2008 Politician of the Year

Like most sports, Politics is more often that not, a TEAM sport. With that in mind, Leavenworth Street's 2008 Nebraska Politician of the Year, is turning into the plural:

The David Sokol Cabal

Not since the City of Lincoln stole the state capital from Omaha has there been as bold a power move that went on in Omaha just prior to the 2008 College World Series.

David Sokol, Chairman of MidAmerican Energy, possible successor to Warren Buffet at Berkshire, and mainly (in this scenario) member of the Omaha's MECA board that oversees the Qwest Center (and now the new College World Series Stadium) had been a thorn in the side of Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey.

Fahey had been dealing with the NCAA about whether to tear down the venerable Rosenblatt Stadium, where to put a new one, how it should be done. But Sokol, arguably better connected to the NCAA than Fahey, kept pushing on the details.

Fahey wanted to put it in Lot D. MECA -- with Sokol and Hal Daub leading the way -- wouldn't let him. Fahey tried once before to change the makeup of MECA -- to put it under the Omaha city government, but failed.

But after Sokol messed with his voter registration, Fahey saw his big chance. Because he was technically no longer an Omahan, Fahey booted Sokol off the board!

For a day.

And then what happened?

The REAL mayors of Omaha put their collective feet down.
We'll call them the Sokol Cabal. You can guess the names that had their input.
We'll just say that it's possible (we're not saying it's a "fact" for all you litigators out there) that their initials could be MY or WS or even -- yes even -- WB.

And then Mike Fahey's office put out a meek little statement that said he was told to put Sokol back on the board, and that was exactly what he was doing.

And we never heard another peep.

That friends, is a political POWER play.

And that earns the Sokol Cabal the title of Leavenworth Street Nebraska Politicians of the Year.


***

But wait! Why isn't the PotY?...

Mike Johanns

We had a lot of assumptions that MJ would be the easy pick for 2008. However, after consideration, we decided that his year wasn't 2008 -- it was 2007.

2007 was the year that Mike Johanns won his Senate race. Returning to Nebraska from his seat as Ag Secretary, Johanns pushed out all other serious contenders.

Back to his (temporary?) post as New York New School President went Cosmic Bob Kerrey.
Over to a Mayoral run went Hal Daub.
Back to the AG's office went Jon Bruning.
Heck, out of the party went Tony Raimondo.

And from there on Johanns was able to run a purely positive campaign, running the more than ten points ahead that he always was.

And partly it's not Johanns's fault that he's not PotY. Part of the blame has to go to Democrat candidate Scott Kleeb. Had he run an actual race against Johanns, things might have worked out differently. Kleeb might have only lost by ten points (like against Adrian Smith).

Instead, Kleeb pretended like he was ten points ahead, running his generic ads about roping and cowboying and fathering and Nebraska values. He forgot that he needed to attack Johanns in order to beat him -- to give voters a reason to change their minds.

And the funny thing is that Kleeb had no problem attacking Johanns in debates, or in the press. But Kleeb badly lost the ad war and gave the race to Johanns on a silver platter.

And for that reason, we give Johanns extra props for his moves in 2007 (and await them in 2009)...

***

Some others from 2008...

Nebraska Team Obama

There was a point in the Presidential race of 2008 where politicos were pointing to Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District -- where Electoral Votes were famously split -- and questioning whether the 2nd could be THE battle ground of an evenly split Presidential race.

But Congressman Lee Terry's campaign manager David Boomer (at least we think it was Boomer) pointed out that while the 2nd was likely Republican, it could go to Obama -- but only if he didn't really need it.
And that's just what happened.

So with that in mind, we have to give Nebraska's Obama campaign team much credit and kudos for grabbing that Electoral vote -- but only when it didn't really matter.

We doff our caps to John Berge (pictured, right) and the vols who registered voters and got them to the polls -- early!

But in the end, we couldn't give them the PotY. Why? Because they couldn't get their voters to follow through with the prize that actually mattered in the end: the Congressional Seat. And that's why we also cite...

