An Anti-Racist Cri De Coeur From A Republican State Senator... In Nebraska

Ready to break with Trump? Or has John McCollister (R-Omaha) already broken with him?

Nebraska's 20th state Senate district is in western Omaha. About 90.35% of the voters are white, 3.65% Hispanic, 2.7% Black and 2.11% Asian. The current senator, John McCollister, won the seat in 2014-- when Blue Dog sometimes Dem/sometimes Republican Brad Ashford was termed out-- and was reelected last year. A member of the Republican party, he describes his political orientation as "center-right." He's definitely been sounding more "center" than "right" on Twitter lately.

On Sunday evening he pretty much sounded like he had had it with Trump. Narratively, he wrote:

The Republican Party is enabling white supremacy in our country. As a lifelong Republican, it pains me to say this, but it’s the truth.

I of course am not suggesting that all Republicans are white supremacists nor am I saying that the average Republican is even racist.

What I am saying though is that the Republican Party is COMPLICIT to obvious racist and immoral activity inside our party.

We have a Republican president who continually stokes racist fears in his base.  He calls certain countries "sh*tholes," tells women of color to 'go back' to where they came from and lies more than he tells the truth.

We have Republican senators and representatives who look the other way and say nothing for fear that it will negatively affect their elections.

No more.

When the history books are written, I refuse to be someone who said nothing.

The time is now for us Republicans to be honest with what is happening inside our party. We are better than this and I implore my Republican colleagues to stand up and do the right thing.

We all like to cite Abraham Lincoln’s Republican lineage when it is politically expedient but NOW is the time to ACT like Lincoln and take a stand.

Aside from tending to vote frequently with the Democrats in the state legislature, he's been acting very un-Republican since early in the month, first when the partisan Supreme Court pro-gerrymandering decision came down. He seemed mortified. 

A week and a half later, he was not a happy camper about Trump's attacks on Ilhan, AOC, Rashida and Ayanna-- and tweeted about it in no uncertain terms. "This is what racism looks like... There are no ambiguities," very much in variance from the official Republican Party talking points, which were supposed to cover up for Trump.

And all month he was tweeting about Global Warming, early in the month that "Climate change is the central issue of our time and as we approach the 2020 election, we MUST elect politicians that take it seriously." His state senate district lies entirely within the 2nd congressional district. The incumbent, Republican Don Bacon, absolutely does not take Climate Change seriously. The Democrat challenging him, Kara Eastman, absolutely does. "If someone running doesn't list it as a main priority, vote for someone who does. If a politician denies the CLEAR science, vote for someone else and tell everyone else you know to do the same." He was, in effect, urging his constituents to vote Bacon out and replace him with Kara Eastman. Three weeks later, he was tweeting about Climate again: "Climate change deniers display the same scientific understanding as flat earthers." And he included a picture, pointing out the foolishness of the Republican Party position. (He has also told people that last year he voted for Kara Eastman instead of Don Bacon.)

Big Election In Nebraska Tuesday

Many outsiders tend to think of Nebraska as another hopeless red ink state. But it's not. The Omaha-based 2nd district is a nice normal all-American swing district. In 2012 Obama won narrowly; in 2012 Romney won narrowly and in 2016 Trump beat Hillary 48.2 to 46.0%. The PVI is R+4. The current congressman is Republican Don Bacon, who beat Blue Dog Democrat (an "ex"-Republican himself) Brad Ashford, in 2016. Ashford was unable to motivate the Democratic base, primarily because he tended to vote with the Republicans most of the time. Bacon beat him 141,066 (48.9%) to 137,602 (47.7%). Ashford spent $2,515,416 on the race to Bacon's $1,576,183. The DCCC wasted $2,688,673 and Pelosi's PAC spent another $741,041 on Ashford while the NRCC spent $2,773,264 for Bacon while Ryan's PAC kicked in another $1,243,330.

This coming Tuesday (May 15) is primary day and the DCCC and the Blue Dogs and New Dems are all pushing heavily for Ashford again. As of the April 25 reporting deadline he had spent $397,194 while the progressive he's running against, Kara Eastman, had spent $284,880. Blue America endorsed Kara, as have Climate Hawks Vote, the Working Families Party, the PCCC, Justice Democrats and VoteProChoice. The rotgut insider hellhole, EMILY's List, making nice with the DCCC, has refused to endorse her. By the way, it's totally crunch time for Kara's grassroots campaign now-- which will win or lose based on their field operation in 4 days. If you want to help out, just click on the 2018 ActBlue congressional thermometer on the right.

