Ads cite Ricketts' bonuses amid layoffs (Senate race Ne)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2238443

Published Friday
September 8, 2006

Ads cite Ricketts' bonuses amid layoffs

BY ROBYNN TYSVER


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The Senate race in Nebraska got even hotter Thursday as Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson took aim at Republican Pete Ricketts' executive bonuses at Ameritrade.

Nelson unleashed television advertisements that took issue with Ricketts receiving bonuses of $200,000 and $564,000 in the same years that Ameritrade laid off hundreds of employees.

"Maybe those are Wall Street values, but they're not Nebraska values," the ad says.

Jessica Moenning, Ricketts' campaign manager, called the ad a "personal attack."

She also defended the layoffs, made in 2001 and 2003, saying that they were required after the dot-com market bust to keep Ameritrade afloat and that they were "not related" to the bonuses.

"The company had to make difficult decisions or they would have gone out of business. Ameritrade's difficult decisions saved 1,500 Nebraska jobs," Moenning said.

Marcia Cady, a spokeswoman for Nelson, said the ads were justified.

"Pete Ricketts has made his business experience an issue in this campaign. He's running on his experience at Ameritrade, and this is a part of his record," Cady said.

FULL story reg req at link above.

[gratuitous]

1. Ooooh, a "personal" attack

Like the money that went into Ricketts' "personal" pocket?

And please notice, beltway Democrats, the response from Nelson's campaign to Ricketts' whining: Basically, shove it.

[acmavm]

2. It's really hard to say this but Pete Ricketts almost makes me

like Ben Nelson.

[Rainbowreflect]

3. I know what you mean.