Steven Lustgarten (D-NE-Senate)

The most common question I get now is “Why do you want to run for Senator?” That’s like the famous question asked of bank robber Willy Sutton “Why do you rob banks?” who answered, “Cuz thats where the money is.” Well Congress is where the power is and to effect any change in this world one needs to be in a position to nudge those levers of power. Right now they’re frozen, rusted and immovable. This is the greatest threat to the country and by extension to the world today. The founders of the Constitution perhaps did do good a job on ensuring that one group could not dominate the government process. One of the inciting reasons for my entering the race was the near shutdown of the government last August as the Republicans, most of whom had signed the Norquist Grover pledge not to raise taxes, would not vote for the continuing resolution to raise the debt level and allow us to pay our already incurred debts. This led to the creation of the Super Committee that was to find a way to cut the budget drastically and if unable to automatic draconian cuts would be imposed on cherished programs of both parties. Well surprise. They weren’t super enough and now we’re facing those cuts at the end of this year. This is irresponsible and unwarranted. We elect people to make wise and informed decisions about our financial priorities. Computers could make automatic cuts and be a lot cheaper. I cite this as an example, but there are few choices in Washington that are not stuck due to the same motivation: Republicans want us to fail so they can blame the Obama administration and his Democratic cohorts and then call for an all right wing government that will cut government in all its aspects except for the military. It will look like a stick figure with enormous biceps.

So why would a vote for me be any better? What makes me think that I can win against the Republicans? It boils down to this: I don’t have anything to lose and I can push it to edge. A familiar candidate may make Democratic party chiefs more comfortable, but comfy does not excite electorates and win elections. I am single with one adult daughter living in Central Nebraska. I own my own business that I can put on hold and devote all my time and efforts to the campaign. I don’t have any favors owed to politicians, parties or special interests. I don’t have to be cautious about harming my future political chances as I’m not a career politician. Hmm. Maybe that’s the short answer. I’m not a politician. I can take chances and the only way to win this is to break the mold of typical snooze inducing campaigns full of promises they have no way of fulfilling and invigorate a new class of engaged voters who care about what is going to happen to this country should an all Republican Congress take over in 2013.

In 2010 primary elections in Douglas County only 10% of the registered Democrats voted. We are the 10% I guess, but we’re going to need the other 90% to get things moving again. They are your friends, neighbors, co workers and we need them to step up and make their voice heard. Every vote does count as much as every molecule of oxygen, or every grain of sand is important. I won’t even go into the plight of those who aren’t even registered. Though, the state makes it way too hard to register to vote, perhaps intentionally as wider participation usually favors Democrats. Why not a simple online registration process or even via mobile phone text? In keeping with this I’ve started a GET OUT THE VOTE NEBRASKA Facebook page and hopefully movement that will take Nebraska up from its 40th position of the states in voting participation.Colorado is 9, Iowa is 8 and South Dakota 4.

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