Show me the money

The first real gauge of the 2008 presidential election in battleground state Nevada is clearly swinging toward the Republicans.

In the first fund-raising quarter of 2007, the three major GOP candidates plucked a cool million from Silver State donors, compared to $425,000 raised by the three major Democratic candidates.

And the Democratic total is deceiving, with Sen. Hillary Clinton raising $317,000 of the amount, according to candidate filings with the Federal Election Commission broken down to the Nevada level by the online database Political Moneyline.

A number of donors are playing Nevada's best game -- trying to back a winner, regardless of party affiliation.

If you look at how a man who made his initial money as a professional sports bettor is betting, oddsmakers might be wise to make several candidates even money in Nevada.

Bill Walters and his wife, Susan, have donated a total of $9,200 to both Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain. They ponied up only $4,600 to Rudy Giuliani, adding to the former New York City mayor's $526,000 total from Nevada.

Former Mandalay Bay executive Mike Sloan, now a consultant, is proving ever the egalitarian.

Sloan, who was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2004, has donated $2,300 to Clinton, Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama on the Democratic side. But he's also donated $2,300 to Giuliani, the closest thing the Republicans have to a Democrat.

MGM Mirage President Jim Murren donated $2,300 to McCain and $2,300 to Clinton on March 31, the last day of the fund-raising quarter. Obama got to him first, though, for $2,300 on March 6.

Mr. Murren's wife, Nevada Cancer Institute CEO Heather Murren, gave $4,600 to Giuliani on March 30 and another $2,300 to Clinton a day later.

Sig Rogich may have helped crown Jim Gibbons governor of Nevada, but he shows how his personal friendships remain regardless of party. Rogich and his wife have donated $4,600 to McCain and is heading up the Arizona senator's efforts here. But he also donated $2,300 to Democrat Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, boxing aficionado and personal friend of Rogich.

There is also a bit of intraparty spreading of wealth. GOP consultant Pete Ernaut donated $2,300 to both Giuliani and McCain.

Eddie Escobedo, publisher of El Mundo, donated $2,300 to Clinton and $500 to Richardson.

And while the Greenspun family and corporation -- owners of the Las Vegas Sun -- are clearly behind Clinton, Danny Greenspun and his wife, Robin, managed to throw a cool $9,200 to Obama. At least Danny joined his mother Barbara and his two siblings and in-laws in donating $32,200 to Clinton.

Mitt Romney has submitted one of the most impressive reports, raising just under $400,000 in Nevada, to add to his overall deep pockets. The report is a who's who of Latter-day Saints connections, from church to state.

LDS spokesman Ace Robison joined former Assemblyman David Brown, former County Commissioner Jay Bingham, 2006 secretary of state candidate Brian Scroggins, former Las Vegas City Manager Ashley Hall and Colorado River Commissioner Richard Bunker in donating to Romney.

Former Gov. Kenny Guinn also has ponied up $1,000 to Romney, with whom he worked when Romney was governor of Massachusetts. U.S. Printer Bruce James has donated $4,600 and former GOP Rep. Barbara Vucanovich has donated $2,300.

It's difficult to tell how the donations translate on the ground.

My informal LDS voter poll, and I mean informal, included asking my hairdresser and a neighbor about Romney. The neighbor nodded and said she was still hoping for someone more conservative. The hairdresser, after initially mistaking Romney for Don Imus, said she basically thought Romney was a nice guy.

She knew Clinton, though. Who doesn't?

Clinton's campaign has vowed to push back against the inevitable attacks on both her past actions and her husband's. But it's not as if her campaign needs any more reminders of Bill Clinton's way with women. Hillary Clinton will give opponents that fodder thanks to a $2,300 donation from Dolores Eliades, daughter of Olympic Garden owner Pete Eliades.

Edwards, who has the fewest donors among top tier candidates in Nevada, got some trial attorney money here and seems to have as much support up north as down south. Twenty-two of his donors are from northern Nevada. By comparison, 15 of Obama's 77 donors were from northern Nevada.

Richardson actually got more donors from northern Nevada (14), than from the south (11) during the first quarter of the year.

Clinton has proven the most adapt fund-raiser on a national level, and is reporting $30 million cash on hand. That will help in Iowa and New Hampshire and Nevada, where two of the three top Republican candidates raised more money.

Erin Neff's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at (702) 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.