Friday, July 21, 2006

Nelson's Attack Dog


At what point is the Omaha World Herald going to stop interviewing the Nebraska Democrat spokesman, acting as if he’s a separate entity from the Ben Nelson campaign?

Barry Rubin, Executive Director of the Nebraska Democratic Party -- he formerly of the losing Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (yes, THAT Kennedy clan) for Governor campaign in Maryland -- has turned into the lead dirty trickster for Nelson. And at each turn, the Nelson camp washes its hands of the matter, and says, “Not us! That’s from the party!”

The student-council-campaign-esque Dr. Seuss ad in the OWH and the Hooligans sent to heckle Pete Ricketts at the John C. Fremont Days parade are the latest of Rubin’s dirty tricks.

So when the issue of the Dr. Seuss ad comes up, the OWH goes to Rubin who calls Ricketts’s property tax protest a “crime” (yes, a crime). (County Board denies Ricketts' property valuation protest – OWH – 7/21/06) (By the way, can we all note that the Omaha World Herald has also contested their valuation?)

When asked to denounce the Hooligans at the parade in Fremont, the Nelson camp claims they “had nothing to do with that,” and then follows up playing the “free speech” card (Hot Senate race sees blistering exchanges – OWH – 7/20/06).

Yet how surprising that “union guys” went to the extent to make a sign, purchase Cat in the Hat lids, and then when confronted directly by Pete Ricketts, reportedly had no idea about the facts behind the issue.

And why did a couple of guys go to all the trouble to draw attention to themselves, buy specialty hats and heckle a candidate at a family parade?

Because that’s East coast, Kennedy-style dirty tricks that Ben Nelson has imported to Nebraska to keep his seat. And that’s what you’re going to get when you take your family to a parade. And that, Nebraska, is the East Coast Democrat attack dog.

And make no mistake about it, Nelson is holding the leash.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just out of curiosity, what in the ad is wrong?

Street Sweeper said...

Gee, where have we heard THAT line before? You could have at least paraphrased it.

Well, for a retort, why don't we just send you here:
http://newnebraska.blogspot.com/2006/07/nebraska-democrats-get-clever.html

Anonymous said...

In other words, nothing. It's completely accurate.

Anonymous said...

Also - the world herald doesns't say that the fremont "hecklers" were union guys or that they "had no idea about the facts behind the issue."

so where did that come from? Your boss jessica moenning?

Street Sweeper said...

Well...the level of intelligence that concludes that if Ricketts's tax is lowered, others will rise is on par with the maturity of the ad. Chew on that.

And the reason you come to Leavenworth Street is to get interesting info that you can't get in the papers. We're glad to be of service.

(And if you're dying for that answer, once again, Sherlock, I don't work for Ricketts, or the party, or any other candidate, etc. But I've said that about 30 times on this blog now...)

Anonymous said...

SS - Oh where to start...

First Ken (I mean Pete Ricketts) ran against Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton. Then it was John Kerry. Then, the County tax assessor. Now, he has a new opponent...BARRY RUBIN.

hahahahahahaha. When is Ken getting around to running against Ben?

And dirty trickster? What about Ken's TV ads with the made up headlines and fakery? Ken's new ad attributes a charge that "Ben Nelson broke his promise" to the NE Dept of Revenue?? Are they the arbiter of political promises now? Get real. The trickery is in the lies in Ken's ads.

As for the student-council like ad: what about the student council-campaign-like decision by the NEGOP to make the ad a statewide issue? They managed to get it printed in the Journal Star today FOR FREE - savng Barry thousands of dollars. Looks like Ted-Hillary-John-Barry outsmarted the new and "edgier" Ricketts general election team.
As for the "Union guys" - where did you read that they "reportedly" had no idea about the facts? In the same paper Ken gets his phony headlines I bet.

Ken may need to learn that he's entered the public arena. Nobody in this business is going to get quiet around him cuz he's the boss' kid.

But what a good read - and on the heels of that diatribe about the OWH editorial today.

I guess your day was as bad as Ken's - and it just got worse. Dont miss Channel 3 news tonight - Ken is the featured guest.

Oh and thanks for a great start to my weekend.

Anonymous said...

SS - speaking of intelligence of tax arguments -

Ken says "Ben Nelson voted to raise taxes 23 times" but the votes in reference simply reduced the size of a tax cut and raised zero revenue. Is that not a "disengenuous argument" as Ken likes to say?

Anonymous said...

If I go to dinner with a friend and dinner costs $20, we could both spend $10. Or I could say, "hey, I'm only going to spend $5". and then they'd have to pay $15.

If pete ricketts decides he's only going to pay $5, someone else has to make up the rest of his bill.

Logic.

Anonymous said...

with no sourcing, i just have to assume it's spin. oh well.

