Republican National Convention

U.S. Sen. John Ensign at the Republican National Convention: Getty Images PhotoBelow is a transcript of remarks made by U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas) at the Republican National Convention Thursday evening, as prepared for delivery.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas) is scheduled to address the Republican National Convention in St. Paul this evening between 4 and 5 p.m.

Republican presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will speak between 7 and 8 p.m.

In her address to the Republican National Convention last night, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) included a special message for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Searchlight).  She referenced Reid and what she called his "do-nothing congress."  She then hit back on his "I can't stand John McCain" line, saying that those comments from Reid prove the GOP is on the right track with this nominee.

Reid responded with a statement that whined about how he's a fighter and he's not afraid of John McCain or any of his friends and he'll meet you all in the back alley and he'll whip all of you with one arm tied behind his back.  Or something along those lines.

Politico has the full story here.

Molly Ball of the Review-Journal is at the Republican National Convention and captured an awkward moment with U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Las Vegas). 

Ensign made comments a decade ago about how unwed women who have children should be "somewhat stigmatized." Ensign quickly retreated from a comparison to the situation with Bristol Palin, the pregnant unwed teen daughter of the GOP Veep nominee.

U.S. Rep. Jon PorterST. PAUL, Minn. - U.S. Rep. Jon Porter won’t be among those attending the Republican National Convention here this week.

Nevada Republican Party chair Sue Lowden told PolitickerNV.com in a short interview this morning that Porter “has a busy schedule at home in Las Vegas and has not taken the time to come.”

Well, sort of.

Porter is departing tonight for a four-day trip that will take the three-term Republican to Afghanistan and Pakistan, spokesman Matt Leffingwell advises.

Porter is preparing to face off against state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Henderson) in one of the most closely watched House races in the country. Politicker.com’s Pindell Report ranks the race as the 14th most competitive in the nation.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist waved off a report today that Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin had secured a large federal grant for town of 6,700 people.

Norquist used his speech before the Nevada delegation this morning to rail against Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, saying the Illinois lawmaker's tax policies would cost Americans of their hard-earned money.

"He doesn't understand the damage he would do to the economy," Norquist told the gathering.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – At least several candidates have begun the process of building campaign war chests in anticipation of challenging U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) in 2010, Nevada Republican Party chair Sue Lowden said today.

 "We have a deep bench of candidates who are looking at that seat, some are already raising money," Lowden told PolitickerNV.com after a breakfast meeting of the Silver State delegation at The Saint Paul hotel.

Lowden declined to provide names of potential candidates when asked, saying there would be a "good time" for that in the future.

The chairwoman was quick to add that the party would be looking closely at the full slate of campaigns across the ticket in 2010.