Nothing like a last minute game of political musical chairs on the final day of candidate filing.  And a Rule 11 letter handed to an inexperienced primary candidate who has never run for office, to boot.

Add in a none-too-happy primary candidate who was given less than nine hours to make a decision about his candidacy in the face of state party anointment for his brand new competition and you have a real humdinger of a situation that has many GOP political insiders and grassroots types in a real twist.

(FYI:  A Rule 11 letter is basically equivalent to a party endorsement and anointment.  Among other things, it means a candidate can use state party lists to raise money.  And the RNC can give money to the candidate if it wishes.  The Rule 11 letter in this case was given to candidate Michelle Fiore and signed by state GOP chairman Chris Comfort, national RNC committeewoman Heidi Smith and former governor Bob List who sits on the executive board of the state party.)

Here’s the scoop:

Self-styled conservative and brand new political candidate Michelle Fiore today suddenly pulled out of the SD-9 primary against moderate Republican incumbent Senator Dennis Nolan and threw her hat into the CD-1 (Shelley Berkley) primary against brand new conservative political candidate Craig Lake.  And she did so with a Rule 11 letter in hand.

To fill Fiore’s shoes, Elizabeth Halseth pulled out of AD-13 and filed for SD-9 against Nolan, supported by Fiore who said, “I’ve done a lot of work in my senate district.  I would not be happy stepping away from that for just anyone.  My support for Elizabeth is based on her conservative credentials and her signing of the taxpayer protection pledge.”

(Update (9:10 AM Sunday): It should be noted that it was politically savvy of Halseth to slide into that SD-9 race.  And from the grassroots/conservative point of view, it may well be the best thing that comes of this whole mess:  Halseth takes out Nolan, who is widely unwanted for being too moderate (moderate = GOP code for being a tax raiser), in the GOP primary.)

As for Lake, the CD-1 primary favorite of many grassroots conservatives who now finds himself up against a party-anointed competitor, he is none too pleased with the situation.  Here is what he said to me about this as the clock was ticking toward 5:00 PM:

“I got a call from the state party chairman, Chris Comfort, at 8 a.m. this morning.  I guess they have been shopping for a big name to get in the CD-1 race.  And apparently some voter data came out that was somehow compelling to them.  So, I was asked to meet to discuss the situation.”

Lake said that in the meeting, Comfort explained that Fiore wanted to jump into the CD-1 race and asked Lake to withdraw and instead run for Secretary of State, promising that the party would support him in that race.

(Secretary of State candidate Rob Lauer may be surprised to hear about Comfort’s offer because in early February Lauer threw himself on the proverbial sword for Joe Heck in CD-3 on the very same promise (from the NRSC and party leaders):  withdraw from the congressional race and run for Secretary of State and there’ll be suppport.)

Lake said he is not interested in the Secretary of State race and was surprised when he learned the party’s preferred candidate was first-timer Michelle Fiore:

“I mean no disrespect, but I honestly don’t see how she is a better candidate,” he said.  “I mean, if I felt they had found a better and more qualified candidate, I would have agreed to step out.”

Lake said after he got the call this morning, he assumed the party had some “big-name heavyweight candidate” they want to run.  “I was prepared to hear who it was,” he said.  “I would have stepped aside and considered another race if I thought it was a viable person.  But I don’t, so I’m not.”

When asked about the Rule 11 letter that Fiore has been given by the state party, Lake said, “It’s just eye opening to me:  the state party getting involved like this, the politics as usual, the political opportunism.  But it just re-enforces my desire to go ahead with my plan.  I do think I am the better candidate, and so I am staying in the race.”

When I asked Fiore why she is making the jump from a state senate to congressional race in her first go-round, she said, “In the months I spent getting to know the voters in my district, as concerned as they were about issues facing our state, their biggest concern were the issues facing the nation. So when I was approached to jump into the race to address those issues, I was excited to do so.”

