Thursday, October 25, 2007

Kleeb fails Nebraska History


It is our understanding Scott Kleeb, who lost the 3rd District Congressional race last year, is teaching History at Hastings College these days. However, we really hope he’s teaching neither Nebraska History nor Political Science, because he clearly has a grasp on neither.

Our evidence?

Kleeb appeared in the NTV newsroom for an interview regarding his political plans. Sporting a tan jacket over a black tee-shirt (yes, you read that correctly), Kleeb made the following statements:
Q: Are you considering a run for the U.S. Senate?
Kleeb: I would seriously consider an offer.
Hey Scotty, is that your understanding of how the political process works?
“Here Scott, we’d like you to be our Senator, do you accept?”

Has he been reading up on the “Divine Right of Kings” too much?
Of course, with the way Bob Kerrey planned on descending from New York City, maybe he has been mislead…

So beyond his response that it looks like he WILL get in the race after Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey takes his thirty days to say no, check out what he claimed next. In his best professorial voice he made this bald-faced assertion:

“People do forget this, that Chuck Hagel is the first Republican… almost 100 years now from George Norris to the present.”

Whahuh????

Hmm, well, it seems that Mr. Kleeb has forgotten about just a few Republican Senators from Nebraska since George Norris. Here are the easy ones that nearly any Nebraskan who follows politics can name: Roman Hruska, Carl Curtis and Dave Karnes. Hear of those three?

Well, then since Norris, other than those three Republicans there have been an additional eight Republican Senators from Nebraska, giving us a grand total of eleven that Adjunct Professor Kleeb seems to have missed.

In any case, since Kleeb seems to be headed towards a statewide campaign (assuming he gets enough votes to win the Dem nomination – as opposed to just accepting it) we here at Leavenworth Street have one suggestion for Mr. Kleeb:

See if you can trade in that Yale diploma for one from the University of Nebraska. It seems they have better History and Poli Sci classes in Lincoln.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh snap.

Ryan Anderson said...

Full quote:

"You look back at what's best about our state, and it is that independent streak. From George Norris the Republican to Ben Nelson last year... People do forget this, that Chuck Hagel was the first Republican, and his independent streak as well. We pride ourselves in voting for the best person. So I think Nebraskans will stay true to that tradition, which is almost a hundred years now from George Norris to the present, of voting for the best person."

Kleeb's mistake was forgetting to add "in the last 25 years" after "Chuck Hagel is the first Republican". But the quote, as you presented it, is misleading. The clause about George Norris came from a separate (if related) thought. It wasn't meant to qualify the claim about Hagel.

Street Sweeper said...

Thanks for reading his mind there Ryan. We'll stick with what he said.

In the mean time, will you be offering him the Senate job, or do we need to do that?

Ryan Anderson said...

I gave you what he said, SS. I'll admit the sentence about Hagel is clumsy and unqualified (you know, not like any of us ever misspeak) but your ellipses are misleading. Whatever. I wouldn't have to explain that to a reasonable person, and I can't possibly explain it to someone who's uninterested in reasonable debate. I know my own limits.

"In the mean time, will you be offering him the Senate job, or do we need to do that?"

I'm sure your offer would be appreciated, SS, but for my own part I'd much prefer an offer to provide a more substantiative and honest debate. This stuff is just tedious.

Street Sweeper said...

Ryan,

Your guy went on the air talking about being "offered" the Senate job and claiming Chuck Hagel was the first Republican...

I might add that we put the link right there in the post for anyone to click on.

I'm pretty sure you have your own blog (you link to it) where you have the opportunity to "debate" WHATEVER you want. Here, we're talking about politics. That's why we put it in the blog title.

Anonymous said...

nebraska should just start having a political draft to see what carpetbaggers we can find to come capitalize on the political offerings in this state. it seems to have worked for johanns and dingle-err-fortenberry while attracting a yalie like kleeb.

hip hip hooray!

Anonymous said...

News Flash to Ryan Anderson and the abominable Kyle Michaelis: SCOTT KLEEB IS NOT INDEPENDENT!!!

Professor Kleeb supports gay marriage, supports stem cell research, supports abortion rights, and supports the government's right to tax an American worker into oblivion.

He lost the 3rd District by a landslide margin that hadn't been seen in maybe 50 years. His campaign was financed almost exclusively by socialist Yale professors, gay-pride parade grand marshals, and a whole host of San Franciso liberals.

If Professor Kleeb is the best you Democrats can muster, then all I can say is "bring it on" and prepare yourselves to wallow in a few more decades of political obscurity.

You Democrats don't even have the courage to be honest about who you really are. You call yourselves "progressives" instead of "liberals" because you think that by changing the terms you can hoodwink Nebraska voters into supporting your Hate-America-First agenda.

Scott Kleeb is about as "Independent" as Lindsay Lohann is "sober".

Anonymous said...

Lloyd S.,

Have you gotten your brown shirt back from the cleaners yet?

