Liberal State Senator John McCollister Arrested!
NEGOP Refused to Credential Him!
Update, ten went out! https://www.ketv.com/article/nebraska-gop-chairman-voted-out-10-leadership-resignations/40565605?brzu=e5f75658dfe13750d7f79dce29500f4e12059b2715c916cc541457ae859a5ba0&lctg=6101614f56d16776381aa0ff
Oh, wait, fact-checking here. Actually, Conservative Matt Innis, known for combating Critical Race Theory, was arrested after being denied credentials to the NEGOP Convention!
Also see https://thepostmillennial.com/delegates-to-nebraska-gop-convention-arrested-after-credentials-revoked-for-opposing-gov-ricketts
Why the Credentials Committee barred six individuals (er.com/2022/07/07/six-rejection-letters-add-fuel-to-weekend-fight-over-future-of-nebraska-gop/) is a bit beyond me when State Senator John McCollister is openly attacking the Party and supporting Democrats such as Pansing-Brooks. Maybe Innis should have dressed up as a woman and promised to read kids a book! The Committee has flamed a war.
Furthermore, Dan Welch was ousted as NEGOP chair and several other party officials resigned following his removal. (https://journalstar.com/news/local/nebraska-republicans-oust-party-leader-during-turbulent-state-convention/article_3867070e-f75c-52ba-8d8e-e64e69e9ae73.html) I am disappointed by Taylor Gage’s resignation. He actually listened to a broad array of Republicans and was willing to assist. With his absence, the NEGOP will suffer.
However, between the Credentials Committee and those resigning, I think they overreacted and have made things far worse. The conflict goes way back to the election between Slama and Palmtag and how the NEGOP sided with one candidate over the other (https://omaha.com/news/local/nebraska-gop-chairman-party-flyer-targeting-legislative-candidate-crossed-the-line/article_7e3db3a8-98df-5e21-be99-c4cc793b23fa.html) With this conflict, passions, and divisions grow.
Since Ricketts pushed Pillen the same way he supported Slama, many, including myself, detected the same dirty tactics at work which stopped Palmtag. The polarization in the party has exploded. Jennifer Hicks has stated she has left the Party and registered Libertarian (https://rumble.com/v1bhq8h-bread-and-circuses-are-you-not-entertained.html)
If Republicans are to unify, Pillen has to pull himself out of his cocoon and start appealing to the new conservatives and Republicans. He needs to start acting like a leader and not a puppet. He needs to take election integrity seriously such as opposing drop boxes. He needs to state he will defend freedom in the middle of COVID panics. He needs to pledge himself to tax reforms.
Party politics I find to be quite annoying. I ask for election integrity. Get rid of drop boxes and prevent full-scale mail-out balloting the way Westside did on a school bond issue. I want transparency on the mail-in ballots as well. Yet, I receive very little traction with Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse or Secretary of State Bob Evnen. I have not provoked a fight so why can’t these matters be addressed? If not by law, how about persuasion? No one should accept these perverse procedures. Yet, I hear the silence and the crickets.
Very cogent comments.