Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Waiting on Kerrey


As we wait (and wait, and wait) for New York’s own Bob Kerrey to make up his mind about moving to Nebraska so that he can move to Washington, we have to go back to his goofy Friday email to former radio host, and now Omaha City Weekly blogger, Steve Brown. Brown had emailed Kerrey to get his thoughts on Hal Daub dropping out, etc.

And we still can’t get over Kerrey’s transparently phony, pandering, condescending bit of palaver thrown down from Kerrey’s ivory tower. In his response to Brown, Bob decided to wax poetic about Fly-Over Country.

Kerrey told Brown how he’s “calling all his friends” in Nebraska.

"One friend had to turn his combine off in order to hear…"
(Oooh gee gosh jiminy! I’m here in New York City with cars honking and subways rumbling and this guy was, get this, on a TRACTOR! He he he, this is so neat!)

"Another just returned from checking his fences..."
(CHECKING FENCES! Oh wait ‘til I tell the other New Yorkers down at the bagel shop about THAT one! They won’t even know what that means!)

Then Kerrey, sipping a delicate Pinot Noir, gets philosophic:
“The harvest is underway, the yields are good and prices high.”
Um, yeah Bob, but are you going to leave your home in New York City?

“That’s why I worry about a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq…”
Bob are you going to move to Nebraska?
“…it’s why I worry about the future costs of entitlements…”
So you’re running, or you’re not running?

“blah blah blah Republicans should worry…”
Uh, yeah, great Bob, get back to us when you have something to say. OK? Thanks.

***

If Kerrey decides he’s not going to run, next everyone will look at Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey. But you don’t need to look much further than Fahey’s comments on Hal Daub’s departure to get a sense where Fahey is.

“I certainly understand why, at this time, he chose to vacate, and I wish him all the best.”
In other words, “Uh, yeah, me too.”

So that means the potato falls in Scott Kleeb’s lap, right? But these days many view Kleeb as being more interested in trying again against Congressman Adrian Smith than being the sacrificial lamb to the Johanns Juggernaut © (that’s right, it's OUR nickname).

(But if Kerrey does decide against running, we think it would be a smooth move to announce it at Hastings College and immediately endorse Kleeb. He’d be passing the torch, right? Make it happen Jane.)

And whither Anthony Raimondo? We’re not sure what his story is (though at least one commenter claims he plans to stay in the GOP).

***
And as long as we’re getting long-winded, a final note about that Don Walton poll story and his follow-up on Monday.

Don suggested that because he buried his mention of poll in the 12th paragraph of his story, it shouldn’t get as much attention. Huh? So we should instead focus on Mike Johanns' Kenyan Roast and ignore that flaming spear that’s been thrown down? C’mon Don.

All that being said, let’s see what the three polls looked like, prior to the Daub pull-out:

Of course, with Daub pulling out, all these numbers change. Though with Bruning getting on the radio and screaming about the Phantom Poll © (can anyone give Leavenworth Street credit?) and calling Johanns “Bush’s lapdog”, it’s possible that Johanns will hit 80% in the next poll…

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here we go again - Pandering Bob talking Nebraskan while voting...well...New Yorker style in Washington.

This letter is perhaps the most the worst attempt yet to try to "reconnect" with Nebraska. What's next, the price of a gallon of milk in Scotts Bluff? Please...

Despite Bob's advanced crop and Nebraska ballball knowledge from New York, he will find a state that is far less willing to vote for another liberal - no matter how right they pander and speak. The only exception withh be the Omaha media who will continue to encourage their good friend Bob to run...as they trun down their combines :)

“Steve,
I have been calling friends in Nebraska the past couple of days and had forgotten how important all these folks are to me. One friend had to turn his combine off in order to hear and another just returned from checking his fences with his daughter. A third was watching his son win a golf match. A fourth told me about his late grandson’s friendship with Joba Chamberlain. The harvest is underway, the yields are good and prices high. But it is the fact that we - they - are harvesting a crop they planted five months ago that always moves me to remember one of the Bible’s best instructions: Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

That’s why I worry about a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, it’s why I worry about the future costs of entitlements and is why Republicans should worry about the withdrawal of a two term member of Congress with considerable talent, energy and courage.

Bob

Anonymous said...

You heard it here first. 2008 GOP primary results: Johanns 85%, Bruning 15%.

Eric said...

I personally just want to know what Joba Chamberlain thinks. He's proven you can be both a Husker and a Yankee.

Street Sweeper said...

Eric,

I'm fairly sure you just wrote Bob Kerrey's first ad.

But then again, I'm not sure Joba would run for Mayor of New York in the off season...

Anonymous said...

