Nelson Launches Re-Election Cmpaign in McCook

NELSON LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN MCCOOK

McCook, NE Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson kicked off his campaign for re-election today in his hometown of McCook. Nelson's delivered the following speech at Sehnert's Bakery:

Thank you, Mayor Berry, for that kind introduction. It is good to be in my home town and to be surrounded by friends and family and a lifetime of memories. I stand before you in the bakery I worked in as a kid, a proud son of McCook.

I'm a 3rd generation Nebraskan and McCookite. My grandfather Elias Benjamin Nelson farmed south of McCook and ran for Red Willow County Sheriff..unsuccessfully. My father Ben worked for the Public Power district and was the assistant fire chief.

McCook is much more than the place where I grew up. It is where I was raised in a loving family, surrounded by a supportive community that educated me and encouraged me to dream big dreams. It is where I gained my faith in God and learned the values I apply everyday of my life.

McCook is where my dad taught me to hunt and fish, to ride a bike, and drive a car.

Only later in life did I realize he also taught me by example to work hard and never settle for your second best, to respect the land and all that it provides us, and to honor those who have served our country. I learned from him that if you pay attention to the nickels and dimes, the quarters and dollars will take care of themselves.

My mother taught me to live by the Golden Rule and to remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God. She stressed that family, faith and friends are the cornerstone of a good life, and education the means to a better life. My mother made a house a home.

The community of McCook has also me given much to me. Friendships I developed as a child remain strong today. Days spent at the YMCA or becoming an Eagle Scout helped mold my body and spirit. Delivering newspapers, working here at Sehnert's, and serving as a section hand for the railroad developed character, and taught me the value of hard work.

McCook to me is more than the town where I grew up. In a larger sense, it is a symbol of all that is good about Nebraska, a sentinel of the challenges we face and a guide post for the way we can work together to meet those challenges.

So while college, law school, business, public service and now the US Senate have taken me to places far from here, I am fond of telling people that, yes, I work in Washington and I live in Omaha., but my home and my heart will always be in McCook.

I was privileged to serve as your governor for 8 years and I am proud of our record.

We balanced the budget for eight straight years and left office with a General Fund Balance of almost $300 million and a cash reserve of $145 million after cutting sales tax, cutting the income tax, and vetoing $157 million in spending.

And yet we were able to increase funding for our schools and establish higher academic standards, while maintaining local control of our school districts. We strengthened our community colleges and universities, and aided the development of our medical center.

We moved Nebraska to the forefront of ethanol production from 1 plant to 7 under my watch and provided more than 4,000 jobs to Nebraska families by the time I left office.

We established the Environmental Trust Fund to enhance and restore Nebraska's natural resources. We reformed the welfare system and put people back to work. And with the support of Nebraska taxpayers, we were able to provide health care coverage to 24,000 low income children.

We worked together and became One Nebraska.

Now...as Nebraska's Senator in Washington, I have focused my efforts on making our country safer and the citizens of Nebraska better served by its government.

I worked in a bipartisan fashion to break the legislative log jam and create the Department of Homeland Security. I have introduced legislation to make our borders safer and more secure. We beefed up security in our airports, and I have fought to protect funding for our emergency responders.

I have supported the president's efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. And while some in my Party may think we should pull out now, I disagree. I don't believe we can set an artificial date for withdrawal. The job isn't done.

But at the same time, the American people deserve to have laid out before them a tangible plan for making Iraq a democratic and independent self-sustaining country. A plan set in terms by which we can measure success along the way. A plan that both leads to victory and honors the sacrifice of the men and women who have put themselves in harms way to protect our freedom.

As Nebraska's Senator on the Armed Services Committee, I have worked hard to make certain our troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are fully equipped and have the very best in body armor, weapons and armored vehicles. I have fought for better pay and family separation allowances, better death benefits, and improved health insurance for guardsmen and reservists.

On the home front, I supported five major tax cuts that have lowered taxes for 640,000 Nebraska taxpayers.

On the Senate Agriculture Committee I worked for a better farm bill for our farmers and ranchers. I fought for new energy standards that will increase the production of ethanol to 7.5 billion gallons and provide new jobs and new markets for American produced farm products at home and abroad.

I supported a new prescription drug program for our seniors, helped preserve and improve health care delivery for Nebraskans, and I have introduced legislation that would make health care more affordable for small businesses and their employees.

