Olberman: Gibbons "Worst Person in the World"

When a governor, even an obscure one, goes all nutty over a conspiracy theory, people take notice. So was the case with MSNBC's Keith Olberman last night:

But our winner... Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the FBI is investigating him for having allegedly accepted unreported gifts or payments from a military contractor, while the Governor was a U.S. Congressman.

But he has an explanation. "I have heard," he says, "that the Democrats have paid to have these Wall Street Journal articles written."

Governor, don't you think, if the Democrats could get good coverage out of the Wall Street Journal by paying for it, they might spend the money on a little higher-value target than the Governor of Nevada?

The Wall Street Journal, for cryin' out loud!

Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada... Today's Worst Person In The World!

You can view the video here.

Gibbons himself now seems to be channeling George W. Bush, in that he endlessly repeats himself and I just don't understand what he's saying at all:

"Is there a double standard?" Gibbons said. "I don't think there should be a double standard. ... Let me say that I'm one who has been subjected to a lot of false rumors that have been published by people -- statements created and fabricated against me. ... So I don't think there should be a double standard."

[...]

"I'm not paranoid," he said. "I'm not thinking people are out to get me. I just repeated that what I had heard was what was asked of me. ... The question was had I heard, and I said yes, I had heard."

Gibbons was asked multiple times whether he believed the rumor.

"Do I believe it? I don't know if I believe it or not. It's a rumor," he said. "I have no way of knowing. ... It's just a rumor. There are rumors all the time, and I'm one who's always subject to rumors being published. So I understand the fact about rumors. They're just rumors."

Meanwhile, basically everyone thinks Gibbons has gone to a new low, to put it mildly. There are quite a few fun comments in there. My favourite is this one:

Community College of Southern Nevada historian Michael Green said anyone with common sense would have laughed off that conspiracy scenario, but Gibbons appeared to have taken it seriously, revealing an "amazing view of the world."

Green also called Gibbons' comments "mind-boggling," "ridiculous" and "memorably bizarre."

"What Gibbons is doing is sounding like a guy broadcasting from his bedroom on public access on the far end of the AM (radio) dial in Buttflap, Alabama," Green said. "It doesn't come across as coming from a governor. It doesn't sound like someone in a state that's trying to be taken seriously."

Gibbons was also the top story on KVBC Las Vegas. They report on the recall efforts. You can view the video here. Notice how prominently Nevada Scandalmonger's blog "Vote Gibbons Out" is shown in the report. This prompted him to write a post that his blog is not the official recall site and to link to every single Gibbons scandal. So, if you want an overview that's really the best place to go.

And Gibbons has an approval rating below Bush's at 29%.

And the Las Vegas Sun is also making fun of him.

And the Nation also joins in ridiculing Gibbons:

Rumors? Has anyone heard rumors about the Wall Street Journal being on the take from the Democratic Party? If that's the case, Democrats -- aside from Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman -- ought to ask for their money back. No newspaper has more consistently editorialized in favor of the Bush administration's failed policies, and the initiatives of Republicans at the state level, than the Journal.

It's gonna be one heckuva summer.

Gibbons, Nixon - Is There a Difference?

Is Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons now channeling Richard Milhous Nixon?

Is Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons in the same league with those who believe Elvis was abducted by Aliens?

Is Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons America's nutty Governor?

The answer to all of the above is probably yes. Here's why:

Is there really a conspiracy between Democrats and the Wall Street Journal? are Democrats in fact paying the WSJ to get Gibbons?

Jim Gibbons seems to believe so. Asked by the Reno Gazette-Journal's Ray Hagar whether he heard conspiracy rumors Gibbons replies:

“I have heard that the Democrats have paid to have these Wall Street Journal articles written,” Gibbons said. The Journal has reported that Gibbons is under investigation by the FBI for allegedly accepting unreported gifts or payments from a Reno company that was awarded secret military contracts when Gibbons was in the U.S. House.

[...]

“When I met this guy, (Wilke), he was brought to Elko by the Dina Titus campaign and that is where I met him. So I don’t know what his agenda is, but there is nothing there with any of these allegations.”

[...]

Gibbons said the ties between the Democrats and the Wall Street Journal are about politics.

“What this is about, I believe, is that this is about the 2008 election,” Gibbons said. “And it has very little to do with me. It is just that they want to deal with what their interests are in 2008.”

Yup, Gibbons seems to believe the "rumors." And one has to wonder where these rumors are coming from. Here's Gibbons' spokeswoman's take:

“We believe that there is a significant effort on behalf of the Democratic Party to aggressively attack my boss’ legislative agenda and provide further distraction, not allowing us to move forward leading the state,” Melissa Subbotin said. “As far as the Wall Street Journal story goes, we don’t know. We don’t know who is providing it but we do hear rumors just like you do.

But getting back to reality for a second. Here's the response of Senate Minority Leader and frm gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus:

“I think the stress is getting to the governor. Now he’s looking for a conspiracy,” Titus said.

“I have never met this (reporter),” Titus said. “I’ve never talked to him. He has never asked me for a comment. I have no connection to him whatsoever.”

More voices from the reality-based community:

“I find it hard to imagine that anyone paid the Wall Street Journal to fabricate stories about the governor,” Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas said. “The Wall Street Journal is generally considered a conservative newspaper, perhaps run by Republicans and not Democrats.”

[...]

“The very idea that a newspaper of that caliber is going to accept money to make up stories about a governor is far-fetched, to say the least,” Buckley said.

“We don’t have that much juice,” added Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas and the chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

Of course, this whole rumor deal doesn't explain why the Governor is under investigation by the FBI. Are Dems now paying the FBI as well? You only really grasp the craziness of the whole deal when you listen to the first part of the conversation between Ray Hagar and Jim Gibbons. Yup, there is a tape. This really is like Nixon reloaded. Listen to it here.

There have been so many stories involving Gibbons in the past year that it's really hard to keep track. The WSJ is trying to and in Nevada local blog Vote Gibbons Out is really doing the best job. He posted a timeline on Jim Gibbons and his wife Dawn and their involvement with the Defense Department contractor and their holiday trips with the owners of said company.

All this leaves only one question: when will Gibbons be recalled. Nevada law only allows for a recall after the Governor has been in office for six months, so proceedings could start in July and Nevada bloggers and activists are gearing up for it.

Here's a petition for you to sign.

PS: Conveniantly, this story has already been picked up by the AP. Hope it'll spread far and wide.