That Kerrey continues to ponder (or is that posture) is indicative of the fact that there may be some truth to the NRSC poll numbers. If Daub's poll is right - and I tend to trust his poll as he has nothing to gain by divulging it - then Bruning hasn't even broken 20. If that's true it is possible that Johanns is anywhere between 40 and 60. That is what the phantom poll supposedly says. If the phantom poll is legit, then of course Kerry is tentative to run. Johanns will get the GOP nod with little effort (read: money spent). It's even possible that Bruning will concede early...then Kerry is screwed. His only chance is that the GOP nominee emerges with scars and little money. That he continues to ponder means that he believes the GOP nominee won't emerge that way.

Anonymous said...

Does the primary mean anything to Kerrey? He gets the nod in the February Caucus and runs unopposed in the primary with little expenditure.

Something else is on Kerrey's mind. I still think he will be a no-show.

Anonymous said...

I think that Nebraska must not be good enough for this version of the next generation for Bob!

Anonymous said...

Senate candidate Jon Bruning = Kerrey campaign chairman

Anonymous said...

Steve Brown just posted a transcript of his questions to Ben Nelson about Kerrey running on his Omaha City Weekly blog. Sure sounds like ex-gov, ex-sen Moonbeam is going to take a shot. Doesn't look like the dems have anyone else waiting in the wings that they even think has a valid chance.

Anonymous said...

I don't know Omasteak. Go back and re-read it. Nelson says nothing and is typical Nelson non-committal speak: "he's looking to run. He's carefully considering it." It says he's making calls (to people on combines) and doing the right things before he makes his decision. I'm taking nickel bets he doesn't run -it's been too long; he's too NYC; and I'm hearing that Mrs. Kerrey has no interest in coming to Nebraska.

Anonymous said...

Forget Bob Kerrey. What about our next vice president, E. Benjamin Nelson?

According to NewsTalk 1400, KLIN, U.S. Senator Ben Nelson has rebuffed speculation
that he's being considered as a running mate for Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Nebraska Democrat says that while he's flattered by the rumors, he remains focused on his job in the Senate. Nelson is linked to Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in the 2008 race, in a recent column written by syndicated political columnist Marianne Means that put him on a short list of potential running mates.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. What a joke. My side is still hurting.

Looks like Nelson's press boy, David DiMartino (a good Massachusetts liberal) has been working overtime.

Oh, by the way, Nelson says he can't disclose whether any candidate has approached him about running as vice president. But, he says, were he asked he'd think about it.

We've discovered just how envious of Chuck Hagel ol' farmer Ben really was. Pathetic as an oversized ten-cent hairpiece.

Anonymous said...

I remember vividly when Dick Cheney interviewed Hagel for the VP ticket and decided to take the job himself. Cheney isn't as dumb as he's made out to be.

I saw the story about Earmark being considered and thought he might want to take it. There is no guarantee he will be able to hold his present day job on the next go-around. I wonder if Ricketts still has his Turkey commercial?

Anonymous said...

Hey One-
If Nelson ran with Clinton and Ricketts put his turkey ad on the air again, Clinton might just carry NE. I think most people give that ad most of the credit for destroying Pete's credibility, electibility, and his future in NE politics. It also cemented Nelson's lead and lead to that thrashing.

I thought Ben Nelson got 41% of the GOP vote. How's that gonna slip away?

Anonymous said...

One other thing...

It's funny anyone would think Nelson jealous of Hagel. Seems to me that back in 2004 Hagel had to pimp himself out as the source of the story - on the record - that folks in the Dem Party approached him about running with John Kerry.

Story had nobody but Hagel confirming it.

In Nelson's case he gets a mention in a political column. Very different from claiming you are being sought out and confirming your own story.

Anonymous said...

Kid GOP must be close to Pat Flynn. He's obviously high.

Anonymous said...

There is no way the dems would risk losing Benator's seat. The fact that Hillary would recruit him as a VP is laughable. Nebraska's 5 electoral votes really don't get her anywhere. Even if he was, Gov. Dave wouldn't pick that coward pansy Pete Ricketts who didn't even have the stones to stand up to his campaign manager.

Anonymous said...

lots of news the past two days is SS on vacation? We need our fix

Anonymous said...

Anon...

Cosmic says he isn't so sure Bruning can't beat Johanns in the primary. I would have to say that either one can beat Kerrey in the final wash on a bad day.

Interestting that T.O. was first consideration for SecAg over Johanns...Bruning keeps tripping over his tail and everyone wishes Kerrey would stay in school. SS is just taking a break...separating the facts from the assumptions.

Street Sweeper said...

Work's been bearing down. We'll have a new post up soon...
-SS