Meuret Still Pondering Next Opportunity

[Updated July 19, 7:30 a.m.]

The Reader has yet to catch up with former KETV (Cox Channel 9) reporter Trisha Meuret about her departure from Pete Ricketts' Senate campaign. However, she did offer some insight into the situation during an appearance on KEZO (92.3 FM) last week.

Here is a transcript of her conversation with morning co-hosts, Todd Brandt and Mike Tyler, courtesy of Nebraskademocrats.org.

T&T = Todd & Tyler
TM = Trisha Meuret

T&T: The main issue is they're attacking Nelson and there's really nothing to attack.

TM: I don't know about that, either.

T&T: We're gonna get it out of you one way or another. Personality conflicts? No, that's not it. Were there personality conflicts?

TM: No, not with Pete. Pete's a...you guys have met him. He's a really nice...

T&T: So not with Pete, but were there personality conflicts?

TM: You know, I think that's a...don't you guys have personality conflicts in your workplace?

T&T: Pretty much. We hate each other.

TM: Not between the two of you, but...

T&T: We get over it because the only way we can make money is to hang out with each other.

T&T: How about, the way he's running his campaign, you don't like any of the attack ads?

T&T: Oh, the fake TV ads.

TM: You know, I think, I don't like attack ads in general no matter who's doing them, Pete or Nelson or anybody. That's just not really my style.

T&T: Hey Channel 3, Action 3 has an opening. You got any tapes laying around?

T&T: They know what she does. You're not concerned about getting back on TV. You told us off the air you're not really sure what you want to do, but uh...

TM: Unemployment's pretty nice, I gotta tell you, the month of July is not a bad month to not have a job.

T&T: I've been fired any number of times, and I always enjoyed being fired in the summer.

T&T: The thing about Trisha is she has these things called options. You and I can do this, and you're young, you're intelligent, you can do anything you want to do. And you've got lawyer boy to fall back on. But he probably wants you to start getting a job. Right now he's layin' around bitching about his toothbrush not being, you know...

T&T: So when you walked out, was it "See you later, Pete, good luck!" or was it, "Get the hell out; don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out?"

TM: No, no, no. It was totally amicable. I've been back, uh, since I left, I go back and help out, you know. I knew a lot of technical things that I need to train other people on. I've been back a few times. It's totally amicable.

T&T: Trish, I guess you're not...we're not stupid, there's more to this than you're telling us.

TM: Absolutely.

T&T: Okay, if I promise...why won't you talk about it on the air? First of all, promise you I wouldn't talk about it.

T&T: You say, "hey, it's personal information," but you got really personal with us over the years.

TM: Yeah, and so when we're talking in a personal setting, I'm sure I will tell you guys more of it, but, no, it really is personal reasons. I just decided that it wasn't a good fit for me anymore.

T&T: Well, I could tell, the last time you were here, been here off the air, and I could tell the last time you were here, I don't think you were happy with the way things were going.

TM: Yeah.

T&T: Especially when he challenged his own property taxes. That was a big screwup, since he's a zillionaire, and six thousand dollars.

T&T: And by the way, one of his advisors, I think his communications director, advised against that. That'd be Trish.

TM: I certainly don't take the fall for that. But I, you know, he absolutely believes that taxes are too high, and he's going to stand by that.

T&T: Who ya votin' for?

TM: I don't know. It's a long time away.

T&T: Who ya votin' for?

TM: I really like Pete, and, at this point, it's gotta be Pete. He's a nice person; I think he'll do a good job.

T&T: He can't do any job; he's gonna lose. He's gonna get his ass kicked.

TM: Well, he's not going to lose by losing my vote.

T&T: Well, your vote won't count. Don't worry about one vote. He needs more than that, because Todd and I have two votes for Nelson, so right there we cancel you out, and beat you. So you're vote means nothing, so why even vote for him? Craig's voting for Nelson too, so we got four votes to one, your vote means dick.

TM: So maybe we should just all agree to stay home then.

T&T: No, no, no, I'm voting. We just countered you three-to-one. And I'm guessing your husband, who's a registered Democrat...

T&T: No, no, he switched parties just to vote in the election, but he was a registered Democrat, is gonna vote for Ben, right?

TM: No, absolutely, I think he's going to vote for Pete. He really likes Pete.

T&T: I thought you had a falling out, how are you going to vote for the guy?

TM: We didn't have a falling out. Pete and I are fine.

T&T: Why'd you leave the campaign?

TM: Personal reasons.

T&T: We're off the air, we're off the air, we're in a commercial. Why'd you leave?

TM: I know better than that.

T&T: Has anybody from the Tom Osborne write-in campaign contacted you?

TM: I actually know that attorney who filed the brief. I have not talked with him yet. He's a friend of Joe's.

T&T: You're joining the Tom Osborne write-in campaign.

T&T: No, I'm completely serious about, I know that you're worried about TV hours and stuff when you were talking off the air with us, but I'm not messing with you, Michelle asked me off the air yesterday, they have an opening over there, so I don't know if you...

TM: Well, thank you. I'm considering all of my options, and I certainly appreciate any options that come my way.

T&T: We'll go to bat for you...pick your own hours...if you want to do a report at 9 in the morning, we'll find one for you. And no Pet Psychic crap or anything like that.

TM: Oh, that sounds good.

T&T: I actually think they have a fine reporter stable over there at Channel 3, and they have an opening. I think it's the best in town. And if Trisha joined, it would be even better. It'd be over the top.

TM: Well, thank you.

T&T: She won't tell us anything.

TM: I do too, and I'm serious, it's personal reasons.

T&T: But personal reasons always sounds like "I'm pregnant or something."

TM: And that was my fear. I thought everybody would think, "oh my Gosh, she's pregnant," which I'm not.

T&T: Personal reasons with your job with him. Then I'll buy it.

T&T: When you say personal reasons, then it's like, "well, my aunt died, I had to quit.

TM: Right.

T&T: It was more personal reasons with the campaign, correct?

TM: Well it's totally, it's just not a good fit for me, personally. Like, haven't you ever had a job where you're just like, "yeah, it just doesn't work out for me?"

T&T: Sure. We have personality conflicts around this building all the time, but they're not enough to make us quit.

TM: And it's not a personality...I told you, Pete and I are absolutely fine.

T&T: Alright, alright.

TM: And I haven't been dodging you, by the way.

T&T: Well, I didn't like, I didn't like that the World-Herald wrote the story.

TM: I didn't like that they wrote it either, I thought...

T&T: You told Jeremy on Friday, "Don't let the guys say anything," and we obliged...

TM: I appreciate that.

T&T: But that's done. Because anytime you get another job, we're announcing it on the radio.

TM: Ok, that sounds good.

T&T: And we expect you to call us, and announce it right here on the radio.

TM: I will call you.

T&T: Hey, we're busy the rest of this week, but next week, swing in some day, call Jeremy, and just sit here with us and BS a little bit with us, alright?

TM: Sounds good.

T&T: We do need her next week sometime?

Jeremy: On the 31st, I do believe we need her.

TM: Okay.

T&T: I don't wanna wait that long.

T&T: Put her on hold?

T&T: Yeah, and make the arrangements, but I want her on before that, too.

TM: Alright.

T&T: Ok, Trish, we're on hold and commercials now, what really happened?

TM: That is what really happened, I swear.

T&T: Eh, you're lying.

TM: It just wasn't a good fit.

T&T: All right, thank you Trish, we love you.