At a ‘Unity’ Stop in Nebraska, Democrats Find Anything But

New YorkTimes ^ | 4/21/2017 | Jonathan Martin

[simpson96]

WASHINGTON — Rarely has a municipal election in a midsize city ignited such a fierce national debate over what defines a Democrat. But the election this spring for mayor of Omaha is pitting abortion rights activists against economic populists and threatening the party’s unity as it regroups to confront President Trump.

Part of the twist: The populist side’s standard-bearer, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is not even a Democrat. (snip)

Mr. Sanders and the new leadership of the Democratic National Committee touched a party sore spot this week when they took their “Unity Tour” to Omaha to rally for a mayoral candidate who opposes abortion rights. Mr. Sanders, repurposing the themes of his presidential bid, told a crowd of about 6,000 on Thursday night that the candidate, Heath Mello, 37, would be a future star in the Democratic Party who could help break the grip of big money on the nation’s politics.

Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a prominent abortion rights advocacy group, called it a betrayal, especially of the women who have fueled the “resistance” that has energized Democrats since Mr. Trump’s unexpected triumph.

“It tells your most active political base that we’re just negotiable political property,” Ms. Hogue said of the statement sent by Mr. Sanders and Representative Keith Ellison, the Democratic National Committee’s new deputy chairman, who appeared with Mr. Mello. “Since the election, women have been engaged on the front lines of every progressive fight. So what message does it send for the party to start this tour with an anti-choice candidate?”

Mr. Mello, a practicing Catholic, supported a Nebraska State Senate bill requiring that women be informed of their right to request a fetal ultrasound before an abortion. The anger over that position reflects a long-running argument among Democrats over

[2ndDivisionVet]

They have one of the best zoos you’ll ever visit.

[Telepathic Intruder]

The only thing that unifies them is their hatred of Republicans. More specifically conservative Christian Republicans, but any Republican will do. They’re an all-inclusive therefor balkanized party. Left to themselves it would be chaos as far as choosing an issue that’s important.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

The populist side’s standard-bearer, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is not even a Democrat.

That's OK.

None of the democRATs are Democrats either.

[libertylover]

They have one of the best zoos you’ll ever visit

Yes, they do. And strangely enough, very steep hills (in the area near the river).

Another thing I remember about Omaha is the simplicity of the layout. If you know the address of a place, you can drive right to it, no map required.

[McGavin999]

Bernies whole purpose was to bring the greenies and socialists into the democrat party. A move they will live to regret for a very long time

[KosmicKitty]

They have one of the best zoos you’ll ever visit.

Ditto that. Did you notice that Marlin Perkins isn't mentioned there, even though he did Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom for years. Seems that he was associated with the zoo in Kansas prior to the Omaha Zoo being built. I had to find out why he wasn't mentioned in Omaha.

And, you can get Runzas there too!!

[Impy]

Omaha Mayoral runoff. Rats think they can win.

The GOP Mayor was under 50%, GOP combined got the got majority.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yes and no about the simplicity. The named streets run east-west and have no implicit order except for the letter streets A-Z. You would know longitude but not latitude on the others.

[bigbob]

You can get a Runza anywhere (state law ;-)

Omaha is the polar opposite of the rest of Nebraska. Even Lincoln is more the university town than an urban center, although with the state employees it’s much bluer than the rest of the state. Take the average Omaha resident and they’d survive just fine in New York or Paris. But put them in a town of 900 in rural Nebraska and they wouldn’t know what to do. The same is true in much of Trump Country.

[KosmicKitty]

Mr Kitty’s from Omaha - got Burke Bulldogs!! As well as a graduate of the University of No Learning (UNL) - Gobi Gred.

My in-laws - way, way to left live in Omaha. Only have seen the state driving from Omaha to Lincoln and back, but overall the people were nice. Great breakfast at Sap Brother’s Truck Stop!!

[lilypad]

Best hospital in the world, new cancer center and a great transplant center, Nebraska Med Center.

[Sasparilla]

...“It tells your most active political base that we’re just negotiable political property...

You mean like Hillary Clinton??

[Diana in Wisconsin]

‘...[Trump’s] unexpected triumph.’

*DRINK* :)

[SaveFerris]

[They have one of the best zoos you’ll ever visit.]

Oh, I thought you meant, the Democratic Party.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Them too. We call it Congress.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Like Hastings?

[csvset]

Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America

What a winner.

Prior to her work for NARAL, Hogue worked for MoveOn.org, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, Media Matters for America, and the Friends of Democracy PAC, a campaign-finance reform group founded by Jonathan Soros.

She serves on the board of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, a Jewish social organization.

In June 2015, Hogue announced that she and her husband were expecting twins in July 2015.

What, she didn't abort her children but advocates other women kill theirs?

[Mears]

” If you know the address of a place, you can drive right to it, no map required.”

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Oh,just like Boston./s

(We do have one stretch of alphabetical streets,though.)

.

.

[DakotaGator]

Rarely has a municipal election in a midsize city ignited such a fierce national debate over what defines a Democrat.

Well then, I'll make it easy for the New York Times. Being a Democrat means embracing a philosophy somewhere between "Something for Nothing" to "Slave master".

These people have always been with us. They will always be with us. They regularly change their group "name" as freedom-loving people understand what they truly stand for. Most Democrats are merely useful idiots. But some are pure evil.

The Nation's Fishwrap of Record knows this. It embraces it. But it never acknowledges it.