Company cries foul over ad by Ricketts (R-Ne)

[Omaha Steve]

FULL story reg req: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2267434

Published Wednesday
October 25, 2006

Company cries foul over ad by Ricketts

BY ROBYNN TYSVER


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

In his latest television commercial, Republican Pete Ricketts strongly implies that Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., helped secure federal contracts for a Columbus company in exchange for campaign donations and other perks.

However, the company in question, Behlen Manufacturing Co., has won only one federal contract since Nelson took office.

Behlen started work on that contract in January 2001, the same month Nelson took office. The company signed the contract six months after Nelson took office. Since then, the company has lost two federal contracts.

"The lack of substance in what this guy (Ricketts) is throwing out there, it's really sad. I'm astonished," said Tony Raimondo, Behlen chairman and CEO.

[MadMaddie]

1. Hunh....that's interesting these guys are friggen idiots..

this Repug congress and administration has doled out sweet deals to select vendors and they go after a small company and make this claim....this is the kind of stuff that is blowing up in their face...I hope the company legally goes after him..