***

Team Lee Terry

"Obama-Terry Voter Anyone?"

It was a quote heard round the internets, whenever writers wanted to cite a Republican who was willing to reach out to Obama voters.

The funny thing was, Terry campaign manager David Boomer's ad was (initially anyway) only placed in a little Omaha arts magazine with a readership of the coffee-house and clubbing crowd.

But it picked up steam.

And, as the ad-war showed, Terry wasn't about to take 2008 lying down, like he had in 2006 against the unknown Jim Esch.

Esch turned his back on his old promise to not take dirty-filthy PAC money, and thus was able to wage a real ad war himself.

And then came in Big Daddy Barack.

With the Obama camp pouring money and volunteers and offices into the Omaha metro, Esch was ready to be a hobo on that gravy train and ride the rails to Washington.

Except that he was Jim Esch.

And the Terry campaign didn't let the voters forget that.

So when faced with being represented by a hard-working family man who had proved himself a reasonable legislator versus a trust-fund party-boy who was looking for a new adventure, voters decided you could only have so much "change".

Say what you want, but Team Terry pulled it out.

***

Team Mike Fahey

Team Fahey? Well, was there ever really a Fahey move without Paul Landow?

We've listed above what went down with Fahey when he tried his power move against the Movers & Shakers.

And we've all watched as Fahey has dealt with leveling Rosenblatt, dealing with a recall, building a new stadium, dealing with the Royals, dealing with NoDo businessmen...

And then cashing it all in.

Because Fahey's legacy will no doubt be the new College World Series Stadium. And who knows what that will be like?

Oh sure, we can look at the architect's plans and see the new shiny thing.

But you know what? In ten years, it won't be shiny anymore. Heck in two years the luster of the newness will have faded.

And what will it REALLY be like? Will the carnival atmosphere that so many loved still be there? Will there be easy parking? Will there stifling heat (with no top-of-the-hill Rosenblatt breezes)? Will NoDo businesses pop up to bring the area alive?

And what about the other eleven months? Will it sit empty? Will the NCAA allow other events? (We'll just assume that Dennis Poppe will frown on a Toboggan Run from the scoreboard into second base.) Will there be professional baseball? Can NoDo survive without it as an anchor? Will the costs plague the city?

Whenever these questions, and all the others, are asked and answered, people will look back to Fahey.
Heck maybe it should be called Fahey Stadium.

Just be careful that people don't spit when they say it.

***

And 2009?

We got the Omaha Mayor's race heating up, and will no doubt get white-hot.

We've already got maneuvering for the 2010 Governors race -- and if you remember the moves that happened for the Senate race the year before, you know 2009 will be big for the Guv's seat.

And surprises? There are always surprises.
That's what makes politics fun.
And that's why we're here.
And why you're here.
And why we'll see you next year.

Happy New Year and thanks for coming to Leavenworth Street!

Out with the Old...

Where will we be in 2009 without Scott Kleeb to SAB around?
Well, in any case, we have one last Separated at Birth for Mr. Kleeb sent in by a reader...

Post-losing-election, salt-and-pepper bearded Kleeb and post-losing-election, salt-and-pepper bearded AlGore.

***

We have heard from outgoing Omaha City Council President Dan Welch, and it doesn't sound like there is going to be any announcement today -- despite his repeated statements that he would announce his decision on a Mayoral run by the end of the year.

But he still has a few hours left.

We've been informed that he has been talking to a prospective, and well-known, campaign manager. We've been told that he has an organization ready to roll if he pulls the trigger. And we've been told that he'll have enough cash pledged to jump in the race.

And in Joe Jordan's recent report, Welch stated that "voters tell him they're not happy with the three who are running".

Sounds like a campaign to us.  But there are still plenty of factors to keep him out -- the biggest being: Can he beat the other three?

Looks like we'll have to wait until next year to find out...

***

The Leavenworth Street Nebraska Politician of the Year will be up around 11:00 am (CST) today.

Ya'll come back now, ya hear!

