Today marks the end of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, and Ramadan. Millions of people around the world are celebrating a time of renewal, where the past is forgiven and new starts are made. The timing could not be better. Here’s your Roundup:
Koran Burning Called Off, Maybe… Kind of?: Reverend Terry Jones has caught (undeserved?) international attention with his plans to burn Korans on the 9th anniversary of September 11th. We were all hopped up yesterday with news that the Reverend had turned a 180 and called off the Koran Burning in Florida. Now he’s pulled another 180 and said he might burn Korans… maybe… stay tuned… hey, why are all the cameras leaving?! View Here
Rainbows and Camo: In more good LGBT news to come out of California this year, a federal judge has ruled Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell unconstitutional. While same sex marriage may make it all the way to the Supreme Court, DADT will probably be addressed soon with federal legislation. Though at the snail pace the Senate’s moving, it’s hard to tell. However, we do give props to all the senators, Ben Nelson included, who support the repeal of DADT. View Here
Another Leaky Pipeline: This time there’s a leak in an Enbridge oil pipeline in Illinois. Another Enbridge pipeline burst earlier this summer in Michigan, filling the Kalamazoo river with oil. No details yet on how early this leak was detected and how much was spilled. And still no comment from Heineman on the proposed Keystone XL. View Here
Let Them Eat What the Rest of Us are Having: Gallup’s latest poll says a majority of Americans, 44%, are ok with letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthiest Americans; 37% want the tax cuts for millionaires to stay. The majority of Americans only want the cuts to be extended for those making under $250,000 (aka, 98% of the population). View Here
Battle in the Thunderdome: Let’s get ready to Debate! After getting some negative media attention and being labelled one of our Wednesday Wimps, Adrian Smith is ready to debate his challengers. Rebekah Davis, Dan Hill and ulta-conservative incumbent Smith will have a 3-way debate in Broken Bow on October 22nd. We will be there eating at Huckleberry’s and shopping at the Kloset before the event. Bring on the heat (and support local stores if you go out to the Bow). View Here
Fiscal Conservative: Cost of Medicaid study — $47,000. Cost of State Economy study — $220,000. Advancing you political career — priceless. Heineman’s got another study out, but this time it’s about Nebraska’s economy. What did $220,000 teach us? We’re positioned well to grow, but we need more innovation. We know we didn’t drop over 200 grand for a 14-page powerpoint posted on the governor’s website, so where’s the full report? View Here
Thursday, September 9th
We’re intrigued by CNN’s big changes. The network’s evening lineup is going to change drastically over the next four months. “Parker Spitzer” is taking over Campbell Brown’s old time slot starting October 4th, and Piers Morgan will succeed Larry King after New Year’s. Since Malinda was a CNN intern, you can bet she’ll be glued to her TV. Here’s your Roundup:
Nebraska Goes After Foreigners: If English isn’t your first language, the Nebraska Economic Development Department’s Division of Travel and Tourism (say that five times fast)is coming for you. The Department is using a $56,000 federal grant to create Spanish, French and German translations of the Nebraska’s Byways guide. They better get here before January or Charlie Janssen will start asking to see papers. View Here
We Miss You, Lee: Lee Terry hung out with UNO’s College Republicans last week, and we’re a little bummed that we weren’t invited. You know we would love to see action photos of Lee Terry firing a gun. And can someone tell us where we can get these “clever t-shirts” with pictures of an elephant kicking a donkey? View Here
KETV Uses High Tech Graphics: KETV is so excited about White and Terry’s campaign videos that they did a story about it. Hey, their pictures are punching each other! Oh KETV, you’re so sassy. And we’d just like to remind Dr. Adkins that while Terry’s voted against Obama, he’s voted with Bush and his party for the past 12 years. Thanks for adding trillions to the deficit with an unfunded war, Medicare Part D and the Bush tax cuts. View Here
Repub Considers Tax Cut Compromise: As long as that compromise is permanently extending the Bush tax cuts. Senate Minority Leader (and part time turtle impersonator) Mitch McConnell said he could agree to extending the Bush tax cuts for another two years. And he’ll keep voting to extend them, so get that smug look off your face, Democrats. It’s no shock that this is what Repubs consider compromise after two years of saying “no” to everything. View Here
Wednesday, September 8th
Tom White and Lee Terry are already on their 2nd campaign ads of the season, and it’s just two days after Labor Day. If that’s not a shot of adrenaline to your political system and TV stations’ ad budgets, we don’t know what is (well, maybe a shot of Jose Cuervo with a comely lady lobbyist?). And “Shana tova” to all our Jewish compatriots who begin celebrating Rosh Hashanah this evening. Here’s your Roundup:
