The Attacks on Bruning

It seems the world is out to get Jon Bruning.   The Democrat's (Ben Nelson) full page ad yesterday wasn't exactly kind in its accusations/innuendos.    We'd been told that Robynn Tysver of the Omaha daily had been working on a piece aiming at Bruning's wealth and business interests and somehow a day after the paper sells the Democrats/Nelson a full page ad the piece conveniently shows up in today's paper.   Apparently, the 'news' division got scooped, so to speak, by its "sales division." We know that Tysver had contacted other G.O.P. senate candidates over the last month to clarify 'issues' with their financial statements although there isn't apparently much meat with them.   Wonder if she's looked at Ben's?

From both an editorial perspective and a news (so-called) one it's clear that the Omaha World-Herald has no use for Bruning.  It's clear that if he is the nominee it has set the groundwork to endorse Nelson after its mea culpa over the one issue that it has disagreed with him on--Obamacare.    It's also pretty clear to us that the local daily won't endorse Stenberg over Nelson should Bruning somehow succumb to the attacks against him.  Don is much to conservative and doctrinaire for them and their editorial page management.   Perhaps, they'll endorse Fischer. They may very well endorse her for the G.O.P. nomination.

It's clear that the local daily simply isn't interested in analyzing Nelson's re-election tactics.   While all four G.O.P. members of congress are all over the state and their districts holding town hall meetings, we hear only about the 'structured' events  Nelson attends, devoid of common citizens and the potential verbal assault of those ugly Tea Party members.     Will the local daily allow Nelson to justify his upcoming re-election announcement based on these flimsy contacts with constituents?    Will it forget that this is a guy who is so afraid of public opinion that he moved his office to a 'safe' place where constituents couldn't demonstrate against him and where he could have their cars towed away should they have the audacity to try? 

What is sad is that while Democrats and Nelson are attacking Bruning whom they regard as the most potent candidate against them, the Omaha World-Herald and the Nebraska Republican Party fail to scrutinize or attack Nelson for his demagoging of the Republicans on the Social Security and Medicare issues.  Someone ought to debunk the scare tactics and advertisements Nelson/the Democratic Party is airing to scare senior citizens.    The truth of the matter is that current seniors on those programs and ones nearing retirement age won't be affected by restructuring proposals---UNLESS SOMETHING ISN'T DONE NOW TO FIX THE PROGRAMS.    If nothing is done which seems to be Nelson's approach there will be lots of baby boomers who in 10 or 20 years will find that the benefits they are receiving WILL BE REDUCED.  But Nelson will be writing his memoirs at his turkey farm overlooking the Platte River and living comfortably off his fortune by then.    Maybe the World-Herald should talk about that.    Maybe the Nebraska Republican Party should take out a full page ad telling Nebraska seniors of Nelson's lies and scare tactics.  

Perhaps folks have forgotten that Ben Nelson made himself rich while serving as Nebraska's Insurance Commissioner.  We wonder if the local daily will go back and look at Ben Nelson's questionable finances prior to becoming a U.S. Senator and Nebraska's governor?   Oh, those have already been discussed so they aren't relevant, right?

Bruning has started fighting back.   We've already received a fundraising e-mail today using the ad as a reason for us to send him more bucks.    No doubt, the ad will help his fund raising among some offended by what they've seen.  

What's the bottom line?  We're not sure.   Bruning will have to overcome this attack and the forthcoming ones from Nelson/the Democratic Party (yesterday's was only Part 1)and from both the Lincoln and the Omaha dailies.   The efforts to make Bruning the target are rooted in Nelson's fear of the G.O.P.'s strongest candidate (at least now) and the need to get away from the fact that Nelson doesn't want to talk about Obamacare (and the Cornhusker Kickback)--the Christmas present he gave Nebraskans against the well of more than 70% of them, the Christmas present he gave all of America with his 60th vote.....