Now
Fair
85.0°
High
87°
Low
64°
Full Forecast

Coupon

Jobs

Cars

Homes

Rentals

Alerts

Subscribe
Home > News > Local
Bookmark Us   •   Make Us Your Homepage

Don Walton: Bruning in as the anti-Hagel

Comments 14 comment(s)  
E-mail Story E-mail Story
Print Story Print Story
Share  Share
Text Size: 
Tools Sponsor

Sunday, Jun 10, 2007 - 07:23:04 pm CDT

Bombs away. Jon Bruning unloaded on Chuck Hagel last week.

Iraq, immigration, criticism of the president, lack of party loyalty, carpetbagger.

Bruning’s barrage firmly planted his Republican flag as the anti-Hagel.

Story Photo

Hagel’s political director fired a few missiles back, suggesting Bruning is trying to build a case on accusations, insults and inaccuracy.

Annual Congressional Quarterly surveys show Hagel has supported President Bush’s position on legislative issues 95 percent of the time and the majority position held by Senate Republicans 92 percent of the time during his tenure in the Senate, said Kevin Chapman.

That’s the opening fire in a bitter war that may not even take place.

Hagel doesn’t look like a candidate for re-election yet. But who knows? Definitely not me.

As the national political landscape continues to heave and churn, no political options appear to be closed. 

Hagel for Senate continues raising money that could be used in either a Senate campaign or a presidential quest. Invitations are out for a fund-raiser in New York on June 25.

Some leftovers from Bruning’s announcement last week:

* State Treasurer Shane Osborn introduced the attorney general. Bruning said he believes he also has the support of another Osborne, the one with an e.  Last year, Bruning backed Tom Osborne in his GOP gubernatorial primary contest with Dave Heineman; Hagel endorsed Heineman.

* Bruning said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s strong endorsement of Hagel in Omaha last month was prompted by the Kentucky senator’s political need to “try to keep a very fragile coalition together” in the Senate at a time when every vote matters.

* Bruning said he received more than 1,000 e-mail messages of support from Nebraskans when he announced he was considering entering the race for Hagel’s seat.

* With Republicans now enjoying an overwhelming voter registration advantage, Nebraska is “a very, very different place” than it was the last time Bob Kerrey won a Senate election here as a Democrat 13 years ago, Bruning said.

Divided Nebraska

Recent polling shows Nebraskans evenly divided about Iraq war policy, Kerrey told Bill Moyers a week ago.

Forty-nine percent identified Iraq as the overriding issue, Kerrey said, and respondents were “equally divided” over whether to withdraw or stay the course.

“That’s not promising,” Moyers said.

Although Kerrey didn’t say, those figures may have come from his own polling in the state.

In the lengthy PBS interview with Moyers on June 1, Kerrey explained his views on Iraq and argued for a policy to “go after radical Islamic jihadists” wherever they may be.

The exchange with Moyers offered a much more detailed explanation of Kerrey’s views than he could provide in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed column.

If you’re interested, complete video and text are available at www.pbs.org/moyers/journal.

Inside politics 101

June 7:  As he kicks off his Republican primary campaign for Hagel’s Senate seat, Bruning says David Sokol will serve as his finance chairman.

March 29, exactly 10 weeks earlier, Sokol pens this message to Hagel: “As you are aware, I have been and I continue to be a supporter.  If you decide to run again for another term as senator, I and Peggy will most certainly be a contributor.”

The message was signed: “Your friend, David.”

Sokol is chairman and CEO of MidAmerican Energy in Omaha.

Finishing up

* Line of the month, so far, goes to Curt Donaldson, hands down:  Spending cuts, he said, could leave Lincoln with not much more than a “guns and hoses” city budget.

* Arnold Ruhnke, who died at the age of 98, was the kind of legislator George Norris must have had in mind. Independent citizen-senator, non-partisan, essentially immune to lobbying pressure, a farmer from Plymouth who served in the Unicameral for 14 years.

* Baseball messages and phone calls are declining.

