(How’s that for a headline?!)
This past Saturday I did a double take upon glimpsing a bright yellow billboard (on the corner of Ann and Durango) adorned with large radiation danger symbols and accusing Nevada State Senator Bob Beers of being “In Bed with the Southern Nevada Porn King,” a quote the billboard attributed to the LV Mercury. I was so doubtful about the billboard’s credibility and so curious to find out the “real story,” I spent this morning doing some digging.
FACT #1: The Bob Beers campaign team did accept a $10,000 contribution from one Raymond Pistol, owner of one of Las Vegas’ many topless bars, in Beers’ 2006 run for governor. He returned half the contribution after losing in the primary. According to Beers, “Suggesting that campaign contributions from a legal business (licensed by elected officials of both parties) come with “obligations” is an erroneous conclusion at best.”
FACT #2: The Mercury, which is no longer in print, never linked Bob Beers and Raymond Pistol in any way, shape, or form. So says Geoff Schumacher, publisher of the alternative newsweekly Las Vegas CityLife and former editor of the Las Vegas Mercury, in his LVRJ piece yesterday.
Schumacher wrote (the following quotes are excerpts from his column), “I’m no fan of Beers’ conservative views, but as a journalist taught in the old school, I’m even less enamored of misleading and blatantly false campaign charges.
“I just so happen to have been the first and only editor of the Las Vegas Mercury during its existence from 2001 to 2005, and when I saw the billboard, I could not recall publishing an article describing Beers as being “in bed with the ‘Southern Nevada Porn King.’ “
“That’s because the Mercury never published such an article.
“On Dec. 18, 2003, the Mercury printed a cover story about Beers titled “The Obstructinator,” detailing his legislative efforts — he was an assemblyman then — to block an $836 million tax package. The article did not once mention Beers being in bed with any “Southern Nevada Porn King.”
“But fast forward to the May 6, 2004, issue of the Mercury, which contained an article headlined “X-Rated Exodus.” The article pondered whether adult movie companies would be moving their productions to Las Vegas in the wake of a self-imposed moratorium in Los Angeles after two performers tested positive for HIV.
“The reporter, Andrew Kiraly, interviewed Raymond Pistol, a local businessman who was involved in several facets of the adult entertainment industry, to get his thoughts on the issue. Kiraly casually described Pistol as the “Southern Nevada porn king.”
“There is no mention of Beers…
“In an interview last week, Beers described his gubernatorial bid as a “shoestring campaign” and acknowledged that neither he nor his campaign volunteers vetted the sources of contributions…
“The only entity claiming that Beers is “in bed with” Pistol is the Nevada Democratic Party, which paid for the billboard. The billboard refers viewers to a Web site, suggesting that more info is available there. It’s not. The party offers not a shred of evidence that Beers has done any favors for Pistol in return for his contribution.
“As a longtime member of the Nevada Democratic Party, I’m ashamed and angered that these dirty tricks are being deployed against Beers and, presumably, other Republicans. Beers, in particular, is a wide target. There are all kinds of things he can be criticized for, including his extreme fiscal conservatism and his penchant for self-styled statistics that often don’t jibe with the figures most other officials are looking at.
“Beating Beers is a priority for the Democrats, who badly want to gain a majority in the state Senate in November’s election. The Republicans hold 11 seats and the Democrats have 10.
“But nasty, misleading campaign tactics are beyond the pale. Beers should be beatable on the issues.”
FACT #3: That billboard is shameful and ought to be taken down.
