NEBRASKA BLUE

OK, so first he endorses Tony Raimondo, which is pretty hard to swallow for most of us, well at least if he wants to be taken seriously.

I have no clue why he would pull this stunt, other than to keep his name in the papers.

THEN, he starts plagaraizing stuff from around the web, to post on his campaign site…

WOW… I guess since your drug test is over you can now go back to smoking the good stuff???

I am sure Lee Terry and his campaign manager are smiling big time, cause you just fell
on your own sword….. twice.

Nice going Jim….

Tony Raimondo who is long on money and short on actual support from local Democrats just wrote his campaign another check for $450,000 to be able to keep running his Obnoxious
Ads for a couple more weeks.

His ACTUAL fund raising from other folks in Nebraska is about $100,000 in total or about
25 percent of what his opponent Scott Kleeb has raised.

Considering my own unscientific local polling of Democrats in Lincoln, I still cannot find anyone that will admit to supporting Tony Raimondo, but I have found a lot of people that say his ads suck and they are tired of seeing this guy on TV 30 times per day.

The REAL truth about Tony and his money is that when he writes those checks to himself,
they are a LOAN to his campaign, and should he win (or not) he can hold fundraisers to ask people to help him retire his campaign debt, which basically means he is buying those ads with YOUR money, should you be stupid enough to give him any….

Pete Ricketts did the same thing in 2006, lucky for all of us, he lost the race, and is still sitting on millions of campaign debt, well if you count his debt as the loans he made
from his own personal fortune to his campaign.

Howie Klein on the Huffington Post has a good column up about Tony Raimondo

You can read it here….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howie-klein/why-would-anyone-support_b_100194.html

Here is a quick blurb from that post, that I think you should find important..

Raimondo was in the news this weekend because he triggered the millionaires amendment on Friday by writing himself a $450,000 check. Many Democrats in Nebraska haven’t bought into Raimondo’s “conversion” in the first place, and are now uncomfortable that just as he’s talking about laying off more Nebraska workers from his business– not Chinese workers from his business there though– he’s spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to attempt to buy himself a Senate seat.

In Columbus, Neb., orders at Behlen Manufacturing Company for its pre-engineered metal buildings have slowed. So far, the company, which employs 1,100 people, has avoided layoffs, Tony Raimondo, the chairman, said.

Behlen plans to build up inventory and perhaps shift workers into busier areas, like building grain silos, while waiting for better days, he said. But if trends continue, about 50 workers would be vulnerable.

“We’re on the bubble,” Mr. Raimondo said. “The odds are against us that we will get through the summer without layoffs.”

I would dare to say, if they admit to 50 jobs being in danger of lay offs, there are probably more than that involved, and if Tony wasn’t running for office right now, those jobs already would have dissapeared.

Getting back to the heart of Tony’s ad’s and campaign his esteemed hired gun Eric Fought
has Tony running hard to win on a platform of being a business man.

Well that’s what we already have in DC right now… mostly businessmen, that vote for and take care of businesses to the detriment of working families, our financial system
and the future of this country.

And once again here in Nebraska we have a businessman that wants to buy his way into the
Senate, writing big checks to fund himself since obviously the people of Nebraska haven’t and won’t support him with their own hard earned dollars.

A fellow Democrat I was talking to the other day, said this of Tony…

“Every time I see that guys face on TV, I expect him to pull the mask off and reveal it is really just Pete Ricketts running again".

Good Point…

Paul

The New York Times pulls back the curtain on the Pentagon
running a disinformation campaign against the American public.
They were, and probably still are, using retired Military Officers as
propogandists to support the Administration’s talking points.

FULL STORY HERE - LINK

Here is one lovely bit of information..

Many also shared with Mr. Bush’s national security team a belief that pessimistic war coverage broke the nation’s will to win in Vietnam, and there was a mutual resolve not to let that happen with this war.

