Criticisms of potential Senate candidates start pre-announcements
Posted: Friday, September 14, 2007
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Bob Kerrey and Mike Johanns aren't running for Senate yet, but you wouldn't know it.
As rumors fly about the plans of the two big names in Nebraska politics, both political parties have sent out news releases criticizing their hypothetical opponents.
Kerrey, a Democrat and former Nebraska senator and governor, said he's considering entering the race to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, who announced Monday he won't run for re-election.
And state Republicans would like to bring in Johanns, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary and former Nebraska governor.
Democrats ask in a news release sent Wednesday: "Who's paying for the Johanns family vacation?" Johanns is in Nebraska this week for agriculture events in Omaha and Grand Island. On Saturday, he'll attend a Lincoln GOP fundraiser and the Nebraska football game.
Meanwhile, Republicans sent out their own release on Thursday, criticizing Kerrey for his connection to Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, who is under federal investigation for allegedly violating election laws.
Kerrey recruited Hsu to serve on the board of directors at New School University in New York, where Kerrey is president. The state GOP says the university should return the money Hsu raised for the university.
Both parties say the timing isn't linked to the possibility the two might face off in the Senate race.
Tiffiny Carlton, executive director of the state GOP, said they sent the release Thursday because of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's decision Monday to return campaign funds from Hsu.
"What's happening with Hsu is, he's broken the law, and it's outrageous that Bob Kerrey's defending him," Carlton said. "Whether he's running for Senate or not doesn't make it any less outrageous."
Eric Fought, spokesman for the state Democratic Party, said "we would have questioned the secretary's use of taxpayers' funds regardless of his rumored political dreams."
In response to the questions raised:
-- USDA spokesman Keith Williams said Johanns is at official events Thursday and Friday. His personal time Saturday and Sunday "are on his time and his own dime."
Because Johanns is attending a fundraiser Saturday, he asked that the cost of his airline ticket to Nebraska be partially paid by the state GOP "just to be sure to have that bright line of division," said Johanns' spokeswoman, Terri Teuber.
-- In an e-mail Thursday, Kerrey said: "For Nebraskans who are concerned about the ethics and not the politics of this story, we have removed Mr. Hsu's name from his scholarship and if (it) is proven that the money we received was stolen/scammed from investors, we will return the money to those investors."
Meanwhile, the campaign of Attorney General Jon Bruning, a Republican who's already in the Senate race, said Thursday that its statewide polling shows a close race between Bruning and Johanns, with Johanns showing only a slight lead.
"These numbers show that the pundits who say Mike Johanns is a clear favorite are flat out wrong," said Jordan McGrain, Bruning's campaign manager. "Johanns is not the heavyweight among Republicans some expect him to be."
As rumors fly about the plans of the two big names in Nebraska politics, both political parties have sent out news releases criticizing their hypothetical opponents.
Kerrey, a Democrat and former Nebraska senator and governor, said he's considering entering the race to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, who announced Monday he won't run for re-election.
And state Republicans would like to bring in Johanns, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary and former Nebraska governor.
Democrats ask in a news release sent Wednesday: "Who's paying for the Johanns family vacation?" Johanns is in Nebraska this week for agriculture events in Omaha and Grand Island. On Saturday, he'll attend a Lincoln GOP fundraiser and the Nebraska football game.
Meanwhile, Republicans sent out their own release on Thursday, criticizing Kerrey for his connection to Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, who is under federal investigation for allegedly violating election laws.
Kerrey recruited Hsu to serve on the board of directors at New School University in New York, where Kerrey is president. The state GOP says the university should return the money Hsu raised for the university.
Both parties say the timing isn't linked to the possibility the two might face off in the Senate race.
Tiffiny Carlton, executive director of the state GOP, said they sent the release Thursday because of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's decision Monday to return campaign funds from Hsu.
"What's happening with Hsu is, he's broken the law, and it's outrageous that Bob Kerrey's defending him," Carlton said. "Whether he's running for Senate or not doesn't make it any less outrageous."
Eric Fought, spokesman for the state Democratic Party, said "we would have questioned the secretary's use of taxpayers' funds regardless of his rumored political dreams."
In response to the questions raised:
-- USDA spokesman Keith Williams said Johanns is at official events Thursday and Friday. His personal time Saturday and Sunday "are on his time and his own dime."
Because Johanns is attending a fundraiser Saturday, he asked that the cost of his airline ticket to Nebraska be partially paid by the state GOP "just to be sure to have that bright line of division," said Johanns' spokeswoman, Terri Teuber.
-- In an e-mail Thursday, Kerrey said: "For Nebraskans who are concerned about the ethics and not the politics of this story, we have removed Mr. Hsu's name from his scholarship and if (it) is proven that the money we received was stolen/scammed from investors, we will return the money to those investors."
Meanwhile, the campaign of Attorney General Jon Bruning, a Republican who's already in the Senate race, said Thursday that its statewide polling shows a close race between Bruning and Johanns, with Johanns showing only a slight lead.
"These numbers show that the pundits who say Mike Johanns is a clear favorite are flat out wrong," said Jordan McGrain, Bruning's campaign manager. "Johanns is not the heavyweight among Republicans some expect him to be."
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