Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We welcome Mike McDonald through the program Nebraska State Senator
District five, South Omaha. Although you're pretty much done now, Mike, welcome,
good to have you.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Here, Good morning, Thanks for the invitation.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
After you saiding on a winner take all, the governors
said there's no sense in a special session, So you're
pretty much done. Your stated reasons have largely been related
to this shouldn't be something we do forty some days
before the election. Is that basically what it came down
to for you.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, when I ran in twenty sixteen, we had this
discussion and throughout the last eight years, and I said,
you know, I believe the idea of the system we
have in place is good for the second Congressional District's
good for the city of Homewall, based on you know,
it makes us relevant, it helps the economy, and also
you have to come in and work for our vote.
But also through those years, I've said, if the people
(00:53):
ever wanted to change it, if they ever wanted to
midterm say okay, we're going to vote on this and
we're going to change, then I think that's that's fair.
Based on the idea that you're going to give everyone
a two year, notice that the rules in Nebraska have
been changed. Even though I think what they did and
I was not there in nineteen eighty one, what the
people worked on was a good idea, and I think
(01:17):
if you look at going back to the history of it,
may they changed theirs in nineteen sixty nine. I think
rest of the country should follow us because of the fairness,
because of the idea that coming in and working for
that vote. And if you look at the history of this,
in twenty sixteen, President Trump picked up that won that
extra electoral vote, and in twenty twenty President Biden did
(01:39):
so I believe people are listening, They're willing to listen,
but you got to come in and work for our vote.
So again, yesterday I was the first time I had
started talking to any of the people from the media,
and I said that, you know, I'm inviting President Trump
and Vice President Harris come to Omaha, have that debate,
work for our vote. And I believe that's but the
(01:59):
fair of it. And I've compared it, you know, and
again I know how serious this is, and you know,
I want to thank all the people around the country
that have reached out to me, around the state, around Omaha.
You know both sides of the issue, and they've been
passionate about it, but ninety percent have been professional and polite.
And the idea of changing this I compared to a
football game. The coach calls, the time out, goes over
the references. I want to change the value of a
(02:22):
field goal from three points to four points with two
minutes left in the game.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That's just not fair. I largely agree with you, Mike,
accept that. To me, this as a conservative, this election
is transformational for our country. And that goes to my
next question to you, as you switched from Democrat to Republican,
do you I know you're titular Republican, but do you
think of yourself as a conservative?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Oh? Yes, on a number of issues. But also I
think of myself as first of all, I'm representing, you know,
the people and the idea of I have conservatives, I
have liberals. I have people that are more moderate that
want to come and talk to me, and I'm gonna
listen to every one of them. But if you look
at most likely, uh, some of the issues and the
(03:07):
votes that I've taken, my people try to say that, Yeah,
over the years, uh, I've you know, changed on an
issue I have and I've been consistent since I ran
in twenty sixteen. There's one thing that you can that
you can ask my colleagues and the other forty eight
people that you know I serve with there. You know
what they're they're they're good people, they work hard. We
don't always agree, but you can ask them. I've never
(03:29):
broke my word to one person in that that body,
and I'm always willing to listen. That doesn't mean I
can't you teach me something I don't know.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
But do you believe do you believe the four more
years of Biden Harris policies are in danger to this country?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Oh? I can agree, I can I can agree on
a number of things that President Trump did in his
policies when he again, if you think about history, look
at this. We've got a clean, a clear distinction between
four years of President Trump and four years of of
of currently And I know she's the vice president, but
she's also the Biden Harris administration. So if you can
(04:05):
look at that and compare it over the last eight years,
I definitely think people, you know, the people that are
going to go vote and can definitely look at the
last eight years and look at the difference.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
But you became a Republican largely because of the reaction
to your holding to your principles as a pro life, long,
long time, lifelong pro life person. And Kamala Harris wants
to do away with the filibuster just for that issue.
