Scott Kleeb's "Husker Nation" - The Force More Powerful than a President

This weekend, President George W. Bush will be visiting Nebraska's Third District, hoping to rally support for the failing campaign of Congressional candidate Adrian Smith. The fact that 48 hours before a national election Bush will be spending his time in what has traditionally been a Republican strong-hold - where he won reelection in 2004 by one of the widest margins in the country - shows just what the stakes are in this race and just what Scott Kleeb is up against.

The Lincoln Journal-Star reports:

President Bush will come to Nebraska on Sunday to campaign for 3rd District Republican congressional nominee Adrian Smith....

“This is an extraordinary privilege,” said state GOP Chairman Mark Quandahl. “We are truly honored to have our commander-in-chief make a special visit to our great state in order to rally our base and ensure that Nebraskans understand the magnitude of next Tuesday’s election"....

For his part, Kleeb welcomed Bush’s visit.

“It is always an honor to have the president of the United States visit and spend time in our state,” Kleeb said. “This visit is particularly well-timed because, whether it is the next farm bill or the war in Iraq, Nebraskans are eager to hear the president talk about his plans for moving the country forward.”

Quandahl can call Bush's appearance an "extraordinary privilege," but - as a statement on Smith's campaign - it's a downright embarrassment. Because Smith pales so completely by comparison to Kleeb, his entire hope for victory rests in the people voting for a political party rather than the superior candidate.

As Smith calls in reinforcements from out-of-state, though, Kleeb's campaign has also found support from outside Nebraska's borders. But, rather than the Club for Growth's money and the most powerful man in the world's partisan meddling, Kleeb has awakened the dormant hopes of an entire nation of expatriate Nebraskans who've found their lives elsewhere but will always consider our state home.

I received the following message this morning from one such Kleeb supporter who's doing everything he can to stand up for Nebraka and asks others to do the same:

I am a Nebraskan. . . born in Holdrege and reared near Hastings. And while I have lived in the Washington, DC area for almost 30 years, I have never lost contact with Nebraska. Family and friends live in Adams, Buffalo, Harlan, Clay, Boyd , Pierce, and Hall counties. I also follow politics closely, and because of this and my roots, I am enthusiastic about the candidacy of Scott Kleeb.

In the closing days of this campaign, I have emailed friends and relatives in the Third District and urged them to support Scott Kleeb. For example, I have emailed all of my high school classmates for whom I had email addresses. I would suggest that others who support Scott Kleeb do the same. Get out your Christmas card list and either drop a line or give a call to those who live in the Third District. But do it today!

This could be a very close race, and we should not miss the chance to send a strong, articulate and independent voice to Congress. Wouldn’t that make November 7th a wonderful day?

Thanks for your consideration, and your action.

David V. Evans
Arlington, VA

Adrian Smith has the Club for Growth and President Bush. Scott Kleeb has David Evans, the voters, and you.

Got to say, I feel pretty good about those odds.