2008 Quotes of the Year

2008 Quotes of the Year

January

I stayed loyal but obviously Fred’s campaign didn’t have the flair I had hoped it would.
- early Fred Thompson supporter, Lee Terry

Scott Kleeb's Senate fever may be fading away. Kleeb is apparently having trouble getting the financial backing needed to make a Senate run.

- KMTV (in Jan 08)

All 100 Senators oughta be on the line on this. If you want a safe job, go sell shoes.
- Chuck Hagel to his Senate colleagues

And we have a mortgage. And you wouldn’t believe who’s paying for that mortgage. My wife as you know, as Kris alluded to, is on TV quite a bit, she’s on FOX News believe it or not. She’s the Democrat on FOX news. She and Alan Colmes. So I’m here to say thank you to Shepherd Smith. To say thank you to Sean Hannity. To say thank you to John Gibson for paying for my mortgage. That is absolutely the best thing that FOX News has ever done.

- Scott Kleeb to a Democrat gathering

(Kleeb's wife later reported that she actually doesn't "make a dime" from  her appearances on FOX...)

I lost by 10,321 votes ...not that I counted.
- Kleeb (who actually lost his 2006 race by 20,641 votes)

February
Scott comes out of education. I come out of business. What has business had to do with the last two decades. Change. Change. Change.

- new Democrat Senate candidate, Tony Raimondo

Kleeb said the biggest difference between the two is that he, unlike his opponent, has always been a Democrat.
- OWH

March

If I'd have an opportunity to play a significant role in a significant position -

 if all the right pieces were there - sure you'd have to consider something like that.
- Chuck Hagel, on whether he would serve in an Obama cabinet

That's a picture of Mac Davis. A great entertainer.

- Hagel on an early 70's pic of himself.

We shouldn't have sped, we should have timed it better. I take full responsibility.
- Scott Kleeb after losing his license to drive.



April

Leavenworth Street has learned that (Tom) Osborne will retire his position as Athletic Director and will mount a late write-in campaign for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate against Mike Johanns.

- Someone's idea of an April Fool's Day joke...

There is one blog on the Republican side that I absolutely love. And it's called "LeavenStreetWorth.'"

- Jane Fleming Kleeb


Husband and parent

- Scott Kleeb ad bullet point (as opposed to his 2006 ads: "Bachelor playboy")


I think I'm going to have to go back and read Roe v. Wade. What am I missing here?
- Tony Raimondo


We'll pay whatever it costs to take this test to prove that I'm not taking drugs. Obviously, I have nothing to hide.

- Jim Esch on Richard Carter's request for a urine sample

May

...The best Democrat to face Johanns

- OWH's endorsement of Tony Raimondo

Esch says he's convinced Raimondo is the most qualified candidate.
- when Esch endorsed Raimondo over Kleeb


If Mr. Esch was still in law school, he would have been kicked out.

- Lee Terry campaign manager David Boomer on Jim Esch's website plagiarism


We are going to be the best person to beat Mike Johanns
- Scott Kleeb

I'll think about that later.

- Tony Raimondo when asked if he would support Kleeb in the general election

It's not a Hal thing.
- State Sen. Brad Ashford on why he won't run for Mayor of Omaha.

I don't intend to be and don't expect to be on any ballot this year.  I don't intend to be or expect to be in any administration next year.

- Senator Chuck Hagel

June

MECA is one of our more prestigious boards, and there are many qualified and deserving people in our community.
- Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey, after kicking David Sokol off the MECA board

Mayor Mike Fahey was advised this morning that the private funding for the new downtown baseball stadium would be in jeopardy if David Sokol was not reappointed to the MECA board.
- statement from the Mayor's office, then next day...

Fahey’s act of booting Sokol from MECA for not being a registered voter here was dirty pool.  (And re leasing it after the new NCAA contract was signed? Interesting.) This was about the mayor wiping out an adversary.

-OWH's Tom Shatel


It's hard to imagine that (delegates) are going to vote on someone at the Democratic Convention who's anti-choice, anti-civil rights for gays and anti-gun control.

