US Senate

The Senate Republican Conference released a video Monday questioning U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) and other congressional Democrats on their support for billionaire businessman T. Boone Pickens and his positions on energy.

Reid is co-hosting a major conference on renewable energy with Pickens this week in Las Vegas. Pickens, a politically active oil mogul, has advocated for developing renewable energy sources.

But, as the Republican video points out, he has also advocated for expanded off-shore domestic drilling -- a position Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have been slow to embrace.

The video calls on Democratic leadership in Congress to take up Pickens whole platform -- including drilling. It's posted below.

A two-day conference on creating clean energy technology -- co-hosted by U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) -- will bring prominent politicians from around the country to Las Vegas, beginning Monday.

The National Clean Energy Summit will feature presentations from former president Bill Clinton, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and billionaire political advocate T. Boone Pickens.

The summit, scheduled to be held at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, begins with a keynote speech from Clinton Monday afternoon and continues with a series of panels Tuesday.

Western governors, including Arizona's Janet Napolitano (D), Colorado's Bill Ritter (D) and Utah's Jon Huntsman (R), are on the list of panelists, as is state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Henderson), who is challenging for U.S. Rep. Jon Porter's (R-Henderson) seat in Congress.

Some people believe that the more prestigious timeslots for speaking at a national political convention come later in the week: the nominee addresses the convention on Thursday, and the keynote address is on Wednesday.  If that’s the case, then it’s good news for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The Nevada Senator will speak at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.  Four years ago, at the 2004 convention in Boston, Reid predecessor Tom Daschle spoke on Tuesday night.

Gov. Jim Gibbons (R-Sparks) makes it two weeks in a row on the Winners list, with former staffer Diane Cornwall making the Losers. Find out who else made this week's list... | CLICK HERE

American Future Fund, a conservative-leaning advocacy group, is targeting U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) for the second time in less than a month.

In a one-minute radio advertisement airing statewide in Nevada, the organization hammers Reid for his leadership on the issue of gas prices.

“How’s Harry Reid using his position as Majority Leader to help lower gas prices?” an announcer asks in the ad. “Reid and Congress just took a five week vacation -- instead of working to lower gas prices. Congress found time to pass National Apple Month, but Reid continues to block votes to explore for energy in America. America has huge energy reserves, but Congress has placed up to 85 percent of them off-limits. Reid repeatedly blocks efforts to lift the moratorium on safe exploration off our coasts. Reid opposes exploring a tiny portion of Alaska -- less land than the Las Vegas airport -- and he’s against developing our massive oil shale reserves. Call Harry Reid: 702-388-5020. Tell him his vacation should end and the Senate should vote on S. 3202.”

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Searchlight)U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) penned an opinion piece in Sunday's Las Vegas Sun, saying that expanded use of renewable energy sources was the nation's key to lower fuel prices and energy independence.

Reid, who will host the National Clean Energy Summit  in Las Vegas later this month, said that the Silver State is uniquely positioned to benefit from renewables.

An exerpt from the op-ed is posted below:

"Right here in Nevada, the solar projects awaiting Bureau of Land Management approval could power millions of American homes in the not too distant future. The total solar thermal energy potential in the desert Southwest is seven times the nation’s entire electricity demand — enough to consistently charge millions of plug-in hybrid cars and trucks. We also sit atop one of the largest supplies of geothermal energy in the world."

"This is an ambitious vision, but I believe by working together, we can accomplish these goals. Companies and venture capitalists are lining up to invest in renewable energy, but local, state and federal governments must do much more to ease the transition. Congress has been trying to pass long-term tax credits for renewable energy, but political opposition could delay billions of dollars in investment and shut out many economic opportunities and new green jobs important to Nevada."

U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, can't seem to catch a break. Lisa Mascaro at the Las Vegas Sun summarizes how bleak Republicans' chances for November appear.

Ensign now talks about holding the line so there will be at least 40 Republicans in the Senate, enough to form a fire wall against the usual 60-vote rule.

Sometimes, though, he doesn’t even say that, conceding only that seats will be lost.

Today Roll Call is reporting that Ensign is unwilling to endorse one of his own colleagues -- incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).

"I'm not going to make any comment," Ensign said. "There's a process in place and we're going to wait to see how that process plays out."

Asked specifically whether he still endorses Stevens, Ensign replied: "I've said exactly what I was going to say ... We'll wait to see how the process plays out. There's a primary."

Stevens was indicted yesterday on seven counts of making false statements regarding gifts he received relating to major renovations made to his home.

Since Nevada's first direct election of a U.S. Senator in 1908, there haven't been too many cases of incumbent senators losing a re-election bid in Nevada -- most resign in the middle of a term, retire or die while in office. But among those who have unseated an incumbent, many went on to lose a future re-election race themselves.

Charles B. Henderson (D) was elected in a special election in 1918, but lost to Tasker L. Oddie (R) in a three-way race in 1920 in which Independent candidate Anne Martin placed third with 18 percent of the vote. Oddie served two terms and was then defeated in 1932 by Patrick A. McCarran (D) by 52.1 to 47.9 percent.

A string of incumbent defeats began in 1958 when Howard W. Cannon (D) unseated U.S. Sen. George W. Malone (R). Cannon served four terms and then narrowly lost a re-election bid to Chic Hecht (R) in 1982 by 50.1 to 47.7 percent. After just one term in office, Richard Bryan (D) defeated Hecht in 1988 by 50 to 46 percent.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign: Getty Images PhotoU.S. Sen. John Ensign's decision to vote against a mortgage rescue bill during last Saturday's weekend session of Congress not only conflicted with a majority of the Senate, but nearly every major political figure in his home state.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) and Reps. Shelly Berkley (D-Las Vegas), Dean Heller (R-Carson City) and Jon Porter (R-Henderson) all voted in favor of the bill. Even Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons hopes that the bill will help his home state, according to the Las Vegas Sun.