Nevada Sen. Harry Reid and Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar held a conference call this afternoon to discuss Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate and the importance of the West in the race for the White House in 2008.

Reid, as the public face of the Nevada caucus, and Salazar, as the public face of the Democratic National Convention (set to be held in Denver), got off to a good start, talking about Nevada’s labor density, diverse population and Western issues.

But when asked if the attention and preparation surrounding the Nevada caucus were meeting his expectations, Reid pronounced:

“We expect a turnout of 100,000 people. We think that’s very doable. We feel very comfortable that what is happening in Nevada is very good. We’re relatively new at this compared to Iowa, but I think Nevada will really be a proving ground for these candidates.”

Nevada Democratic Party leaders and caucus organizers must have squirmed. They have worked for months to dial back expectations after initial reports, including a few in the Sun, quoted officials using the 100,000 figure.

(See this report, for one.)

After all, Democratic officials had good reason for concern. In 2004, Nevada’s Democratic caucus attracted a record 9,000 voters. Iowa, on the other hand, attracted 124,000 voters for its Democratic caucus that year, representing the highest turnout in Iowa caucus history.

Another factor: Iowa has about 500,000 more people than Nevada and a long tradition of caucus-going, which attracts national media and the attention of a bevy of local newspapers who swim in presidential politics.

Pressed on the number later in the call, Reid said, “That’s the number we’ve had from the very beginning. That’s the number I’ve always used.”

* UPDATE:

Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirsten Searer just responded:

“Sen. Reid has seen the excitement in Nevada Democrats and seen the huge swing in voter registration, and he has great faith in the Nevada Democratic Party. We appreciate the high standards he sets for us, and we’re going to do everything we can to meet them.”

Searer said the party thinks that for a first time caucus, a 7-10 percent turnout, or between 28,000 and 40,000 voters, would be a successful caucus. More than 15 percent would be “an amazing success,” she said.