So Many Subjects, So Little to Say
by Kyle Michaelis
"Who am I? Why am I here?"
"When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed."
There's plenty going on in Nebraska politics but - you know what - I don't have a whole lot to say about any of it, at least nothing I'd consider particularly insightful or which I haven't already said before.
Last week, I helped draw some online attention to Sen. Chuck Hagel's most recent flurry of criticism of the Iraq War. What he said was important and could easily have both national and international implications, both politically and in terms of human lives.
In the little corner of Northeast Nebraska I call home, it was announced last week that one boy had been killed in action in Iraq, while another was severely wounded - losing one or both of his legs. Neither boy was actually from my hometown, but both lived within 15 miles and attended schools we played in sports - could just as well have been my younger brother, his classmates, or his friends.
For them, their families, and all those who remain in harm's way, I have to thank Hagel for his outspokeness and the opportunity it helps create to set a new course this November.
I can harp about hypocrisy and hidden agendas all I want, but sometimes saying what needs to be said is the most important thing, particularly in this age of the soundbyte. Though I wrote skeptical commentaries last week accompanying Hagel's interviews with the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star (both of which were picked up by DailyKos), I'm glad my spin was extricated.
When young Americans are dying - not to mention, thousands of innocent Iraqis - I really shouldn't allow my local, partisan concerns to undermine Hagel's instantly-credible voice of dissent. As far as these comments are concerned, there's something to be said for not looking a gift-horse in the mouth.
On a separate issue, Gov. Dave Heineman came out AGAINST the Spending Lid Amendment. Sure, it took two months for him to make up his mind. Sure, the end of this most notorious demonstration of Heineman's wait-and-see approach to government has already been met by a new example in the area of Nebraska's water policy. There's plenty of angles from which one could turn Heineman's finally doing the right thing against him, but is that really productive or does that just further the same hyperpartisanship I so frequently bemoan for threatening to destroy our state and our nation?
Again, I see this as a reminder to leave it to political campaigns to spin their opposition's statements and actions. If my concern is good government in Nebraska, today - at least - I should be thanking Heineman for making the common sense choice to do what's best for the state by rejecting this insanely restrictive proposal.
Of course, I'm not so terribly naive that I fail to recognize Nebraska's long-term interests are not served by the extension of the status quo for which Heineman stands. But, if I can contribute to a more respectful and civil political climate where Democrats and Republicans do more than just criticize and condemn one another, that's what I intend to do - even during an election year.
Which brings us to the on-going battle between Sen. Ben Nelson and challenger Pete Ricketts. It's hard to overstate the foolishness of the Nebraska Democratic Party's ever having made such an issue of Ricketts' property taxes when Nelson's record has not fared well under the added scrutiny such an attack invited. The latest bit about Nelson's taking an agricultural exemption on the basis of his raising wild turkeys only adds to the silliness - giving Ricketts and the Republican Party exactly what they needed in their wild goose chase for a message.
Lucky for Nelson, there are too many issues of actual importance this year for voters to become consumed by this sort of faux-scandal. It would take a lot more than wild turkeys and the repayment of some back taxes to break the decade-and-a-half relationship of trust between Nelson and Nebraska voters.
It also can't hurt that voters have such a hard time separating this issue from the endless stream of negativity they have already come to expect from Ricketts and company. Whether the attacks have been disingenuous (Ben Nelson=Teddy Kennedy) or just downright deceitful (Boyd County nuclear waste dump), Nebraskans aren't fooled, and they aren't going to be.
That doesn't mean I expect either campaign to stop trying. If you like what you've seen this summer, it looks like you should be in for quite the treat as the countdown to November really begins in earnest.
Me? I'm sick of the back-and-forth....and barring some truly shocking revelation, I would be quite happy not writing another word about either candidate that doesn't directly relate to his ideas, his record, or his vision for the future.
Unfortunately, such a high standard would leave nothing to be said of Ricketts, so please forgive me if I occasionally stoop for material in the coming months (and, to think, I was doing so well).
-Admiral James Stockdale in 1992 Vice-Presidential Debate
"When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed."
-"Psycho Killer", Talking Heads (1977)
There's plenty going on in Nebraska politics but - you know what - I don't have a whole lot to say about any of it, at least nothing I'd consider particularly insightful or which I haven't already said before.
Last week, I helped draw some online attention to Sen. Chuck Hagel's most recent flurry of criticism of the Iraq War. What he said was important and could easily have both national and international implications, both politically and in terms of human lives.
In the little corner of Northeast Nebraska I call home, it was announced last week that one boy had been killed in action in Iraq, while another was severely wounded - losing one or both of his legs. Neither boy was actually from my hometown, but both lived within 15 miles and attended schools we played in sports - could just as well have been my younger brother, his classmates, or his friends.
For them, their families, and all those who remain in harm's way, I have to thank Hagel for his outspokeness and the opportunity it helps create to set a new course this November.
I can harp about hypocrisy and hidden agendas all I want, but sometimes saying what needs to be said is the most important thing, particularly in this age of the soundbyte. Though I wrote skeptical commentaries last week accompanying Hagel's interviews with the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star (both of which were picked up by DailyKos), I'm glad my spin was extricated.
When young Americans are dying - not to mention, thousands of innocent Iraqis - I really shouldn't allow my local, partisan concerns to undermine Hagel's instantly-credible voice of dissent. As far as these comments are concerned, there's something to be said for not looking a gift-horse in the mouth.
