Bernie Zadrowski

In the political equivalent of standing in the middle of the road and sticking up his middle finger at the Ron Paul Revolution, Clark County GOP Chairman Bernie Zadrowski has scheduled an "All American Barbecue" that conflicts with the Ron Paul-backed convention reschedule.

And it is not a typo: this is scheduled at the exact date, and the exact time as the Ron Paul Revolution convention.

Gov. Jim Gibbons takes the stage at the 2008 Clark County Republican ConventionLas Vegas- In contrast to the debacle that greeted Clark County Democrats with their Feb. 23 convention, the Clark County GOP hosted a convention today that was long on organization and shows of Republican unity and decidedly short of drama.

With Ariz. Sen. John McCain already the presumptive Republican nominee, seemingly the only task for the Clark County Republicans who turned out in record numbers at the Orleans Hotel and Casino today was to get excited about him, a task made easier by the slew of senior Republican officials offering their full-throated, if begrudging, support.

"I'll be the first to say," said Congressman Dean Heller as he addressed the convention in the early afternoon, "that John McCain was not my first choice.  But he is my first choice today."

Clark County Republican Chairman Bernie Zadrowski.Las Vegas- Clark County Republicans met earlier this month and elected a new chairperson to replace outgoing chairman John Hambrick.  Their choice fell on Bernie Zadrowski, 41, a Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney, to head the party going into the 2008 election.

Zadrowski takes the reins during a troubled time as the Nevada GOP has struggled to counter voter registration trends favoring Democrats and a lackluster performance in the 2006 midterm elections.  Clark County, with its 14 senate and 29 assembly districts, will certainly be a battleground in Republican attempts to regain momentum in the Silver State.

“When I ran for chairman,” said Zadrowski Monday, “I told everybody that my focus would be on local races.  I think it’s important to spend as much time as possible on local races, specifically the assembly and the senate.”