This was a major theme, for example, with Paul E. Vallely, a Fox News analyst from 2001 to 2007. A retired Army general who had specialized in psychological warfare, Mr. Vallely co-authored a paper in 1980 that accused American news organizations of failing to defend the nation from “enemy” propaganda during Vietnam.

“We lost the war — not because we were outfought, but because we were out Psyoped,” he wrote. He urged a radically new approach to psychological operations in future wars — taking aim at not just foreign adversaries but domestic audiences, too. He called his approach “MindWar” — using network TV and radio to “strengthen our national will to victory.”

The Selling of the War

From their earliest sessions with the military analysts, Mr. Rumsfeld and his aides spoke as if they were all part of the same team.

In interviews, participants described a powerfully seductive environment — the uniformed escorts to Mr. Rumsfeld’s private conference room, the best government china laid out, the embossed name cards, the blizzard of PowerPoints, the solicitations of advice and counsel, the appeals to duty and country, the warm thank you notes from the secretary himself.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Mr. Allard said, describing the effect. “You’re back. They listen to you. They listen to what you say on TV.” It was, he said, “psyops on steroids” — a nuanced exercise in influence through flattery and proximity. “It’s not like it’s, ‘We’ll pay you $500 to get our story out,’ ” he said. “It’s more subtle.”

The access came with a condition. Participants were instructed not to quote their briefers directly or otherwise describe their contacts with the Pentagon.

In the fall and winter leading up to the invasion, the Pentagon armed its analysts with talking points portraying Iraq as an urgent threat. The basic case became a familiar mantra: Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons, was developing nuclear weapons, and might one day slip some to Al Qaeda; an invasion would be a relatively quick and inexpensive “war of liberation.”

At the Pentagon, members of Ms. Clarke’s staff marveled at the way the analysts seamlessly incorporated material from talking points and briefings as if it was their own.

The next time someone in the main stream media trots out a retired General or Admiral
to talk about the war, or current events, we would all do well to remember that these men
are NOT impartial, most of them sit on the boards of, or work for the Defense industry.
As lobbyists or spokesmen.

Or as shown above, most of them are simply mouthpieces for the Psyops campaign the Department of Defense is waging on the American people.

Just thought you would like to know.

By the way there are a couple of honest men out there that spoke the truth as they saw it
regardless of what Bush or Rumsfeld wanted to hear. As soon as they departed from the
standard spin coming out of those in power in the Whitehouse and the Pentagon they were fired for it.

The names Fallon and Shinsecki should ring a bell for some of you.

Honorable men forced out because they told the truth.

What did you think of yesterday’s Senate debate between Kleeb and Raimondo? Did either candidate sway you? Floor is open !

Richard Carter one of two Democratic candidates for Congress from Omaha ambushed his opponent Jim Esch yesterday.

Carter Campaign Lets Us Down With Drug Testing Pseudo-Scandal

http://newnebraska.net/showDiary.do?diaryId=962

I’ll let the good post and comments on NNN serve up this story.

I will add that this is a pretty juvenile attempt by Rich Carter to embarass Jim Esch,
and it seriously calls into question his judgement as a leader.

Another point I would like to clarify for the readers here, is the fact that even though Richard was called a “Soldier” by the Reader in it’s article on him, he is NOT a soldier.
Mr. Carter is and was an Electronic Warfare Officer first in the US Air Force and now in the Air Force Reserve at Offutt AFB.

His “Tours” in the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan consisted of cruising over those countries at 35,000 feet while ACTUALLY being stationed nowhere NEAR either country, more likely flying daily out of Qatar, in an Electronic Warfare Plane.

His Service while admirable does not give him any special insight on the war as it fought on the ground. Indeed he in all likelyhood got his news and formed his opinions the same way someone here in the US could have, in the papers and by watching the news.
While sitting at the local TGI Fridays sipping a cold beer on Al-Udeid Air base in Qatar.

Regardless of his claims, you don’t see anything “first Hand” from flying over a country
at 35,000 feet.

