Wynns, Murrens MIA On List of Pro-Reid Business Leaders

The Reid campaign just released a letter to the media signed by "nearly" 100 business leaders in Nevada arguing that Sen. Harry Reid's re-election is vital to the state. It's really just a re-configuration of other material that's been out there -- there already were "Businesses For Harry Reid," "Republicans For Reid" and others groups that featured some of the same names.

But there are a few peculiarities here that make it baffling they'd even bother to trumpet this thing. For one thing, by "nearly 100" they mean 90, which is, sure, close to 100, but they couldn't get even 100? There must be tens of thousands of businesses in this state!

Second, the headline is "Nevada Business Leaders Sign Letter Supporting Reid, Denouncing Angle on Economy" and it references Sharron Angle's "hemorrhaging support" even though Angle really never had any significant support from the business community to begin with.

And finally, this list may actually be more notable for the names that are NOT on it. Here are the gaming/Strip-related folks listed:

* Marybel Bayter, Harrah's
* Jan Jones, Harrah's
* Gary Loveman, Harrah's
* Karlos R. LaSane II, Harrah's
* Michael Morton, N9NE Group
* Blake Sartini, Sartini Enterprises (bro-in-law of Fertittas)
* Steve Cloobeck, Polo Towers developer
* Steve Nightingale, Club Cal Neva (Reno)
* John Farahi, Monarch Gaming (owns Atlantis in Reno)
* George Maloof, Palms

And that's pretty much it. No Steve or Elaine Wynn, no Tim Poster or Tom Breitling, no Jim or Heather Murren, no Bobby Baldwin or Phil Ruffin, no Fertittas or Thomases or Macks or Boyds or Gaughans. No Zappos or Ethel M people, either. Not even a Wayner, this week's most famous Nevada entrepreneur!

So, Reidites, why bother? You can't claim this is only a list of small business people because Maloof and Loveman are on there. You might say it's not an all-encompassing list, but what stopped you from producing one? Some of those who I just mentioned do appear on some of those other pro-Reid lists I referenced, but you couldn't get them to sign on to this letter?

Plus, the Wynns are a pretty glaring omission, and they also don't appear on the Republicans For Reid list, either. It was only last year that both of them were loud and clear that replacing Harry Reid would be a grave error. But then recall what Mr. Wynn said to me in August:

"I am so confused, Steve, about what’s going on in America. I’m so deeply concerned about the shape that our government has allowed our economy to get into and it precedes this government, it precedes Harry’s role as majority leader. ... [long discussion of problems of debt and entitlements] ... And that means Nevada is at risk not whether it’s Sharron Angle or Harry Reid, but whether our government in Washington can somehow reverse the course it’s been on, the juggernaut of reckless, irresponsible spending and borrowed money without destroying the economic health of the country permanently. ... [more economic discussion] And I don’t blame anybody, I don’t blame Harry, and I don’t know if Sharron Angle’s election of defeat is the issue or our time. ... I support Harry Reid. I support Harry Reid in the sense of 'Harry, make it go away, make it stop.' Something’s gotta be done, it can’t go on this way. … Am I conflicted by my ideological differences with what the Congress has done and my friendship with Harry? My answer to that question is yes and I’ve expressed frustration over that conflict to my friend Harry over the phone."

It strikes me that the omissions in this list say more than the names on it. At this stage, the Reid people ought to be aiming a little higher than "nearly 100," no? If they actually tried, you'd think they'd be able to say "more than 1,000." That would be news, perhaps. This is a backfire.