Fiore would not say who first approached her about the switch.  When I spoke to Bob List later in the evening, he said he couldn’t speak to what had happened on Fiore’s end but that he had received a call from someone last week saying Fiore had expressed an interest in the CD-1 race and wanted to talk.

“I first learned of her interest last Friday,” said List.  “I got a call from someone who indicated she was interested in the race.  So I met with her.  I gave her some guidance on things she should do, and I helped raise some appointments for her.  After that, she went to work and had her meetings and did her due diligence.”

When I asked List why the party waited until this morning to contact Craig Lake about the matter, he said, “Michelle did not make up her mind until today.”

When I pressed List as to how the party could justify giving Lake less than a day to consider the situation and make a decision, “There has been fast some shifting around.  This one just happened to happen last minute.  But I think the right call was made.”

As for Fiore, she sounded like she was on Cloud 9.  “I have party backing with the Rule 11 letter that Bob List, Chris Comfort and Heidi Smith have signed,” she said.  “They have looked and looked for someone.  It’s about what a candidate can do.  And I am that person.”

When asked why she thinks she is a better candidate than Lake, or any kind of threat to incumbent Shelley Berkley, she said, “My life experience.  Being in the private sector, a businesswoman.  I get beat up by the government for a living.  When you are experienced with fighting with bureaucrats, that makes you a better candidate.”

Fiore went on to say she believes she can win (don’t they all?) and that “after talking with Governor List and others, I believe I will have the help and support I need.”

On that subject – “others” who might support her – I asked Fiore if there was any truth to a story I have been told by four different inside sources in the past week:  that a very prominent and wealthy Las Vegas businessman (who shall remain nameless until I can confirm it, Dear Readers) had promised substantial financial support to any viable female candidate the GOP could find to challenge Berkley.  Fiore said she knew nothing of it.

When I asked Bob List the same question, he paused and said, “I can tell you that Michelle Fiore has been vetted by some highly respected campaign advisers and that she has lined up some very significant money sources.”

“We were very impressed with her style, determination and willingness to get into this race and go toe to toe with Shelley Berkley,” List added.  “I think she fits the profile of the person it’s going to take.”

When I asked List if that “profile” includes being a woman, List answered, simply, “Yes.”

When I asked List if he seriously believes Fiore has any chance of beating Shelley Berkley, he said, “I believe she has a great shot at it.  She is perfect for it.  She is a small business owner, and she understands one of our most pressing national issues — health care — because she owns a home heath care business that employs over 150 people.”

“Look, I live in Shelley’s district,” added List.  “I think Shelley, God Bless her, is just totally out of step with reality.  She is Exhibit A of an unpopular incumbent who is vulnerable this year.”

Not everyone is so enamored with this move.  I spoke to a half-dozen insiders and GOP political operatives tonight and not one of them thought the state party did the right thing today.  Most said they understand Lake is a long shot to beat Berkley but believe he is a better candidate than Fiore and that the situation is therefore unfair to him.

Gary Rogers, grassroots and coalitions consultant for the Craig Lake campaign and the former Coalitions Director for the Clark County Republican party, was extremely displeased.

“I think the state party has no business interfering in a primary and offering a Rule 11 letter without having a superior candidate,” Rogers said.  “To just go out and find a first-time candidate like this because they’ve decided she’s what they need and then to use this Rule 11 is nonsense.”

Update (11:14 AM Sunday): Thicker and thicker.  A very reliable source just told me that over the past two weeks, gubernatorial candidate Mike Montandon and US Senate candidate Chad Christensen were both also approached by GOP state party officials about jumping into CD-1.  And that Frank Luntz, who was here doing polling late last week, was the one who came up with “the female thing.”

Still talking to folks about this off and on.  Many are saying they think the state party’s move and Rule 11 letter does not mean jack-diddly — because the RNC is going to look into Fiore and shrug.  A Rule 11 letter does not obligate them.