Taking a look at Gibbons during his first days

The ambient temperature at Jim Gibbons' outdoor gubernatorial inauguration earlier this week stood at 36 degrees but that was nothing compared to the chill created by outgoing Governor Kenny Guinn. He didn't show up.

He told the press that "the attention should be focused on the new governor" despite the fact that three former governors ...Bob List, Richard Bryan and Bob Miller ...accepted Gibbons' invitation to be present on the dais with him on his big day.

Three weeks ago the Bonanza published my evaluation of Guinn's eight year career as governor of Nevada in which I enumerated what I thought were his plusses and minuses.

His conduct towards Jim Gibbons would have to go down as a big minus. Republican Guinn never endorsed Republican Gibbons' candidacy even after he won the primary and faced a tough Democrat opponent and a late campaign smear attack.

Before Election Day he discussed a preliminary budget draft with Gibbons' opponent using the opportunity to publicly criticize Gibbons for not talking with him about the budget.

The feud is reported to stem from Gibbons' 2003 refusal to support Guinn's tax increase proposal, although as a congressman Gibbons didn't even get to vote on it.

Other than that the inaugural was pleasant (if chilly). Gibbons' speech took just nine minutes.

Next day the Reno newspaper reported: "Gibbons embraces bipartisan harmony" while the Las Vegas newspaper reported that he "wants to put aside partisan differences and work with Democrats for the benefit of the state."

And indeed as if to punctuate that point he had two former Democrat governors by his side as well as incoming Assembly speaker Barbara Buckley (D Ð Las Vegas).

It won't happen! Bipartisanship is not a natural state in a representative democracy and never has been.

Even George Washington had detractors and by the time John Adams became our second President Thomas Jefferson was trying to cut him off at the knees so he could be our third president. Thereafter (as we sing in The First Noel): "and so it continued both day and night."

What I took away from Gibbons' speech was two great quotes from Ronald Reagan.

That's the emphasis I predict we will see from a man who holds a ninety percent rating from the American Conservative Union.

US Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D Ð CA) has already abandoned her promised bipartisanship and is sticking it to Republicans.

When the Nevada Legislature convenes in February as soon as the first gavel falls bipartisanship will be a distant memory.

Here's why. As speaker Barbara Buckley will absolutely rule the Assembly. We know that from her actions as majority leader and now she will run the whole show.

Barbara Buckley got 4,099 votes last election compared to her GOP opponent's 1,916.

That means Barbara Buckley represents 4,099 Nevadans, the ones she relies on to reelect her in 2008. Her constituents want all day kindergarten so that's what Barbara Buckley wants. It's her first priority.

Some 299,122 Nevadans voted for Jim Gibbons or the even more conservative American Independent candidate while 255,684 voted for Democrat Dina Titus. That means Jim Gibbons represents 299,122 Nevadans who do not want taxes raised to pay for all day kindergarten.

Do the math for all the legislators and all the issues facing Nevada and it's clear that the Capitol is no place for Zen Buddhists.

Churchill described democracy as "the worst form of government ... except all others."

If you want peace and serenity in the political process bring back Henry VIII. Just don't criticize or complain out loud.



(Jim Clark is President of Republican Advocates, a vice chair of the Washoe County GOP and a member of the Nevada GOP Central Committee)