Chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party Mark Fahleson is a real piece of work.  Once again, Fahleson is sticking the party’s nose (or trunk as it were) where it doesn’t belong: local, non-partisan races.

Fahleson’s already been rebuked by the Hastings Tribune for interfering in the local school board race — the NE GOP was making robocalls to Hastings residents about candidate (and our fearless leader) Jane Kleeb.  And nothing’s come of Fahleson’s public accusation that Jane was breaking state campaign laws (she wasn’t and repeatedly defended herself on facebook, twitter and before the NADC).

Now Fahleson’s leading the NE GOP’s trunk to another race where it doesn’t belong: the Lincoln mayoral election.  Fahlseon was interviewed by the Lincoln Journal Star about the lack of conservative candidates stepping forward to challenge Mayor Chris Beutler in the impending non-partisan race.  Fahleson promised that we’ll see conservative candidates emerging by the end of the month.

Where it gets really rich is when Fahleson accuses Beutler of using the mayor’s office as a stepping stone for higher office.  He extrapolates that Beutler would consider running for Senate if Nelson doesn’t, or that Beutler’s interested in the 2014 gubernatorial race.

Wow, just… wow.  If that isn’t the biggest load of bunk we’ve seen in weeks, then we need to read The National Enquirer more.  First of all, we know Beutler, and the man has shown no indication that he’s using the mayor’s office as a stepping stone.  His office even repudiated Fahleson’s remarks in the article.  And why would Beutler, a Democrat, let Fahleson in on his political aspirations?  Clearly, Fahleson’s only source on these suppositions is his own wild imagination.

Second, just because Nebraska Republicans are defecting from their elected positions to run for higher office (we’re looking at you Jon Bruning), doesn’t mean everyone is.  Our friends who majored in psychology might say that Fahleson’s projecting his feelings of abandonment on to Democrats.  And if we use the same standards of integrity as Fahleson, this means he might have a borderline personality disorder.

Using our own standards of integrity, here’s what we feel we CAN safely conclude: Mark Fahleson and his conservative ilk aren’t concerned with putting forward quality candidates with good ideas. They’d rather keep an iron-tight grip on Nebraska politics and will make up rumors if that’s what it takes.  These aren’t individuals we want in elected offices or advising those in elected offices, and we’ll continue to push back on their vicious tactics.