I secured more than $80 million for our colleges and universities to support the development of new technologies, ground breaking medical research, and to improve the overall quality of our higher education system. I opposed "No Child Left Behind" because of its unfunded mandates and its multi million dollar price tag for administrative reporting.

Both as governor and now as your Senator I have fought to build a better Nebraska consistent with the values I learned in McCook. I have strived to keep more of your paycheck in your pocket, while at the same time improving the lives of our people through better education, lower health care costs and expanded health care delivery.

I'm fighting for new jobs in Nebraska and new markets for Nebraska products. I am working in the Senate to keep our country secure from foreign and domestic threats and to ensure that our children have the same opportunities I had as a child growing up in McCook.

But it is not for me to judge or to decide whether my efforts on behalf of Nebraskans merit another 6 year term in the Senate. That is for the people to decide.

Elections are the cornerstone of democracy.

Each candidate for elective office brings a differing view of their role as a U.S. Senator. Each candidate offers a differing rationale for how they will vote in the Senate should they have the privilege to serve.

Some offer to be a lapdog for their party. They promise to vote with their political party nearly 100% of the time.

It doesn't take much thought or effort to be this kind of Senator. And putting the interests of your political party ahead of what's best for Nebraska is not my way of operating. I have always put Nebraska first. And always will.

I have supported the President more than any other Democrat in the Senate. Why? Because on a case-by-case basis I felt it was the right thing to dofor Nebraska and for the nation.

But when the President opposed drought relief for Nebraska farmers, I said no. When our Nebraska troops were not properly equipped to serve in Iraq, I took on the administration. When it came to cutting essential programs that help those in need, I said no.

We need a senator who has the fortitude to say "No" to his party when it is the right thing to do for Nebraska. We also need Senators who will say "No" to the President when it comes to serving the best interests of Nebraska and the nation. We need a Senator who will put Nebraska first. Always!

I have been amused by the chorus of opposition brought forth by my opponents for the success I have had in securing funding for projects to help Nebraska. According to their rationale, only faceless, nameless bureaucrats should make these kinds of decisions.not their elected officials.

Well, I disagree. I will always roll up my sleeves and fight for Nebraska.

The funding we secured to help fight the spread of methamphetamines here in Nebraska would not have happened if my opponents had their way. After all, that was an earmark. My opponents would say, "Oh no. We can't do that."

When we fought for highway construction money for Nebraska roads, was that wasteful? My opponents think so. They would say, "Oh no, we can't do that!" But I think it was right to fight for jobs and economic growth here in Nebraska..

When we fought for higher reimbursement rates for Nebraska rural hospitals, or funds to continue the essential air program, was that bad? Using the logic of my opponents, I guess so.

But tell that to the communities whose hospitals would have been forced to close. Tell that to the communities like McCook whose commercial air service would have been cancelled and their economic development short-changed.

We are a small state. Quite frankly, we need Senators with the power and clout and willingness to fight for our home state. Seniority counts. So does experience and leadership. New York and California will always get their share; we need someone fighting for our interests too.

This election represents a serious decision to be made by the people of Nebraska. Times are not easy. Our country is at war. Our borders are not secure. Our national security is threatened in ways we never thought possible before 9/11.

We face a global economy that provides opportunities but also threatens the livelihood of Nebraska families. Health care costs continue to escalate. Our kids need first class schools to prepare for tomorrows jobs. Our seniors need a stable social security system that they can count on.

This campaign should not be about political party, or who has the slickest campaign ads, or can best demonize their opponent.

Rather this campaign should center on the issue of who can best serve the people of Nebraska in the United States Senate. Who can be most effective in helping to build a better Nebraska? Who has the experience to lead and the proven record by which to demonstrate their ability to serve the people of Nebraska?

I have that proven record of leadership and fighting for the best interests of Nebraska. I have set aside partisanship to work with the president and elected officials from both parties to do what is best for our country. I'll fight for the people of Nebraska to do what's right no matter what the political consequences.

Ed Zorinsky said it best: "We need fewer Democratic Senators and fewer Republican Senators and more United States Senators." That is what I strive to be. We need voices of reason not rhetoric. We need leadersnot followers. We need patriotsnot partisans in the U.S. Senate.

So today, I declare my candidacy for re-election to the United States Senate. I ask for your vote. I ask for your help. I ask for your prayers.

Thank you.

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