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Letters, 5/9: Clinton just pandering

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Friday, May 09, 2008 - 12:22:23 am CDT

Hillary Clinton has lost my vote with her latest proposal for a gas tax moratorium this summer.

The federal government can’t assure the safety of our bridges, they can’t fix our deteriorating national highways, and we don’t have the funding for serious mass transit. Her quick fix for America’s oil addiction is political pandering of the worst kind.

Barack Obama’s response has made it clear that the line is drawn between another Clinton who will say anything, promise anything or do anything to be in power versus a leader who will tell it like it is and point us to a brighter future.

Glenn Friendt, Lincoln

Kleeb a good candidate

As a lifelong Democrat, it would be a disgrace to the Democratic Party of Nebraska to let a rich Republican, who was silent on the Bush administration until recent months, buy the primary election of the Democratic Party for the U.S. Senate race.

Tony Raimondo has put $450,000 of his own money to buy the nomination and election.

Democrats have an excellent candidate to win the Senate race with Scott Kleeb.

George “Bill” Burrows, Adams

Johanns’ spin

Recent ads by Mike Johanns just amazed me on the spin that was put on things.

Nebraska values? He was born and raised in Iowa. Similar, but not Nebraska, by any means. Lead us out of post-Sept. 11 recession? We all had an experience with that situation. But lead us out of it? Give me a break!

When he was first elected governor, he did not carry Lincoln or Lancaster County. We knew better.

With a large war chest, he will most likely flood us with TV spots and possibly pull off his senatorial bid. That is, unless the rest of the state wakes up and pays attention.

Ronald R. Souliere Sr., Lincoln

Re-elect Harding for NPPD

My wife and I were glad to see the news, in a Journal Star article printed in mid-April 2008, of a new wind farm in northeast Nebraska — generating electricity for Nebraska Public Power District. Hopefully this is only the beginning.

I would only add that Mary Harding, who currently serves on the NPPD Board of Directors, deserves our thanks for steady advocacy of renewable energy.

Many of us don’t really know the names at the bottom of our election ballot — such as the candidates for the NPPD board. But Mary certainly deserves (along with others) to be recognized for her work as this and other wind farms get hooked into our public power grid.

I hope people vote for incumbent Mary Harding. We live in the country, and we know the power of the wind and sun.

Bill Arfmann, Malcolm

Kleeb knows our needs

I write this letter in support of Democrat Scott Kleeb for Senate. Having known Scott for the past 10 or so years, I feel his ability to study the issues and truly listen to our problems makes him the most qualified candidate to represent our great state.

That he has been labeled by his opponent as an “academic” speaks to all of Scott’s talents. His ability to study all the issues and to listen with great intensity to people from all walks of life is just what we Nebraskans need in our future senator. Scott truly has a grasp on what is needed to help Nebraska and the United States.

Charles McGinn, Anselmo

We need Jeffers

If I lived in District 21, James Arthur Jeffers would have my vote. I have known James Arthur, Jim to me, and his family for close to 25 years. He is a man of integrity and honor and is hard-working and a devoted family man with conservative values. Jim has started several successful businesses; the last one is James Arthur Vineyards in Raymond. We need men of James Arthur’s ability and conservative values to serve as a Nebraska legislator.

I am a resident of District 25, and Brent Smoyer has my vote. He also is a man of integrity with conservative values.

Pat Eiche, Lincoln

Amendment 1 makes sense

My husband Mike and I were delighted when the Lincoln Journal Star recently endorsed Amendment 1. We believe Amendment 1 represents the kind of legislation Nebraskans expect — the kind of legislation rooted in good common sense.

I served with Lincoln’s Community Health Endowment for six years, and I know how valuable a public endowment can be for any community. This is a wonderful opportunity to provide needed services without tax dollars.

I know Amendment 1 is widely supported across a broad political spectrum. In addition, it has earned the endorsement of nearly every statewide organization.

Helen Boosalis, Lincoln

Haar finds solutions

Of the six candidates running in legislative District 21, there is one who stands out above the rest. That person is Ken Haar.

We need people in the state Legislature who care about the issues that matter to Nebraskans, such as making health care affordable. Ken cares about these issues and will address them head on. Ken Haar is the person who will do the work to find the solutions to make Nebraska even better.

George S. Buckner III, Lincoln


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Totally agree with Ronald wrote on May 9, 2008 7:19 am:
" Mike Johanns not carrying Lincoln or Lancaster County - what does that show? He is a career politician with an excellent knack for spin. It's time to NOT vote for him. "

 Yup wrote on May 9, 2008 8:04 am:
" Glenn, Obama has promised that he would abolish income taxes on seniors who make $50,000 or less. So isn't he a person "who will say anything, promise anything or do anything to be in power"? So what's Obama going to try to do about gas prices? This morning I paid $3.69 a gal ($59.62) for a tank of gas to hopefully last me two weeks. Two years ago I paid a little over $30. We need some solutions, even small, instead of nothing. "

 And so it begins wrote on May 9, 2008 8:05 am:
" Oh boy! Election season is here! I just love seeing all the vote for [fill in the blank] letters. I just can't get enough of them. Can we get more please? I really love knowing who people are voting for. "

 chuckle wrote on May 9, 2008 8:32 am:
" I got an instant chuckle when I read the well known Republican is not going to vote for Hillary Clinton because of a gas tax scheme, were you ever? What about McCain? He has proposed the very same ideas why doesn’t he receive the same scrutiny? "

 MarkyMark wrote on May 9, 2008 8:47 am:
" Hillary Clinton is pandering? Now there's a shock considering that campaigning and pandering are one and the same thing. Did you think Obama might be pandering when he tried to Bowl and rolled a 39? People will say and do what it takes to get elected. I have to laugh, one of my favorite scenes was Bush campaigning when he was actually holding a book! "