And his claim as follows -

“No issue has come up more than the War in Iraq; an issue, as a Veteran of the United States Air Force who flew combat reconaissance missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, I am uniquely equipped to lead on.”

Is BULL…….

Real Leaders don’t pull cheap shots on their opponents…

There will be a Debate THIS saturday between Scott kleeb and Tony Raimondo at the State Theatre in Lincoln 1415 O st. The Debate starts at 1 pm, and is free to come watch.
It will be televised on KLKN Channel 8 also. There will be a meet and greet starting at 12 pm free to Lancaster County Democrats, or you can join for $30.

Should be an intersting afternoon.

Read more here… (the Times for the debate, are WRONG in the newsletter).
http://www.lancastercountydemocrats.org/newsletter/0804_news.pdf

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That same newsletter has some really good articles explaining the positions of some of the local folks running for office in Lincoln, and statewide. You can read all about Vern Barrett, Ken Haar, Dan Marvin, Nancy Intermill, Barbara Baier.

And Mayor Chris Beutler and Sen Bill Avery talk about Amendment one.
All very good reading if you want to be well informed about important issues and
learn who your candidates are, this election year.

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ALSO after the debate, Nebraska for Obama is holding a meet and greet with Jane Kleeb
(Scott Kleeb’s wife) at ZEN’s lounge 122 N 11th St (roughly 2 pm to 5 pm ).
Other notable Democrats will be there, and I have heard a rumor of a “Special Guest"..
YOU SHOULD COME TO IT!!!!

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The Omaha Reader has a good story up about Jim Esch and Richard Carter, who are running
for Congress against Republican Lee Terry, who is darn scared right now that he might lose,
especially if his complete lack of doing anything at all over his 10 years in office gets
talked about by the voters.

http://www.thereader.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1204764429&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3&

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Nebraska for Obama had a PA election night returns watch party at Libations on Tuesday,
and those that attended were lucky enough to get to meet Max Yashirin, the bright
young man running against Jeff “The Hairdo” Fortenberry for Congress.

Max’s campaign got a big boost when Former Senator and Govenor Bob Kerry signed on
to help as Campaign financial manager.

All I can say about Max is that he is down to earth, honest and hard working and Nebraska
would be much better suited with him representing us rather than Jeff Fortenberry who
is ranked as one of the most Ineffective Congressmen in Washington. Max is a Veteran that served in Iraq with the US Marine Corps also, so he has an insiders view if the Iraq war.

You can read more about Max - here http://www.maxcongress.com/

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Finally - here’s a message from Vic Covalt, (worth repeating)
the Lancaster County Dem Party Volunteer Coordinator.

Hi Fellow Democratic Activists:

As you know, the real work of our New Democratic Party is to help elect great candidates to public office for better government. Here is a chance to help continue the movement of the caucuses. We need help with getting out the vote for the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

The Lancaster County Democratic Party sent more than 10,000 applications for vote by mail ballots to Democratic voters throughout Lancaster County. With the many pieces of mail people receive, it is essential that we find volunteers to make follow up phone calls. The follow up calls will only be going to identified democrats reminding them of the mailing. If it was lost or misplaced, then encourage them to stop by the Election Commissioner’s office for another one, or to remember to go to the polls. We will get you a list of candidates and script to follow.

You can make calls from our new offices at 2215 C Street from 6-8 pm on Monday, Wednesday or Thursdays. Or we can send you a list to you so you can call from home.

If we get enough volunteers, it will reduce the number of calls each of us will be making in our neighborhoods. So please say you will help by sending me a reply to this email. (Your “Reply” is very important, as I want to make sure these emails are getting through.)

The post-Primary Party will be held at Dugan’s Pub at 440 So. 11th St. I hope to see you there!

And come to the JJ Exon Senate Debate between Tony Raimondo and Scott Kleeb on April 26, 2008 at 1 pm. A free reception for LCDP paid members will be held at noon so guarantee your spot by coming early. ($40.00 for non-members; Memberships are $30 and may be purchased at the door).

