Maxwell Challenging Bacon? Not So Fast, My Friend

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Check with Chip, broughtto you by retire Smart. I'm Chip
Maxwell. I don't know how Imissed it because kafaby is my default setting
in the morning, But apparently Imissed a conversation about me running against Don
Bacon. I sat in my barber'scharity fifteen Friday morning, and he asked
if kfaby was onto something. WasI running for Congress again? I don't

(00:24):
know where that came from. Well, apparently it came from someone I affectionately
call unofficial program observer Bill. Thelate Great Rush Limbaugh had his official program
observer, bo Snerdly. Bill hasbeen my unofficial program observer as I've done
local talk radio over the last coupledecades. He continually beerates me for being

(00:45):
too Jesuit. He's referring to myalma mater, Creighton Prep, and my
education by the priests and brothers ofthe Society of Jesus known as the Jesuits.
When Bill says too Jesuit, hemeans too soft, too nice,
too accommodating to adversaries, unwilling torip out the opponent's heart and jam it

(01:06):
down his throat. It was anemail from Bill apparently that started all this
speculation, but he said Maxwell's gotto quit being too jesuit if he expects
to win. As for Don Baconand the congressional seat, I don't live
in the second district anymore. Ilive in Bellevue, in the first congressional

(01:26):
district, the one represented by MikeFlood. You don't have to live in
a congressional district to represent that districtin DC. And Ernie Chambers represented a
north Omaha district in the state legislaturewhile living in Bellevue, so there may
be a precedent for such things inNebraska. But for several years now I

(01:47):
have been safely quarantined in Bellevue inthe first district. Every election cycle,
people contact me about running against DonBacon. Don and I became friends during
the twenty sixth teen primary and remainso. I congratulated him when he won
that primary and urged everyone to votefor him in the general. I am

(02:07):
seed one of his town hall meetingsa few years ago and have had him
as a guest on the radio dozensof times. I like him. He
served in the military. That's aplus with me. He's a good husband
and father, a fellow adoptive father. He is not as conservative as I
am. First thing I would havedone had I won in twenty sixteen was

(02:29):
sign up with the Freedom Caucus.I would love to see Jim Jordan as
speaker. I have disagreed with someof Don's votes, but he has run
and governed as a moderate, centerright Republican. He has won awards on
Capitol Hill for bipartisan cooperation. That'swho he is. And there's an argument

(02:50):
that you have to be at leastsomewhat purple rather than true red to win
a swing district like the Nebraska second. I still think robust Reagan conservative can
attract enough independence and old school Democratsto win the second district, but that's
easy to say from the sidelines.If Dan Fry re enters the arena,

(03:13):
then things could get interesting. Speakingof Dan Fry, is this Don Bacon's
Lee Terry moment? A self inflictedwound that creates an opportunity for a primary
opponent. During a federal government shutdown In twenty thirteen, Lee Terry was
asked whether he would forego his paycheck. He said, no way. I
have a nice house and two kidsin college. I know Lee well enough

(03:38):
to know that he meant that hehad bills to pay, just like everybody
else. But that's not how itplayed in the public arena. It played
as out of touch elitist makes surehe's taken care of Don Bacon. Refusing
to vote for Jim Jordan as speakeris more of an inside baseball a partisan

(04:00):
political thing. Lee Terry's comment wasbigger and broader, hitting a lot of
people where they live. The conservativebase of Republican voters is very upset with
Bacon, but I don't think thebacklash is as far reaching as the reaction
to Lee Terry's comment. Even ifI'm wrong and the backlash against Bacon is
broader than I perceive it to be, Anyone who takes on Bacon must have

(04:25):
the resources to take on the Rickettsmachine. I presume Pete Ricketts supports Bacon
until I hear differently. Those aremy thoughts. Now it's time to see
how my wife is doing as sherecovers from the combinations stroke and heart attack
she suffered when told Kfab said herhusband was running for Congress. Again,

(04:46):
that's check with Chip. I'm JimMaxwell. Thank you for listening.