(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Pete Ricketts’ Bright Shiny Objects [1] ['Greg Dworkin', 'Chloris Creator', 'Thom Hartmann'] Date: 2026-09-21 Republicans like to campaign on what I call the bright shiny object because they can’t run on their policies and record. Republican policies of deficit funded tax cuts for the rich, the deregulation of big business and abortion bans are deeply unpopular. The Republican also can’t govern — once they are in office they destroy the country and destabilize the world. Both George W. Bush and Donald Trump have wrecked the economy and gotten the United States involved in quagmires in the Middle East. It’s a feature — not a bug — of Republican rule. Pete Ricketts is running on bright shiny objects and trivia because he can’t defend his failed record. Since he has been in the Senate, gas prices have increased by 50%, a staggering $3.8 trillion has been added to the national debt, taxes have been raised on 95% of Americans, farm bankruptcies have increased 45% and we’re involved in a failed war with Iran. All of that requires Ricketts to campaign on trivia and to resort to dirty tricks. Dan Osborn was secretly recorded again by the Ricketts campaign. This is extremely unethical but it’s a typical Ricketts tactic. For year, he has leveraged his family’s immense wealth to run campaigns of lies and smears against his opponents. Now on to the tape: “Billy Bob in f****** Red Cloud, Nebraska, who lives next to the f****** Trump store as you pull into town and is waving the flag, all he knows is that he’s on the winning team,” Osborn said. “It’s really that simple. And Trump … that’s why he’s been so effective. “He’s been so effective at taking Billy Bob and his wife Mary Jane or Mary Jo and telling them … you’re on the winning team. And that’s all they care about, because their lives probably suck so f****** bad.” That’s all the Republicans have? This is a nothing burger. Osborn apologized for these remarks even though he had nothing to apologize for. The Republicans never express regret for all of the horrible things they say about the American people. Osborn is the better man. Nonetheless, Osborn is right because life is tough for people in rural areas due to Ricketts’ regressive and disastrous policies. Osborn campaign spokesman Xavier Royer said: “Pete’s worst moments are on the Senate floor and his time as governor, when he’s voted time and time again to sell out Nebraskans for his own personal gain and that of his Epstein pals.” Ricketts’ attempt to turn this mole hill into a mountain is very hypocritical because Trump constantly insults half of the population he is supposed to serve but Ricketts is silent. Until Ricketts demands an apology from Trump, ignore his comments about Osborn. Trump has labeled Democrats as the “party of hate, evil, and satan,” “human garbage,” and “traitors.” Ricketts ally Jim Pillen has called his opponents “libtards.” Once again, it’s crickets from Ricketts. This is today’s Republican Party. Deeply corrupt, constantly launching wars, exploding the deficit, giving tax breaks to billionaires like Ricketts, bailing out corporations, gutting health care, making everything more expensive, while serving up trivia and culture war nonsense to distract you from all that. Evidence is mounting that Ricketts is running scared. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy bemoaned the fact that the race in Nebraska is close and he has to come here to bail out his billionaire buddy. In addition, a new super PAC, Cornhusker Majority, reserved $3.7 million in ads last week. It immediately began lying about Osborn. This is why Pete Ricketts wants you to forget about his failed war and the skyrocketing gas prices caused by the attack on Iran. From the Washington Post on September 17, 2026: “The effects of the U.S.-led war on Iran are about to intensify in the form of huge jumps in the prices of gasoline and diesel, analysts predict. And despite the Trump administration’s assurances, a new and potentially even more economically damaging phase of the war may be about to begin. Tom Kloza, chief energy adviser for Gulf Oil, predicted on X that Wednesday would “see staggering increases at the pump for both gasoline & diesel.” “Fuel margins have yet to catch up with previous wholesale hikes,” he wrote. “Watch for huge increases in Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain states in particular.” A recent quote from David Corn sums up the incompetence and cowardice of Republicans like Ricketts: ”The Iran war, the mass deportation campaign, the trade war with Canada, the affordability crisis, the Kennedy Center, the Epstein mess, the measles, Jr.’s Russian wedding, the embrace of Putin — is there not one GOP leader who has the guts to say this ain’t working? That’s a rhetorical question.” The 2026 election is going to determine whether is this going to be a Nebraska and America that is by and for the people, or if this is the billionaires’ world and we just live here. That’s the fight. There are more of us than them — we can win this fight if we show up and vote. A handful of Republicans in Congress could end this disaster today but they won’t. Trump isn’t on the ballot but you can vote out his enablers. MAGA means Morons Are Governing America. Blue wave 2026! Sources: https://www.ketv.com/article/nebraska-senate-osborn-ricketts-audio-recording/73762509?source=post_page—–afa4ce38ebe6—————————————– https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/us/politics/midterms-map-republicans-democrats.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/09/16/analysts-predict-gas-price-jump-long-disruption-damaged-pipeline [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/9/21/800101354/community/pete-ricketts-bright-shiny-objects/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/