By the way, she'd let me do that.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I totally disagree with Vice President Harris on that and
the idea of and what we're going to do here
in the state of Nebraska. The people are going to
vote now again, as I said when I ran, I
was pro life from conception of natural death and in between,
and I still am. And the idea of voting on
that issue now, as you know, there's a number of
issues that are on the ballot that we're going to
(04:53):
be deciding on November fifth here in Nebraska. And again
we got to have that discussion, that debate, that's part
of the process.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Jim Rose, when you were cast into the spotlight on
this issue three four or five days ago, were you
misquoted when you said I'm trying to get to yes
on winner take all? And if that is so, what
were you offered by either the current governor or Republicans
or potentially the Trump administration to get you to yes.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So I got to say everyone and as I mentioned,
she's thousands and thousands of emails, people were polite and professional. Well,
I got to say, both sides were polite and professional,
again passionate. If you look at both campaigns, the Vice
President Harris's campaign, you look at President Trump's campaign, people
(05:44):
nothing but professionals. So the idea of having the discussion
and if I ask you, and I've been saying this
since twenty sixteen, actually seventeen when I started serving and
talking to my colleagues, is that why are you yes?
Tell me teach me something I don't know. I'm going
to tell you why I'm no, But you tell me
how did you get to yes? And tell me why?
(06:05):
And then I always try to begin in a conversation
whatever the issue is. If I'm nowhere yes, I always
try to state it, and at the end of the
conversation I say, hey, I appreciate it, or now I'm
I'm still no, or or gosh, you really got me thinking,
I'll get back to you. So I always try to
tell that to people when when we're whatever the issue
is and bringing people in from around the country. I
(06:26):
appreciate that. I appreciate that they they brought people in
to talk and and and really try to understand. I'm
always willing to listen, but I've been consistently no against
winner take all. And again, going back to when I
was campaigning, it was more about the relevancy and the
economic impact for the city of Omah, and the idea
of come out and work for our vote, come to.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Omar, work for so nobody was able to convince you
to get to yes. Nobody gave you a compelling argument
to shift your position from no to yes. Is that
essentially what happened. Correct, We don't have a lot more time,
Senator McDonald, but are you running mayor?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I'm going to make that announcement in the next probably month.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Six weeks right here, right, and.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
You're happy to come on here? I told Gary. I
told Gary that at least very definitely by the next
day I'll be with I'll sit here with you, guys,
But I appreciate the invitation, and uh I will definitely consider.
Uh I will. I'll tell you guys right now, I
will be here within twenty four hours that announce it.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Need you to be here within twenty four minutes.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I really do appreciate the invitation.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Is this a lean? Are you leaning in one direction?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Oh, we're We're We're definitely leaning. You've made a decision, Well, we're.
There's there's a couple other things we have to do here.
And also I am serving till January eighth. Now we
have some things going on in Lincoln, but really my
service is dwindling down and and uh but I tell
you I've enjoyed it and it's been an honor to
serve Legislative District five Sultamal, Would you endorse Gilbert Isla
(07:59):
and you're district You've beaten him twice by seventy points
and sixty two points.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
He lost by less than one percent in the primary.
Would you come out and endorse him a Republican for
that seat?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Well, I know Gilbert's working extremely hard, but I'm not
making an endorsement in that race.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I have I have input here from people who want
to want to want me to ask you city related questions.
I'm going to save those, so don't be mad I
didn't ask this morning, folks. I'm going to save those
for if you announced, because it has to do with
with the mayor's job and all of that. Mike, thanks
for coming in. Appreciate it always. Have you ever seen
it gets contentious and it got contentious during your time
(08:36):
in the legislature. Have you seen this kind of hate before,
because some some real nasty stuff has come down on
you since your decision the other day about Winner Take All.
Have you seen this kind of Oh yeah, there's been
some people that during the debate and the legislature over
the abortion thing and all that. Yeah, I'm sure, yeah, yeah,
that's it's been that at that time frame and right.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
But again I want to say ninety percent of the
people you talk about democracy, ninety percent have been passionate,
but polite and professional first ten percent of it.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Yeah, of course, always, Thanks Mike McDonald.