- Bob Kerrey on the possibility of a Vice-President Hagel

Thank you all...I have to go since I promised my wife I'd take her to Sex and the City tonight and it's starting in four minutes!

- Scott Kleeb

July

Nebraska families cannot afford Jim Esch.
- Former Dem House candidate Richard Carter, endorsing Lee Terry


I could get an axe murderer, I could get a serial rapist and put him up here and say ‘this is Jim Esch, vote for him, he’s here with you.’ and everybody would clap. They don’t know what he looks like. Is Jim Esch here now? How are you going to vote for him? They sent a flunkie because black people are so dumb and so easily tricked that the white man sends his flunkie.
- State Sen. Ernie Chambers

It's time for a new Mayor to take up where I left off.
- Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey

August

Who's going to be the keynoter at the Democratic convention?

Oh, my money's on Chuck Hagel.
- MSNBC's Chuck Todd answering Tom Brokaw (it ended up being Virginia's Mark Warner)


I think the Right to Life side is a little more extremist
-Jim Esch

The on-the-ground impression I got was that this region is in a very difficult place right now.
- Jim Esch, reporting from Ahghanistan

A cowboy is somebody who’s concerned with things in the world in which he lives. The creak of leather as you’re riding a horse. The shadows as the sun sets. Dew on a cow’s back. The smell of rain. The smell of cut hay.
- Scott Kleeb waxing nostalgically to New Yorkers

September

I’ve now been told that, as a condition of his early support, Ben Nelson told Barack Obama that Chuck Hagel should not, could not and would not be called to serve in a new democrat administration. That pretty much solves the Hagel as Secretary of Anything question.

- L. St. correspondent Jordan McGrain at the GOP convention


To be honest with you, I don't read the blogs because I think I'd go insane probably.
- Jim Esch

I'm sorry you don't understand the process, but yes it was. It was a standalone bill incorporated into the energy bill.
- Lee Terry, responding to Jim Esch on the Hill-Terry Bill

Has anyone ever personally asked for your vote like I am now?
-  Scott Kleeb after crashing an Omaha Bar Assoc. gig

$8.87 / gallon
- the price of gas Kleeb's campaign listed in an ad


$6.71 / gallon
- the price of gas The Reader photo-shopped into a story about Lee Terry

October

A skunk with a bow.
- Ben Nelson describing the Wall St. bailout bill

You never know when you're going to stumble across an idea that actually works.
- Jim Esch


Obama-Terry Voter anyone?

- Lee Terry ad


Scott (Kleeb)might have hurt his back leg on that, because that's the biggest stretch I have ever heard.
- Mike Johanns


It is ironic that (Congressman Lee Terry) is mocked so snidely by some in his district, given the reality that he has pursued a serious-minded, unegotistical approach to his public service.
- OWH Editorial


He was just a ranchhand, and he worked here probably a total of seven or eight months.
- Scott Kleeb's former boss, on Kleeb's career as a cowboy.

Energy: All options are on the table.
- "Jim Esch for Congress" website

My feeling on ANWR is to take that off the table.
- Esch, the week before the election.

We don’t breathe the same air as Cheney or Rove. We cancel social engagements if we look at the list and see that they’re on it.
-Mrs. Chuck Hagel

November

I love this state and I believe I love it more than Adrian Smith

-3rd D Congressional candidate Jay Stoddard

Can you imagine what it would be like today if your mill levy was sixty-two and a half cents a hundred?
- Hal Daub


I don't talk to channel 7.
- City Councilman Frank Brown

December

Look, I understand that the whole world is going “green” right now, but I don’t think that means we have to recycle our mayoral candidates.
-Mayoral candidate Jim Vokal


You look at how high it's gonna be, and how you could do twists and turns all the way down into the infield, and uh, how you could generate snow...-Mayor candidate Jim Suttle proposing a toboggan run inside the new downtown CWS baseball stadium


The council needs be in lockstep with the Mayor.
- Councilman and Mayoral candidate Suttle

Tri-Vokals

Happy Winter everyone.

