Nebraska Democrats go on offense with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's townhall

Yahoo

13-03-2025

The Nebraska Democratic Party opened a new office in south-central Omaha on Tuesday, March 19. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Democratic Party this week announced a town hall Saturday with former Democratic vice presidential nominee and current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The Democratic town hall in Omaha follows Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon's announcement earlier this week that he would hold a tele-town hall later this month. Congressional Republicans are being told by party leadership not to hold in-person town halls after some were confronted by angry crowds.
When announcing the visit from Walz, a Nebraska native, state Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb on X said, 'If [Bacon] is too scared to show up in-person, we will!' His visit follows one by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who launched his 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour in the state last month.
A Bacon spokesman said the format changed from his typical in-person town hall because there is 'such a large interest.' The congressman told reporters Wednesday that the change happened because the tele-town halls are 'more conversational.'
'I've been at some of the in-person town halls,' Bacon said Wednesday. 'When you got moms and dads saying we can't bring our kids to a town hall, there's a problem.'
Nebraska Democratic Party officials said the town hall would focus on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's 'cuts' to social programs, naming Medicaid and SNAP. The press release said Bacon 'is doing nothing as Musk and Trump dismantle the Department of Education, Veterans Affairs, and other critical infrastructure all of our families rely on.'
Kleeb was recently elected to serve on the Democratic National Committee's leadership team, essentially serving as chair of state party chairs.
Bacon name-dropped Indivisible and MoveOn and said the two grassroots liberal organizations are behind organizing the protests at Republican town halls. Trump and other GOP members have, without offering evidence, blamed 'paid troublemakers' for the controversial GOP town halls.
Some Democratic leaders have expressed frustration with those liberal organizations as they ask Democrats to do more to oppose the Trump Administration. Democrats are still struggling with how to navigate the second Trump presidency, as he increased his margins with working-class voters and minorities, though Trump's approval rating has dropped recently due to his handling of the economy.
The congressman responded to the Walz town hall on Thursday on X by criticizing Nebraska Democrats for bringing 'the most liberal Senator,' Sanders, to the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District, and 'Now they're bringing in the most liberal Governor in America.'
Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, wise-cracked that Walz should 'finally clarify what Army rank he actually retired at and when the supposed combat deployment he used to talk about occurred.'
'If he wants to call into our town hall, he can answer these questions,' Bacon told the Examiner on Thursday when asked for further comment.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Walz faced criticism over his military service in the Minnesota and Nebraska National Guard. He said he misspoke about his service during the vice-presidential debate. Walz has said he would host town halls in House Republican-led districts that don't hold in-person ones. He said he and former Vice President Kamala Harris played it too safe during her bid for president. Saturday's event will be his third appearance in the Omaha in less than a year.
Nebraska Democrats are hosting the town hall with Walz at Metropolitan Community College's Swanson Conference Center, at 5730 N 30th St., from 10 a.m. to noon.
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