Titus: Public ‘not fooled’ by Porter’s newfound moderation

Dina Titus files for the 3rd congressional district. Behind Titus from left are state Sen. Bob Coffin, Tom Wright, and state Sen. Valerie Wiener: Politicker PhotoLAS VEGAS -- Former Nevada Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus filed to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Jon Porter this morning in Congressional District 3. Speaking to reporters afterward, Titus did not pull her punches on Porter and seemed eager to take him on in the general election.

"This race is not going to be personal," said Titus. "It's going to be about the record, and I believe that my record in Carson City shows that I'm a fighter for the people in this district. I've been representing them for twenty years and that record contrasts, I believe, with my opponent because he seems to have lost his way in Washington and forgotten about the people in District 3."

Titus, who led Democrats in the Nevada Senate for 15 years, announced that she would challenge Porter earlier this month, following the withdrawal of hand-picked Democratic candidate Robert Daskas. Although her late entry into the race puts her at a considerable financial disadvantage against the incumbent congressman, she was optimistic about her campaign.

"Something about it being late, even though that's a disadvantage in some ways, it's an advantage in other ways because people are really excited and it's not dragging out over two years," said Titus. "It's like you gotta hit the ground running and so I think you'll see the results of that."

Titus predicted a "respectable showing" with the in the current fundraising quarter, which ends Jul. 1.

"It's coming in because people are optimistic," said Titus. "They see this as a really doable thing here locally, and nationally this race seems to be all the buzz. So we're glad we've upped the hype on District 3."

Porter has lately moved toward the center, voting in the end for the State Children's Health Insurance Program after numerous votes against it and improving his environmental rating from 0 out of 100 two years ago to a 30 now, according to the League of Conservation Voters. Titus said these moves would not help him against her, however.

"The public's not fooled by that," said Titus. "His true colors were shown over his years of voting without question for the Bush agenda, supporting without question, without any kind of accountability, the war. Now suddenly, he's on board with Democratic programs. I think that's too little, too late. The public's not going to fall for that."

"I'm going to counter his one year of doing the right thing with my twenty years of fighting for the people of District 3."

Titus said she would continue working on the same issues in Washington as she has in Carson City, including dealing with the mortgage foreclosure crisis, covering uninsured Americans and expanding renewable energy. The difference, she said, is that she would deal with those issues on "a larger stage."

Unlike Daskas, who shied away from the term "universal health care," Titus said she would support either of the Democratic presidential candidates' bills to expand health care, although she did differentiate her stance from one for "socialized medicine."

"I think we need to move to universal health care and I've done that in the state legislature," said Titus. "It was my bill originally that set up the "Nevada Check Up" program to cover children. And so, whether it is the Obama approach or the Clinton approach, I think you have to come up with some way to cover people who are uninsured."

"I don't see this as socialized medicine. Those two programs don't say it is a government program. They still allow private companies to sell insurance, so that's not socialization, that's capitalism."

Although Titus supported N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton during the Nevada caucuses and has committed to casting her superdelegate vote for her, Titus said she would be "glad to support whichever Democratic nominee comes out of this race."

"And I'll be much happier to be on that side of the ticket than trying to defend time under the Bush administration, because those are policies that have failed this country, failed this state," said Titus.

Titus was joined at the Clark County Government Center this morning by her husband, UNLV history professor Tom Wright, and state Sens. Bob Coffin and Valerie Wiener. Coffin, who paid Titus' filing fee for her first race for state senate in 1988, paid it for her this morning as well, saying he wanted to be "her first contributor" again.