Omnibus 'congresscritters retiring next year' announcements

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Stop trolling, Ben Nelson

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I think Bob Kerrey will decide against running.

R+0.5

Bob Kerrey wouldn't get elected a dogcatcher now in Nebraska. He had his chance to remain in the Senate for at least two terms (he'd be certainly reelected in both 2000 and 2006), but now he's just another New Yorker, at least to Mr. Average Nebraskan.

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Whether he was running again or not, his seat is lost. It's better to just give it up than wasting money needed in other races.

I didn't like Nelson, but I agree with DrScholl he was still better than and Republican to replace him (which says a lot about Democratic Party in Nebraska, sadly).

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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

2006 was a Democratic year and, due to this, he just outperformed. Good luck winning statewide in Nebraska in a presidential election year. We can't predict final results now, but even if Obama is reelected in a nationwide landslide, he won't have coattails in Nebraska. It's just hoping for Obama coattails in Utah.

Just accept the reality.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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*tries to refrain from making a joke about a certain individual who attends Redlands University and would be even worse than Lewis*

A certain Redlands University student's Congressman

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Just saw it on Politico and the NC 2012 thread but figured I'd post it here, too, for those that don't read the other sources.

Good riddance.

Our House majority was built on the Heath Shulers and Gene Taylors. Our party would do well to remember that.

Love him or hate him, the fact is that we're one more seat short of re-taking the House.

I agree. Blue Dogs may not be the best, but they are still better than any generic Southern Republican.

Ideological purity will lead the party to one thing only: a permanent minority.