Dems say Gibbons trying to ‘wag the dog’ with special session

LAS VEGAS - While some are reluctant to characterize Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons' motives behind calling a special session of the Nevada legislature Friday, some Democratic legislators believe Gibbons is only calling it to distract media attention from bad publicity surrounding his divorce.

Gibbons' divorce from first lady Dawn Gibbons has made national press recently with stories of an alleged mistress and Gibbons' text messages to her filling headlines.  Gibbons apologized Wednesday for using a state-owned cell phone to send more than 860 text messages in one month last year to the alleged mistress.

"It's apparent that the governor wants to change the message away from his text-messaging, because this idea makes no sense," Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley told the Associated Press Friday.

"It certainly reminds me of that movie ‘Wag the Dog,'" said Assemblyman David Bobzien (D-Reno), referring to a 1997 film where government employees fabricate a war to distract from a presidential sex scandal.  "I see this special call as a diversion from issues that the governor is dealing with personally."