We welcome Mike McDonald through the program Nebraska State Senator
District five, South Omaha. Although you're pretty much done now, Mike, welcome,
good to have you.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Here, Good morning, Thanks for the invitation.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
After you saiding on a winner take all, the governors
said there's no sense in a special session, So you're
pretty much done. Your stated reasons have largely been related
to this shouldn't be something we do forty some days
before the election. Is that basically what it came down
to for you.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, when I ran in twenty sixteen, we had this
discussion and throughout the last eight years, and I said,
you know, I believe the idea of the system we
have in place is good for the second Congressional District's
good for the city of Homewall, based on you know,
it makes us relevant, it helps the economy, and also
you have to come in and work for our vote.
But also through those years, I've said, if the people
(00:53):
ever wanted to change it, if they ever wanted to
midterm say okay, we're going to vote on this and
we're going to change, then I think that's that's fair.
Based on the idea that you're going to give everyone
a two year, notice that the rules in Nebraska have
been changed. Even though I think what they did and
I was not there in nineteen eighty one, what the
people worked on was a good idea, and I think
(01:17):
if you look at going back to the history of it,
may they changed theirs in nineteen sixty nine. I think
rest of the country should follow us because of the fairness,
because of the idea that coming in and working for
that vote. And if you look at the history of this,
in twenty sixteen, President Trump picked up that won that
extra electoral vote, and in twenty twenty President Biden did
(01:39):
so I believe people are listening, They're willing to listen,
but you got to come in and work for our vote.
So again, yesterday I was the first time I had
started talking to any of the people from the media,
and I said that, you know, I'm inviting President Trump
and Vice President Harris come to Omaha, have that debate,
work for our vote. And I believe that's but the
(01:59):
fair of it. And I've compared it, you know, and
again I know how serious this is, and you know,
I want to thank all the people around the country
that have reached out to me, around the state, around Omaha.
You know both sides of the issue, and they've been
passionate about it, but ninety percent have been professional and polite.
And the idea of changing this I compared to a
football game. The coach calls, the time out, goes over
the references. I want to change the value of a
(02:22):
field goal from three points to four points with two
minutes left in the game.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That's just not fair. I largely agree with you, Mike,
accept that. To me, this as a conservative, this election
is transformational for our country. And that goes to my
next question to you, as you switched from Democrat to Republican,
do you I know you're titular Republican, but do you
think of yourself as a conservative?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Oh? Yes, on a number of issues. But also I
think of myself as first of all, I'm representing, you know,
the people and the idea of I have conservatives, I
have liberals. I have people that are more moderate that
want to come and talk to me, and I'm gonna
listen to every one of them. But if you look
at most likely, uh, some of the issues and the
(03:07):
votes that I've taken, my people try to say that, Yeah,
over the years, uh, I've you know, changed on an
issue I have and I've been consistent since I ran
in twenty sixteen. There's one thing that you can that
you can ask my colleagues and the other forty eight
people that you know I serve with there. You know
what they're they're they're good people, they work hard. We
don't always agree, but you can ask them. I've never
(03:29):
broke my word to one person in that that body,
and I'm always willing to listen. That doesn't mean I
can't you teach me something I don't know.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
But do you believe do you believe the four more
years of Biden Harris policies are in danger to this country?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Oh? I can agree, I can I can agree on
a number of things that President Trump did in his
policies when he again, if you think about history, look
at this. We've got a clean, a clear distinction between
four years of President Trump and four years of of
of currently And I know she's the vice president, but
she's also the Biden Harris administration. So if you can
(04:05):
look at that and compare it over the last eight years,
I definitely think people, you know, the people that are
going to go vote and can definitely look at the
last eight years and look at the difference.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
But you became a Republican largely because of the reaction
to your holding to your principles as a pro life, long,
long time, lifelong pro life person. And Kamala Harris wants
to do away with the filibuster just for that issue.