On a separate issue, Gov. Dave Heineman came out AGAINST the Spending Lid Amendment. Sure, it took two months for him to make up his mind. Sure, the end of this most notorious demonstration of Heineman's wait-and-see approach to government has already been met by a new example in the area of Nebraska's water policy. There's plenty of angles from which one could turn Heineman's finally doing the right thing against him, but is that really productive or does that just further the same hyperpartisanship I so frequently bemoan for threatening to destroy our state and our nation?
Again, I see this as a reminder to leave it to political campaigns to spin their opposition's statements and actions. If my concern is good government in Nebraska, today - at least - I should be thanking Heineman for making the common sense choice to do what's best for the state by rejecting this insanely restrictive proposal.
Of course, I'm not so terribly naive that I fail to recognize Nebraska's long-term interests are not served by the extension of the status quo for which Heineman stands. But, if I can contribute to a more respectful and civil political climate where Democrats and Republicans do more than just criticize and condemn one another, that's what I intend to do - even during an election year.
Which brings us to the on-going battle between Sen. Ben Nelson and challenger Pete Ricketts. It's hard to overstate the foolishness of the Nebraska Democratic Party's ever having made such an issue of Ricketts' property taxes when Nelson's record has not fared well under the added scrutiny such an attack invited. The latest bit about Nelson's taking an agricultural exemption on the basis of his raising wild turkeys only adds to the silliness - giving Ricketts and the Republican Party exactly what they needed in their wild goose chase for a message.
Lucky for Nelson, there are too many issues of actual importance this year for voters to become consumed by this sort of faux-scandal. It would take a lot more than wild turkeys and the repayment of some back taxes to break the decade-and-a-half relationship of trust between Nelson and Nebraska voters.
It also can't hurt that voters have such a hard time separating this issue from the endless stream of negativity they have already come to expect from Ricketts and company. Whether the attacks have been disingenuous (Ben Nelson=Teddy Kennedy) or just downright deceitful (Boyd County nuclear waste dump), Nebraskans aren't fooled, and they aren't going to be.
That doesn't mean I expect either campaign to stop trying. If you like what you've seen this summer, it looks like you should be in for quite the treat as the countdown to November really begins in earnest.
Me? I'm sick of the back-and-forth....and barring some truly shocking revelation, I would be quite happy not writing another word about either candidate that doesn't directly relate to his ideas, his record, or his vision for the future.
Unfortunately, such a high standard would leave nothing to be said of Ricketts, so please forgive me if I occasionally stoop for material in the coming months (and, to think, I was doing so well).
posted at 2:54 AM
4 Comments:
Bulldog - you "used to think Nelson was OK?" you've never posted anything but vitriol about him on this or any other blog. Your revisionist history is as unsulting as it is disingenuous.
Maybe you didn't see what Republican Surveyor Pittman said on Ch 3 last night - or more likely you did and are ignoring it so you can continue to lie about Ben Nelson.
You must rent because you understand nothing about property taxes, how they work, and you pretend to know anything about the greenbelt designation.
Petey's campaign has played with some significant fire out there. there are 1500 properties that get the same break that Nelson did. Now the assesor, since he was forced to reassess Nelson's proerty, will have to do the same for everyone else. Nice, Pete wants to lower his property taxes so everyone in Sarpy County can pay more.
And the difference between Nelson and the Ken Doll: Ben Nelson has always paid his taxes - and even now in Sarpy County he's doing it - while Pete does nothing but whine about how he pays too much.
Here is the simple message that will bring Pete down: I needed to spend 5 million of my own money to beat a buffoon in Don Stenberg, but I wanted to cheat my neighbors out of $6K on my property taxes.
Ben Nelson is a stand up guy, a Nebraskan through and through and your comments about him are insulting and disresepctful.
As for your claim that Nelson ran anti-ricketts ads before the primary: PROVE IT. You know its a lie, but trading in the truth is difficult I'm sure for a campaign that has to fabricate headlines and news coverage in its ads.
Nice try, but take your fake sympathy (I was for Nelson before I was against him) crap somewhere else you lowlife loser.
Oh, and why dont you start paying your 30% National Sales Tax now if you are so on the Pete bandwagon?
Bulldog-
You are pathetic and loathsome. You are an embarrassment to the many fair-minded and rational Republicans in this state. I would delete every hateful and inflammatory comment you've written, except the ignorance and pettiness of your unintelligible insults provide a too-perfect illustration of the sickness that pervades our democracy.
Thank you for standing as a constant reminder of just how much work there is to do and how much ignorance and folly stand in our way.
there really isn't much to say about the nelson race. it's over. it's been over for a long time. i agree the ndp should be a little less full of themselves. acknowledging this dildo is so unnecessary.
having said that, i am anxious to see nelson debate him. not that i think it will be enlightening or even educational...im just longing to see ricketts humiliated.
I gotta hand it to you, Kyle. You have a very keen political sense and you totally called it with the Cat in the Hat ad. This was a monumental blunder that should have never happened: Ben Nelson is a smart politician and the previous, positive ads by the Nebraska Democrats created an incredibly effective contrast with Rickett's inane, "Clinton-Kennedy" attack ads.
Nelson surrendered the higher ground even when it was clear that Rickett's wasn't making any progress, and I'm sure his image has taken a severe hit.
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