Democrats Bank on ‘Independent’ Dan Osborn in Senate Race

Dan Osborn, who is challenging Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, claims to represent a break from the two-party system. Yet when pressed on whether he aligns philosophically with the Democratic Party on major policy questions, Osborn openly admitted the characterisation fits, as Zachary Faria argues in Washington Examiner.

His policy positions leave little doubt about where his loyalties lie. Osborn has called for codifying Roe v. Wade, which would mandate essentially unrestricted abortion access across all fifty states. He has also aligned himself with open borders activists in Minneapolis who were actively harassing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attempting to carry out their duties.

While Osborn occasionally positions himself to the right on border security and gun rights, the evidence suggests these stances are little more than electoral camouflage. When critical votes arrive, all signs point to him siding with Democratic leadership.

The proof extends well beyond policy pronouncements. Osborn is a former labor union leader who continues to enjoy backing from left-wing union bosses. He has repeatedly praised Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist who caucuses with Democrats. His campaign raises money through ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s primary fundraising apparatus, and he has accepted contributions from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s political action committee.

Democratic Primary Manipulation

Perhaps most revealing is how Nebraska’s Democratic primary unfolded. Cindy Burbank promised that if she won the Democratic nomination, she would withdraw from the general election to consolidate support behind Osborn. Democratic primary voters duly nominated her, Burbank kept her word and stepped aside, and the Nebraska Democratic Party then formally endorsed Osborn.

Criminal complaints have also emerged accusing other Nebraska Senate candidates of running sham campaigns designed to aid Osborn’s electoral prospects.

Cynical Deception in Red State

The entire operation appears designed to circumvent a fundamental problem for Democrats: their brand is toxic in Republican-leaning Nebraska. The solution, evidently, is to field a candidate who embraces Democratic positions, accepts Democratic money, and benefits from Democratic party machinations, all while claiming the “independent” label.

Osborn can insist on his independence as much as he likes, but his fundraising channels, policy positions, union backing, praise for Sanders, and the orchestrated Democratic primary withdrawal all tell a different story. Should he reach the Senate, voters can expect him to demonstrate exactly the same kind of “independence” that Bernie Sanders has shown throughout his career: virtually none when it matters.

Nebraska voters deserve honesty about who they are electing. What they are getting instead appears to be a carefully packaged Democrat masquerading as something else entirely.

With information from Washington Examiner