Lincoln Mayor Wants Someone to Pick Up Tab for the Cheney Visit

By: Associated Press

Updated: Fri 10:26 AM, Sep 14, 2007

Lincoln Mayor Coleen Seng's office wants someone to pick up the tab from Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Lincoln last week.

The Mayor's office estimates the cost of the visit to the city at $31,900.

Seng's Chief of Staff, Mark Bowen, says the office plans to bill someone for reimbursement as soon as it knows where to send the bill.

Republican City Councilman Jon Camp called the request "tacky" saying asking for a reimbursement ignores the economic and symbolic compensations of such a visit.

The Nebraska Democratic Party suggested the political beneficiary, Jeff Fortenberry, pay the bill.

Cheney's visit on June 18 helped raise about $150,000 for Fortenberry's campaign for the First District Congressional slot.

Nebraska Republican Party Chairman Chris Peterson called the situation "partisan politics at its worst." Seng and a majority of the city council are Democrats.

Asked if the request was politically motivated, Bowen replied simply, "no."

Fortenberry's campaign manager, Jessica Moenning, said the campaign has no plans to negotiate a payment schedule. The Fortenberry camp has promised to pay the estimated $15,000 cost of the Vice President's trip to Lincoln on Air Force Two. She added that Cheney's trip also served as a homecoming for the Lincoln native.

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