Elizabeth Crum

In a political move obviously intended to win support from — and undermine Mitt Romney with — Nevada Mormons, the Ron Paul campaign today released testimonials for his candidacy from Nevada members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

Here is the press release in its entirety:

HENDERSON, Nevada – The Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign announced today new members of its “LDS for Ron Paul” nationwide coalition.  The Latter-Day Saints Church members and member families joining the coalition hail from Clark and Washoe counties, both Nevada.

“It’s such a rare thing to find a politician that respects, and supports, our values.  How lucky we are to have a presidential candidate, Ron Paul, with a congressional record of supporting our faith’s understanding of the proper role of government,” said David Loyd Isbell of Las Vegas.

Mr. Isbell is a former Political Director of the Clark County Republican Party.

“We support Ron Paul because he is the only candidate we trust to defend our liberties.  He is a true believer in the U.S. Constitution and limited sovereign government.  We support Ron Paul because he knows that you cannot pick and choose freedom,” wrote Adam and Jorja Leavitt of North Las Vegas.

“Ron is a man of conviction and principle.  He is a man who has followed the Constitution, even if he stands alone.  I am happy to stand and support Ron Paul, as he not only talks about freedom, his actions and life have shown he truly believes in the principles of liberty and freedom.  His principled life is something we all should emulate,” said Jeff Gleason of Henderson.

“My primary consideration in electing any individual to public office rests on their belief in and adherence to the constitutional principles the founding fathers established 236 years ago.  During the last 35 years Ron Paul has proven that he believes in the inalienable rights of the men and women of our country.  His voting record proves that he’s a man of integrity and that he’ll stand for those rights – even when his fellow ‘conservatives’ are voting to the contrary.  I want my children to live in a free country.  I want them to be prosperous and help others because they choose to help others, not because they’re forced to do so.  Ron Paul has my vote because he is the only candidate that truly believes in my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Dustin Olenslager of Las Vegas.

“The direction given in the Doctrine and Covenants, and the fervent pleas and warnings of President Benson and other prophets, have made it clear – there’s no question – we are to support the candidate who defends the Constitution.  The other candidates are what would be called in the business world, ‘company men’ who support those laws and institutions that have sidestepped the Constitution, minimized our God-given rights, and legalized criminal acts such as the looting of our treasury.  Brother Romney voted for the bailouts and supports the corrupt Federal Reserve,” said Chloie Leavitt of Overton.

“As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we support Ron Paul because he completely and unequivocally supports, follows, and votes in favor of the Constitution.  Thus, he follows the admonitions found in the Doctrine and Covenants regarding the sacredness of this Divinely-inspired document.  Ron Paul is consistent in his voting record in favor of the Right to Life and has never changed his position regarding this fundamental principle,” said Terry and Raina Stump of Overton.

“The consistency which Ron Paul has shown through his voting record while in Congress is a concrete, documented proof revealing his character, which is true and genuine and has not been swayed by any outside political, religious, or financial agenda.  Ron Paul, like many great leaders of the past, emulates Judeo-Christian values, blending these beliefs with the principles of freedom and thus raising the level of public and private virtue.  It is not the religion that makes a man great, but the way in which the man carries forth his religion with truth and justice in his private and public life that makes him great,” added the Stump couple.

“As a husband and a father, my personal relationship to Christ and His Gospel has led me to care deeply for civic duty.  The standard that Constitutional government is a divine gift to be protected has become a crystal clear motivating force for my full support of Ron Paul for President.  As I have spent long hours examining key political issues espoused in my faith, I discovered that adhering to the guiding principles I have been taught since my youth is far more important than getting caught up in fanfare or personality.  Ron Paul and no other will restore the freedoms for our families that our Creator gave us,” said Jesse Law of Las Vegas.

“I support Ron Paul because he is the only candidate advocating for the principle of Agency – a principle that we as LDS hold near and dear to our hearts.  He has also shown tremendous integrity for 12 congressional terms in understanding and following the tenets of the Constitution – another principle we LDS are taught to revere.  Lastly, as if channeling President Ezra Taft Benson, Ron Paul has promoted and taught that the proper role of government is to protect our liberties, not rule by force and fear,” said Heidi Woodbury Kiene of Reno.

As a first basic step, those wanting to join the active “LDS for Ron Paul” nationwide coalition should visit the official page by clicking here.  Those residing in Nevada should email Meghann Walker, the Nevada Voter Outreach Director, at meghannw@ronpaul2012.com.

Five charts.

All righty, then.

I’ll believe it when all the Republican candidates leave the campaign trail in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida and start flocking here to woo Nevada voters.

Or when national political analysts start mentioning us in their early state size-ups.

Or when one plus one plus one equals five.

Hey, it’s possible we’ll matter when Feb. 4 arrives, but that is by no means guaranteed.

Today I polled some Nevada political wags for their reactions to the claim that 5th is really better than 3rd. Strangely, none of them agreed.

Tonight on Face to Face, state GOP chairwoman Amy Tarkanian reminded us that she pushed for and preferred the Jan. 14 date but was overruled by the executive board and the central committee. (She did not mention that she also lost the same-day registration battle, which I am sure must have pained her almost as much.)

After experiencing all the joys of her chairmanship, it is probably safe to say that stepping down (if her hubby runs for Congress as expected) won’t exactly break Mrs. Tark’s heart.

Got an email from an old friend who found me not here.

Should’ve posted a “Gone Fishin’” sign (and have done so now).

I’ll be back someday (when the time is right), but in the meantime here is where to find me these days:

– Editing and managing the Nevada News Bureau

– Blogging on The Blog there (now branded E!!Politics)

– Doing political analysis & commentary wherever I’m hired or invited

Also:  Follow me on Twitter @elizcrum

Just ran across this old gem from The Gipper:

No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size.  Government programs, once launched, never disappear.  Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.

American Thinker has the scoop via a WSJ article.  Orlando is #2 on the chopping block.  Both cities are apparently too lavish, too resort-y, too fun.  Gotta think about perceptions, dontcha know.

Unfortunately for Nevada, we are largely a travel-dependent state.  We have thousands of hotel rooms and millions of square feet of hotel and conference space built for the express purpose of enticing people here.  (And for that reason, we often have some of the best travel deals.)

Someone ought to research the cost of conference bookings in other cities and see if they turned out to be more or less expensive than holding a comparable conference in Las Vegas.  In other words, are the feds spending more money than needed just to avoid the “stigma” of coming to Las Vegas?

And how about discouraging federal agencies from booking conferences altogether, anywhere?  In this day and age, why can’t our federal employees do a little more tele-conferencing, web-casting, Skyping, emailing, and so on, to get the job done?

Sometimes it’s necessary, or at least highly beneficial, to bring everyone together in a room “live.”  Sometimes it’s not.

A gold star for senator Mitch McConnell for these statements.  He provides an honest history of the nomination process since the 70s, examines past and present objections to Supreme Court nominees based on ”fitness” and ideology, and then takes a stand on Sotomayor.  I think he gets it right.

Though, as we all know, she will be confirmed anyway.