Friday, November 12, 2010

Friday machinations

We keep reading, via our news service, that Republicans are trying to get Ben Nelson to switch parties.

We just don’t see it.

Not that Republicans won’t try. But we just don’t see someone like Nelson switching parties.

Of course it could only come about if Republicans could wrest control of the Senate. But even then, what does it do? It would simply force the President to bust out his veto pen more often.

In the mean time, what would it do for Nelson?

We highly doubt it would affect Jon Bruning’s plans to take him on -- a’la Arlen Specter’s intra-party defeat in Pennsylvania. We don’t see Nebraska Republicans suddenly embracing Ben Nelson.

And in any case, there are now rumblings that Democrats might award Nelson Chairmanship of the Ag Committee as a gift for staying a Democrat.

Which really would be the Nelson M.O. Straddle the fence, being coy to each side, until one or the other tries to buy you off.

Nelson mouthman, Jake Thompson said that Nelsonhas no interest in changing parties. He is and always will be an independent voice for Nebraska.”

Uh...Nelson is an “Independent” now, Jake? What does your statement have to do with switching parties?

Come January, we still expect to see Nelson with a (D) next to his name.

And not an R...or an I.

***

Though there are now stories that Nelson may cave and back some of the Republican plans to repeal some of the Health Care legislation.

Of course this is comical for any number of reasons.  But it would, or could, indicate that Nelson is more serious about running in 2012 than anything else.

If he's not running, why bother?

If he is, he will never be able to buy himself cover, but we can see him try.

***

So Chuck Hagel thinks two years is too short a time to judge the President?

Funny how Hagel was OK judging Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate -- and Senator-elect -- Pat Toomey, opting to endorse his Democrat opponent Joe Sestak.

Oh, but Hagel doesn’t have a chance of being in Toomey’s cabinet...

***

While the OWH is “officially” against the Mayor Recall -- they’ll still let you know where all of the petition signing spots are.

Some recallers think their numbers are a slam-dunk right now. Though we doubt they would be spending their cash on circulators if they didn’t have to.   Could be close.

***

Keep it going Huskers!

32 comments:

In the know said...

The question is why the GOP Senatorial Comittee paid for that poll of Nelson?

jamie said...

that's not really a good question. especially cause it HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING.

Anonymous said...

What jamie?

Anonymous said...

Recallers have been on private property upsetting private business owners that want no part of this effort and prefer to stay neutral.

For all the blather that Jeremy issues via 50,000 watts of power, it appears his new found paid signature collectors don't much care what Omaha business want in terms of not offending their customer base.

I've spoken to managers at three large West O businesses and they have spent the majority of their day chasing these people off private property only to have them return within the hour. All have said the signature collectors were rude and confrontational. Security and police were called in some instances.

This is good for Omaha how? You may not agree with this mayor, but bringing in outsiders to do your dirt makes its own statement.

Anonymous said...

How'd that independent thing work out for Tom White....?

Anonymous said...

Some petition recall people got kicked off of First National Bank property today. They weren't happy, but private property is private property, complain all you want but the law isn't on your side.

Anonymous said...

Biggest mistake that dooms the recall;

NOT HAVING PAID CIRCULATORS AT ALL THE POLLING SITES ON ELECTION DAY

A fatal mistake!

Anonymous said...

The bad weather won't help the recall effort either. However, if they do get the signatures it will be all that much more impressive. To have done it without paid staff, not been at all polling sites, and with the bad weather!

We shall see.

Anonymous said...

Chuck, Ben Nelson, along with Mr. Commonwealth Bob Kerry.... All are political hacks!!!!

Not to mention Jeff Fortenberry... He isn't even from Nebraska and doesn't even own a full time living residence. How can he represent NE01. I heard he was somewhat for Cap and Trade.... He even waivered until the last minute to vote against....

Bob Loblaw said...

Jeff Foertenberry lives in Lincoln, owns a home here, and was on the Lincoln City Council. So I think that qualifies him as a Nebraskan (despite being born to Louisiana, alligator hunting, swamp people.)

Dem/Rep/Ind/Tea/Commie said...

Sweeper, can anyone from any party beat Bruning for Senate?

Anonymous said...

If the recallers can't do it with their own radio station giving promos/interviews for free then maybe, just maybe they don't have a case against this mayor.

As for weather? Get serious they had the most perfect six weeks of fall weather known to Nebraska. The fact they "explored" for awhile took away from the momentum of striking while the fire was hot.

It helps to know how to run a ground game and Cleary can't do it with a flashlight and roadmap. If he does? It will be a first.

Anonymous said...

If the recall drive fails, the next election will oust Suttle anyway. Just hope that he does not attach his half-billion street care legacy to the taxpayers. Daub's Qwest center was not supposed to be a tax burden, now it is. Fahey said the ballpark would not be a tax burden. Wait and see on that. Shall we take a poll?

Anonymous said...

Maybe if the Republican Party weren't completely inept they would be worrying about recruiting a candidate to take on Chris Beutler in the spring election instead of a futile recall of Mayor Suttle.

I'm curious if the NEGOP will reelect Fahleson as chairman if he can't find a candidate to run in the Lincoln Mayorial race.

Anonymous said...