We start your frozen day with a Separated at Birth dilemma. What to do about Councilman and Mayoral candidate Jim Vokal?

Well, we scoured the internets and found a couple likenesses. As was the case with fellow chrome-domer, Pete Ricketts, we immediately went the Lex Luthor route, and discovered...

Jim Vokal and Lex Luthor in Smallville, Michael Rosenbaum:

But Rosenabaum didn't have the Vokal eyes, so we then found...
Jim Vokal and wide-eyed actor J.P. Manoux...

But Manoux's noggin didn't quite work. So we took the only logical route...

Jim Vokal and Rosenbaum/Manoux!

***

Lots of back and forth regarding the aforementioned Vokal's proposals lately. His police auditor plan is getting reviewed by many (and who made the UNO prof auditor queen-bee?).

And then there is his fairly extensive plan for the city budget.

Now putting out such a detailed document is a fairly risky political move. On the one hand you can be seen as a go-getter and planner for the city. On the other hand, you're setting out all of your specific proposals for specific criticism. But, that comes with the territory.

So we found Councilman and also Mayor candidate Jim Suttle's reaction very...curious:

I think it is out of place we have one Mayor and we have to re-enforce what the Mayor is going so the council needs be in lockstep with the Mayor and let him and his department heads do their jobs. (emphasis added)

So let us get this straight: Suttle doesn't think a City Councilman should make suggestions on how his constituents' tax dollars should be spent? What is he, a potted plant? Suttle thinks he should just sit back and go along with whatever the Mayor says? Really???

Well then look for Councilman Kookypants to propose, along with his Papal Toboggan run, eliminating the City Council all together. If they're just going to be in "lock-step" with the Mayor, why bother giving them seats in the first place? 

We know!  Convert the council chambers to a warming shed for those chilly tobogganers. (There's an idea! It doesn't have to make any sense! It's an IDEA!)

***

And finally we see that former Nebraskan, New Yorker Cosmic Bob Kerrey is making even more news.

After the no-confidence vote from his faculty at the New School University in Greenwich Village, Kerrey decided to take the bull by the horns and...start a blog.

No, really.

You see, that's what all those crazy-kids are into these days -- web logging, Face Booking, Twittering -- you know, internet stuff.

And his first post was entitled, "My First Post". (Why didn't WE think of that!)

But aside from all that, what really cracked us up is the aggressive use by Kerrey of his University title -- "President".

"Blogging with President Bob Kerrey"
"President Kerrey invites you to share your thoughts on the topic of the day"

My, Bob sure is an "Executive". Is he also "Commander in Chief" of the campus police force? Will he be doing fire-side blogging? Does he ride to work on "Subway One"?

(To get another view on the toned down use of titles, note those at Nebraska and Creighton.)

We all remember Kerrey's run for President of the United States. Obviously, it wasn't really the Oval Office that he wanted. He just wanted the stationery.

Vokal's vivsection

City Councilman and Mayor candidate Jim Vokal put out a document with his proposed budget cuts this afternoon.

Vokal says that the cuts will add up to $5.2 million in savings for the city.

We didn't see the doc in the online version of the paper, so take a look at the details right here (and provide your comments):

R.I.P. Steve Brown

A quick post this Monday morning to say, Rest in Peace, Steve Brown.

Brown, a staple to Omaha talk radio for many years, most recently on KFAB, passed away suddenly on Saturday.

Here is the OWH's story on his passing.

If you listen to Omaha radio, you've no doubt heard Steve. He had a bombastic personality, and you could tell that he enjoyed what he did. He talked politics and culture and never left you wondering what his position was.

Omaha will miss his voice.

Steve contacted us not that long ago, and passed along -- in what had become his trademark blogging voice, ALL CAPS -- this compliment to us at Leavenworth Street:

I DON'T ALWAYS GUSH ABOUT MEDIA STUFF, BUT IN YOUR CASE, I'M MAKING AN EXCEPTION.

