Former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, as expected, announced his plans to enter the 2008 Senate race this morning.

But quite unexpected was Daub’s refusal to shut the door on a Senate bid should Hagel decide to seek reelection. In our clearest indication yet that the Nebraska Republican Party may be ready to move on from Chuck Hagel, Daub said he won’t base his decision of whether to run or not on Hagel’s presence in the race. Bruning said the same thing in April, except with more of an eye toward forcing Hagel out of the race.

Daub claims he will embark on a “listening tour” across the state, and base his decision to run on what he hears from the Nebraska voters. But Daub has already heard from the voters of Nebraska on more than one occasion, losing two statewide elections - one primary and one general - and losing reelection as mayor of Omaha. As Ryan Anderson points out, Hal Daub seems to be running against Hal Daub.

Daub’s six years as mayor of Omaha were steeped in controversy. Never one to work well with others, Hal Daub drew heated and contentious fights with the Omaha City Council. Omahans grew tired of this, and threw his ass out in 2001. In Mike Fahey, the man who defeated him in that election, it became very clear that Omaha had found the right man for the job. Consider this from Fahey’s campaign announcement in December, 2000:

In remarks prepared for delivery at his campaign headquarters near 132nd and L Streets, Fahey never mentioned Daub’s name. But the frequent conflict between Daub and members of the City Council provided the backdrop for Fahey’s speech.

“I understand that it takes an evenhanded personality to forge mutually respectful relationships with a sometimes divided and divisive electorate,” Fahey said.

“People want decisive leadership, not divisive leadership. People prefer consensus, not confrontation.”
Omaha World-Herald December 20, 2000

In the last six years, Fahey has proven to be the decisive leader that he promised he would be in 2001. The people of Omaha responded in kind, overwhelmingly reelecting Fahey to a second term in 2005.

Now, both Daub and Fahey are considering taking a run at the U.S. Senate. And based on their records alone, it should be clear who the superior choice is. As Ryan wrote last week:

The Fahey administration has committed itself to fiscally responsible growth, and in this area they have been remarkably successful. Buildings have been raised, standards of living have been raised, but taxes haven’t. Their bold advocacy of a city-county merger is a model of effective government that could cut red tape and save the state money. Apparently, all this hasn’t gone unnoticed (or unappreciated) out west.

Now 52 weeks away from what promises to be a heated Republican fight for the nomination - it’s clear that Nebraska, like Omaha in 2001, is in need of decisive leadership, just the kind that Mike Fahey has provided for the city of Omaha over the past six years. And the kind that will earn the respect of Nebraskans of both parties, from all corners of the state.