 Pandering wrote on May 9, 2008 8:48 am:
" If anyone knows about pandering, it would be Glen. "

 Edited wrote on May 9, 2008 9:55 am:
" I think the fact that MarkyMark see's campaigning as not different than pandering epitomizes the way the Clintons and their supporters view the political process. I have long thought that both former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton believe dishonesty is fine as satisfies a political end. And this is why Hillary Clinton who was once a shoe in for her party's nomination, is losing the nomination. People are tired of this kind of politics. This kind of politics is why both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections were so close. I'm afraid Yup is mistaken about Sen. Barrack Obama and the income tax too. I doubt you will ever hear any Democrat suggest abolishing the income tax for any segment of the electorate. "

 X-NYr wrote on May 9, 2008 11:47 am:
" Hillary's credability is what is at stake more than anything. From the broken promise to the New York voters who were promised by her that if she was re-elected to congress she would "faithfully" represent the people of New York for the entire term, and had no presidential aspirations. Many in New York now see her for the "carpetbagger" she really is. And her inaction on her re-election promise of the economic revitalization of upstate New York, also has New Yorkers pondering the issue. My mother is a dyed in the wool NY FDR Democrat, she has told me that she will not vote for Hillary based on her performance in New York. And the recent "modifacation of the truth" on the Bosnian sniper incident was a true indication of the state of mind we will deal with in political negotiations. We have used "If he(she)believes it's true, it must be?" stance of this administration is condemned, how can we tolerate it from one of our own. Each leads to credibility issues. We condemn President Bush for "lieing" to the American people but forgive one of our potential candidates for the same credibility issues?
Obama is an amatuer, but maybe that is what we need. No more career polititians, a new face, armed with some new ideas, and posibly a new standard of ethics in Washington DC. We already know of the Clinton style of politics,do we need 8 more years of finger in the wind politics?
Pick a path, pick a platform and stick to it, pandering or electioneering, credibility is what will make or break this next election for our Democrat candidate. We will get what we vote for, lets just try for a 90% voter participation rate, and get the true mandate representation of the people. "

 JT wrote on May 9, 2008 12:34 pm:
" Glenn, I thought you were a Republican. Did McCain also lose your vote because of his identical gas tax proposal? "

 Don wrote on May 9, 2008 12:34 pm:
" Oh, so the federal gov't needs the gas tax money to keep up with funding for our national highways and mass transit. I wonder where they got the money for the economic stimulus checks that we are all getting? "

 Yup wrote on May 9, 2008 12:42 pm:
" Taken directly from Obama's web site "Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less Than $50,000: Obama will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This will provide an immediate tax cut averaging $1,400 to 7 million seniors and relieve millions from the burden of filing tax returns." Now if that isn't promising anything and everything just to get votes, I don't know what is. He knows he can't get the House or Senate to agree to that, but it sure sounds good. "

 ST wrote on May 9, 2008 1:46 pm:
" The federal gas tax goes directly into the fund that covers hiway, bridge & other road related costs/maintenance. The tax rebate money comes out of the same magic bowl of money we're using to finance the war in Iraq, that is to say, its a deficit expense, but will buy a few votes in the fall.
And could we at least let someone get elected before we decide what they won't be able to accomplish afterward? I'll bet the lot of you would be praising the generous tax cut offered to seniors had it been proposed by McCain instead of Obama. As far as a solution to gas prices....break our national oil addiction. There's your solution. By the way, this pretty much solves the problem of terrorism as well; since if we don't need their oil, we'll have no more reason to occupy their lands, they have no more reason to hate us (unless you buy into the pre-school version of "they hate us for our freedoms"). It would solve a huge part of the Global Warming puzzle, too. Maybe I should be the President. "

 Is it necessary wrote on May 9, 2008 2:22 pm:
" ...to keep talking about Hillary Clinton? It's over (until 2012). Quit giving her press coverage. Obama is our guy, let's get behind him and end this nonsense. I'm guessing all you Clinton supporters would rather see Obama in office that McCain, right? Continuting to back Hillary isn't helping anyone but McCain. Wake up, people.
"

 Jeff wrote on May 9, 2008 2:34 pm:
" There's pandering and then there is pandering. Based on the arguements on this blob - any tax cut proposed could be pandering. Except Bush always offered them to big corporations and the wealthy. Obama is offering them to senior citizens. We could all be pessimists and shoot down Obama's ideas knowing that the do nothing, partisan congress will try to block most his ideas. But it is refreshing to see and hear some new ideas. The gas tax moritorium is pandering, because if passed it would accomplish nothing - since the gas companies would quickly make up the difference. We need to move quickly to non-fossil fuel energy and conservation. That is what will make the difference. "

 Attention wrote on May 9, 2008 2:44 pm:
" All Nebraska democrats need to be informed of Mr. Raimondo's past as a republican, this certainly helped me to know for sure that the right choice is Kleeb. I have been leaning towards him, and now I have no question once I learned of the past. "

 Didnt ask.. wrote on May 9, 2008 6:03 pm:
" Pat, Jeffers' integrity isn't showing by his signs in places with NO permission to have them there. Although typical...to not have to play by the rules...so much for honor also.. "

 wait one minute wrote on May 9, 2008 9:58 pm:
" Glen boy yo boy!

Was has finally happened to make you wake up!!




"

 Ray-J wrote on May 10, 2008 5:07 am:
" So, Gerorge/Bill, you have a problem with a repub spending $450k on his election but don't mention hillary who "loaned" her campaign over $6 Million? Not very fair and ballanced. Anyone know what the interest rate on her "loan" is costing the dem party? "

 Remember wrote on May 10, 2008 10:47 am:
" The Electoral College determines the presidency...not the people. "

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