WE HAVE A REAL DEARTH OF MEANINGFUL, YET ENTERTAINING STUFF IN WRITING, THAT'S GENERATED AROUND HERE,

BUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS MOVING THE PERFORMANCE PEG OVER, SEVERAL NOTCHES.

KEEP IT UP, AND CALL OR E-ME IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT.

One of the best compliments we ever got.

We never got the chance appear on Steve's show, but at least now he knows our identity.

Requiem in Pace.

Friday Fun...

First, a couple of Separated at Births, both suggested by intrepid Leavenworth Street readers, inspired by this week's events:

Disgraced Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich and former Illinoisan, and briefly Nebraskan, Bill Callahan!

and...

Hard-nosed Democrat, Blagojevich and hard-nosed Democrat, former A.G. Janet Reno!

***

These days we're getting a kick out of the number of hits here on Leavenworth Street based on the old pics we had up from the dust-up between 2nd District Rep. Lee Terry and Illinois Rep., and now notorious "Senate Candidate 5", Jesse Jackson, Jr.

You may remember his Kung-Fu pics that we discovered, which quickly made their way around the web. Of course, now everyone is following up on JJJ to see what his latest moves are.

***

Notta mucho going on in the Omaha Mayor's race, except lots of dialing for dollahs.

We will give a shout-out to the Hal Daub campaign for their top-notch web-site up. We really like the testimonial videos they have. They do a much better job of selling Hal, than simply having Hal or a narrator talk at you. 

We could easily see this as a theme in their TV ads.

We understand the Vokal camp will expand their site beyond the splash-page soon enough.

Don't know about the (lame) Suttle site.

***

You've probably read about the no-confidence vote  that former Nebraska Governor/Senator/Nebraskan, bridge-to-nowhere-builder, Bob Kerrey received from nearly entire tenured faculty at his New School University in Greenwich Village, New York.  

You wonder if Cosmic Bob wishes he had decided to take on Mike Johanns after all...

***

Retiring Omaha City Councilman Dan Welch is still mulling over a run for the Mayor's office. He has given himself 19 more days to make up his mind. 

It would really throw a monkey-wrench into the dynamics of the race. But if party-politics play into it, you'd have to say it would help Councilman Toboggan-run, no?

We also heard a rumor of one-more big name getting in, but at this point we still think and hear that it is so unlikely we're not even going to mention it.

We'll just say that if that person got in, it would turn the race on its head.

***

We're still accepting noms for the Leavenworth Street Nebraska Politician of the Year!

Happy fighting-the-shopping-crowds weekend!

Tuesday rambling...

A quick post this afternoon:

1) Be sure to get your nomination in for the 2008 Leavenworth Street Nebraska Politician of the Year.

2) How about the deal with the Democrat Illinois Governor? The funny thing is, there would seem to be others who will be named in this deal. But the Feds don't come in until they've got the goods on you. Who will be next?

3) And on that note, a quick SAB sent in by a former Ricketts for Senate peep:

Disgraced Democrat Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich 

and highly respected and all-around good guy, former Ricketts staffer, Nathan Mick.

4) Sure Governor Dave's plea to change the Presidential electoral vote is a barn door/horses already out situation, but it's a good thing to address it anyway. Is proportional distribution of electoral votes by CD a good thing? Possibly. But then it should either be a good thing for every state, or good for none.

The Presidential election system, starting with the primary system (and the ridiculousness of the timing and the primaries/caucuses) needs to be fixed. Who better to initiate it than the Governors? Guv Heineman, we're looking your way.

5) We appreciate that Joe Jordan addresses politics in Omaha in a way that few others on the TV stations do. Like him or hate him, he asks pointed and sometimes insightful questions. And he keeps his pieces interesting (if not self-serving).

We just wish that if he is going rip off our idea, he just go ahead and use the pic that we did that was much better. (Jordan's below)

And a link would be nice.

(And thanks to KFAB's Scott Voorhees for NOT ripping us off and providing a link.)

2008 Politician of the Year noms

It is that time of year again. Time to look back at the year that was and name the 2008 Leavenworth Street Politician of the Year!

