STATE SENATE DEBATE GETS UGLY

Lee, Shaffer Exchange Cutting Jabs in Televised Encounter

Insults and hateful attacks flew during a 20-minute televised debate
between Sen. Ray Shaffer, R-North Las Vegas, and Democratic challenger
John Lee on Thursday night.

Lee called his District 1 opponent a megalomaniac and a
liar.

Shaffer said Lee was "a piece of you-know-what."

The format of the debate, broadcast on public television KLVX Channel
10, allowed candidates to ask each other questions, and what ensued
was a caustic back-and-forth. The campaign between the two has been
heated and often personal.

Lee had thrown the first punch, restating his earlier criticism of
Shaffer for missing the final vote on the $833.5 million tax increase
passed during the last session

"He didn't stay long enough to see what happened to it. He went AWOL
and left (and) went to Hawaii," Lee said.

And the ire grew from there.

Lee's first question to Shaffer was: "You were the No. 1 recipient of
free meals and booze from lobbyists for five straight sessions. At the
same time you were rated one of the worst legislators. Do you have any
regrets or remorse for continuing to keep up these bad habits, and
this poor workmanship, habits that you have?"

Shaffer responded by explaining that he works 12-hour days during the
Legislative sessions -- "Of course my opponent hasn't been there long
enough to realize that" -- and said that mealtime meetings give the
lobbyists and he a chance to learn from each other.

"Lobbyists don't invite stupid people to meet with them," Shaffer
said, adding that lobbyists want to meet only with people who are "in
the loop," and that "sometimes I might have just been hungry."

"Shame on you Mr. Shaffer," Lee responded. "That is the biggest lie
I've ever heard. We work hard in the session. We go to lunch, we go to
dinner, I pay my own way. I did our business in the light of the
legislative session. I didn't go out late at night drinking, carousing
with the special interest people, the powerful people. I stayed in the
building and did my job.

"Our business in the state Legislature does not have to be done in
smoke-filled restaurants or in bars. Nevada needs people who will work
hard for them and not look for the freebie every chance they get."

Lee served three terms in the state Assembly before running for state
controller in 2002. He lost to Republican Kathy Augustine.

Shaffer then asked Lee how many employees he has and how many are
women. Lee said he has about 30 employees, probably seven of whom are
women.

"That's embarrassing, if you want to know what's embarrassing,"
Shaffer said.

To which Lee responded: "I'm in the construction trade. We carry heavy
pipe. We carry heavy tile. We do man's work out there."

Lee said his daughter works for him, but added that in general "this
is not a trade where young females want to get into."

Shaffer then said: "You can abuse women very easy. I know
that."

Lee then criticized Shaffer, asking, "Sen. Shaffer are you satisfied
with your mean-spiritedness and your ignorant answers and questions to
me today?

"I'm very saddened by the fact that you have stooped that low. ... I'm
a good employer, Sen. Shaffer. Maybe if you've ever employed a person
or ever run a payroll you'd understand business, but you have no
experience there."

"Well I'd like to see how much he's paying them. Probably no minimum
wage," Shaffer said.

Lee then said Shaffer switched political parties "for your own self
gratification."

Shaffer was a Democrat for his first 19 years in Carson City before
switching parties in 2002.

"Then you donate $50,000 to your wife's campaign to run against you as
a Democrat," Lee said. "That's immoral to fund your own opposition. Do
you think the voters are that stupid, and does your wife really
believe maybe she was the better candidate than you were to be senator
and that's the answer to that?"

Lee won a crowded Democratic primary with 44 percent of the vote,
beating out a list of candidates that included Shaffer's wife,
Democrat Sharon Shaffer.

"Well," Shaffer said. "First of all, you know you can think what you
want to think, but we'll find out who's the best candidate at the end
of this three-week period. That's all I have to say about it."

Lee said Shaffer spends most of his time living outside the district,
and said Shaffer is "most unaccessible senator" and "should be
dishonorably discharged."

Shaffer said Lee's payment of $20,000 in early August to Southwest
Strategies shows Lee was helping the group that was also working to
get a pro-marijuana question on the state ballot.

"Did you ask your bishop if that was moral?" Shaffer asked in an
apparent reference to the leadership of Lee's church, the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Lee said he was paying the group to help with his campaign, and said
the group has many clients.

"You're a megalomaniac and you have no idea how unimportant you are in
the Legislature and how unimportant you've been as a senator," Lee
said.

Shaffer responded: "You'll see what happens when I tell your people
how you act."

Lee said Shaffer's "track record shows he cuts and runs. This is a
part-time job for you, senator, and I'm about to retire you."

Shaffer said his record speaks for itself and added: "If you get five
times in the Senate, re-elected five different terms, you're a hero.
But in my book, you're a piece of you-know-what."

Lee said: "I appreciate that coming from a man who obviously never met
a hero."

This morning, Lee said he wanted to point out the differences between
him and Shaffer but was sad they deviated so much from the issues,
starting with Shaffer's comment that lobbyists don't take "stupid
people" out to dinner.

"It just developed, I guess," Lee said. "The heat of the race came to
a crescendo right there."

Lee said he thought Shaffer is getting "desperate," especially with
his comments about Lee's business, saying Lee discriminates against
women and doesn't pay them well.

When Lee called the construction industry man's work, Lee said he
meant that it attracts more men. He said he is open to hiring people
of all backgrounds.

Shaffer said this morning that "we just got into a little, I don't
know, angry mood."

Shaffer said he asked questions about how many women Lee employs
because he was "just curious about his employment situation and how he
handles women," saying he is working on legislation for equal pay and
equal rights for women.

Still, Shaffer said, "I probably shouldn't have been as nasty as I
was.

"That's not the real me. But he was pounding on me for everything. I
couldn't get a word in. It was just out of hand."