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NRSC: Statement by Chairman Moran on Senator Johanns Retirement
Statement by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on the announcement by U.S. Senator Mike Johanns and the 2014 Nebraska Senate race:
“Mike Johanns epitomized principled leadership during his near three decades of public service, always putting the needs of Nebraskans first. I thank him for his service and wish he and his family the very best in their next chapter. The Cornhusker state will look to continue its strong conservative tradition by electing an equally dedicated Republican leader in 2014.”
GOP Sen. Johanns of Nebraska to retire:
GOP Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska will not seek re-election next year, telling his supporters in an e-mail that the time is right after three decades in public service.
“With everything in life there is a time and season,” said Johanns, a former U.S. Agriculture secretary and governor.
Johanns was first elected to the Senate in 2008. He recently bucked his party by saying he will vote to confirm fellow Nebraskan Chuck Hagel for Defense secretary — only the second GOP senator to support the embattled Obama nominee.
Democrats are likely to take a run at Nebraska next year, in part because of the need to expand the playing field. Democrats will defend 21 Senate seats in 2014, compared with 14 for Republicans.
#NESen Update: Nebraska Farm Bureau Endorsed Deb Fischer
In Nebraska, Nebraska Television reports that the Nebraska Farm Bureau endorsed Deb Fischer. As a Valentine rancher, State Senator Deb Fischer’s campaign has energized farmers. Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson said, “Really understands ag, understands farming and ranching, spent adult life in ranching and really understands the issues we face. And now the state’s biggest farm group is officially endorsing Fischer. She said, “Everyone who runs for office would like to have Farm Bureau endorsement. Agriculture is the biggest economic engine in the state of Nebraska.”
- Meanwhile, Deb Fischer responds to Senator Ben Nelson’s letter in the Omaha World-Herald by telling him that it’s time for the federal government to sell federal grazing land. In response to Sen. Ben Nelson’s July 18 letter, in which he questions my commitment to reform the federal grazing lease program that my husband’s family has participated in since the 1950s, I have consistently said that all options must be on the table in order to address our fiscal crisis, including the federal grazing lease program. I believe the best option is for the federal government to sell federal grazing land through open public auctions.
- Additionally, the Associated Press reports that Deb Fischer toured the wildfires that is damaging property in her legislative district. Republican Deb Fischer this week toured a northern Nebraska area the size of Omaha that has been burned by wildfire. Fischer has called for Congress to “further reduce the regulatory burden to provide immediate assistance.”
- Finally, Bloomberg reports that Bob Kerrey’s liberal allies in New York City have formed a Super Pac for him. New York is working on Bob Kerrey in Nebraska. A super-PAC funded partly by New York financiers is aiding Kerrey’s Democratic bid to win a Nebraska U.S. Senate seat with television and radio ads critical of his Republican opponent.
NRSC Statement & Background on Nebraska Republican Senate Primary
“I congratulate Deb Fischer on winning the Nebraska Republican Senate Primary, and look forward to her election in November. The difference in this race couldn’t be more clear. Deb is a small business rancher, mother and conservative leader who believes we need to spend less, balance our budget and repeal ObamaCare, while her opponent supports bigger government and higher taxes. It’s time to restore fiscal sanity and enact pro-jobs policies in Washington and we can do that with Deb Fischer as the next U.S. Senator from Nebraska.” – U.S. Senator John Cornyn, NRSC Chairman
BACKGROUND….
Bob Kerrey is a New York City liberal whose sole goal as a U.S. Senator will be to enact a far-left agenda.
Deb Fischer’s conservative record:
- Passed the largest tax cut in Nebraska (Deb Fischer, Legislative Accomplishments)
- Opposes the failed stimulus (Deb Fischer, Conservative Record)
- Opposes ObamaCare (Deb Fischer, Conservative Record)
- Supports a balanced budget amendment (Deb Fischer, Conservative Record)
- A+ rating from the National Rifle Association (Deb Fischer, Conservative Record)
- Has a perfect pro-life voting record (Deb Fischer, Conservative Record)
Kerrey’s far-left record:
- Bob Kerrey believes ObamaCare didn’t go far enough (Bob Kerrey, Remarks At Tishman Auditorium, New York City, 9/16/09)
- Kerrey is vehemently opposed to a balanced budget amendment, in 1997 he was the key vote deciding against it (S. J. Res. 1, CQ Vote #24: Rejected 66-34: R 55-0; D 11-34, 3/4/97, Kerrey Voted Nay)
- Kerrey is a supporter of Barack Obama’s cap-and-trade legislation, going to far as to compare those who oppose it to those who opposed civil rights legislation (Bob Kerrey, Remarks At Tishman Auditorium, New York City, 10/22/09)
- Kerrey supports partial-birth abortion .” (S. 1692, CQ Vote #340: Passed 63-34: R 48-3; D 14-31; I 1-0, 10/21/99, Kerrey Voted Nay)
- Kerrey even opposes parental notification laws (John King, “Democrats Promise To Protect Abortion Rights, Help Cities,” The Associated Press, 1/23/92)
While the liberal establishment will continue to spin this race and continue to line Kerrey’s campaign war chest, the reality is that his unabashed support for ObamaCare, abortions, cap-and-trade and the rest of Barack Obama’s job-killing agenda puts him at serious odds with a strong majority of voters in Nebraska.
As Bob Kerrey once told his hometown newspaper the New York Times, Nebraska is a very Republican and conservative state. We couldn’t agree more with Mr. Kerrey’s political assessment, which is why we firmly believe that his liberal positions are wrong for Nebraska and the next Senator from the Cornhusker State will be Deb Fischer.
