Pence blasts Clinton, boosts Trump in Omaha
By Fred Knapp , Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media
Oct. 27, 2016, 4:10 a.m. ·
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Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence campaigned in Omaha Thursday, appealing to Nebraskans to support the ticket he shares with Donald Trump.
Mike Pence spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of several hundred people at the Midstates Construction Products distribution warehouse in Omaha. And the governor of Indiana wasted no time dismissing what he said was Democrat Hillary Clinton’s attempt to create an air of inevitable victory, using a Hoosier analogy. “Don’t be fooled for a second. This race is on. It’s wheel to wheel all across the United States. And were going sprint to the finish, across the finish line and take the checkered flag,” Pence declared.
Pence was preceded by Republican congressional candidate Don Bacon, who is in a tight race with Democratic Rep. Brad Ashford, in the Omaha-area congressional district whose one electoral vote is also closely contested. And Pence was introduced by Gov. Pete Ricketts, who said Donald Trump would shake up Washington.
In his roughly 45-minute speech, Pence focused on criticizing Clinton, who he predicted would continue controversial Obama Administration policies at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, among others.
“The avalanche of acronyms coming out of Washington is killing jobs here in Nebraska. You all know what I’m talking about, especially the farmers. You’ve got the EPA, you’ve got the DOE, you’ve got the A-B-C-D-E-F-G,” Pence said. “Day One of the Trump-Pence administration, President Donald Trump’s going to sign an executive order, and we’re going to repeal every single Obama executive order that’s stifling jobs in this economy.”
Pence also emphasized the importance of the election for selecting nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court. “For the sake of all the God-given liberties enshrined in our Bill of Rights Nebraska we must decide here and now to gather our friends and neighbors together and make sure that the next president to make appointments to the Supreme Court is President Donald Trump,” he said.
In a press conference before Pence appeared, supporters of Clinton and her running mate Sen. Tim Kaine said Trump was unfit to be president. State Sen. Tanya Cook of Omaha said “every decision he makes and every time he opens his mouth the only thing he considers is himself. We cannot afford to have this type of leadership in the White House.”