SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL 10/15/2014

THE BILBRAY FILES

Gotta love this closing line from yet another fundraising pitch on Saturday from Democrat congressional candidate Erin Bilbray-without-the-Kohn…

“Let’s change the world!” 

Yeah, right.  This campaign has been so inept they can’t even change a lightbulb!

And then there was this one yesterday from “Bilbray HQ” (apparently everyone’s embarrassed to put their real name on emails from the campaign now)…

“Early vote is just days away and tomorrow we have our final FEC filing deadline.  All eyes are on this race,” the Unknown Staffer intoned. “Our opponent, pundits, and deep pocket special interest will be scouring this report to see if we have what it takes to win in November.”

Um, no they won’t.  That determination has already been made.  Long ago.  In fact, guess who made Emily Kahn’s list of “The 9 Biggest Candidate Flameouts” which was published in Roll Call, the newspaper of record on Capitol Hill, on Tuesday?

“Meet the cycle’s biggest candidate disappointments. They are the congressional hopefuls who just didn’t live up to their hype. Once touted as top recruits, these House and Senate candidates are headed for defeat on Election Day in all likelihood. … Whatever the reason, don’t expect to see these faces when the 114th Congress is sworn into office next year.”

Leading the list: Erin Bilbray-without-the-Kohn, Democrat, Nevada’s 3rd District!

President Barack Obama narrowly won GOP Rep. Joe Heck’s district last cycle, making him a top target for Democrats in 2014. At the start of the cycle, Democrats touted Bilbray, a Democratic National Committeewoman from Nevada and the daughter of a former congressman, as a candidate who could oust Heck.

But Bilbray’s bid went almost nowhere this cycle.

When the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced its planned spending for the midterms earlier this year, this district was noticeably absent from the list. And as the committee shifts resources to play defense on the map this month, it’s unlikely that will change before Election Day.

Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call Rating: Favored Republican

Ouch.  That’s gonna leave a mark.

DRIVE-BY MUTHINGS

--> How low can they go?  This just in from Aaron Blake of the Washington Post…

“The Democratic Party is held in worse regard than at any point in the past 30 years, according to a new poll.  The poll, from the Washington Post and ABC News, shows 39 percent of Americans now have a favorable impression of the blue team, while 51 percent have an unfavorable impression. Both are new records.”

Republicans aren’t any better.  However, Democrats are the party of “Here, have some free ice cream!” while Republicans are the party of “Take your medicine and eat your broccoli.” 

Only Republicans could blow the electoral opportunity being handed to them on a silver platter this year.  Will they?

--> Obama has assured the nation that he has this whole Ebola thing under control. 

And yet on Monday we learned that “A Texas health care worker who was in full protective gear when they provided hospital care for an Ebola patient who later died has tested positive for the virus.”  And on Wednesday we learned that a SECOND Texas health care worker at the same hospital has now been diagnosed with the disease.

But at least if you like your health care plan you can keep it.

--> Just when it appeared the Adam Laxalt for Attorney General campaign might be making some real headway, the conservative editorial page of the Las Vegas Review-Journal endorsed his Democrat opponent, Ross Miller. 

Talk about getting Rochambeaued!

REMINDER: VOTE TODAY IN $100,000 TEACHER CHALLENGE

Remember, you can (and should, please) vote every day for Brenda Moynihan in her effort to secure a $100,000 grant for C.T. Sewell Elementary School in Henderson.

CLICK HERE to vote.  And remember, you can vote every day until the deadline on November 30^th.  You know, just like in Chicago elections!

RUN BEN RUN

Just an FYI, I’m now a Director for the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee.  The goal is to get 1 million Americans to sign an online petition urging Dr. Carson – made famous by eviscerating ObamaCare at a breakfast meeting with President Obama sitting right next to the podium! – to run for the Republican nomination in 2016.  You can sign the petition by clicking here.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“The real losers are the voters who won’t get a chance to hear directly from the people who claim to want to represent them. Those voters need to carefully consider whether anybody — regardless of the office or the political party — who won’t debate is worthy of a vote." – Columnist Steve Sebelius on the decision by GOP state senate candidates Michael Roberson, Becky Harris and Patricia Farley not to debate their opponents in the general election