After the November elections, a Republican member of the Nevada Legislature urged the GOP caucus to unite in opposing Democrat Assemblyman John Oceguera as Speaker for the upcoming legislative session because of all the financial shenanigans he was involved with during the last campaign. Alas, the suggestion was shot down by spines-of-jelly colleagues who were afraid of making the Speaker mad and incurring his wrath.
One of the few Republicans who isn’t afraid of Oceguera and has been willing to get in his face on issues – including criticizing Johnny O’s new $60,000 Legislative Fitness Club, Gym & Conference Center – is Assemblyman Ed Goedhart. In retaliation, Goedhart learned this week that he was the only incumbent legislator whose office assignment has been changed for the upcoming session other than leaders who moved into larger offices.
In fact, in an apparent symbolic slap across the face, Goedhart was moved to a smaller office with a lousy view of the Legislature’s roof formerly assigned to another “trouble-maker,” ex-Assemblyman Ty Cobb, who infamously refused to vote for Democrat Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley for Speaker in the 2007 and 2009 sessions.
But rather than cower at this petty show of vindictiveness, Goedhart is defiant and standing his ground.
“I don’t care if Speaker Oceguera moves me to a broom closet or banishes me to a pup tent in the parking garage,” he told me. “I will continue to fight for the taxpayers of Nevada and the conservative philosophy of a strictly limited government. The Speaker can play these silly little games all he wants. I don’t care. No matter what he does, I’m not going away and I’m not backing down. I’m not here to make him happy; I’m here to represent my constituents.”
If only we could bottle whatever it is Goedhart’s been drinking and hand it out to his GOP colleagues!
