World-Herald editorial: Nebraska, send a signal on Whiteclay

Here are thoughts on a variety of topics in the news:

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Now is an important time for Nebraska to send the signal — to the federal government, to the tribe, to the State of South Dakota — that Nebraska is willing to move forward if other parties step up, too.

The Nebraska Legislature's discussion of a Whiteclay bill comes at a time when the Whiteclay topic is being discussed by Nebraska state leaders, by both Nebraska political parties and by private donors in Omaha. Several Nebraska lawmakers worked hard on the issue in recent months.

Judging from the floor debate this week on Whiteclay legislation, Nebraska appears set to hire a grant writer to solicit funds for specific programs to help the Oglala Sioux. That's a tiny step, but it should be followed by development of specific plans to promote alcoholism treatment and address other needs, in coordination with the other parties mentioned above.

Nebraska has had momentum on this issue in recent months, and to do nothing now would sidetrack a vital opportunity. Such do-nothingism would show disrespect to the Nebraska leaders who have dedicated an enormous amount of energy on this issue, and it would undermine the work of Nebraskans who are trying to encourage forward thinking on this matter among party activists and private donors.

Instead, Nebraska needs to communicate to all parties that the state is willing to move forward in cooperation.

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The candidates have filed for Nebraska's May 11 primaries, and here are some notable items from the election filings:

The fall election will be the first time that a term-limited (and capable) former state senator will challenge an incumbent senator. The incumbent is Mark Christensen from Imperial, and the former senator is Tom Baker of Trenton.

The Republican primary for state treasurer will be hardfought among three candidates: Don Stenberg, a former state attorney general; Tony Fulton, a current state senator; and Tom Nesbitt, former head of the Nebraska State Patrol.

In Douglas County, it's probably a general reflection of the conscientious work of the incumbents that several officeholders — two examples are County Attorney Don Kleine and County Treasurer John Ewing — have no challengers. Still, it's generally preferable to have contested elections.

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Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill debates and maneuvers, wrote this week that by blocking an extension of unemployment benefits, Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky “has unwittingly given Democrats measurable evidence that the much-maligned Republican filibuster is the real reason for Washington's gridlock.”

So, victory in the battle for public opinion will depend in part on which partisan claim gains the most traction: Democrats' charge that the culprit is Republican obstructionism, or Republicans' charge that the fault lies with Democratic deal-making and reliance on a Hail Mary dependence on the “reconciliation” process.

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