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Nebraska Group: Johanns Staff Called Police During Forum
By MARGERY A. GIBBS
Associated Press Writer
OMAHA, Neb. — What was to have been a serious discussion Friday turned into a case of finger-pointing and accusations between a health care reform advocacy group and the staff of Republican Sen. Mike Johanns.
Officials with Change That Works Nebraska accused members of Johanns’ staff of calling security guards to intimidate people set up outside a meeting to discuss health care — a charge Johanns’ office denies.
The group’s director, Jane Kleeb, was invited by Johanns to participate in the round-table discussion on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus. Kleeb, in turn, gathered a group of teachers, veterans and others to greet the Republican senator as he arrived for the meeting.
Kleeb said she had cleared the gathering with both Johanns’ staff and UNMC officials.
Group spokeswoman Meg Mandy said the group held a banner calling for health care reform, but was quiet. She denied the group was protesting Johanns or his stance on health care.
Still, Mandy said, about 10 campus security guards approached the group and told them to leave. After a bit of haggling the group was told to move about 20 feet from a building door to a sidewalk, she said.
Shortly after the brief confrontation, Kleeb and Mandy issued a news release accusing Johanns’ staffers of “calling the cops.”
“Instead of greeting the teachers from NSEA, veterans, and (union) workers, Senator Johanns’ staff called the police, ordering the Nebraskans to leave the Medical Center grounds,” the release read.
Both Johanns’ communications director and a UNMC spokesman denied any members of Johanns’ staff called security.
“With all due respect to Jane Kleeb, this is a complete fabrication and she should save the fireworks for tomorrow,” said Johanns spokeswoman Ann Marie Hauser. “Sen. Johanns has been a public servant for 25 years and he has no problem with people protesting.”
Mandy later called the allegation that Johanns staffers had called campus security “an assumption on my part.”
“But I believe that it was because Johanns’ staffers came out and kind of looked at us when we were setting up and gave us a dirty look, and about five minutes later, the security guards showed up,” she said.
Officials with Change That Works Nebraska accused members of Johanns’ staff of calling security guards to intimidate people set up outside a meeting to discuss health care — a charge Johanns’ office denies.
The group’s director, Jane Kleeb, was invited by Johanns to participate in the round-table discussion on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus. Kleeb, in turn, gathered a group of teachers, veterans and others to greet the Republican senator as he arrived for the meeting.
Kleeb said she had cleared the gathering with both Johanns’ staff and UNMC officials.
Group spokeswoman Meg Mandy said the group held a banner calling for health care reform, but was quiet. She denied the group was protesting Johanns or his stance on health care.
Still, Mandy said, about 10 campus security guards approached the group and told them to leave. After a bit of haggling the group was told to move about 20 feet from a building door to a sidewalk, she said.
Shortly after the brief confrontation, Kleeb and Mandy issued a news release accusing Johanns’ staffers of “calling the cops.”
“Instead of greeting the teachers from NSEA, veterans, and (union) workers, Senator Johanns’ staff called the police, ordering the Nebraskans to leave the Medical Center grounds,” the release read.
Both Johanns’ communications director and a UNMC spokesman denied any members of Johanns’ staff called security.
“With all due respect to Jane Kleeb, this is a complete fabrication and she should save the fireworks for tomorrow,” said Johanns spokeswoman Ann Marie Hauser. “Sen. Johanns has been a public servant for 25 years and he has no problem with people protesting.”
Mandy later called the allegation that Johanns staffers had called campus security “an assumption on my part.”
“But I believe that it was because Johanns’ staffers came out and kind of looked at us when we were setting up and gave us a dirty look, and about five minutes later, the security guards showed up,” she said.
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