Harsh remarks spice up Senate debate

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10427121

Published Monday September 8, 2008
Harsh remarks spice up Senate debate

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — Democrat Scott Kleeb tried to gain ground against Republican Mike Johanns in the race for U.S. Senate by going on the attack in a debate here Sunday, sharply criticizing Johanns' time as agriculture secretary.


From left are Republican Mike Johanns, Green Party candidate Steve Larrick and Democrat Scott Kleeb at a debate Sunday in Scottsbluff. About 150 people attended the event sponsored by the Scottsbluff-Gering United Chamber of Commerce.

Immigration, energy, federal spending, energy and other issues were all fodder for the Democrat fighting for votes in a part of the state dominated by Republicans.

Kleeb went on the attack early, suggesting that Johanns is a "quitter" and that Nebraska needs someone with fresh ideas and leadership.

Johanns repeatedly rebutted with variations of the same line: You got it wrong.

"I'm going to use that famous Ronald Reagan line," Johanns said, harking back to a 1980 presidential debate in which Reagan responded to criticism from Jimmy Carter. "There you go again."

The borrowed one-liner followed one of Kleeb's sharpest attacks of the night. Kleeb said Johanns, in his campaign material, states that most Nebraskans feel they have good health coverage. Kleeb ridiculed that claim, saying about 200,000 Nebraskans lack health care coverage and most who have it fear losing it.

Johanns said Kleeb misrepresented the sentence in his campaign materials, saying that he wasn't referring specifically to insurance, but health care in general. The sentence says: "Nebraskans believe they have good health care."

FULL story at link.