This week, reporting for Rewire News, Ally Boguhn wrote about how the DCCC is screwing up the race by pushing for the proven reactionary Blue Dog against Kara. She told Boguhn that "What we continuously hear in the district is, 'Oh, it takes either a Republican to be in the seat or a conservative Democrat.' So we run conservative Democrats and they lose. What we need right now and what is exciting the base is a real Democrat." She was discussing Omaha but it's true from coast to coast-- and the corrupt conservatives who run the DCCC don't want to hear it.

Eastman said her campaign has knocked on more than 40,000 doors and is listening to voters about the issues they care about. Those include, she said, health care, education, and the environment.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the arm of the party that works to elect members to the U.S. House of Representatives, has lined up behind her primary rival, Brad Ashford-- a former Republican, state legislator, and U.S. congressperson-- adding him to their high-profile “red to blue” campaign.

That support comes despite Ashford’s record on reproductive rights. Ashford has claimed he has “always & will continue to support women’s right to choose.” But while in the state legislature he voted in favor of bills that would have restricted access to abortion care based on false premises including a 20-week abortion ban, which was signed into law. Speaking at that time on the state house floor, Ashford reportedly falsely claimed that “the line is 20 weeks” for abortion because “there is no question that there is fetal pain.” This is a myth parroted by conservatives to advocate for later abortion bans, despite the fact that medical experts agree a fetus cannot feel pain until later in pregnancy.

Ashford voted for a so-called informed consent measure later signed into law; it’s an unnecessary legislative intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship that forces doctors to offer an ultrasound to patients seeking abortion care. That bill was co-sponsored by Heath Mello, a Democrat who last spring sparked debate within the Democratic Party about its values when news broke that a high-ranking member of the Democratic National Committee would speak alongside him at a rally despite Mello’s anti-choice record in the state legislature. Weeks later, Mello lost his mayoral bid and suggested the controversy was at least partly responsible for his loss. Omaha, where Mello hoped to win office, is a part of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.

Ashford was later elected to U.S. Congress, representing the same district he is running for now, before being unseated by now-incumbent Rep. Don Bacon (R). During his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ashford voted against anti-choice legislation, earning him a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America in a 2015 legislative scorecard.

Though his website doesn’t include a section on his platform, Ashford has suggested that he “doesn’t think a single-payer system is politically feasible, but he does support some changes such as allowing those 50 and older to buy into Medicare,” according to the Omaha World-Herald. During a recent debate, he reportedly elaborated on his position, saying that he instead supports repairing the Affordable Care Act.

Ashford’s campaign did not respond to requests for an interview.

DCCC Chairperson Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) has maintained that abortion rights would not be used as a litmus test for candidates receiving its help.

Eastman told Rewire.News she was “surprised” when the DCCC got involved in the race. “I had been talking to them as well and they had told me that they would not be getting involved,” she said. “But the party doesn’t choose the candidate, the voters do.”

...“What we’re finding is that voters are engaged and excited,” Eastman continued. “And this is absolutely winnable, but we have to be speaking about the values of the people of the district and actually be willing to go out and talk, and more importantly listen to the voters.”

Blue America Endorses Omaha Progressive Kara Eastman

Kara Eastman is the newest Blue America endorsee. She told us that when she was nine, she told her mother that she wanted to save the world; when she was 15, she told her best friend that she was going to a college that would best prepare her to help others (she told Kara that wasn’t smart because she would never make any money). She met her husband, now an associate professor of history at Creighton University, when they were in college together, and they’ve been married for 17 years and chose to raise their daughter in Nebraska, now she's a junior at Central High School in Omaha. I asked her if she would explain the dynamics of the primary she's in the midst of.

She's running for the blue-trending Omaha Metro district-- NE-02, currently tenuously held by conservative backbencher Don Bacon. Before she gets to Bacon, she has to beat conservative "Democrat" Brad Ashford, who was a Republican for 38 years, including the first term of the Obama administration, Ashford has taken contradictory stands on almost all of the important issues of the day over his long political career. Ashford voted for and against the Dreamers, for and against the Iran nuclear deal, and against the Clean Power Plan rule (SJ Res 24) that established carbon dioxide emission guidelines for power plants. According to the Omaha World Herald, Ashford voted with the Republicans while in Congress more than all other Democrats except for two. In the Nebraska legislature, he voted for an ultrasound bill and voted yes on LB 1103, a bill that prohibited abortions in Nebraska after 20 weeks. Even with a record like that he's the DC Dem's establishment candidate with backing from the whole Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- the Blue Dogs, the New Dems and, of course, the DCCC. Kara's primary fight has been based on convincing voters that her pragmatic, progressive stances make her a stronger candidates. The Democratic primary election is on May 15.

