GOP leaders, candidates project unity

From left, candidates Pete Ricketts and Ben Sasse speak Tuesday. (Bruce Baker/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Neb. -- Several Republican leaders and candidates embarked on a one-day fly-around tour of Nebraska, Tuesday, including McCook among their scheduled nine stops. Each member of the group of six spoke briefly during a reception at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport before answering questions from attendees.

Candidate for governor Pete Ricketts said the five candidates and office holders traveling with him were of one-mind when it came to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, referring to it as a series of "bad, bad ideas."

Ricketts said Common Core dumbed down education to the lowest common denominator and the scariest part was, some states were adopting it. Ricketts has consistently opposed the implementation of Common Core and said he believes Nebraskans are better equipped to establish academic standards for Nebraska schools themselves.

U.S. Representative for Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District, Adrian Smith, addresses visitors Tuesday. (Bruce Baker/McCook Gazette)

Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts and lieutenant governor candidate Mike Foley said the opportunity to run along side candidate Ricketts was the greatest honor of his life. Foley said he knew Pete very well and jumped at the chance when presented with it.

"He wants to grow Nebraska," said Foley.

Nebraska State Sen. Charlie Janssen is vying to become Foley's replacement as the next Auditor of Public Accounts. Janssen offered praise for Foley and said the bar had been set high, adding he aspired to equal and eventually exceed it.

Janssen described his first meeting with candidate Ricketts as an impromptu visit at Janssen's office, where he serves as president of RTG Medical. Janssen said he was impressed with Ricketts' ability to discuss business aspects.

"We absolutely need him running our state," said Janssen.

Sen. Deb Fischer said the upcoming election was an important one and Nebraskans had some great candidates vying for office.

"Ricketts is a man who has the drive, tools and skills to grow Nebraska, so we can have strong communities and families in this state. I'm looking forward to great things with Ricketts," said Fischer.

Fischer offered no such words of confidence for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, indicating he was responsible for much of what ailed the Senate.

Fisher said she and fellow U.S. Senator Mike Johanns had worked across the aisle to develop common sense bills, which would have produced results, but was unable to even get them up for debate.

"The American people are not being represented in the U.S. Senate," said Fischer, adding later, "Harry Reid has got to be replaced."

Fischer offered praise for U.S. Senate candidate Ben Sasse and predicted he would be a leader in the Senate. Fisher said she looked forward to working with Sasse and said voters could be assured he was someone who would work hard for every Nebraskan.

Sasse said he was enjoying engaging Nebraskans across all 93 counties and it was clear they understood Washington D.C. was not the center of life.

"It's places like McCook and Imperial that define the strength of this country," said Sasse, adding we had a moral obligation to pass it on to the next generation in better shape than when it was passed on to us.

Congressman Adrian Smith said too often the Federal Government stood in the way of new ideas and referred to the tax code as 10,000 cumbersome pages, which no one on either side of the aisle was willing to endorse.

Smith indicated the issues facing our government were best addressed by a strong frontline of state officials.

The Nebraska General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.