Terry, Fortenberry Recommend Osborne to Bush, Not to Voters

After keeping out of the Republican gubernatorial primary, deciding not to follow Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in endorsing their fellow Nebraska Congressman Tom Osborne, Lee Terry and Jeff Fortenberry have decided to help find Osborne a job - just not the one he originally wanted. The Omaha World-Herald reports:

Tom Osborne's congressional colleagues are trying to find him a job.

Republican Reps. Lee Terry and Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, along with Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., last week urged President Bush to consider Osborne for a position in the administration.

The three wrote a letter of recommendation to the president in which they touted Osborne's Nebraska football coaching record, his expertise on education issues, his congressional service and his integrity.

Osborne, 69, will leave office at the end of the year. He was elected to the House in 2000 but decided not to seek re-election while running for governor. He lost the GOP primary in May....

So what job do the congressmen have in mind for Osborne?

In an interview, Terry suggested that Osborne could replace Norman Mineta as secretary of transportation. Mineta is stepping down from that job this month....

As for other possible opportunities for Osborne, Terry mentioned an agriculture-related job or a trade representative position.

"His loss in the governor's race could be a silver lining for the Bush administration," Terry said. "Now there's an incredible talent with lots of experience on the free agents list."

In the letter to Bush, the congressmen did not ask the president to appoint Osborne to a specific job.

Osborne said he knew about the letter but did not ask for it....

Ouch! Two months after Terry and Fortenberry's backing could have been a lot of help in the governor's race, this "letter of recommendation" seems to be a pretty damn weak consolation prize. And seriously, in selling Osborne to Bush, they touted his winning football record??? What the hell kind of job for the federal government is that really going to come in handy?

Of course, if Bush would finally dump Donald Rumsfeld, Osborne couldn't do much worse as Secretary of Defense.
I just hope Charlie McBride is available to join him at the Pentagon. Hell, maybe bring Trev Alberts along for the ride.

As for Terry and Fortenberry, both probably love the idea of being able to call on Osborne for support in future bids for higher office. I just hope the ol' coach remembers that neither of these two jokers were really there for him when it mattered most.