NE-Sen: Right-Wing Republican "Urged" To Run As Democrat By State, National Parties

As the New Nebraska Network first reported last Monday, Republican Tony Raimondo is considering running for Senate as a Democrat. In today's Lincoln Journal Star, he openly considered the possibility in an interview with Don Walton.

Columbus industrialist Tony Raimondo said Monday he’s considering entering the 2008 Senate race as a Democrat.

Raimondo, who stepped away from a possible Republican bid after Mike Johanns entered the contest, said he’s been urged by national and state Democratic officials to consider making the race within their party.

"Those discussions are continuing to move on," Raimondo said.  "Obviously, there’s some interest on both sides."

Raimondo, you may recall, was Bush's pick back in 2004 for "manufacturing czar," but his nomination was withdrawn after questions about his anti-labor practices as chairman of Behlen Manufacturing.

Straight from Raimondo, now, we have confirmation that the rumors we were hearing a week ago were true. Ben Nelson, the NDP, and the DSCC, are recruiting a Republican, who less than two months ago was running for Senate as a Republican, to run under the Democratic banner.

If we're serious about competing everywhere - in all fifty states - we cannot allow this to stand. The Democratic Party in Nebraska will become worse than a joke. Let's make sure we have a voice for Democrats in Nebraska. Let's get Scott Kleeb in this race.

On the web: Draft Kleeb

•  Tip Jar

  Draft Kleeb

  by ptmflbcs on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:05:12 PM PDT

•  I would rather...

  ...not run a candidate that run a conservative Republican.  Please, note, I would have no problem running someone who left the Republican Party because of their bat-shit craziness (see: Carolyn Maloney and Jim Webb).  That sends the message that the only way for Democrats to win is to imitate (or be) right-wing Republicans.

  I do, however, want more information about this guy.  What were the anti-labor practices he espoused?  What are his positions on other issues such as the environment/climate change, education, the Iraq War, etc.?

  by TheUnknown285 on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:13:31 PM PDT

  •  Here's some good information...

    on Raimondo.

    by ptmflbcs on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:16:39 PM PDT

  •  Carolyn McCarthy, you mean

    Maloney has always been a Democrat, as far as I know.

    by metal prophet on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:58:04 PM PDT

•  Tipped and rec'ed

  This needs to be on the top of the pile for awhile.  

  by Coach Jay on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:14:12 PM PDT

•  Is this just a game with these people? Why

  would the Dems. want him to run with them? If he wasn't good enough for a place in Bush's Gov. why would the Dems. want him? No wonder we aren't winning. No wonder they aren't challenging Bush? They all need a good Primary challenge! Damm!

  by Owllwoman on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:18:34 PM PDT

•  I'll preface this comment by admitting...

  that I know absolutely nothing about Nebraska politics, my personal knowledge of state political dynamics is limited to New Jersey and Oregon with a little bit of Michigan and New York thrown into the mix...

  I understand that conservative-type Democrats are going to come out of places like Nebraska and Kentucky, North Dakota, Tennessee, etc...and I have never been one to argue for 'ideological purity' in candidates, or even current Congresspeople or Senators, from these states.

  That being said, though - I don't understand this at all?  I could understand if he was a Republican like 5 or 10 years ago, or even 3 or 4 years ago.  But this is a guy who was planning on running in the Republican primary only a few weeks ago.  National and State Democrats are going after this guy, instead of Scott Kleeb?

  But again, this could be a good thing from one point of view - does this mean that Raimondo, a conservative Republican businessman - believes that a Democrat could beat Johanns in the general election next year?

  by Hardhat Democrat on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:19:59 PM PDT

  •  He's Ben Nelson's Friend...

    And he has a lot of money. There isn't any further explanation needed.

    by ptmflbcs on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:23:02 PM PDT

    •  That kind of brings out the cynic in me...

      that I try really hard to suppress at times.

      My original thought on the matter, as well...

      by Hardhat Democrat on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:25:18 PM PDT

•  And what is to stop him from changing

  Parties as soon as he gets elected?

  by Owllwoman on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:24:54 PM PDT

  •  Good point

    Hadn't thought about that.  Other than the reality of going from the majority to the minority, assuming Democrats keep that majority next year.

    by TheUnknown285 on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:27:49 PM PDT

  •  A hypothetical....

    60 seat majority.

    If even Nebraska elects a(nother) Democrat to the Senate next year, I'd say it's very likely that we're picking up many more seats than in just MN, OR, NM, CO, NH, etc...

    So, assuming Raimondo does run and win - he'll stay a Democrat to remain in the majority, but he'll probably be a pain in our asses...and as you mention, a definite possibility to switch seats sometime in the future when the Democratic Senate Majority will inevitably 'narrow' again.

    by Hardhat Democrat on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:29:59 PM PDT

    •  He and Joe can be best friends,heh.

      by Owllwoman on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:42:40 PM PDT

•  Very true

  What the hell are the DC Democrats thinking? Kleeb is a proven canidate who could win statewide if the DSCC was behind him strong. Who says this guy can win either? Just because our worst Democrat and him are friends doesn't mean he should have anything to do with our party.

  by Populista on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 06:05:00 PM PDT

  •  Not that I don't agree...

    but does Kleeb's one loss (albeit a close one) make him "proven" enough to seriously take on the former governor?

    What makes a candidate "proven"?

    by AUBoy2007 on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 06:58:15 PM PDT

•  Might as well recruit Lieberman back.

  by Hesiod on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 06:29:03 PM PDT

  •  Sadly...

    ...Liberman actually sounds better than this guy.

    by WayneNight on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 06:48:22 PM PDT

•  This kind of thing is...

  ...immensely depressing.

  It also hurts us, I think.  There are a lot of people who might be attracted to the Democratic Party, but, when they see things like this - on top of what they also might perceive as a lack of progress by congressional Democrats in doing things such as curtailing Bush on Iraq - they wonder why they should even bother with us.

  They only way to build a party movement is to actually make ourselves different from the other party.

  by WayneNight on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 06:47:45 PM PDT