Anonymous said...

It seems as if the only response from Democrats can be to call people names. Well, I will say that you certainly are drinking the Kool-Aid.

Mike Nellis said...

Don't Scott, simple mistake.

Why don't you blame it on Robbie the Intern!

Anonymous said...

I got what Kleeb tried to say. In the last 2 to 3 decades, Hagel has been the only Republican Senator, and he also had an independent streak.

I'll just say this, SS...when you get your name and face out there for live interviews, we'll see how perfect you are. After all, you can hide right now and edit any mistakes you make before posting.

My bad, you actually stand by your mistakes when you make them and still say they're right. Silly me.

Street Sweeper said...

Man, the haters are out late tonight.

We don't need to compare Kleeb to us. We compare him to -- and simply give him the same scrutiny as the Dems give -- all the other (announced) candidates.

Not to mention, Kleeb is a big boy. I'm sure he can handle the scrutiny. Too bad the same can't be said of his supporters.

Now back to Game 2...

Anonymous said...

If Kleeb is the man I think he is (or should be) he will stay at home, raise the kids, and run for political office there in Hastings.

He has never voted for life changing legislation or ordinances. He is a political novice that is mediocre in his rhetoric and without substance on issues --- other than what his donor, George Soros ALLOWS his koolaid drinkers to expound on.

He needs to show more stability by getting a full time job.

Scott said in the NTV interview that he learned so much about Nebraska during the 3rd District campaign. That gain in knowledge is understandable since he lived in Italy, Turkey, Colorado and Yaleyville much longer than he lived in Nebraska.

Please Scott take your 10 point thumping as a suggestion box prophecy and mature a bit before you come out again.

Anonymous said...

Is it that Kleeb is the first true liberal to run for national office here in Nebraska in a while, or ever, that has the far-left so worked up? I can't tell if their excitement and passion should be called rabid, energetic, or euphoric.

Kleeb can try to recant the history of Nebraska's U.S. Senators all he wants, that's fine. But he lacks perspective.

Nebraskan's have voted for the best person during each election. Nebraskan's views have also changed with time, and elected officials have come and gone who represented those views during each era.

The last Senatorial election is a good example. Ben Nelson does a pretty decent job of representing Nebraska. That's why he was reelected so overwhelmingly. He may be a Democrat in a red state, but he's also considered "a problem child" within his own party because he sides with Republicans on many issues. He's even considered conservative on things like the 2nd Amendment. His insistence on Bushes judicial nominations getting an up or down vote have him hated by the far left. I see him as a guy who tries to represent the majority of Nebraskan's, not necessarily his party line. You could say he too has an independent streak.

There was a time when Chuck Hagel represented Nebraskan's well and had an independent streak, but not any more. The war and illegal immigration are blaring examples. He went from having an independent streak to not representing Nebraska, at all. Maybe he knows that and lists that as a reason not to run again?

Now re-enter Scott Kleeb. A true liberal who does not and could not represent Nebraska. He shares very little in common with the majority of Nebraskan's. There is nothing independent about him, it's just liberal. His associations with Soros and the Daily Kos crowd, as well as his base of support from the Bay area are examples of where his allegiances and ideology lie. Way out there on the left. Way out.

Even with independent streaks, Hagel and Nelson still shared many of the same ideas and views that most Nebraskan's have. The same can not be said of Kleeb.

George Norris is a legend. Scott Kleeb even trying to spin his name into the legend of George Norris or weaving himself into a hundred years of Nebraska history is as insane as Bill Callahan trying to weave his name into the coaching legacy of T.O.

That much lack of perspective and respect is a lack of character.

Nebraskan's are smart people. They can see which way to turn and who to turn to for leadership.

They were smart enough to not elect Kleeb once, they'll turn him down again if he runs for Senate, or even Congress.

ptg said...

Kleeb is a leftist idiot. His apologists and psychic translators are just disappointed because their prophesied second coming of rockin' Bob Kerrey failed.

Anonymous said...

I'm still laughing about 4:05 anon's Nazi reference. For future reference: in an argument, whoever calls the other side Nazis first loses.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't Mr. Kleeb have enough to worry about now that he is raising TWO children along with Ms. Flemming?

Anonymous said...

It's so demoralizing to be a Nebraska Democrat.

--Heath M.

Ness said...

The Abominable Kyle Michaelis?
How does that have anything to do with Pretty Boy Scotty? While I disagree politically with almost all of Kyle's beliefs, I respect him for standing up for what he feels the right thing is, however misled it may be. But don't you see that by definition if you didn't have people like Kyle, you won't be able to think deeper about the important issues and seek a reasonable solution of the many problems this nation faces.

As to pretty boy Scott speaking loosely about history, hey - have you talked to a high school or even a college history class? Compared to the playing field, Kleeb is your regular history buff.

(I propose an initative to make history a mandatory 4 year course in high school, and at least three semesters in college.)