Let’s Continue the Conversation.

Vic Covalt
LCDP Volunteer Coordinator

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AND FINALLY - don’t forget!!! The May 13th Primary is VERY important!!
You get to vote for local people, and bond issues as well as Amendment one.
COme on people, get fired up!!! AND VOTE!!!

Enjoy the nice weather..

Paul

Here’s Scott Kleeb’s TV ad that will be running in Lincoln, Omaha and
the tri cities starting tomorrow. Thanks to the NDP for linking to them.

Next up Tony..

And then we have our new Chickenhawk award winner Tony Raimondo with his new
and improved ad…

Nice suit, red tie… and customary right wing Bush supporter Flag lapel
pin like all good GOP war supporters.

Wow, strong message, all patriotic and such… right up until you remember this
guy was supporting GWB and all his associated GOP agenda blunders, including the war up until a few months ago.

Sorry Tony using the flag and some fake troops as a prop,
won’t wipe away your own history of supporting the war, and George Bush’s policies.
You STILL look pretty darn Republican to me…

Perhaps someone will be kind enough to tell your little mercenary campaign manager Eric Fought that this ad stinks like a skunk in church.

Mainly for this reason, Tony has no history of serving his country in the Armed Forces
nor has anyone in his family served. Politicians that wrap themselves in the flag
and use troops as props yet never carried a rifle themselves, well veterans call em Chickenhawks…. Pro war for everyone else to go fight and win, well except them and their kids.

I have a few other points about Tony, follow along after the jump..

Read more! »

Yeah there is sniper fire going on alright…

Coming out of hillary’s OWN MOUTH…

Better duck everyone… another hot incoming round
of GROSS and BALD FACED LIES just whizzed past your neck.

God forbid, one of these should actually hit you and you
start believing her crap.

The best way to FIX Washington…. ridicule these
Elitist, lying bags of wind for what they REALLY are.

There’s lots of spin, and finger pointing going on right now about Obama
talking about people in PA being bitter.

Regardless of the various points of view and pokes all the vairous sides have taken in this latest BS media encouraged dustup is this one true piece of truth.

Today all over America there are many people that are bitter about the people in Washington DC that no longer seem to listen to the people of this country or care about them.

As for me, well yes I am bitter for those same reasons, and then some.

BUT, Instead of sitting and stewing about it, I decided to get engaged in changing the status quo. Stopping the never ending “More of the same” politicians we seem to get every election cycle.

So that’s it….. for here, and in PA and everywhere else in the United States.

You can sit there and be bitter, or you can vote for and support change.

Scott Kleeb continues to travel all over Nebraska meeting people, and building support from the grass roots, he spoke at a bowling party sponsored by Lincoln for Obama last night
at Madsen’s in Lincoln. As always Scott spent a lot of time just speaking one on one with the Obama supporters here listening to their views on what is important to them.

Everywhere he goes people are truly warming up to Scott as he plainly shows them
(in Person) that there is a different kind of candidate out there.

So I would call Scott’s chances still up and rising.

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His opponent Tony Raimondo however has a different view of campaigning for Nebraskan’s votes. Tony whipped out his checkbook and bought himself a slick new ad running on TV
in the Lincoln and Omaha area, showing him as a wonderful businessman and leader.
It’s a well done ad on the surface, right up to the point where you figure out that all
the people he shows in the ad are employee’s of HIS company, and a lot of them are
REPUBLICANS, who can’t vote for him in the primary. I have another view of Tony up on another Blog here on Blue… go there for more info. The Comments from the Journal Star’s comment section on his ad pretty much sums up Tony’s run…

Surprise, another bored businessman with a sense of entitlement, running TV ads. Really, who would vote for this guy? He has to realize he has no shot.

