Saturday, at the Nebraska Young Democrats’ Forever Young Dinner, we presented an award to Jon Bruning, the “Fallen Star” Award. Lamenting the loss of a bright, young liberal voice to the winds of political ambition. Jordan McGrain, the Bruning campaign manager, responded to our press release in the North Platte Telegraph on Saturday. I’m sure had he seen the presentation, particularly the golden flip-flop, he might even have tried to be more condescending than he was in this article:

“That’s exactly what this is,” he said. “Let’s not try to find a way to get Democratic voters out to register, let’s try to figure out how to do something for ourselves. This is just something to get them a little attention.”

McGrain said the Young Democrats are not allowing anyone the personal and professional growth that years of life and experience in public office can offer.

“Life experience and common sense are the obvious factors that contributed to the evolution of Jon Bruning’s political views from college student to attorney general,” McGrain said. “I’m confident that once these Young Democrats actually get out into the world, they’ll have a similar awakening. Until then, they can bide their time without a credible Democratic candidate for senate by awarding imaginary honors to the leaders on the Republican side.”

The Forever Young Dinner is, of course, a fundraising dinner put on by the Nebraska Young Democrats each year. The money raised from this event goes toward the activities of NYD. Things like, yes, registering Democratic voters. Someone like McGrain surely understands the value of a good fundraiser…

But it’s that last part, the part that - once again - presumes that young liberals are sheltered individuals who have no sense of how the real world works, that reveals just how patronizing these folks can be. So, let me tell you how it is in the real world:

In the real world, 3,849 American soldiers and countless numbers of Iraqi civilians have lost their lives. In the real world, those soldiers were sent to war against a country with no weapons of mass destruction, no ties to al-Qaeda or 9/11, and no immediate threat to the United States of America. These are indisputable facts at this point, confirmed by several independent commissions including the 9/11 Commission, the Iraq Study Group, and the Iraq Survey Group sent to find the alleged WMDs. But the Republican Party, including Jon Bruning, continues to link Iraq with 9/11, and ignore the calls of the vast majority of Americans to bring our troops home.

In the real world,  47 million Americans live without health insurance. 36 million live in poverty. Democrats like us are committed to the cause of universal health care, and helping those in poverty. But the Republican Party, including Jon Bruning, refuses to acknowledge these real problems, focusing on strawmen arguments about “socialized medicine.”

In the real world, it is becoming more and more difficult each day for a young person to afford an education. The cost of student loans keeps getting higher as corrupt lenders like Nelnet rob our government of hundreds of millions of dollars, and continue to rake students over the coals. But Republicans like Jon Bruning would rather declare that they are “a friend of Nelnet,” than risk losing the campaign contributions that come from being such a willing corporate shill.

That Jon Bruning used to be an uncompromising liberal makes his current positions even more disturbing. This is someone who has no principle - no guiding focus other than his own political advancement. The writings of young Jon Bruning were well-thought out, reasoned, and focused. They were not rantings, and there is no “evolution” that turns a deep blue donkey into a crimson red elephant in the course of four years. Jon Bruning wanted to become “something,” Governor, Senator, I’m willing to guess that with his ego he someday envisions himself as President. And to do that, he was willing to sacrifice everything he claimed to believe in.

I could close by telling Bruning and McGrain to get a sense of humor, but there’s nothing funny about the contempt they have for the young people of this state.