Nebraska Senate seat not for sale

Last weekend, candidates for the U.S. Senate took the stage in Hastings to share their ideas and differences with voters, yet there was one question throughout the night that was never answered on stage, “Where is Ben Sasse”?

The question dominated social media. This wasn’t the first time that Mr. Sasse has skipped out on a chance to discuss issues with Nebraskans. Earlier in the month, he avoided an opportunity to discuss rural health care with folks directly affected by our changing system.

It’s a typical political move for a front-runner: Avoid all interaction with other candidates lest you risk your poll numbers. Given Sasse’s poor performance in the North Platte debate, perhaps his staff of Washington insiders decided it was best to skip the rest of the debates.

For a guy running to represent Nebraska in the Senate, Sasse has demonstrated that, in fact, he isn’t concerned with the everyday citizen. Why would he be?

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan organization tracking the increasing money in politics, Sasse has received nearly 70 percent of his contributions from outside donors. A no-show for Nebraska voters, Mr. Sasse seems more than happy to show up for fat-cat, out-of-state fundraisers. What do you think he will owe them in return?

Even Sen. Mike Johanns seems concerned, calling for Sasse to make the case to voters, “that somebody is not going to be pulling his strings.”

It’s bad enough that a former insider has come into Nebraska and misled voters with his rhetoric, but now he’s letting big money donors push their agenda on us.

We deserve better than having our seat at the table sold.

So if you’re looking to vote in the best interest of Nebraska, end congressional gridlock, and battle the extremism funded by outside interests: consider Dave Domina.

Mr. Domina is a lifetime Nebraskan and a defender of freedom across the state. He is the only candidate who has owned and fought for small businesses. He is a protector for the private properties of citizens against government overreach and he is not beholden to out-of-state funders.

This election is about standing up to big money, and voting in the interest of our state. It seems our longtime Senator Johanns agrees, “We need to keep outside money out, (and) we need to be forceful in saying that.” Nebraskans need to tell Mr. Sasse that our seat is not for sale by voting for Dave Domina for the United States Senate.

– Dave Gottschalk, Omaha