I have to keep this short and I am going to be away from the computer for a few hours, but former Republican National Committee Chairman Frank Fahrenkopf has endorsed Harry Reid for Senate.
Fahrenkopf, who was GOP chair back during Reagan's presidency and is now president of the casino industry's lobbying organization, the American Gaming Association, seems to be making this decision based largely on the fact that Sharron Angle is accepting money from Gary Bauer's anti-gambling Campaign for Working Families:
"It's disturbing that she (Angle) is taking money from people who oppose gambling," Fahrenkopf told The Associated Press. "She may not even know it, but Gary Bauer has been a longtime, outspoken opponent of legalized gambling. I did a double-take when I read she was receiving assistance from someone who has opposed Nevada's chief industry for so long."
Which, however you feel about gambling makes sense. Also:
Fahrenkopf said Nevadans need Reid's power to protect an industry that has been hard bit by the recession and likely will be tapped as a revenue source to deal with the budget deficit. Reid is the most knowledgeable member of Congress about gambling issues, Fahrenkopf said, and has the ability to control what bills reach the floor for votes as Senate majority leader.
Fahrenkopf isn't the only gambling exec opposed to Angle. So is MGM Resorts president (and Republican) Jim Murren:
"For a small state like Nevada to have the most powerful person in the Senate is not something we should be willing to let go," he said in a statement. "Simply put: Harry Reid is a better choice for Nevada's future. He has far more experience and can wield far more authority and influence on our behalf than any freshman senator."
Granted all of this has to do with the gambling corporations wanting the protect their own, but one cannot make too much hay out of a former RNC Chair, and one chosen by the Blessed St. Ronnie at that, being opposed to the GOP candidate in Nevada.