” If it talks like a Republican, works like a Republican, and has always been (until a few months ago) a Republican, I am pretty sure it is a Republican, irregardless of what it wants to call it self. I hope my fellow Democrats see right through you, Tony. I don’t care if he is friends with Ben Nelson, Mr. Raimondo will not represent the interests of NE democrats if elected. “

I am calling this farse the “Ricketts Campaign Part II” because just like back in 2006
we have a guy with a ton of money but no substance asking people to vote for him.

Ok so for Tony we call it down, mainly for the above reasons and the fact that it will
take more people than he employs to get him a win, and that’s about all the supporters
he has in Nebraska right now.

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Lee Terry is running scared of his Democratic opponents Jim Esch and Richard Carter.

http://newnebraska.net/showDiary.do?diaryId=881

Considering Lee’s record of doing nothing in DC all these years is coming home to haunt him.
And the fact that he won his last race by a thin margin, and the state and nantional GOP
party is providing him with darn little help, yeah Lee is worried.

Dave has a really good read on Lee:

Lee Terry is frightened that he might lose this race. He’s frightened because in his 10 years in office, he has done nothing for the people of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District. He has taken the people of Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, and LaVista for granted. He has shown a complete lack of leadership, and indeed an aversion to the responsibility of leadership.

I had an opportunity last year to speak with Lee Terry in one of my political science classes. He was asked by one student what was different about being in the minority as opposed to the majority. His response was telling; A quote that I wish I had documentation for, because it so encapsulates his philosophy of government. “Being in the minority,” he said, “frees you from the responsibility to lead.”

The responsibility to lead. Fitting for a five-term Congressman without any legislative accomplishments. No wonder he’s scared.

Both Jim Esch and Richard Carter look to have a great chance to send Lee packing home from DC in the fall.

Between the two, I would call an edge in this race for Jim Esch since Rich is a relative
unknown while Jim has more name recognition. Either one would be an excellent replacement for Mr. Terry who’s record is plainly pretty lame.

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Let see who else should be scared…

Well first up there is Mikey Johanns, who’s record of actually doing anything in DC as AG Secretary except steer big bucks to the Agribusinesses is non existant.
But WAIT!!! Mikey was ninth in line to be president (GOD FORBID)..

http://newnebraska.net/showDiary.do?diaryId=846

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Jeff Fortenberry is probably the most comfortable of the current GOP incumbents
as his Democratic opponent Max Yashirin is pretty much an underdog starting from
the ground up, while Jeff “The Hairdo” has a well oiled machine.

Jeffy has actually
gotten out the last couple of years and held town halls and spoken to Local Nebraskan’s
about the issues before going back to DC and voting the party line, so he at least has
the appearance of representing the best interests of the people that elected him.

But then again, here’s to hoping he keeps that 1980’s Bouffant hairdo he sports, that alone will cost him 10 points in the race….

But then again… hold on.. Fellow Veteran and all around great guy Bob Kerry
just jumped in to help Max run a good race against Jeffy..

http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/04/09/news/local/doc47fd60fd48487158408628.txt
(And Jeff’s campaign teams response was probably, “UH OH"….)

Time to worry Jeff…. this isn’t 1980 and people don’t want more of the same.

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And then the last Good old Adrian Smith from the 3rd district, who’s miserable record on
every issue important to Nebraska Families will make him TOAST in his next run, because he won’t have George Bush to come stump for him like happened last time.
I have been told Adrian isn’t smart enough to be scared, but we will have to wait for another day when he has to run again, to judge for ourselves.

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Oh and John Bruning should be worried too, since all the press he has gotten lately seems to be not making him look very good.

He isn’t planning on running on his record is he?
http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/04/04/news/politics/doc47f6892322eb5579665335.txt

http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/04/09/news/local/doc47fd5b0fc279f053269110.txt

Here’s a relevant comment about John…

” Uhmm…the Nebraska Supreme Court struck down the State’s method of execution because it violated the NEBRASKA Constitution. Thats the NEBRASKA Constitution Jon not the US Constitution.

Nice bit of chest thumping Jon. Whatever grade you got in Constitutional Law should be lowered about 4 points. “