Omnibus 'congresscritters retiring next year' announcements

[Former Moderate]

I think Scott Kleeb could make this interesting... in 2006, he lost by 10 points in the most conservative district in Nebraska (which I think is R+24 or something like that)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Kleeb

Kleeb is a handsome nobody who has a lot of political experience when it comes to losing elections.

[Invisible Obama]

Same way Republicans won't be winning Hawaii next year, this really is not a seat for Democrats to win next year. Situations like this happen on both sides, it's just how it goes.

[Gravis Marketing]

I don't think people have a problem with Nelson's conservatism per se (you don't see them grumbling about Pryor or Landrieu) but rather his eagerness to screw his party at every chance he got. And his retirement is another one of them.
If he really cared about the Democrats retaining the Senate then the least he could do would be to dissuade them from spending 1 million dollars in ads propping him up while he was considering retirement.

I didn't particularly dislike Nelson and he would be preferable to any successor. Of course a Dem senator from Nebraska has a different role to play and he gets a lot of leeway. What was galling was his many unforced errors. He seemed to pick the wrong battles with the national Dems when the right strategy would have been just to keep his mouth shut on them or to pick other battles where he could prove his independence in line with what his conservative voters wanted and not be so blatant about supporting a few donors.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

I don't think people have a problem with Nelson's conservatism per se (you don't see them grumbling about Pryor or Landrieu) but rather his eagerness to screw his party at every chance he got. And his retirement is another one of them.

Nonsense. Nelson can run again and lose, but DSCC would have to waste money on this race that can be used by other Democrats that actually need it. Whatever his motives are, Nelson did actually a good thing for the party by retiring.

Evan Bayh was the one fitting this description.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I don't think people have a problem with Nelson's conservatism per se (you don't see them grumbling about Pryor or Landrieu) but rather his eagerness to screw his party at every chance he got. And his retirement is another one of them.

Nonsense. Nelson can run again and lose, but DSCC would have to waste money on this race that can be used by other Democrats that actually need it. Whatever his motives are, Nelson did actually a good thing for the party by retiring.

Evan Bayh was the one fitting this description.

The DSCC didn't spend a million dollars on Bayh.
But I won't disagree with you that Bayh was a bigger jerk than Nelson.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

I don't think people have a problem with Nelson's conservatism per se (you don't see them grumbling about Pryor or Landrieu) but rather his eagerness to screw his party at every chance he got. And his retirement is another one of them.

Nonsense. Nelson can run again and lose, but DSCC would have to waste money on this race that can be used by other Democrats that actually need it. Whatever his motives are, Nelson did actually a good thing for the party by retiring.

Evan Bayh was the one fitting this description.

The DSCC didn't spend a million dollars on Bayh.

Bayh didn't need millions to keep his seat. Nelson would need a lot of money to even try and, still, that would be a longshot.

[Communists For McCain]

I think Scott Kleeb could make this interesting... in 2006, he lost by 10 points in the most conservative district in Nebraska (which I think is R+24 or something like that)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Kleeb

Oh right isn't that the same guy who did worse than Obama did statewide in 2008??

Yeah, he would be extremely competitive in 2012!

[JulioMadrid]

I think Scott Kleeb could make this interesting... in 2006, he lost by 10 points in the most conservative district in Nebraska (which I think is R+24 or something like that)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Kleeb

Oh right isn't that the same guy who did worse than Obama did statewide in 2008??

Yeah, he would be extremely competitive in 2012!

Against a popular governor, yes.

I'm not saying Kleeb will win, only that he could make the race somewhat interesting, not that he'll win. But Bruning is facing some ethical investigations and Stenberg has lost many elections, too, so I don't think dems should give up in Nebraska. Hey, republicans can still nominate someone like Santorum or Paul, which would help democrats everywhere.

[RodPresident]

My candidate would be Ernie Chambers...He'd bring at least national media to Nebraska...

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

My candidate would be Ernie Chambers...He'd bring at least national media to Nebraska...

Ernie's not a Democrat. He's independent.

[Nagas]

Good -he won't be missed.  I am done with DINOs like him. 

A "DINO" that votes with the party 50% of the time is better than the Republican replacement that votes with us 10% of the time. We need Blue Dogs. They moderate Congress and enable us to pass legislation. The reason the current Republican House is so far-right is because we bled moderates and replaced them with far-right conservatives.

Damn party purity. I want effective government.

[Ogre Mage]

This seat is now a Republican pickup, but it probably was anyway.  If we are concerned with saving centrist Democrats, Tester and McCaskill are more important in my view.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

This seat is now a Republican pickup, but it probably was anyway.  If we are concerned with saving centrist Democrats, Tester and McCaskill are more important in my view.

Um... since when Nelson was a "centrist" in first place.

[JulioMadrid]

What about Wareen Buffett?? ahahaha

Oh, and if democrats don't want to try to make this close... I think the best candidate is Ernie Chambers, too. He's funny

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

What about Wareen Buffett?? ahahaha

Oh, and if democrats don't want to try to make this close... I think the best candidate is Ernie Chambers, too. He's funny

Ernie is an extremely rare example of someone who never goes higher than state legislator, yet maintained nationwide presence.

Oh, Ernie ran for Senator in 1988... on the Natural Law ballot.

[FloridaRepublican]

This seat was inevitably going to switch hands.

[RodPresident]

Ernie ran on New Alliance ticket, but this doesn't matters. Ernie can run as Independent and he can get a 2nd place, if Democrats place a nobody guy.

[Ogre Mage]

This seat is now a Republican pickup, but it probably was anyway.  If we are concerned with saving centrist Democrats, Tester and McCaskill are more important in my view.

Um... since when Nelson was a "centrist" in first place.

http://nationaljournal.com/magazine/house-and-senate-centrists-20110224?page=1

[JulioMadrid]

Wikipedia says he ran for governor once and got 0.44% of the vote. Does anyone know WHEN that happened??

[RodPresident]

Against Nelson in 1994. In that Republican year, he won amazing 73.03%. Now, one of most unbelievable results in history was Nelson's defeat against Hagel, in 1996, even in a Republican state. It's very sad that a state who gave us the liberal icon (even if a Republican) George Norris is now a safe hard-right land.

[Bacon King]

Dammit Ben Nelson. So the stupid Nebraska earmarks to Obamacare and all the shallow Moderate Heroism over the past several years was entirely meaningless?

Kleeb is probably the best Democratic candidate now, although that's not really saying much at all.

[BushKenya]

Not suprising, but still very much disappointing

[Nichlemn]

Ugh, freeing up money is not a good argument since it applies to both sides. That is, unless you think Democrats would be prone to stupidly overspend on Nelson, in which case why do you assume they wouldn't stupidly spend the money that was freed up?

It's one of those nonsensical "silver lining" arguments people come up with to comfort themselves. Hey, why don't the Democrats just try to lose every seat, since then they won't have any incumbents to waste resources on!11!1

[RodPresident]

I think that Democrats should hold Kleeb's bullet for 2014's gubernatorial election. He can get senatorial spot later. If Johanns be a 3-term, he'll be only 51 at 2026, that's a good age.

[rbt48]

I don't know if he is interested, but I think the strongest Democratic candidate would be State Senator Steve Lathrop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Lathrop).  He has been elected twice in a strongly Republican west Omaha district.  I have not heard his name mentioned as a possible contender.  He is term limited and cannot seek reelection to the Unicameral in 2014.