Nebraska Politics: Start-Your-Engines!

The old political saw is that the campaign doesn’t really start until after Labor Day (or until every fan at Memorial Stadium has a campaign sticker). So as Ben Nelson and Pete Ricketts get ready to stomp the accelerator in this season of Nebraska politics, Leavenworth Street is going to look back at the month of August to check the change in momentum to their bandwagons as they rev into the post-Labor Day campaign.

1) Lou Ann Linehan temporarily takes the helm of the Nebraska GOP

Linehan provided much experience and a sharp political mind at the NEGOP. This provided a little balance to the two pronged attack of the Nelson camp and the Nebraska Dem Party.

Campaign Momentum Change:
Nelson: Slight Decrease
Ricketts: Increase

2) Ben Nelson’s Hunting Chateau and the taxes thereon
While it blunted just about any criticism he had of Ricketts’ property tax valuations, Nelson didn’t take nearly the hit we thought he would (and should) have. The fact that he basically lied… er, made a mistake to get a tax break, then dismissed the idea of paying the entirety of his back taxes, instead of just the past three years, seemed outrageous to us. The Nebraska press, however, lumped it in with all the other bickering about property taxes. When Nelson joked about it at the debate, it got the biggest laugh of the afternoon. (Oh, those wacky tax-cheats!)

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Slight Decrease
Ricketts: Slight Increase

3) Ben Nelson’s “Western Town in Nebraska” song
It was stuck in my head for an entire afternoon (though not necessarily in a good way). This is the kind of folksy silage people eat-up. (And we’ll admit that we liked the accompanying “Nebraska World Tour” shirt, but we’d like some commission on the use of the Nelson-hair shot.) And Ricketts needs help in the small towns…

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Increase
Ricketts: Decrease

4) First Debate
See our debate reviews here, here and here. The few things that came out of it were the reference to Joe Ricketts’ land in Wyoming, and the Nelson letter regarding his willingness to consider the Fair Tax. We think this really just set the stage for the River City Wrangle © on September 10th.

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Increase
Ricketts: Increase

5) News that Bill Clinton is coming to Omaha in October
Nelson claims that he has never heard of this Clinton person; asks if he is related to Delbert McClinton.

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Decrease
Ricketts: Increase

6) Kate Witek jumps parties
We think Republicans were secretly glad to be rid of her. Now she’s the Dem’s problem.

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Decrease
Ricketts: Increase

7) The August Rasmussen Poll
Slowed down the Ricketts bandwagon, and probably was one of the sources for the President’s hesitancy to campaign in Nebraska for Ricketts…as of yet. Ricketts will need some movement in the September poll.

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Increase
Ricketts: Decrease

8) The Campaign Ads
Early on, we liked the Ricketts-talking-to-the-camera ad. He then expanded his “issues” ads to Immigration and Taxes. If voters are going to get a barrage of them, they should at least be able to tolerate these. At some point, Nelson’s drum-beat about the Flat Tax, and the negative press it has received, may just hurt him.

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Slight Decrease
Ricketts: Increase

9) The Vice President comes to visit
Big Time Republican comes to town -- good for Pete (and the rest of the GOP). Mentions Pete’s name -- good for Pete. Won’t come in to town for Pete -- bad for Pete. Pete rides on Air Force Two (at his expense) to Wyoming -- good for Pete. Doesn’t actually talk to the VP on the flight -- Baaaaaaaaad for Pete.

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Slight Increase
Ricketts: Decrease

10) Nelson tours Nebraska DisastersNelson checks out the drought; names it David. Nelson checks out the wildfire damage in Chadron; names it…Frank? Or Fred? Freida? (Ok we made that last part up, but if he had, they probably would have thrown a parade for him in Chadron.)

Momentum Change:
Nelson: Increase
Ricketts: Decrease

What does it all mean? It means that while this is still a competitive campaign, Pete Ricketts is still lagging behind the pro, Ben Nelson. Nebraskans, even the GOP, want to like their U.S. Senator, and Nelson plays it well. But Ricketts is still keeping pace and Nelson is absolutely not taking him for granted. This should at least encourage the Ricketts camp. The national scene will absolutely influence this race, and we should have a good idea where this is all going come October.

In the mean time Leavenworth Street will be dutifully watching.