And, as always, we want YOUR input!

You can look back at our PotY winners of 2006 and 2007 to get an idea.

So, reaching back to 2006, here are the standards:

A Politician may be described as “Anyone involved in Nebraska politics”.

Therefore it could be an office holder, a candidate, a campaign worker, a political party worker, a consultant, a member of the media – just about anyone you can think of involved in Nebraska politics.

That person should be judged on their influence making, news making, difference making, interesting-ness or any other thing that you would like to take into account.

Leavenworth Street will then laboriously sift through these suggestions, and any others we may come up with, to announce our Nebraska Politician of the Year.

You can list your nominee, and the reasons behind that nomination, in the comments section, or you can email them directly to us at leavenworthst@gmail.com.

We will announce the winner at some point the week after Christmas (but before 2009).

Let's hear from you!

Suttle's Pope-dream

Remember the movie "Night Shift" where Michael Keaton's character was an "idea man" who constantly came up with brain flashes?

Microwave pants! (Bake a potato in your pocket!)
Just feed the tuna fish mayonnaise!
Edible paper! (You eat it, it's gone!)

Well, Omaha City Councilman and announced Mayoral candidate Jim Suttle has given new meaning to the term "idea man", as evidenced in his recent interview with KFAB's Scott Voorhees. We present a brief outtake here, and ask you to please watch this two-minute masterpiece...



For those of you who couldn't watch, Councilman Suttle suggests for the balance of time that the new stadium is free, we

1) Get Archbishop Elden Curtiss to get Pope Benedict to come to the new stadium. (Because, you know, why wouldn't the Pope want to roll in and do a few gigs to help Omaha pay for their baseball stadium.)

and

2) wait for it...Put in a.... TOBOGGAN RUN!

We kid you not. He really said it.

You see:

"You look at how high it's gonna be, and how you could do twists and turns all the way down into the infield, and uh, how you could generate snow..."

And, yes, he seems to be serious about this proposal.

A few months back Councilman Suttle was railing against the whole idea of the new stadium, trying to save Rosenblatt. Sure, that was an OK idea. Lots of people agreed with that concept.

But Suttle's plan for how to generate the needed money for the stadium was almost (almost) as goofy as his Papal Toboggan Run.

We ridiculed him back then for his idea for a five-county tax -- including counties in Nebraska and Iowa -- to pay for improvements to Rosenblatt. We labeled him Councilman Kookypants. (It alliterated.)

But we never thought we'd see him come up with something this goofy.

Now we are just waiting for what comes next.
(Please leave your ideas in the comments section.)

***

How about Governor Dave Heineman passing along economic advice to President-elect Obama, in an envelope? That takes some gumption these days, eh?

By the way, Heineman is a former Airborne Ranger. He ain't afraid of much.

***

For your Mayoral campaign website clicking pleasure:
Hal Daub
Jim Suttle
Jim Vokal
Van Argyrakis
Jerry Odom

Vokal makes it three

Jim Vokal's campaign for Mayor is now, officially, in full swing.

It has been getting there for some time now, with Sunday's "town hall" call pushing it to the brink. Vokal robo-called 70,000 registered voters in Omaha, and then allowed them to take part in the follow up live call. A reported 5,000 stuck around to hear Vokal's live voice and vision for City Hall.

An interesting tactic by Vokal and campaign manager Jordan McGrain (who blogged the GOP convention in St. Paul for Leavenworth Street -- though he has no other connection to us). The robo -call town hall has been used by Members of Congress for a while, and certainly allows a personable touch for those interested.

It's a step above a basic news conference, and bettter than just getting your supporters to show up. We give camp Vokal kudos for doing something different, and potentially effective.

(Read a USA Today article about the history and technology behind the town-hall robo-call format, here.)

There's no doubt that Vokal will need an oomph in what will be a tough campaign. Suttle will likely have some support of Dems who still have the political itch from the past Prez campaign. Daub has solid GOP support and knows how to run a campaign that goes for the jugular.

