Nevada GOP dismisses Paul complaint

Michael Levenson
Boston Globe
Saturday January 19, 2008

LAS VEGAS -- Ron Paul, other than Mitt Romney the only Republican actively campaigning for Saturday's Republican caucuses in Nevada, called this afternoon for the state party to consider postponing the contest due to "multiple inconsistencies."

But the state Republican Party immediately dismissed the allegations and said the caucus would go on as planned.

"We would hope that the Paul campaign would go act like adults and not try to set up straw men to make up for their lack of organizing," said Steve Wark, a caucus spokesman.

The Paul campaign complained that voters have received postcards with incorrect caucus locations, that eligibility requirements to participate have been changed several times, and that several rural counties could run out of ballots.

"The inconsistencies, errors and multiple changes in the rules reek of playing politics with the what should be a neutral process," said campaign manager Lew Moore said in a statement. "The people of Nevada deserve to know exactly what the rules are and to know that those rules are being fairly enforced. This has not happened up to this point, and the caucus appears to be in chaos."

A Las Vegas Review-Journal survey published today showed Romney leading with 34 percent and Paul in fifth with 7 percent. John McCain had 19 percent, Mike Huckabee 13 percent, Fred Thompson 8 percent, and Rudy Giuliani 6 percent.