Forever in Blue Jeans

Here’s all you need to know about Saturday’s Gubernatorial debate at the Tractor Pull:

Democratic candidate David Hahn wore jeans.

(Actually, Nebraska Party candidate Barry Richards wore the exact same thing as Hahn, so noodle that one as well…)

There is a real potential for Dave Heineman to go over 80% here…

Candidates for governor face off at State Fair – OWH – 8/27/06
Heineman, Hahn fence at debate – LJS – 8/27/06
Candidates for governor face off at State Fair – AP – 8/27/06

We Pity Da Fool

As Ben Nelson sent out press releases concerning the last debate, he described his latest policy initiative in a curious way (high-lighting added):



Considering the fact that the main foods the US imports are stuff like shellfish, booze and chocolate, maybe the Senator’s “dangerous” scare tactics are, as he describes, foolish…

Separated at Birth: Kate Witek

While we were going to post about the Governor Debate tomorrow (snort) or on what kind of shots we are going to buy at the Holiday tonight for Dan Welch and Mike Fahey (snark), instead we're going with a Separated at Birth!

Party changer, Kate Witek
and
Bedsheet changer, Alice from the Brady Bunch!

The Omaha World Herald: Much Smarter Than You

In their editorial section today, the Omaha World Herald takes on Alaskan proponents of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). (Don’t be fooled – OWH – 8/24/06.)

The OWH believes Nebraskans should not listen to what Alaskans think should be done with land in Alaska because Alaskans are too self-interested in what should be done with land in Alaska. (Try switching those two state names, and see how that works for you.)

However, the OWH believes it is NOT self-interested in this debate about Alaska’s land, even though their guy Ben Nelson has staked out the exact opposite position on this from the Alaskans and his Senate opponent Pete Ricketts.

As far as the issue of ANWR itself goes, there are arguments on both sides. However, the OWH’s arguments against drilling are:

• We wouldn’t see the results for another seven years. (Uh, OWH, this is an argument FOR drilling now.)
• We wouldn’t get THAT much. (So it’s better to get it all from the Middle East?)
• And…that’s pretty much it.
• Oh yeah, the lands are, “environmentally important” and “pristine”. (You’ll just have to trust them on that.)

And, by the way, Ben Nelson “provided a vital vote” against the drilling in ANWR. (And do you think the OWH doesn’t realize that this is a major issue on which Nelson differs from conservative Republicans?)

The OWH goes on to say:

Political observers suggest the ads may get louder, more frequent and possibly nastier as the fall election approaches. Nelson, of course, is up for re-election.

Because stating a position which is the opposite of the OWH’s is “nasty”. Hmm…

And as long as we’re here, let’s look at the OWH’s other editorial today:

In the “Midlands Voices” section, State Sen. Philip Erdman of Bayard, (who, by the way, the OWH fails to even recognize as a State Senator) takes on another recent OWH editorial which ridicules State Senator and 3rd District Congressional candidate Adrian Smith for his associations with an out of state group – calling them carpetbaggers. (Midlands Voices: Carpetbagger label was wrongly applied – OWH – 8/24/06.) Yet, as Erdman notes, Smith opponent only recently moved to Nebraska before deciding to run for Congress – the very definition of a carpetbagger.

But instead of letting Erdman make his point, the OWH comes back in the same edition, with another editorial, this time attacking Erdman’s point of view. (A sense of proportion – OWH – 8/24/06.)

So let us sum up the OWH’s position on all things that you should think:

• Cover your eyes and ears if an ad comes from outside of Nebraska. (And even if they want to give specific facts, the OWH will “refute” them.)
• Advertising by someone with a lot of money is bad. (Spending lots of money is obscene and Nebraskans just don’t like it, no matter what.)
• Editorials by someone who disagrees with the OWH are incorrect. (And the OWH will write its own follow-up to prove it.)

You see, there is ONE statewide voice in Nebraska. You should listen to that ONE statewide voice. It is Nebraskan, and therefore correct. And that voice is the Omaha World Herald. And it is the voice of Nebraska.

Just ask them.

Heineman brings it

In the August Rasmussen poll:

Dave Heineman: 71%
David Hahn: 18%

And 54% of Democrats support Heineman.

Holy crap...

