Ralston’s column today – more of a breezy best-of-the-week wrap-up – was good.  And funny.

Jerry Brown might run for mayor of Las Vegas:

On the program this week, Brown, annoyingly saying he anticipated the question, tried an initial dodge by talking about how focused he is on the city’s budget problems. Undaunted, I pressed on and he acknowledged, “I have been approached.”

(Side note: We always hear that line about being approached, as if it would sound too egomaniacal to have thought of it yourself. Who are these people who always “approach” folks to run for office? Is it always the same people who “approach” these potential candidates? Or are there roving gangs of approachers?)

The four contenders for Rory Reid’s County Commission chair were terrible:

Is this all they have? I know it’s early (although the primary is only 95 days hence), but I was quite distressed (it happens every two years) by the performance Wednesday night of the four leading contenders to replace County Commissioner Rory Reid. I will not single out any of them — state Sen. David Parks, union stalwart Greg Esposito, ex-School Board Member Mary Beth Scow and Planning Commissioner Ron Newell. They were, as a group, awful.

Awful how? you wonder.

If you walked into the Painters Hall where the Henderson Democratic Club met, you would have thought you had stumbled into a Clichés, Evasions and Pabulum Convention.

Gansert is leaving, and so are a lot of others:

Second, while there is always significant turnover in the Legislature from session to session, the changes come 2011 could be unprecedented. Because of term limits, retirements and electoral defeats, you may have half of each chamber populated by rookies.

Luckily, there are no huge or complicated issues on the docket for the 2011 Legislature.