Democratic stunt should ensure GOP convention comes here

American Bridge is burning one to Las Vegas.

And in its torching of the city, the Democratic outfit should have all but guaranteed Las Vegas gets the 2016 Republican National Convention. If national committee boss Reince Priebus and the site selectors back down in the face of this intimidation tactic, they will be showing fear and inviting loathing from Gondolier Numero Uno Sheldon Adelson.

This should be the end of any debate over where the convention should go. It’s Vegas, or the national Republican Party has no spine.

The story broke Friday, courtesy of Politico’s Mike Allen, who made it the lead item in his Playbook, read by many insiders. It’s a threat by American Bridgea Democratic research outfit, to follow around conventioneers if Vegas is chosen to videotape them in acts of debauchery, as if bars and strip clubs only existed in Sin City.

Per Allen’s source:: "American Bridge's plans would scatter trackers with video cameras from one end of the Strip to the other and would include a rapid response war room in the city to turn the footage into instant products -- even potentially television ads -- exposing whatever activities and hypocricies they catch on film. … American Bridge's efforts ... would be looking to capture everything from  the late night carousing of politicians to simply filming candidates who claim to be the bastion of family values entering and exiting bars and casinos."

Of course the Democrats will do this – i.e. send trackers -- in any city that wins the convention, but because Vegas is so iconic, American Bridge can single it out, including with a website“What happens in Vegas….will go right here,” the site admonishes.

This is a bridge to nowhere, folks. It’s a shameless attempt to dissuade the site-selection committee, which has narrowed the search to eight finalists and to frighten the little old ladies on the national committee who believe in God and might be disinclined to come to a place where the most powerful deity is called The House.

Maybe American Bridge doesn’t want the convention in a state that it has won two cycles in a row. Maybe American Bridge is hoping to engineer a Vegas snub, so an enraged Adelson will sit out the season. Or maybe American Bridge is just looking for attention.

No matter.

By singling out Vegas and sending what amounts to a declaration of war to the RNC, American Bridge has given the committee only two choices: Raise the white flag, or choose Vegas.

It’s binary, Mr. Priebus. Either tell the site-selection committee to go through the motions and then pick Las Vegas, or be known forever as the chairman who capitulated to Democratic thuggery.

Choose your legacy, sir.

The Democrats actually should want the convention to be here, in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s backyard, to unleash the best state party hit team in the country. Imagine the protests on the Strip that would provide a beautiful, irresistible backdrop for national journalists who usually would ignore such piffle. You think they would cover those if they were outside some Kansas City barbecue joint or that second-rate higher-ed institution in Columbus?

This isn’t just about whether the Republicans want to be on one of the most iconic boulevards in the world for their 2016 presidential cotillion or some Midwestern backwater. It’s about where the Democratic counterinsurgents want to be, too.

Does anyone actually think the American Bridge folks want to be tracking Republicans in Cincinnati? Seriously, is this a choice?

Las Vegas already is better qualified than any of the other cities to hold a convention. As the local host committee theme goes: It’s what we do.

So the only impediment is noise generated by the likes of American Bridge or the wailings of religious righties who are afraid Beelzebub will check them into their rooms. (Hey, we have a Mormon Temple here and tons of churches and a couple beautiful synagogues. God is here. Indeed, God wants you here, Republicans.)

If I didn’t know better, I’d think this is one of those illusions by the David Copperfield of Nevada Democrats, a k a Reid. I think Prince Harry wants the Republicans to come here during his re-election campaign, so he whispered to the American Bridge folks to seal the deal.

“I don't think it will really help the Republicans to do their convention In Nevada,” said one Democratic insider. “Let's put their anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-immigrant, anti-labor platform on display here. (Brian) Sandoval and every other Republican will be tied to it. Watch CPAC. Bring it.”

Thanks to American Bridge, the Republicans really have no choice.

 

 

 

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