Just when you think politics in Nebraska can’t get any stranger, the Secretary of State says, “Hold my beer.”

Last Friday, Bob Evnen, the Secretary of State, announced that Brett Lindstrom didn’t have enough valid signatures to qualify to get on the ballot as an independent candidate for governor. Three petitioners who have already been charged with a felony for falsifying signatures on a separate issue allegedly falsified signatures for Brett, causing him to not meet the necessary threshold.

Brett had been previously scheduled to speak to the Free Speech Society the following day, and it would have been understandable if he backed out. But Brett is a man of his word, and he showed up. Boy did he show up.

Brett talked about how the business community in this state knows what a disaster Pillen has been as governor, but doesn’t have the courage to speak up and support a challenger to the powers that be.

That word really stuck with me… COURAGE.

We see a lot of the cowardice of the Republican Party these days. People who see what is going on and are afraid to speak out, afraid they might not get invited to the parties, afraid that the leadership might not like them.

It’s like they haven’t grown out of high school and don’t want to be ostracized from the cool kids’ clique. A perfect example is when Marco Rubio wore shoes 3 sizes too big just because President Trump gave them to him and he didn’t want to upset his boss. He didn’t want to get kicked out of the club.

That same cowardice can be found in Nebraska.

Brett Lindstrom spoke of how the Aksarben elite talk a good game behind closed doors, but when push comes to shove, they are cowards who are afraid to put their money where their mouths are, afraid to upset the ruling class.

At a previous Free Speech Society meeting, Mike Cassling spoke about how Nebraska is on the wrong path under the current administration. We are falling behind other neighboring states when it comes to inviting primary and secondary businesses to enjoy the Good Life. Mike Cassling and Dana Bradford have put together a plan to right that wrong, and they map it out on their website. I don’t have space to get into the details here, but please visit https://strengtheningnebraskafamilies.com to see their plan.

And while Brett didn’t call out Mike Cassling, Dana Bradford, or others by name, it was very obvious the group of people he was talking about. They are the monied men and women behind the scenes who donate to the politicians to get them elected. The folks who grease the wheels to give qualified people like Brett or Lynne Walz the needed funds to compete on a fair playing field.

I have no doubt that the Aksarben-monied elite know that Jim Pillen won’t do any better in his second term than he has in the first. Yet Jim Pillen has listed many of those people in the business community as supporters of him serving another four years.

COWARDS!

Brett wasn’t afraid to speak out and tell the state that the emperor has no clothes. He spoke out to say that Nebraska can’t keep going down this fiscal path and that things have to change, and for that, he’s paid the price.

And while Brett spoke about Pillen’s fiscal failings during his talk, we can’t dismiss Pillen’s moral failings, like the 2.5 million no-bid contract he gave to a close friend as well.

Brett is down, but he may not be out. He may hitch a ride on a “pirate ship” and be the nominee for governor in the Working People’s Party. One of the two new parties trying to get on the ballot this November. These parties were ostensibly set up to play a part in the Senate race, but they might have a part to play in the governor’s race now as well.

Politics has always been a contact sport, and it’s hitting hard right now. It takes a courageous person to step up and speak truth to power.

It also takes money.

If Brett gets on the ballot, both he and the Democratic challenger, Lynne Walz, are going to need those monied people behind the scenes to have the courage to say what they're saying behind closed doors and fund those who have the courage to make the changes we need to get Nebraska back on the right track.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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