See what I mean about how The Gibber governs best when governs least? Not only is he uttering an empty call to employ all available resources (emphasis mine) in the current hepatitis/HIV scare, it turns out he may have unwittingly -- some would say "half-wittingly" -- made matters worse by keeping the Bureau of Licensure & Certification deliberately understaffed. And with that bureau, like all other state agencies, having to prune its budget to comply with Gibbons' mindless, spineless, simplistic mandate for 4.5% budget reductions across the board, it doesn't look as though the situation is bound to improve anytime soon.

By the way, Gov. Gibbons, shouldn't state-funded programs for treating pathological gamblers be exempted from your "off with their heads" budgetary edict? Since the money provided is entirely derived from slot fees (which are subject to fluctuations in slot capacity but not in revenue) remain solely dedicated to the purpose dictated by the 2005 Lege and not be raided to cover a shortfall in revenue projections? And if that's what is happening, what's to prevent the fund from being siphoned for other purposes, too. After all, Nevada politicians had to be dragged kicking and screaming into recognizing problem gambling as a public policy issue in the first place.

It's over for New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Already on track to be a one-term governor, today's bombshell makes you wonder if he'll even be able to finish his term. Which is tragic, because Spitzer was a great public servant as NY's attorney general and as a D.A. Unfortunately, he's evidently been undone by intrinsic character flaws, in classic Greek tragedy fashion. Expect a massive, Schadenfreude pile-on.

But then I thought it was curtains for Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) a while back. Wrong again.

Profiles in Cowardice, Chapter II: The Gibber, emerging from his new bachelor pad in Reno, played to a packed house over the weekend and uttered what must be one of the most invertebrate endorsements ever:

"[McCain] is the most qualified individual that I can support based on his military background, his leadership ability, his understanding of the United States and most importantly, he's a Westerner."

Geez, what a mix of shilly-shallying and classic Gibbonsian hoof-in-mouth syndrome. The fact that McCain is "a Westerner" is more important than leadership ability and an understanding of the U.S.? I hope that was a joke. If so, it's right up there with Gibbons' infamously insensitive jape about the Monte Carlo fire. ("I couldn't find my bucket.")

I'll skate past the xenophobic gibes of Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and just note the patronizing tone adopted by state GOP chairwoman Sue Lowden, addressing Ron Paul supporters: "I welcome you to join our Republican party ..." (emphasis added).

What, is there another Republican Party we didn't know about? By supporting Ron Paul, were these voters somehow excommunicated? I didn't know political parties belonged to anybody, let alone Sue Lowden. Whatever happened to "the Big Tent"?

P.S.: The Nevada Democratic "It's All Good" Party has been doing such a good job of self-destructing this year, surely it doesn't need me to give it an extra kick in the shins right now, no matter how well deserved. But I'm serenely confident that the opportunity will arise again, and soon.