Being a fan of the “horse race” aspect of politics, I was looking forward to watching the race for the congressional seat in the Nebraska’s third district.  The seat was left open because incumbent Bill Barrett decided to retire rather than seek another term in office. The list was growing of potential and intriguing replacements, and it shaped up to be an interesting and hard-fought race. However, the decision of former Husker Football coach, Dr. Tom Osborne, to return to the district after 40 years in order to seek the seat has, for all intents and purposes, ended the race. The chances of Dr. Tom being defeated are about as likely as the Imperial High School football team taking the field and beating the Huskers.

Now, I know that success in other fields and personal popularity don’t always equate to political success. However, as big as football and Osborne have been in Nebraska, he is probably the best known and respected person in the entire state. He is a very nice man of good character with a personality that is a little on the boring side; but, he has a down-home Nebraska quality that you find on the farms and small communities making up the third district. This all adds up to a formidable candidate.

On Sunday February 13, I tuned in to KMTV Channel 3 in Omaha to listen to a 30-minute interview with Dr. Tom, done by reporter Joe Jordan. I do not know why Osborne would be doing an interview that would barely reach any of the third district.  Just the same, there he was. For the first half of the interview, I thought Osborne sounded great. He sounded like a solid Conservative Republican like myself.  Demographically, Conservative Republicans have always represented the views of a solid majority of people in the third district.

In the second half of the interview, he took stances on the issues of crime and guns that I seriously doubt reflect the views of most citizens in the third district. I do not know if it will make any difference in the election.  People are likely to vote for personality rather than policy, but Osborne left an opening -- if the people will actually listen to the positions he takes and an opponent emerges with the savvy and guts to challenge him.

While I was watching the interview, Western Nebraskans were struck with fear and apprehension after escaped Texas fugitive, Lannis Moses Jr., shot and wounded a state trooper, Jeff Cymble, and Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff, Stan McKnight, as they attempted to arrest him near Sutherland. Moses remained at large for several days.  Things grew worse when Moses murdered Paxton farmer, Doug Drews, and stole his car. A huge manhunt developed. Several other cars were stolen. According to the Omaha World Herald, an Imperial resident had spotted one of the cars 55 miles southwest of Sutherland. The manhunt came to an end in Eastern Wyoming near the town of Lusk – which, incidentally, was near where the murder spree of Charley Starkweather and Carol Fugate came to an end 41 years ago.

Rancher Jim Kremers and his 26-year-old son found Moses hidden on their ranch. With some common sense, the aid of a rifle and probably some Divine intervention, they persuaded Moses to put down his gun and come inside to get something to eat. After Moses was disarmed and eating, Kremers’ son slipped away and called authorities, who were able to walk in and arrest the murderer without incident.

Returning to Dr. Tom, when asked about his position on the death penalty, he said, “Well, I am pro-life, so I must be opposed to the death penalty.”

Excuse me, Dr. Tom.  You are no longer surrounded by academic liberal elites who will only allow you into the inner sanctum of the academy with your views on the sanctity of life for the unborn by opposing the death penalty.

Osborne has a Christian heart, but he needs to go back and read his Bible again in order to get to know the God of judgment who ordained the death penalty to be carried out by men against those who murder.  It is the same from cover to cover in both the Old and New Testament. Not even Bill Clinton and Al Gore take such an irresponsible position. Most of the people he wishes to represent do read their Bible and understand that sanctity for life, and they demand that those who take life pay with their own life. That is the consistent position of life, faith and justice.

Nationwide and statewide opinion polls show that from 2/3 to over 80% of people understand and support the death penalty for murder. They ought to have a representative who reflects their views. This out-of-touch view, especially, seems insensitive to the people of the third district. Osborne is asking them to send him to Washington when he is advocating such an unpopular position -- all at the same time they are being terrorized by Moses the Murderer.

With Moses being stopped, in part, because of an armed citizenry, Osborne’s views about gun control are just as out-of-touch as his views on the death penalty. When asked, Osborne started off saying how he was a hunter and supported gun rights.  But, then, he proceeded to show support for almost every piece of gun control legislation that has been passed or has been seriously considered in the last few years. Maybe Dr. Tom needs to read the constitution and study a little history? The Second Amendment is not about hunting; it is about honest citizens protecting themselves from criminals and, yes -- most importantly -- a government that turns tyrannical.

Will Moses keep Dr. Tom from his promised land in Washington? I doubt it will. Maybe his other positions and attractive character traits may be more important to the people of the third district. It is their decision to make. He is still new enough to the political game that his views on crime and guns might not be as out-of-touch as he sounded or, at least, he might have room to wiggle out, if the issues start hurting him. However, with his record of protecting and coddling football players who broke the law, he does have a soft-on-crime record that is a little disturbing. How many of us will ever forget Phillips pushing the ex-girl friend down the stairs because she had jilted him for Wood River’s Scott Frost? It is admirable to try and reform young people who get on the wrong side of the tracks, but it takes tough love and punishment -- which are two traits Osborne has not exactly shown to this point.