Cheney plans Las Vegas visit

LAS VEGAS - Not to be outdone by his Democratic counterpart, Republican vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney will return to Las Vegas Monday, more evidence that Nevada remains a toss-up in the general election.

The competition for Nevada's four electoral votes shows just how close the race is judged to be nationwide, when even four electoral votes could decide the winner.

Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential candidate and a Connecticut senator, and his wife, Hadassah, will spend Sunday morning visiting two black Baptist churches in west Las Vegas.

Cheney will thank several hundred GOP volunteers at an appreciation breakfast Monday.

The latest poll by the Review-Journal and lasvegas.com showed Bush-Cheney leading Gore-Lieberman 47-43 in Nevada. With a 4 percentage point margin of error, it's a statistical dead heat.

UNLV political science professor Ted Jelen predicted Lieberman's visit will do more for the Democratic ticket than Cheney's visit will do for the Republicans.

''Lieberman is preaching to a constituency that might make a difference. Cheney is coming here to preach to the choir - Republican volunteers,'' Jelen said.

Taking issue with the professor was Ryan Erwin, executive director of the Nevada Republican Party. ''The bottom line is getting your choir to the polls. This is a smart move. These are the people who are going to deliver the voters on Election Day,'' he said.

''This literally sprung up from out of nowhere,'' said Mary Perren, spokeswoman for Gore-Lieberman in Nevada. ''We want to mobilize voters on Election Day because voter turnout is the key.''

She said minority voters are a key Democratic constituency, and the two large churches, between them, could hold as many at 3,000 people.

''This may be the final push some of these people need to take five minutes and vote on Tuesday,'' Perren said. ''It's really exciting when four electoral votes could tip an election one way or another. It's amazing the states that have become competitive in a race this close.''

While local activists on both sides were excited about the visits, Jelen had a more cynical view. ''It means neither side has a strategy for winning. It means everything's up for grabs.''

Cheney and Lieberman both have been to Las Vegas once before, Cheney Oct. 10 and Lieberman Oct. 26, shortly after his wife's Oct. 17 visit. Cheney also visited Reno.

Gore has made it to Las Vegas twice this season, in October 1999 and Sept. 18. Bush hasn't made it to town, but visited Lake Tahoe in June.