Vokal will, in theory, need to garner his own GOP base, and leach off the Dems from his own District who have elected him in the past -- and get some of their friends. Though Vokal also has the benefit of being the younger dude next to a couple of old guys.

But, if his announcement speech is any indication, Vokal isn't going to knock anyone dead with his speaking style. And he'll need to keep the gaffes at bay.

In his speech, Jim said that he will continue to talk about his vision of Omaha...

"From Elkhorn to Millard; to Keystone to Bellevue..."

Uh, well maybe not for Bellevue (unless he has an Elkhorn type plan that we don't know about).

(And then in the KPTM story, on the one hand the reporter says there was "an independent campaign to convince him to run with billboards and a website". But then the reporter also says that Vokal told him he made his decision to run "about eight weeks ago, and it's a relief to get it underway". Then again, he told the OWH that he's been eying the job for the past eight years, so he didn't really need the instigation of the billboards, huh?)

The announcement speech madlibs also seem to require one slam at Hal Daub. Today Vokal's line was,

"Look, I understand that the whole world is going “green” right now, but I don’t think that means we have to recycle our mayoral candidates."

Last week, Suttle's line was,

"We cannot return to those troubled waters, and troubling times of eight years ago."

Then again, in his announcement Daub was also pushing the kinder, gentler Hal Daub, so who knows what's going on.

***

So, assuming it is just the three major candidates in the running, who do you suppose each would like to face in the general election run-off?

Here's what we think:

Daub: would rather face Vokal.
Daub wouldn't have to make it a Republican vs Democrat race, like it could well become if he faces Suttle. Many Dems just out and out hate Hal Daub. They are more than happy to make it personal, and we have seen that Dems like nothing better than to get all lathered up about a Republican they don't like. Suttle's no Obama, but Daub may be close enough to George W. Bush for them.

And Daub could then try to smother Vokal with the "experience" factor, or some such. But could Vokal then bring in both Republicans and Democrats against Daub? There's something to be said for that...

Suttle: would rather face Daub
Suttle could then give it a pure R's vs D's match up. Figuring there are plenty of GOPers and Independents who don't like Daub and that he would keep a solid Dem base.

A battle against Vokal could muddy the waters, since Vokal comes from a majority Dem district, isn't easily ID'd as a Republican, and could skew some of the younger vote.

Vokal: would rather face Suttle
Vokal and Suttle will both face name ID issues. If Vokal is up against Daub, that's one more battle he would have to face. He could also find himself in a battle to out-Republican Daub.

If he's facing Suttle , he can play up the GOP thing, but still try to make himself to be the middle-of-the-road candidate. -- a Republican in a Dem district. He could also possibly get the endorsement of Mayor Mike Fahey. That could be his road to victory.

He could do it against Daub as well, but the road could be rockier.

OK, what's your theory, politico?

***

Here's an odd one. On Jim Suttle's campaign website, he has a full page for his wife. OK, that's done sometimes. BUT, it has his wife's full resume on it!

All the stuff she did in the legislature. A bullet list of all the boards she's on, etc.

Uh, Suttle campaign, just who are you trying to elect there? Just curious.

***

On his website, Check With Chip, outgoing County Commissioner Chip Maxwell asks readers if he should run for Vokal's soon to be vacant Omaha City Council seat. Maxwell lost to former Omaha City Councilman Marc Kraft in the recent election.

He seems to be leaning toward a yes.

So would Chip still be warm from the past campaign, or would he simply be exhausted? And who else is interested in that central Omaha seat? One of the many City Council campaigns that could get funky.

***

Lots of bitching and moaning, especially from commenters here on Leavenworth Street from Nebraska Democrats and Republicans -- Achepohlians and Covalters -- Quandahlites and Fahlesonians.

Well here's the deal: After an election, it's usually time for the old(er) guard to move on. It's a rough, thankless job usually. New blood is almost always a better tact.

The exiting folks get their lives back. The new ones get to review what happened, figure out what worked, and from a new standpoint, fix what didn't.

It makes sense. Onward and upward, party hacks.

Live with it.