SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL 12/02/2014

“THE APPEASER” OFFERS ADVICE TO ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS Assemblyman Pat “The Appeaser” Hickey’s short-lived tenure as leader of the Republican Assembly Caucus was so bad, so timid, so moderate, so blah, that after Republicans won the majority in the Assembly last month their first order of business was to throw his lame go-along-to-get-along political carcass overboard. But no human is completely without value.  Indeed, some people serve mankind quite well as bad examples.  Such is the case with the totally self-serving “Advice to Assembly Republicans” – “especially the freshmen” – column that Hickey emailed out yesterday morning.  His advice includes… Don’t rock the boat with “your righteous rancor.”  Meaning don’t fight for your conservative principles in the court of public opinion.  Sit in the corner and keep your mouth shut and let the old bull moderates water down the agenda and talk to the media with mouths full of mush. “Don’t overreach.” Don’t try to enact “too extreme a program.”  In other words, pursue an agenda of pale pastels, not a Reaganesque agenda of bold colors.  Don’t try to score.  Just be happy if the other team doesn’t score. Don’t defy the mushy-moderates in the caucus, but rather “work together” like “a pride of lions” - even though when Hickey & The Moderates were in charge of the caucus they barely gave their conservative colleagues the time of day, let alone any authority or responsible leadership positions. But this last one busted the Absurdity Meter: “Dance with the one who brung ya.”  In this little piece of advice Hickey ridiculously maintains that the Republican “red wave” in Nevada was in part “because of the wake created by Brian Sandoval's reelection campaign.” Oh, PUH-LEASE.  As one activist who received Hickey’s “Pride of Lions” drivel put it to me, “That’s like saying the Germans were responsible for the success of D-Day!” Hickey proceeded to claim that Sandoval - who didn't run on a platform of any kind in his re-election campaign - has a “mandate” from the people and, therefore, Assembly Republicans should essentially just accept the governor’s coming Mother of All Tax Hikes: The Sequel. Indeed, Hickey went on to lecture his colleagues not to “behave like squabbling children fighting over the spoils of victory” and instead follow Sandoval’s lead because, “After all, he’s ‘the one that brung ya.’” No he didn’t.  Sandoval, at best, allowed some of the freshmen Assembly members to use a watered-down, template endorsement quote and a photo with him for their campaign literature.  And that was it.  He didn’t campaign with them.  He didn’t campaign for them.  He didn’t raise money for them.  He didn’t appear at their fundraising events.  He never even asked the electorate to give him a Republican majority in the Assembly to work with. Most Assembly Republicans, “especially the freshmen,” don’t owe the governor jack. Hickey concluded with this summation advice: “Be humble. Don't overreach. Cooperate.” Wasn’t that the same advice Neville Chamberlain gave to the British about dealing with the Nazis? SAY ADIOS TO DEFROCKED TV PUNDIT After losing his gig as a genuine, bona fide newspaper columnist a couple years back, Jon Ralston’s Twitter profile was reduced to: “I'm a NV political journalist w/a TV program, email newsletter and web site.” First, “journalist” should always be put in quotes when associated with Ralston.  He’s a political activist, not a journalist.  Has been for a long time. Secondly, he no longer has a TV program.  From today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal… “Las Vegas political pundit Jon Ralston’s nightly television talk show will sign off for good on Dec. 12. … Ralston, known in Nevada political circles as a deeply sourced commentator, said in an interview that he will keep other parts of his work going after he loses the bully pulpit afforded by KSNV-TV, Channel 3.  ‘I’m still going to be around,’ Ralston said. ‘I still have a website and an email newsletter I’m doing.’ “His website, ralstonreports.com, offers a daily mix of tidbits about Nevada’s political scene, often delivered with acerbic personal attacks and name-calling, but sometimes injected with levity. He recently called the activist group Citizen Outreach ‘Citizen Outhouse clowns’ and called conservative Republican legislators a ‘gang of loons.’” Gotta love this: Ralston was quoted in the RJ story as saying, “I don’t think anybody knew outside the station this was happening.” Um, except for us “clowns” at “Citizen Outhouse.”  In fact, we predicted the end of Ralston Reports MONTHS ago when it was announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group, known for its conservative-leaning on-air editorials, had purchased KSNV.  If Ralston didn’t see this coming a mile away, then he was either blinded by his own egomania or was clinically delusional. RIP, Ralston Reports.  Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out.  Good luck with that blog thing.  FAMOUS LAST WORDS "Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston has used his television show and blog to slam Republican attorney general candidate Adam Laxalt.  It’s possible the heat in Ralston’s anti-Laxalt reporting is generated by Ralston’s undisclosed personal and professional relationship with former Gov. Bob Miller, father of Laxalt’s opponent, Democrat Ross Miller. … As one of Nevada’s most influential political reporters, Ralston’s coverage of political campaigns has the potential to significantly influence their outcome. The question is whether his integrity can survive his multiple failures to disclose his relationship to a candidate he has done nothing but cheerlead.” – Ciara Matthews, NevadaWatchdog.org, 10/23/14 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Silver State Confidential is an email newsletter on Nevada politics, public policy and current events published (usually) daily by Chuck Muth, Nevada's #1 Renegade Conservative and the man voted "Most Likely to Irritate Liberals!"  Click on the link below for subscription information…