| Originally elected as a Democrat in 1999, [Las Vegas Mayor Oscar] Goodman now has no party affiliation. [Reason] Senior Editor Radley Balko interviewed the mayor in February, days before Goodman dissed the commander in chief. Q: What shaped your political philosophy? A: I’m a criminal defense lawyer by profession, so I have an inherent distrust for government. I rarely put a client on the witness stand. I usually made my case by showing the government didn’t behave properly, either under the Constitution or by its methodology. That’s a pretty successful way to practice criminal law. [...] Q: Prior to politics, you represented accused organized crime figures. What’s the biggest difference between politics and the mob? A: My clients gave me their word, and their word was their bond. They always paid me. They always thanked me at the end of the day. In the political world, none of that happens. A politician’s word usually doesn’t mean a damn. His word is for the moment. |