She told us that with a grassroots campaign focused on field operations, door-knocking, an integrated digital and communication plan, and engaging voters, her campaign is speaking directly to real people. She and her volunteers have knocked on over 25,000 doors already. Women, labor unions (she just received her fourth labor endorsement), activists, and communities of color that have been disenfranchised by conservative candidates and are crucial to winning NE-02. Her bold advocacy is motivating and energizing the Democratic base, and it’s already been recognized in the form of a national endorsement from Climate Hawks Vote and now from Blue America. This is a district that can be flipped.


Omaha Democrats Are Frustrated
-by Kara Eastman

We’ve run the same kind of moderate to conservative candidate at the local, state, and federal level, and we’ve seen them lose over and over again. Even though my primary opponent won by a slim margin in 2014, he lost his re-election bid in 2016. As a matter of fact, he was the only incumbent Democrat to lose to a Republican in the entire country that cycle. Don Bacon, who won by just over one percentage point, now votes in line with the current administration 97% of the time. He’s vulnerable, and all the political prognosticators say that the election is a toss-up. Over the last decade, Nebraska’s second Congressional district is one of the two most competitive in the nation. So why can’t Democrats consistently win here? They don’t ignite the base, and they don’t go out and talk to voters.

  I’m the first serious progressive candidate to run in Nebraska’s second district. Our grassroots campaign has knocked on over 25,000 doors and has gotten voters excited about the race. The majority of the people we talk to at the doors commit to voting for me. I’m pro-choice, I support common-sense gun safety regulation, I’m passionate about health and environmental protection, and I’ve opposed the Keystone XL pipeline. I will fight for a Medicare for All system because healthcare is a right. I also will fight for debt-free education, because I’m tired of seeing students, even at Metro Community College where I serve on the Board of Governors, drowning in student loans. The U.S. has to compete in a global market by investing in green and healthy housing. Climate change is the number one moral and national security threat to our children, and we need to address it now.

I will be a champion for campaign finance reform because I understand first-hand how hard it is to run for office when you are not a millionaire and when you don’t serve corporate interests. Fixing campaign finance laws and taking lobbyist money out of politics will change Washington. I’m proud to have over 1500 individual campaign donors, but I won’t take just any and all corporate PAC dollars. In fact, my fundraising has been neck and neck with that of my primary opponent, even though he’s been in Congress and accepts a large amount of PAC money.

I’m running against Brad Ashford, who was a Republican for thirty-eight years. He’s taken contradictory stands on almost every important issue over his long political career. Ashford voted for and against the Dreamers, for and against the Iran nuclear deal, and against the Clean Power Plan rule (SJ Res 24) that established carbon dioxide emission guidelines for power plants. Under Obama, he voted against facets of the Affordable Care Act, in the Nebraska State Legislature he voted for some anti-choice bills, and he has gone back and forth on his stances on the Keystone XL pipeline.

People in the district tell me they are unhappy with Ashford’s voting record. They also feel like he is not in it to win it. Nebraskans are looking for someone with energy, with vision and with passion.

With the strong grassroots campaign that I have built, I can win this swing district. As a social worker with a reputation for getting things done in our community, I’m ready to work hard to make real changes in our political system when I get to D.C.

Omaha Democrats Voted For Bernie In 2016-- No Reason To Vote For Blue Dog Brad Ashford In 2018

If you've been following DWT for any length of time, you're aware this isn't exactly Blue Dog headquarters. The Republican wing of the Democratic Party is not something we celebrate here. The bullshit about how you need a reactionary Democrat to win in a "red" district isn't something we ascribe to-- because it isn't true; it's just an excuse for the establishment to run what they see when they look in the mirror. If the voters want a Republican, there's a party for that. Democrats need to stand for something that people want and then educate the voters about the disconnect between the Republicans they vote for and the policies they actually support.

There is an important race coming in Nebraska's second congressional district-- basically Douglas County (Omaha and it's suburbs) plus more rural Sarpy County to the west. Obama won the district in 2008 and lost it in 2012. Last year Hillary lost to Trump 48.2% to 46.0%. The district's PVI is R+4 but part of why Hillary lost last year was because the Democratic incumbent, Blue Dog Brad Ashford was the worst candidate who could be running in the district. His presence on the ticket discouraged Democrats from turning out-- the opposite of what down-ballot candidates are supposed to do. We'll come back to Ashford in a moment.

