I just heard that Prez Dubya has nominated Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns to be the new Secretary of Agriculture. Maybe I've not been paying attention, but I am somewhat surprised by this development.
Why, you may ask, am I surprised? Well, let's start with the fact that the first Nebraska name bandied about in connection with this nomination was US Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE). Now that would have been a masterstroke if Ben had fallen for it. It would have gotten another ostensibly Democratic vote out of the Senate, and since Ben is a DINO according to many people around here, it would not have been bad for Dubya's ag policy, such as it is. Besides, it had the color of making good on Dubya's promise to be a uniter and a healer for the country as a whole. [Editorial comment, as if you needed it: NOT.]
Exact events are not clear: Ben is saying nothing; his staff is saying he was offered the job and turned it down (ever savvy, our Ben); Dubya's staff is saying the job was never offered, and that all the speculation was just Beltway nose-picking.
But Ben is facing reelection in 2006, and the word around these parts was that Mike Johanns was being groomed and in fact was already hand-picked to be Ben's opponent. After all, if Mike Johanns could win election as the mayor of Lincoln (which he did and was before he became Governor), the most liberal city in the state [Editorial comment: this is all relative, you understand], he most certainly could beat Ben in a Senatorial contest.
Doesn't becoming Secretary of Agriculture take Johanns out of the loop? I am mystified about the whole thing.
Perhaps some of my Lincoln friends will edify me by posting comments and details. Methinks we just aren't getting the news in the metro Omaha area that we need to understand this development.
In the meantime, hail and farewell to Tom Brokaw, who got his start back in the early '60s at the Omaha NBC affiliate. Network news has not been the same since Walter Cronkite retired, but Brokaw will be missed.
1 comment:
True enough. But the big impact and surprise here is the effect appointing Gov. Johanns as Secy. of Ag. is going to have on the NE 2006 Senate race. A lot of the GOP want Ben Nelson out, despite his pro-Republican leanings . . . there's also a lot of talk that this means NE 3rd District Congressman and former Nebraska football coach (and 3 time National Champion=God) Tom Osborne will run for Governor in 2006, because Johanns' Lt. Gov. (Heineman) had promised NOT to run for Gov. against Osborne . . . but that was before Heineman would have been running as the incumbent Gov. himself. Buckle your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy flight!
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