By the way, she'd let me do that.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I totally disagree with Vice President Harris on that and
the idea of and what we're going to do here
in the state of Nebraska. The people are going to
vote now again, as I said when I ran, I
was pro life from conception of natural death and in between,
and I still am. And the idea of voting on
that issue now, as you know, there's a number of
issues that are on the ballot that we're going to
(04:53):
be deciding on November fifth here in Nebraska. And again
we got to have that discussion, that debate, that's part
of the process.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Jim Rose, when you were cast into the spotlight on
this issue three four or five days ago, were you
misquoted when you said I'm trying to get to yes
on winner take all? And if that is so, what
were you offered by either the current governor or Republicans
or potentially the Trump administration to get you to yes.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So I got to say everyone and as I mentioned,
she's thousands and thousands of emails, people were polite and professional. Well,
I got to say, both sides were polite and professional,
again passionate. If you look at both campaigns, the Vice
President Harris's campaign, you look at President Trump's campaign, people
(05:44):
nothing but professionals. So the idea of having the discussion
and if I ask you, and I've been saying this
since twenty sixteen, actually seventeen when I started serving and
talking to my colleagues, is that why are you yes?
Tell me teach me something I don't know. I'm going
to tell you why I'm no, But you tell me
how did you get to yes? And tell me why?
(06:05):
And then I always try to begin in a conversation
whatever the issue is. If I'm nowhere yes, I always
try to state it, and at the end of the
conversation I say, hey, I appreciate it, or now I'm
I'm still no, or or gosh, you really got me thinking,
I'll get back to you. So I always try to
tell that to people when when we're whatever the issue
is and bringing people in from around the country. I
(06:26):
appreciate that. I appreciate that they they brought people in
to talk and and and really try to understand. I'm
always willing to listen, but I've been consistently no against
winner take all. And again, going back to when I
was campaigning, it was more about the relevancy and the
economic impact for the city of Omah, and the idea
of come out and work for our vote, come to.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Omar, work for so nobody was able to convince you
to get to yes. Nobody gave you a compelling argument
to shift your position from no to yes. Is that
essentially what happened. Correct, We don't have a lot more time,
Senator McDonald, but are you running mayor?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I'm going to make that announcement in the next probably month.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Six weeks right here, right, and.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
You're happy to come on here? I told Gary. I
told Gary that at least very definitely by the next
day I'll be with I'll sit here with you, guys,
But I appreciate the invitation, and uh I will definitely consider.
Uh I will. I'll tell you guys right now, I
will be here within twenty four hours that announce it.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Need you to be here within twenty four minutes.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I really do appreciate the invitation.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Is this a lean? Are you leaning in one direction?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Oh, we're We're We're definitely leaning. You've made a decision, Well, we're.
There's there's a couple other things we have to do here.
And also I am serving till January eighth. Now we
have some things going on in Lincoln, but really my
service is dwindling down and and uh but I tell
you I've enjoyed it and it's been an honor to
serve Legislative District five Sultamal, Would you endorse Gilbert Isla
(07:59):
and you're district You've beaten him twice by seventy points
and sixty two points.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
He lost by less than one percent in the primary.
Would you come out and endorse him a Republican for
that seat?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Well, I know Gilbert's working extremely hard, but I'm not
making an endorsement in that race.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I have I have input here from people who want
to want to want me to ask you city related questions.
I'm going to save those, so don't be mad I
didn't ask this morning, folks. I'm going to save those
for if you announced, because it has to do with
with the mayor's job and all of that. Mike, thanks
for coming in. Appreciate it always. Have you ever seen
it gets contentious and it got contentious during your time
(08:36):
in the legislature. Have you seen this kind of hate before,
because some some real nasty stuff has come down on
you since your decision the other day about Winner Take All.
Have you seen this kind of Oh yeah, there's been
some people that during the debate and the legislature over
the abortion thing and all that. Yeah, I'm sure, yeah, yeah,
that's it's been that at that time frame and right.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
But again I want to say ninety percent of the
people you talk about democracy, ninety percent have been passionate,
but polite and professional first ten percent of it.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Yeah, of course, always, Thanks Mike McDonald.
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