been generous about helping the Gube pay his legal fees, in case you forgot.
• That exciting up and coming Congressman from Alaska, Don Young. (FEC) Oh, look, Don was recently in WaPo.
• Oops! Gave too much to the Nevada State Repukelican Committee in 2000! (FEC) Naughty, naughty!
• John Ensign. (FEC)
• Jim Gibbons. (FEC)
• Jim Gibbons. (FEC)

However, I didn't find James or New-Tech in Gibbons' campaign financials for the 2006 Gube run. Either I'm losing my eyesight from looking at the damn things too long, or maybe James knows a loser when he sees one.

You know, if the Nevada SoS ain't gonna set up that searchable database for campaign contributions, then the legislature should at least require candidates to alphabetize the things by contributor name.

Also in Gib-news: John Drew's leaving the Nevada Department of Public Endangerment. Drew was in charge of the vault in Fallon from which guns and drugs mysteriously disappeared. (Sun) He was also in charge in the investigation into Mini-me Krolicki's fumbling of the books back when Mini-me was state treasurer.

Somehow, you'd probably expect some arrests coming out of all this, wouldn't you? How is it that I have this feeling that there won't be any?

Finally, do you think Beers is relieved that Titus will be too busy running for Congress to help remove his butt from the state senate? (RJ) And have you contributed yet? To Titus, I mean.

Hey Kids! Do not, I repeat, NOT type in "Dawn Gibbons" on Google Images.

Jimbo Walked Out On Her

No, the first co-conspirator is not the heavy in the Payton Place marital meltdown up in the Carson City Gube manse, insists sobbing co-conspirator to local cat-lover. (RJ) No, Jimbo walked out on her, we are told, leaving her to, pardon the expression, man the emergency phones and whatever Governors have instead of the POTUS's nuclear football.

In Nevada's case, the equivalent probably consists of a cell-phone with the Department of Public Endangerment on speed dial, with instructions not to call after 5pm. And that cell is probably code named the "ping-pong ball".

Just guessing, mind you.

All well and good, but it's just a tad of a stretch to believe that the first co-conspirator, the real political mastermind of the family, and someone who has learned how to make a buck or two off the family's political connections, is all that weepy about seeing the Gube stomp out. (VGO,Sun,Sun,Sun) After the Mazzeo affair, one suspects that the Gibbonses have the same sort of marriage the Clintons do. Each puts up with the putrid partner to get elected and stay in the game.

We also learn today that you don't want to be the widow of a guy who got lost in the Nevada outback. The Governor is going to slap Bill Fossett's widow with the bill for the search for the missing millionaire. (RJ) Now, I'm of two minds on this one. Granted the Fossett estate could probably pay the money without even noticing it was gone. On the other hand, it seems like part of government's job to rescue folk from danger, at least within reason.

Nonetheless, the political fallout of a headline about billing widows can't be good for the Gube, especially when it resulted in the RJ pushing the reprint of the Gube's breathless announcement of his four hundredth commission called SAGE: Nevada Slushfund And Graft Expansion commission. (RJ) Actually the acronym should be NSAGE, but I suppose that sounds more like Japanese porn than anything else.

Ha, look at that! I wrote "political fallout" about a Gibbons' gaffe. Now, that's funny.

Hey Kids! Don't ever do this.

Pre-Announcement Gubelets

As we all wait for Titus to announce her successful campaign against Pooter, wherein she removes at least one worthless backbencher from Nevada's political desert, who really cares what the Goobernaut's up to, anyways?

We do!

• Terri Terry Lanni, a casino executive who has so much faith in Nevada's education system that he keeps his kids out of state, doesn't think the Gube is doing such a bad job after all, despite that no taxes pledge thing. (Flash,VTS) Now, can anyone come up with any other Gube policy besides that one? So, if you disagree with the Gube's one and only policy,what could you possibly agree with? The groping? The graft?
• Gube wants us to put together an emergency kit. (Sun,RJ) I want one with an emergency ejector button--for the chair behind that fancy desk at the Gube mansion. Oh, wait. He's not there, is he? Drat.
• Titus' run against Pooter will at least serve to remind us that Gibbons lied when he accused Titus of wanting to hand out drivers' licenses to illegals. (Sun) You know, when Pooter starts lying about it.
• With any luck, Lt. Gube Brian Krolicki will be behind bars by the time Gibbons is impeached. Or recalled. You pick. (Sun) Trivia question: will Nevada be the first State to have simultaneous FBI investigations of it's Guber and his Mini-me?
• Kickheifer renews the tried and not so true method of covering up the Governor's weekly gaffes with a pile of press releases. (Gube) Buried in today's avalanche, there is news that bazillionaire Bruce James, who until recently held a rather meaningless bureaucratic, yet no doubt well-paid, position in the Bush administration, will be in charge of an efficiency commission aimed at finding the fat in Nevada's shriveling budget. (Gube) James ran and lost against John Ensign when Ensign ran against Reid, in case you're keeping score. (WaPo,Sun) No doubt the first finding of the commission will be to conclude that the Governor's tendency to create commissions is a tremendous waste of time and money and thus will recommend his immediate removal.
• Strange bedfellows.

Beers Makes the Wonkette, But Not in A Nice Way

Bob Beers has finally made it into a big blog, over on Wonkette in the post Wacky Paultards Ruin Nevada GOP Convention:

Convention chairman Bob Beers shut down the whole event, claiming the Peppermill Casino was going to kick them out for continuing beyond 5 p.m., which was a total lie, so the Paultards tried to kill him, and he barely escaped with his life!

Really, sort of! They surrounded him, screaming and yelling stuff like, "You're finished, Beers!" and, possibly, "It's curtains for you, Beers, curtains!" At one point, according to the Nevada Appeal, they threatened his life.

Security guards hustled Beers away from the furious Paultards as the state party chairlady, Sue Lowden, escaped through a "rear entrance."

And there's even more at the Mush.

Nevada Governor Breaking the Law...Again

Probably, maybe.

No, he's not taking bribes for black budget giveways, again, or hiding illegals in the cellar, again, or smacking around waitresses in a drunken stupor, again.

This time he could be in violation of one Nevada State Law:

Gov. Jim Gibbons' move from the Governor's Mansion while he and his wife sort out marital problems has raised questions about his compliance with an old state law mandating that he "reside at" Carson City.

The 1866 law says a governor must "keep his office and reside at the seat of government." It once applied to most constitutional officers but over the years they've all been exempted from the requirement by the Legislature.

Wait! Call in an egghead to tell us what "reside at" means!

Douglas Kmiec, a legal scholar at Pepperdine University, said the "reside at" wording in Nevada law suggests "a more demanding requirement than the general standard for residency" since the same wording has been erased for several other state elected officials. (AP)

And then he goes into qualifications and weasel words. Forget that! Clap him in irons, Maties! Make 'im walk the plank!

Now Renoids Can Rest Easier...

Cuz Nevada's Chief Scientist will be addressing the northern earthquakes tomorrow. (Gube) He'll probably blame the "earthquake swarm" on creeping islamofacist vulcanism. (LVG) Live long and prosper, infidels!