Last week I met the actual Democrat running this cycle, Kara Eastman, who started the Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance (OHKA) which has grown from a small, start-up lead poisoning prevention organization to a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit that has raised more than $13 million to support green, safe, and healthy housing in Omaha. "We have directly served over 4,000 Nebraska families over the last decade.," she told me. "In the process, I created dozens of jobs within the organization, in city government, and through partnerships with the small businesses and contractors we work with. I was honored to win election to the Board of Governors of Metropolitan Community College in 2014 with 64% of the vote and subsequently to be elected as Vice Chair of the Board. At MCC, I’ve been proud to strengthen the college’s non-discrimination policies, develop contractor training programs that created jobs in the community, and lead the initiative to ban tobacco usage on all campuses. It’s fair to say that I strongly believe in a tradition of service to others-- it was ingrained in me, and it’s a fundamental part of what my family stands for. That’s why I’m running for Nebraska’s Second Congressional District. I’m a life-long Democrat, and I’m not going to sit on the sidelines while our political system is assaulted and undermined by those who don’t represent Nebraska’s values. Nebraskans need someone who isn’t afraid of a fight, someone who will take the lead in healthcare, education, the environment and jobs."

Now, back to Ashford, a Republican, an independent, a Blue Dog Democrat at various times, but always a conservative knucklehead and opportunist out for himself. Ashford, according to the Omaha World Herald, voted with the Republicans while in Congress more than all other Democrats except for two. Ashford was a Republican for most of his long political career and ran for Omaha mayor as an independent. In Congress only 2 Democrats voted against President Obama more frequently that Ashford.

Ashford, the DCCC's idea of a wonderful candidate, is a consummate flip-flopper who has been on both sides of many of today’s most important issues.

• Dreamers:

For: Today, Ashford speaks out in favor of protecting Dreamers.
Against: Ashford voted for a bill that stripped DACA protections that kept Dreamers from being deported in January 2015, one of only 2 Democrats to do so.

• Environment:

For: In October 2014, Ashford received the endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters.
Against: Ashford voted with all of Nebraska’s Republicans (Fortenberry and Smith) and was one of only 4 Democrats to vote against the Clean Power Plan rule (SJ Res 24) that established carbon dioxide emission guidelines for power plants. This bill was so toxic, it was vetoed by President Obama.

• Guns:

For gun control: He sponsored a bill in the Nebraska Legislature in 2008 to require trigger locks on every gun sold in the state, among other regulations.
Against gun control: Ashford watered down his own gun regulation bill. Nebraska journalists suggested it was because of NRA pressure. And while in Congress, Ashford was one of the very few Democrats to vote for a Republican-sponsored bill (HR 2406) to allow unregulated hunting and ammunition on federal lands and in certain national forests, prohibiting the government from curbing the use of toxic lead ammunition in these parks as well.

• Healthcare:

For: Ashford claims he supports the Obama Administration’s signature health care bill, the Affordable Care Act, and would not repeal it.
Against: Mr. Ashford cast several key votes while in Congress that would have led to the undermining of the Affordable Care Act if they had become law.

• Keystone Pipeline

For: He voted to authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline in 2015. According to Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska: "Ashford continues to support eminent domain for private gain with his vote for the risky Keystone XL pipeline."
Against: He now says he opposes the controversial pipeline.

• Iran Nuclear Agreement:

For: Ashford voted against a bill to prohibit President Obama from removing sanctions against Iran, a bill that helped cement the Iran nuclear agreement and lift sanctions against the Iranian government. He voted with Democrats on this.
Against: Ashford voted with Republicans to block the Iran nuclear deal.

• Women’s Reproductive Health:

For: Running for Congress in 2016, he was endorsed by pro-choice organizations.
Against: While he was in the Nebraska Legislature, Ashford was not a supporter of reproductive rights. He and then Senator Deb Fischer voted for the ultrasound bill and voted yes on LB 1103, a bill that prohibited abortions in Nebraska after 20 weeks.

If you want to figure out how it's possible Democrats lose, look no further than Brad Ashford, if you even want to count him as a Democrat at all. He certainly had no intention of running again after he lost his seat in 2016 but he was fired from his job working for an Omaha street car development firm. Last cycle, Ashford lost to Don Bacon while outspending him $2,515,416 to $1,576,183. On top of that, the DCCC and Pelosi's House Majority PAC wasted $3,429,714 pushing Ashford. Ashford stands for nothing... but his own career aspirations. At best, he's the lesser of two evils, which shouldn't be a factor during primary season when voters have the opportunity to elect a real Democrat. It's probably worth mentioning that Bernie beat Hillary in NE-02 last year, 54-46% in Douglas County and 59.6-40.4% in Sarpy County.