Submitted by Fox First at Ten on September 14th
By MARGERY A. BECK and THOMAS BEAUMONTAssociated Press
VALENTINE, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska has far more cattle than people, so maybe it's not surprising that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Deb Fischer stresses her rural background.
Her campaign ads showing her leaning up against fence posts while she's described as a rancher who is "sharp as barb wire, tougher than a cedar fence post."
But those who support Democrat Bob Kerrey, a former governor and senator, have noted a downside to the ranching life, noting that Fischer pays less than $5,000 a year to graze 1,000 cattle on about 11,000 acres of federal land. That's far less than the more than $110,000 the Fischers would have to pay a private landowner for those grazing privileges.
Fischer dismisses the criticism, saying she pays the fees set by the government.
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