Don Walton: Nebraska Democrats moving up

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Working their way back. Nebraska Democrats have been at it since a disastrous 2002 election when they were buried by record margins in Senate and gubernatorial races.

Road kill.

In 2004, they made great strides in terms of organization, fund-raising and candidate recruitment, but had no breakthrough victories to show for it.

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But Democrats approach the 2006 general election in a strong position to help Ben Nelson defend his Senate seat.  And they’re fielding competitive candidates in the gubernatorial scrap and in at least two House contests.

Although they enter all those struggles — with the exception of the Senate race — as decided underdogs, their congressional nominees  conceivably could catch a ride on the national wave of voter unhappiness with President Bush and the Republican Congress demonstrated in recent polls.

If the ripples splash this far.

In Nebraska, Democrats continue to fall dangerously behind Republicans in voter registration numbers, but their party is growing stronger.

It’s still up against Hertz, but it’s no longer the storefront on the corner.

Here’s some evidence of progress compiled by State Chairman Steve Achelpohl in his newest state party report:

 The party’s budget has tripled since 2002.

 The party held 68 county conventions this year compared to 30 in 2002.  

 The party’s e-mail list has grown from 4,000 in 2004 to more than 20,000 now.

 The party has identified more than 3,000 new volunteers.

The Democratic National Committee no longer considers Nebraska just “a place to fund-raise and recruit volunteers, but not invest in,” Achelpohl states.

Now, the national party funds a communications director, a campaign and field director and two field organizers for the state party in Nebraska.

“And, in an historic first, the Nebraska Democratic Party has been running positive (TV) ads throughout the summer highlighting Nelson’s accomplishments,” the report states.

Those ads have been funded by money from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Nebraska Democrats are still walking uphill in Nebraska.  But they appear headed in the right direction.

Finishing up

 Reaction last week to Chuck Hagel’s views on the Middle East, beginning with his July 28 speech to the Brookings Institution and including his Senate speech calling for an immediate cease fire in Lebanon: 2,921 positive e-mails, phone calls and faxes; 507 negative responses; as compiled by his staff.

 Neither Hagel nor Nelson has yet committed his vote to confirm John Bolton as UN ambassador.

 Both voted for Senate cloture last week on that shotgun-marriage  bill combining a higher minimum wage with sharp reductions in the estate tax and targeted tax cuts.  Both said they would have voted for the bill if it had survived. 

 Progress: Sales of minivans, pickup trucks and SUVs fell 30 percent in July from a year ago.  Last month, passenger cars represented 48 percent of the U.S. market compared with 39 percent a year ago.

 Jim Esch, the Democratic congressional nominee in Omaha’s 2nd District, says his refusal to accept PAC or special interest funding has evolved into a dominant theme of his campaign.

 Jeff Fortenberry will host a renewable energy conference at UNL on Thursday, turning the spotlight on ethanol, biodiesel, biomass and wind energy.

 While the Republican leadership in Washington says “we should stay the course (and) complete the mission” in Iraq, Maxine Moul says, an inspector general’s report detailing failure to complete, or even begin, vital infrastructure projects indicates the Bush administration plans to “cut and run” on its health care and power plant promises.

n First Senate debate on Friday in Lincoln.  Nelson and Pete Ricketts go toe to toe before the Nebraska Broadcasters Association.  Live NET television and radio coverage begins at noon.

 Tom Friedman, speaking to Tim Russert on Meet the Press after returning from the Middle East: “The sort of dark nature of the Cheneys and the Bushes and the Rices, this, this sort of relentless pessimism about the world, this exporting of fear, not hope, has really left people feeling that the idea of America has been stolen from them.”

 OK, two Oklahoma football players have paid the price for breaking an NCAA rule.  Now, how about the Sooner businessman-booster who handed out the money? OU ought to sue that guy for damages inflicted on the program just to make a point, whether it could win in court or not.

 Is the Congress really going to try to finance a revolution in Cuba?

Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com.