Street Sweeper said...

Who ever said Ricketts was running against Rubin? We simply stated that he's Nelson's new hired cheap shot artist. Man you guys are touchy.

As for the Nelson parade Hooligans, we obtained our info the old fashioned way: we asked someone who was there. Sorry that someone hasn't written a Nelson endorsement so you can "verify" it.

Interesting analogizing city tax policy to eating out. Totally the same thing. Except not in the least.

Anonymous said...

in response to:
"If I go to dinner with a friend and dinner costs $20, we could both spend $10. Or I could say, "hey, I'm only going to spend $5". and then they'd have to pay $15.

If pete ricketts decides he's only going to pay $5, someone else has to make up the rest of his bill. "

Typical liberal, big government philosophy. they feel the government is entitled to people's money and they spend whatever they can take in, as opposed to controlling spending and returning money to the people who earn it.

Anonymous said...

I agree that heckling(if that's what they were actually doing) at a parade is bad form. It's also fairly obvious that the "hecklers" were receiving some direction from the NDP. However, you have presented no evidence that Nelson's campaign was involved. Sorry, but "Wink wink nudge nudge" won't cut it. Better luck next time.

Street Sweeper said...

We choose to not bury our heads in the sand.

Anonymous said...

If you only have $5 to spend on dinner then you only order $5 worth of food. Only a liberal would spend more than they have and then expect the rest to pay for it. Your logic in response to the home valuation issue does not fit.

Anonymous said...

Street Sweeper said...
"We choose to not bury our heads in the sand."

Ah yes, the last plea of the conspiracist. Typical.

I once heckled at a parade. At the 2004 Labor Day parade, I booed and threw a Dum-Dum(that's a candy sucker for you gun nuts) at the KKAR van. This was a spontaneous act of righteous indignation. Call me a radical if you will, but I find the idea of a right wing radio station promoting itself at a salute to labor quite insulting.

Anonymous said...

And if Ricketts manages to pay no taxes at all, as is his wish, i suppose that that will have no effect on what other taxpayers pay? Or if the entire Ricketts family and Ameritrade to boot do not pay taxes, the city of Omaha will be able to provide the same level of public service they do now without it impacting other taxpayers?

taxes do not happen in a vacuum. if one person, or group of people are exempt from taxation, then others have to make up the difference. This is political science 101 - the "free rider" theory.

If ten people are in a canoe, one person can probably stop rowing without it impacting others very much. But then another person might think, "hey, i can stop too!" and on and on until it 1) does impact the ones pulling their own weight plus the dead weight of the non-rowers and 2) the canoe goes nowhere.

Ricketts wants a free ride and a special deal. the NDP called him on it. Good for him.

Street Sweeper said...

Restaurants? Canoes? You people jump from NDP Hooligans to ridiculous analogies to plain silliness. Ricketts wants to lower his valuation. The difference would be $6K. Lots of other people want theirs lowered too. And note that the County Assessor said he was happy with the valuations in the end.

But once again, the subject of this post was about the NDP being a shill for Nelson and disrupting a family parade.

Street Sweeper said...

As for “cowpunk”, who chucks a lolipop at a parade van and thinks they are “radical”? I feel for your poor mother when you “protest” your raisins at snack time…

Anonymous said...

And again you respond to logic with name-calling. I guess if you prefer ignorance, then you'll get what you get.

Anonymous said...

Bulldog, you seem to know more about drugs and the acronyms for them than me. And I am the liberal that you are trying to make fun of! Your just a petty man making petty jabs. You don't even make me mad, I just feel sorry for you.

It is unfortunate that you cannot participate in open debate without acting like a child.

Anonymous said...

who the flip runs this site? Street Sweeper or that "independent" thinking Bulldog? If I cared what Bulldog thinks, I'd be the first one to go to his blog.

Street Sweeper said...

Listen, to date, we've posted every comment that has come here. Your's included, "anonymous"...

Street Sweeper said...

Just so we're clear, every time someone has left a comment, we've posted it. (When managing a comment section like this on Blogger.com, you have the option to not post something. We've always posted.)

Anonymous said...

Liberals think that if they have $5, they should spend five dollars. Good government says spend what is needed to serve the people, and no more. Nebraska has one of the highest tax burdens in the US. Of course, liberals think that's ok, and that the government should spend it regardless of need.
Hey canoe-boy... just finish your SATs and feeling like you mastered the logic section? well, guess what, you didn't.

Anonymous said...

Street Sweeper says he posts all comments and Bulldog calls him a liar? Trouble in Independent Paradise? What clever insult will Bulldog come up with next? Can he come up with a better movie to quote than Fight Club? Stay tuned for more independent wisdom.

Street Sweeper said...

No trouble, and let's end this thread if this is the road we're going down.