President Bush will descend on Grand Island, Nebraska this weekend to try and pump life,, and Republican votes into Adrian Smith's 3rd District congressional race.
Smith is locked in a tight race with surging Democratic candidate Scott Kleeb
The Sunday presidential visit was hastily scheduled after polling showed Kleeb gaining momentum in the congressional race.
Republicans have held the congressional seat for the past 48 years in the sprawling, rural district.
"It seems that even in the heart of Bush country," wrote USNews and World Report, "Republicans are fending off a revolt among voters in what is shaping up to be a landmark election for Democrats nationwide. Perhaps no race better illustrates the challenges facing Republicans than the fight over the seat being vacated by former University of Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne (who topped even Bush in 2004, claiming 87 percent of the district's vote). "
Republican support across much of the country has dwindled in recent months because of the war in Iraq and a series of GOP-related scandals. Kleeb has also score polling points by publicizing Smith's ties to Club for Growth, a group that advocates ending agricultural subsidies.
Kleeb said he was looking forward to the president's visit and hoped he'd be invited to listen to the speech.
While Mr. Bush's visit underscores the battle for majority control of congress in next week's elections, A new series of Republican funded TV attack ads have been targeted at Kleeb.
The Lincoln Journal Star reported that Kleeb responded to the negative ads aired by the GOP and the anti-tax Club for Growth with a positive TV ad on Wednesday. “Candidates usually close their campaigns by making promises,” he says in the ad. “I’d like to close mine by saying thank you.
“To the thousands of Nebraskans I’ve met during my campaign for Congress -- good people, who believe in good government. I approved this message because you’ve given me your ideas about how to make Washington work better.”
Not to be outdone by its Washington counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been targeting Smith with attack ads in the final days.
Details:
President Bush will make his Nebraska pitch for Adrian Smith and other Republican candidates during a Sunday appearance at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island.
The event is scheduled to begin at 3:10 p.m.
Tickets to the speech are being distributed through Republican state headquarters in Lincoln. The 6,000-seat arena is located at Fonner Park off Interstate 80 at Exit 314 (the Locust Street exit).
