Ricketts (R Senate race Ne.) shifts attack on 'pork'

[Omaha Steve]

FULL story reg req: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2257741

Published Monday
October 9, 2006

Ricketts shifts attack on 'pork'

BY ROBYNN TYSVER


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Last spring, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pete Ricketts tried to make an issue of Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson's ability to bring home the bacon.

And while Ricketts continues to argue that federal spending projects known as "earmarks" contribute to the nation's ballooning deficit, the issue is far from a cornerstone of his fall campaign.

One reason may be that Ricketts is finding out that voters in Nebraska have mixed feelings about earmarks, called pork barrel spending by critics.

Voters say they're sympathetic to the argument that each state's pet projects contribute to government deficits, but they want to make sure Nebraska gets its fair share.