From an Omaha World-Herald article on Bush’s ass-saving intervention on behalf of the troubled candidacies of Adrian Smith (R-Club For Growth) and Pete Ricketts (R-Hell), Bush gives his recommendation to voters from Nebraska’s deeply Republican 3rd Congressional District:
“Now, it seems to me if you’re sending someone from this country to Washington, you better have someone who understands what it means to be a farmer and rancher.”
Sound advice for a district as rural and agriculture-based as Nebraska’s 3rd. Um, one slight problem, though, Mr. President:
Sounds like someone should have done a little better job of briefing President Bush on the candidates in Nebraska’s Third District Congressional race. It’s quite simple:Scott Kleeb (D) = Fourth generation Nebraskan; Rancher with a PhD who wrote his doctoral dissertation on the history of cattle ranching
Adrian Smith (R) = Real estate agent and failed politician who is “not known as a skilled lawmaker” and “not known as a leader”
Well, kudos to the President for his candor, I guess. And good work by the Kleeb campaign to spin the Bush visit into a plus for their side.
While Nebraska’s 3rd district is deeply Republican, in two of the last three times that it has been an open seat, the Democratic candidate barely lost (by 737 votes in 1974 and just over 4300 votes in 1990). Scott Kleeb has worked this district hard, and it’d be pretty hard to think of a more perfect fit for this district than him. While I’m not expecting an upset tomorrow, I am, however, anticipating this race to be fairly close tomorrow night–certainly closer than retiring Rep. Tom Osborne’s 87-11 blowout in 2004, in any case…
peel away from the red south, and most of the country will become a bluer shade of purple.
Bush’s speech where he kept referring to the candidate by the wrong name. I say almost because at a candidate’s rally the candidate’s name is plastered all over the place, making it that much harder to get the name wrong.
that is too funny. what a mo-ran.
That’s a bit of an oops.
It would be nice to see Kleeb win…although I can’t say I think it would be a good thing for him to win because Bush voters believe he’s what Bush wanted…lol.
I guess in Nebraska I’ll take what I can get.
Let me throw out a couple of fairly likely scenarios. I may be getting a bit ahead of myself but whatever.
If Kleeb wins he’ll be right at the top of the NRCC list in 08 and after his 2 week vacation he’ll have to start preparing for his re-election fight. He could do that. But their is also significant belief that Chuck Hagel will retire in 08. In an open seat its probably just as likely that Kleeb could win an open senate seat as he could winning re-election.