Adelson lieutenant: "We are not spending $100 million on Senate races"

Responding to a report from CNN's John King that Sheldon Adelson may spend $100 million to help the GOP take the U.S. Senate, the Las Vegas Sands chairman's top political aide flatly denied it.

"We are not spending $100 million on Senate races," Andy Abboud told me Monday. "We do not have a budget."

But Abboud all but confirmed King's story about GOP consultants and others meeting with Adelson, expressing anger that anyone would be talking out of school.

"There is no set budget for the cycle and more importantly any group that meets with us and leaks any information true or untrue gets cut off," Abboud said.

It's hardly a surprise that Republicans would come knocking on Gondolier Numero Uno's door at The Venetian. And, no, it's not because they like the faux canals.

Adelson is known to listen to many GOP strategists, and he once told me he believes Karl Rove is the smartest of them all. Abboud, though, is the guiy who executes Adelson's orders in campaigns, so his denial means something.

Of course, it is any billionaire's prerogative to change his mind whenever he wants to, and Adelson may do so.

If Adelson were st start spending a lot of money to try to cost his friend Harry Reid his title, I wonder if the majority leader would start including him in his floor rants, now the sole province of the Kochs.