Cocktails and Cash

The senator's Las Vegas event was co-sponsored by Dr. Elias F. Ghannem, A prominent local physician, and Sloan, vice president and general counsel for Circus Circus, a company which operates several hotels and casinos.

The evening began for the senator and his wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, with cocktails at Ghannem's home followed by dinner at Spago's restaurant.

"He's one of about 40 people that I have sponsored fundraisers for--there's circuit of fundraisers across America," Sloan says "We discuss issues that relate to national politics."

But casino executive Sloan says legalized gambling was not one of those issues discussed that night.

Rather, Sloan says he and Ghannem brought together a group of primarily medical doctors to discuss health care.

"[Sen. Kennedy] visited with members of the health community and prominent Democrats," Sloan says. "He's a person with a tremendous amount of input on health care."

Sloan and his wife each contributed $2,000 to the Senator's campaign fund, according to FEC reports.

While many of the doctors at the fundraiser do not agree with Kennedy's approach to health care, Sloan says the event enabled the doctors and Kennedy to exchange opinions.

"Health care positions are a moving target," Sloan says. "The purpose is to have [elected officials] explain their views and have them hear our points a well."

Kennedy is sponsoring a modified version of President Clinton's proposal to guarantee health insurance coverage to all United States citizens. At present, Kennedys' bill is considered more likely than Clinton's to be passed by the Congress.

Like Uncle, Like Nephew

More than 3,000 miles away, in Cerromar, Puerto Rico, Sen. Kennedy's nephew, U.S. Rep. Kennedy also visited a similar curious crowd of physicians, lawyers and other professionals.

Dr. Richard Machado, executive director for Hospital Hermanos Melendez, says he arranged the fundraiser for Kennedy after he had met the representative in Washington last summer.

Machado, who gave $2,000 to Kennedy's campaign, says he held a cocktail party for the Brighton representative at his house before proceeding to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cerromar for dinner and conversation.