We live in a red state. If Mark Fahleson and Jordan Mcgrain can't recruit a candidate to run for Mayor in the second largest city in our state then they need to go.

Anonymous said...

From the moment Nelson decided he would be a member of the liberal party and yet run in Nebraska like a member of the conservative party, he flushed any integrity he might have had down the stool. He is like a cockroach. But that doesn't mean he won't get reelected. He is where he is because nebraskans like what he is.

Average Nebraskan seem rotten at heart. Nebraska voters say they dislike crooked deals but secretly get aroused by Nelson robbing other Americans to make Nebraskans his accomplices.

Never underestimate imbalanced and unchecked voters stupid enough to prefer a unicameral over balanced and checked government. Nelson is a product of those voters. They squeezed him out. Don't count that cockroach out.

Anonymous said...

The issues are really kind of funny when you take a moment to look at them from the Us Them perspective.

See everybody west of 27th st in Lincoln is worried, and with good reason, about losing their voice in the Legislature. So they scheme and work to defeat those in the east. Problem is they are losing population at an alarming rate. With redistricting this coming year they will lose 2 more seats. Pretty soon the battle will be which city will band with the western part of the state?

Keep your eyes on the first day of the next session to see who get's put on the varrious committees and then on who is elected to the super special redistricting committee. Im sure there will be fireworks galore on these issues.

Then the question will be what happens to the 2nd CD? Will the Omaha Business group win out and keep Offutt in the 2nd? Or will the NEGOP win out and trade Offutt for North Omaha? Oh the howling and complaining. Can Ashford,Council, Nordquist, and Mello save the day?

Stay tuned as it is only ~55 days away......... and maybe even a recall. Man O man will it be an exciting 2011!

Anonymous said...

One of the out-of-state paid petitioners actually approached Jim Suttle with the petition. They had no clue who he was. How stupid is that! Stupid carpetbaggers.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Shane Osborn is going to be chairing Jon Bruning's exploratory committee. Is that a paid gig? Glad to see the NEGOP has a welfare program for out of work elected officials.

Anonymous said...

Jake Thompson said Nelson “has no interest in changing parties.. he is and always will be an independent voice for Nebraska.”

Thompson thinks like Nelson. In one breath, Nelson is firmly in one party but independant. Independant in a party so firmly that he has no interest in changing to another party. But if a person is independant, what's the difference? Well, the difference is, obvious. These turds lie from thier friggin DNA level.

Joe L. said...

If Nelson is such an "independent," why doesn't he register, and run as, an Independent on the ballot and let the Nebraska Democratic Party run a REAL Democrat against him?

Anonymous said...

Shane chairman? Nice way for Bruning to assure he has no competition by locking it out early.

Anonymous said...

The Recall Committee had enough signatures as of last Sunday afternoon. The rest has been gravy.

Anonymous said...

Gravy?

Considering they only started paying their signature gatherers last Friday, it wouldn't make much sense that they already reached their goal before the paid petition-gatherers got out on the street.

Considering their behavior on UNO's campus, at private businesses where police had to be called because they would not leave, and the fact that they actually asked Suttle to sign the petition because they didn't recognize him, that doesn't sound to me like they passed their goal a week ago.

Anonymous said...

You've all heard of fantasy football leagues? Well, the recall petitioners are legends within their own fantasies. They don't realize the difference between their own propaganda and the real world.

Seriously, people, this isn't a reality show. It is reality. The only way Omaha will replace Suttle is the same way we got him in the first place. We held an election, and he won.

Anonymous said...

Gadzooks! Those cunning Democrats have discovered Jon Bruning's plan to offer Shane Osborn an unpaid honorary chairmanship as a way of keeping Osborn from running against Bruning for the Senate!

Once more the Grand Old Party is foiled by the razor like intellect of NE Democrats.

Anonymous said...

A recall is possible but not if those running the recall stay welded to a pundit viewpoint instead of that of voters.

You can get enough petitions signed that say the mayor is a polar bear, but that won't convince voters to remove him. And then having beaten a recall, he gains more power and footing.

A recall won't happen until the least politically involved Omaha voter knows, off the top of his or her head, what the mayor did wrong, and it has to be awful in voters' eyes.

If this was Chicago, the mayor'd have eaten a child by now, or so the voters would have been told.

Rob said...

If the recall gets to a vote, Suttle is gone. His own committee to save his job isn't using the argument he is doing a good job. 75% of the people who signed would come out to vote him out. Who is going to get off their duff and vote for a mayor with such HUGE unfavorable ratings (even with Democrats)?????

Anonymous said...

Think they're taking 3:41's advice?

At Oak View Mall, a petitioner with a bullhorn accused Suttle of clubbing baby seals.

Really??????????? said...

If the recallers are actually having to be removed off of provate property by police, it would be in the news. Not reported by some anonymous poster on this site.

Grundle King said...

As a registered Independent, Nelson does not represent me because he's a Democrat. While he's not exactly lying, he's not exactly telling the truth, either. Whatever happened to speaking "truth to power"?

Anonymous said...

as in previous petition efforts, the only trouble that arrises is from the paid union thugs that go around trying to interfere with the petition circulators, causing trouble and making false allegations. I for one hope thay have collected enough signatures to have the recall vote so we can give Suttle the boot.