And all That Crap: Lee Terry may give some of the most… colorful soundbites of the Nebraska delegation. Now he’s saying the Page Six story about him asking a lady lobbyist, “Why did you get me so drunk?” is “crap.” Wonder if he used such salty language in front of Boehner last week? Or is that what he said to Boehner when he first told Terry to “knock it off?” View Here
Hot Air: NPPD has rejected all 34 proposals from private developers this year to build more wind farms. The public utility cites decreased demand for electricity. Yet somehow they’ve found the time to approve new transmission lines to service TransCanada’s pipeline which still hasn’t received federal approval. Maybe if the wind developers played misleading ads during Husker games and promise jobs that are really meant for out-of-state workers, they’d get some support. We actually think this has less to do with NPPD and everything to do with Heineman resisting change to our state’s status quo. View Here
Three’s Company: The race for the 3rd Congressional District is getting spicier. The Nebraska Secretary of State has announced that independent Dan Hill is good to go on the ballot this November. He joins Rebekah Davis in challenging incumbent Adrian Smith. We’d love to see a 3-way debate between Hill, Davis and Smith, but we doubt our wishes will come true. Some fairies’ lights are dimming somewhere in Neverland. View Here
Health Care Update: Michelle Grossman tells us in an OWH op-ed that the group charged with controlling Medicare costs will only be able to slash reimbursement rates which may do more harm than good. She uses the “blunt cost-cutting” that’s already hurt Medicaid as a warning. So if 20% of Nebraskans are expected to be on Medicaid in 10 years, and doctors are being told to limit Medicaid to 10% of their patients… what happens to the other 10%? Maybe someone from Milliman or Heineman’s office can check our math. View Here
Party like it’s 2000: A few Republican candidates in Arizona have been recruiting drifters and homeless people to run as Green Party candidates. Why are AZ conservatives helping Ralph Nader groupies? It couldn’t have anything to do with close races and splitting the Democratic voting bloc like it’s 2000, right? View Here
Bring in Da Noise: It’s time to energize some voters. NPR reiterates the buzz we’ve been hearing around the political water cooler: Republicans are more enthused about voting this year than Democrats. If you’ve got the mid-term blues, getting your juices pumping with our awesome GOTV campaign, Trick or Vote. View Here
Better than New Year: There is a countdown clock to September 23rd when several major pieces of health care reform go into effect. These include free preventive care, young adults staying on their parents’ plans until they’re 26 and no more recisions. 14 Days, 13 Hours and 16 Minutes when we posted the Roundup. View Here
Tuesday, September 7th
We enjoyed a rousing Husker opener this weekend as the Big Red soundly schooled Western Kentucky. Our revelries were interrupted with some disturbing ads from TransCanada. If they think they can pull the wool over Husker Nation, they should have a conversation with Bill Callahan and Steve Pedersen. Here’s your Roundup:
Infrastructure Obama: On a glorious Labor Day, the President announced a new plan to invest $50 billion in America’s infrastructure. Not only would the plan put Americans to work immediately, it’d provide much-needed TLC to our nation’s neglected roads and railways. And, of course, the chorus of “no” from the Right has already started. How you can tout job creation and say no to a plan that would do just that is still beyond us. View Here
Orzag’s Answer: The NY Times newest contributor, Peter Orzag, tackles the future of the Bush tax cuts today. Orzag suggests extending the cuts for two more years, then ending them entirely. The Oracle of Omaha gets a shout out while Orzag navigates the fiscal and political hurdles that the tax cuts will face. And, in the efforts of full disclosure, Orzag’s last job was Director of the Office of Management and Budget at the White House. View Here
Wish Obama was Anti-Me: The president’s frequently been slammed as anti-business. Let’s see that label stick after his announcement that he wants businesses to be able to write-off 100% of new investments in plants and equipment for 3-20 years. But we’re confused because Glenn Beck says liberals just want to tax our souls. View Here
Beatrice Resolution: The state has settled a lawsuit stemming from the abuse cases at the Beatrice State Developmental Center. A judge approved the settlement of $190,000 to Debra Bauer, a quadriplegic with developmental disabilities, who has lived at BSDC since 1960. No comment yet from Heineman. View Here
Pregnant Pause: Labor Day was yesterday, but we just had to share this op-ed from the Omaha World-Herald. John Kretzschmar from the William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies at UNO touts the accomplishments of organized labor. And, political science nerds that we are, we dig that he worked in the theory of “social contract.” View Here
