Voters, not party, will decide who should serve

Controller Kathy Augustine abused her official power. She was impeached for that abuse. The will of voters is all that should be needed to keep Augustine out of office in Nevada.

But the decision of who serves should be up to the voters, not the Republican party.

Nevada Republican Party Chairman Paul Adam is seeking a new party rule that would withhold GOP support for impeached politicians. The GOP plans to consider the rule at its convention March 18.

Is the party aiming to stop someone from filing for office? From going before voters? From "tainting our ticket," as Adams said, or just trying to create rules for who it will support or not?

Augustine was impeached, fined, and censured for admitted ethical violations.

But she can file as a Republican, file for any office, from U.S. president on down, no matter what the party thinks. Or what she thinks of Nevada.

Remember testimony from her former executive assistant who told the Assembly the two-term controller was very concerned about the 2002 election?

"She told me she needed to make sure she won this election because it would buy her four more years so she could set up her run for Congress. She said her place was in Washington, D.C., because she was too good for this hick little state."

It seems she's changed her mind, but that's her choice. Voters will decide if she deserves to serve. It is worth remembering that Nevada's Republican-led Senate tossed out two of the three articles of impeachment against Augustine. The same senators, who determined there was not enough wrongdoing on her part to cause removal from office, will likely be the same ones aided by the party that seeks to withhold support from Augustine.

As we've seen in the past, a lot could change before candidates are allowed to file May 1.