Republican not pulling Republicans

Nelson and the gang have a laugh at the GOP’s expense…

Ben Nelson is still holding Pete Ricketts at arm’s length in the August poll by Rasmussen Reports.

Nelson holds a 55% to 32% lead over Ricketts, down 2% from last month’s poll, but equal to the average of the last three months.

Ricketts has a 45% to 52% favorable vs. unfavorable rating, with Nelson taking a 74% favorable.

Nelson also still garners 41% of GOP voters.

Question: Who are these 41% of Republicans, and can Pete Ricketts track each of them down before Election Day? And will the rest of the Nebraska GOP help him?

Who Convinced Kate?

"She joined us, we didn't join her."
-Vince Powers of Lincoln, commenting on Kate Witek becoming a Democrat

Oh really, Vince? I wonder if Kate considered that if she switched parties, she could run for Auditor again…

“I have no idea if any of that (a draft) is even possible. I've not looked into it.”
- Kate Witek, the day before the State Democratic convention.

No, Kate? Well, SOMEONE must have looked into it:

“It's our understanding that the law provides the opportunity for that to occur, and we'll be discussing it at our state convention.”
- Democratic state executive director Barry Rubin.

Now we're getting somewhere. Democrats, could it have been Barry Rubin’s idea to get right-wing Republican, uber-Pro-Lifer Kate Witek to switch parties and run as a Democrat?

And some Dems are less than pleased about this.

Here’s Maxine Moul trying to claw her way back into the fold. Here’s newcomer Scott Kleeb, who has an outside shot of beating a Republican out west. Here’s David Hahn coming up to his debate with Dave Heineman, trying to get some press.

And Kate Witek comes in and sucks all the oxygen out of the room.

Of course, Witek received a less-than-unanimous 61% for her nomination at the convention. With the OWH reporting various comments such as,

“This is an action of a party without principle and a candidate, or officeholder, who will do anything to retain that office,”

and,

“This just about getting a 'D' behind someone's name. . . . Shame on us we couldn't get a real Democrat to run.”

(Questions surround Witek's new race for auditor – OWH – 8/19/06.)

Or if you want a more complete version of how some Dems feel, take a look at the editorial entitled, “Question to Democrat Hierarchy: What were you thinking about?” at David Hahn’s own Nebraska State Paper.

Let’s let the Barry Rubin get a word in edge-wise:

“We enthusiastically welcome Kate to the Democratic Party.”

Oh, and you might want to suggest that Kate change the “Important Links” on her “State Auditor Kate Witek Campaign 2006” website.

Witek: New Party for the Old Job

Guess what Kate Witek JUST discovered? If she switches to the Democrat party, she can get back on the ballot for her job as Auditor! How ABOUT THAT? Well that was just a happy coincidence of her switching parties! (Switch could put Witek on ballot – OWH – 8/18/06.)

Uh-huh.

When Tom Osborne offered to take Witek on as his Lt. Gov running-mate, she figured she had hit the jackpot, since nearly everyone (including Leavenworth Street) figured Dr. Tom had all the Lotto-numbers for a win. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize that Osborne’s run towards the middle during the primary turned off enough GOP voters to give Republican stalwart Dave Heineman the nod.

Since Witek:

• Was hoping that Dems turned Republicans would give them the votes they needed;
• Refused to stick with her party against Ben Nelson;
• Had a running feud with Dave Heineman;
• Was still peeved that Chuck Hagel had supported Heinenman over Osborne;
• And, oh yeah, figured out she could RUN again…

…well, the Democrats don’t seem so strange after all!

So when Kate Witek says the Republicans were “only looking at controlling all the offices,” just consider the REAL reason Witek is switching parties – right before the state Democratic convention. (Witek leaves GOP - LJS - 8/18/06).

And by the way Kate, don’t expect too many of those Big Tent Democrats like Fahey and Nelson to join you at the next Pro-Life rally. (Come to think of it, have they EVER showed up to one?)

Separated at Birth: Debaters

Busy times in the "real" world have left us unable to update recently.
So in the mean-time we'll chuck out to you a little Separated at Birth:

Pete and Ben's debate Garanimals (yes they still make them)!



Towards the end of this guy's blog entry, he makes a few points about being at the debate and other "power-outfits" of politicians.