Shameful Smear: Jon Bruning Shamefully Attacked his Opponent, Conservative Don Stenberg
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Club going up in Nebraska
From Politico:
The Club for Growth is taking flight in Nebraska Tuesday, marking their first foray into the GOP Senate primary there.
A campaign strategist who tracks advertising purchases relays that the anti-tax organization has placed a two-week buy in the Lincoln and Omaha markets totaling $151,500.
While the source did not have information about the content of the ad, the assumption is that it will include negative messaging against front-running Attorney General Jon Bruning, potentially about his record on taxes.
The Club is backing state treasurer Don Stenberg, who is lagging behind Bruning by double-digits five weeks before the May 15 primary.
Sen. Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund, another backer of Stenberg, is also expected to pour money into the state in the coming days and weeks.
Bob Kerrey Trails the Top 3 Republican Contenders by Double Digits in Nebraska
As some of you may recall, shortly before New York City resident Bob Kerrey officially entered the race for U.S. Senate in Nebraska last month, the NRSC released a memo which ended with this….
- When Kerrey officially jumps into this race, the liberal establishment in D.C. will undoubtedly jump for joy, and some Washington political prognosticators may even buy the Democrats’ spin that this is a “game-changer.” We also expect that with his pro-choice, pro-Obama, and pro-cap-and-trade credentials firmly intact, the liberal establishment will also rush to help pad Kerry’s campaign war chest and he will have the resources needed to put a significant campaign structure in place. But the reality is that none of that will ultimately matter — Bob Kerrey isn’t just far more liberal than many of his friends in Washington – he also has far more serious electability problems than Ben Nelson ever did.
And as predicted, national Democrats relentlessly spun his entrance into the race and several media outlets even reported it as a positive shift in the Democrats’ direction as they fight to hold on to their Senate majority.
Given that, I wanted to point out what Public Policy Polling – a Democratic polling firm with a history of financially contributing to the DSCC – just reported a short time ago….
- PPP’s newest Nebraska Senate poll finds that Democrats are in a much worse position with Bob Kerrey as their candidate than they would have been with Ben Nelson….Kerrey trails the top 3 Republican contenders by double digits. He’s down 17 to Jon Bruning at 54-37, 14 to Don Stenberg at 52-38, and 10 to Deb Fischer at 48-38. In PPP’s last poll before he announced his retirement Ben Nelson trailed Bruning by only 4, Stenberg by 3, and actually led Fischer by 2. This does not appear to be one of those instances where a retirement left the party better off.
And left unsaid in PPP’s memo is that their poll findings come after Kerrey has spent tens of thousands of dollars in positive, statewide TV ads in an effort to re-introduce himself to voters in Nebraska.
For those of you who have followed PPP’s history of working endlessly to find silver linings for Democratic Senate candidates – at least months out from an election when they can’t necessarily be held to account on their numbers – one is left to wonder, if even PPP is coming to this conclusion just how bad are Bob Kerrey’s poll numbers?
A Cautionary Tale….The Dangers of Chest-Thumping & Pre-Mature Victory Laps….
SHOT…
Senate Democrats are buoyantly optimistic about keeping control of the upper chamber after developments this past week increased their chances of winning races in Maine and Nebraska. They sought to capitalize on the new wave of optimism by blasting out a fundraising email Friday touting the “seismic” shift of the Senate electoral map. “This week’s entry of Democrat Bob Kerrey into the Nebraska race and surprise retirement of Republican Senator Olympia Snowe in Maine have completely changed the face of the 2012 map in favor of Democrats,” Senate Democratic fundraisers wrote in their pitch. (The Hill, With Kerrey in the running and Snowe going, Senate Dems confident, 3/3/12)
CHASER…
One week ago, the Democrats were on the verge of re-recruiting Bob Kerrey, transforming Nebraska back into a battleground Senate race and Sen. Olympia Snowe had announced a jaw-dropping retirement that left Republicans reeling in the state of Maine. Now, former independent Gov. Angus King has thrown a wrench in Democratic plans for a pick-up and Kerrey is down double-digits in his comeback quest. It’s just a reminder of how volatile the battle for Senate control continues to be, due to the fluidity of a stack of individual races and unforeseen developments. (Politico, Don’t like the narrative? Wait a week, 3/6/12)
Finish…
Democrats Pwned!
Kerrey: Reid made promises (Video)
From Politico:
In one of his first interviews of his newly minted campaign with Nebraska Watchdog, Bob Kerrey admits Majority Leader Harry Reid made promises to him in exchange for running, acknowledges he isn’t sure how winnable the race is and heaps praise on all of his opponents.
This is part of the reason why Kerrey will be irresistible to cover, regardless if he can make it a competitive race.
Reid’s fingerprints are on Nebraska race
Image via Wikipedia
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Former Sen. Bob Kerrey is thinking of making a comeback by running for the Senate again to represent Nebraska. His candidacy could give Democrats a fighting chance to hold onto the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Ben Nelson.
Analysts are seeing Sen. Harry Reid’s fingerprints on Kerrey, as the Nevadan angles to keep the Senate in Democratic control, and himself in position to remain as majority leader.
Democrats, who are defending 23 Senate seats this year, are playing defense in most parts of the country. A Kerrey decision to run puts the Dems on offense in Nebraska.
Quoting ‘knowledgeable Democratic sources,” Roll Call reported today that Reid and Guy Cecil, who is executive director of the Democrats’ Senate campaign arm, “have been instrumental in wooing Kerrey.”
Roll Call said it was told that Reid may even try to convince Senate Democrats to allow Kerrey to return to the Senate with his seniority intact if he wins, a tricky deal that would require some other senators to give up their standing.
Kerrey served two Senate terms, from 1988 to 2000, then retired but said he wanted to keep the door open for a return to public office someday.