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


$1 Sunday Delivery - Subscribe Today!
Local > Back to Top of Story

Post Your Comment

Standards and Rules
All posts to JournalStar.com are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.
(optional)
   
Hide Comments Hide Comments   Newest First Newest First  
Arkie wrote on June 10, 2007 8:34 pm:
" Unfortunately, Nebraska is a very different place than it was the last time Bob Kerrey won a race. "
Tim wrote on June 10, 2007 8:56 pm:
" Are those thousand emails Bruning received coming to him via his personal email account, the Bruning for Senate website, or in all probability, via his state-funded email account? "
KLM wrote on June 11, 2007 1:23 am:
" I can't believe Don Walton would allow his column to be used to further Chuck Hagel's personal vendetta against David Sokol. Reporting on private correspondence with no suggestion of lawbreaking is little removed from publishing someone's diary. Hagel might be able to get ahold of Sokol's diary, but that doesn't mean the press should play along. The story here is ENTIRELY just how pathetic and desperate Team Hagel has become. Honestly, who cares that a multi-millionaire Omaha businessman is playing one Republican politician off the other? Far more disturbing is the fact that Hagel feels comfortable publicly releasing a personal letter from Sokol. He might just as well use any letter written to him by a constituent for whatever purpose he damn well pleases. "
Hjalmer wrote on June 11, 2007 6:11 am:
" Yes, Nebraska is a very different place than it was 13 years ago. As Ronald Reagan said, "If you don't like the policies where you live, you can vote with your feet." In other words, move. That's what progressives of both parties have done. They've moved to states with economic opportunity. 27% of Nebraska's high school seniors stay in Nebraska. Check out Nebraska's third district and you'll see what I mean. This state has created an economic suicide pact for itself. Only Omaha seems to be able to create a vision for itself. The rest of the state will cling to the past until it "dies". "
chubs wrote on June 11, 2007 6:22 am:
" Don Walton is nuts. The only reason that he even appears to be Hagel friendly is because Hagel does not represent the Nebraskan conservative. Chuck is so far removed from the people that he serves that he is ignorant to the needs. Just last week we see Ben Nelson working hard for the ranchers in Nebraska . Where was my representative? A day later we hear from Chuck, a day late and a dollar short. Be tough Jon, you will get the votes "
Listen to people who know wrote on June 11, 2007 7:02 am:
" Look at the FACTS and ignore the rhetoric, people. Bruning makes lots of claims and accusations. Are the facts there to back these up. No. Jon boy complains that Hagel isn't around Nebraska a lot. Thats good. Why? Because his work is in Washington D.C. (where I happen to know he works very hard), not bouncing around Omaha and Lincoln schmoozing hardline Repubs. to gain political favor. Is our attorney general listening to Pete Ricketts about how to campaign? "
Deb wrote on June 11, 2007 9:04 am:
" Vote for John Bruning. Hagel has done his time and shown us what he stands for - nothing. "
Michael wrote on June 11, 2007 9:36 am:
" Hagel is a dirty Democrat in Republican clothing. He acts right a Democrat all the time. The Republicans should find a way to vote him out of the party. "
Jon Bruning exposed wrote on June 11, 2007 9:48 am:
" Jon Bruning is no conservative. Ask him about his Daily Nebraskan columns he wrote when he was a 24-year-old law school student. Bruning is to the left of Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. He cannot be trusted. "
JT wrote on June 11, 2007 11:38 am:
" We have to be the only state where being closely aligned with President Bush is seen as essential to getting elected. Come up with a good candidate Dems, I think we could pull a big upset here. "
whatever wrote on June 11, 2007 12:32 pm:
" This state is committing economic suicide. Omaha is the only city on the move, Lincoln is rapidly becoming like a lot of small towns in the rest of the state, barely hanging on. Having traveled out of state some the past year, I am amazed at how far back Nebraska has fallen. Every state around us with the possible exception of Colorado is making strides forward. This state is awash in bad leadership and poor legislation and little economic opportunity. Most of the 27 percent of graduates that have stayed in Nebraska are likely the ones that are the most burdonsome on our state. Poor educations, poor work ethics and little skill. Of course there are exceptions, but very few. Let's put it this way, if a left wing liberal like Bruning can seriously challenge for Senate as a conservative what does that say about the intelligence of the average Nebraska voter. "
Bill in Lincoln wrote on June 11, 2007 1:15 pm:
" ....I'm a registered Democrat and am surprised at Brunings tone and demeanor towards Chuck Hagel. Just the way he attacks someone from his own party who currently holds the office is very surprising to me. I don't care for it. Wait til it comes around full circle and humbles him. Remember Bruning......you started the tone! "
vote Scott wrote on June 11, 2007 2:32 pm:
" I'm a Hagel supporter all the way but if he doesn't run again Kleeb has my vote. "
nothing ever wrote on June 11, 2007 3:53 pm:
" Oh dear another vague diatribe about how bad the state in general is and how poorly Lincoln compares to Omaha, which would explain why it has lower unemployment, lower poverty, lower crime, a better educated workforce, a higher median income and faster growth than Omaha, and Des Moines for that matter. But complaining without facts or on subjective feelings is so much easier isn't it? "

Ads by Yahoo!