NE-Sen: Ned Lamont In Reverse

Jon Bruning may be the only person in Nebraska politics who is still running under the assumption that Chuck Hagel will be running for reelection. Today, he announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate, characterizing it as a primary challenge to Chuck Hagel:

"I've chosen this path because conservative Nebraskans deserve a leader who will support and defend the principles and values of the Republican Party," Bruning said in a statement. "I am disappointed we have not received that leadership from Chuck Hagel."

There's a problem with that strategy, though. No one has any idea what Chuck Hagel's going to do anymore. Democrats are revving up their engines to unite behind a candidate. Bob Kerrey's speaking at the NDP's fundraising dinner in two weeks' time. Democrats in Nebraska, for once, are moving forward as if the Republicans don't matter. It's one hell of a positive sign.

I wrote a few months ago about how Chuck Hagel could be the Joe Lieberman of 2008. Evidently, Jon Bruning is positioning himself as bizarro-Ned Lamont. It's an odd choice, a risky one, too. Bruning risks alienating a lot of voters who still like Hagel, and makes the reason behind his bid for U.S. Senate meaningless should Chuck Hagel decide not to run. Jon Bruning has fully committed himself to the idea that Chuck Hagel is running for reelection. I'm not so sure that's true, anymore.

Ned Lamont in reverse. Jon Bruning is running on absolute loyalty to Republican orthodoxy. He's running a pro war campaign at a time when even Nebraskans have turned against the war. But he's running as the "anti-Hagel." Something that may win him a Republican primary, but when he faces the Democratic nominee, he'll find that Nebraskans won't appreciate it very much.

Which brings us to our candidate. Listen, I know that Bob Kerrey's not going to have a lot of friends on Daily Kos right now. Hell, I was incredibly upset at Kerrey for the WSJ editorial. He sounded not unlike Joe Lieberman. An odd comparison given the analogy I'm extending to this race, yes, but I know many of you here would agree with it.

Here's the difference, though. Kerrey's got a bit of an independent streak that might piss us off at times. I think it goes with the territory here in Nebraska. But you'd be wrong to peg him as a Bush loyalist. Everyone who's paid attention to Kerrey over the years - or watched him on the 9/11 Commission - knows that he doesn't have much love for the Republican Party.

What's going to happen in the next year is going to be one of the most bizarre, intriguing, races in the nation.

•  Tip Jar

  I'd rather have a Bob Kerrey than a Chuck Hagel any day of the week.

  by ptmflbcs on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 10:32:26 AM PDT

•  Is Kerrey the only option?

  Seems to me that whenever this seat is discussed. Scott Kleeb's name comes up as well.

  by incertus on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 10:39:15 AM PDT

  •  Kleeb...

    I'm very much of the opinion that he's taking another shot at the NE-03 race he lost last year.

    Mike Fahey is the name that came up most often in my discussions, but it's becoming clearer that he's more interested in running for a third term. A local political reporter defined it this way: Kerrey is the top choice now, if he backs out, Fahey will run.

    I think that's a little simplified, but I do think Kerrey got into this race and returned to Nebraska politics because Fahey didn't want to run for Senate, and Kleeb wasn't ready for it.

    Our strongest team for 2008 is going to be with Kerrey at the top of the ticket, Esch challenging Terry again in NE-02, and Kleeb giving another run at Smith in NE-03. We just have to find a good young candidate in NE-01, and things will be looking good for 2008.

    by ptmflbcs on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 10:49:16 AM PDT

    •  Is Conneally available?

      or will he pass?

      by RBH on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 11:08:08 AM PDT

      •  Coneally is the Exec. Director...

        of the Nebraska Democratic Party. So I'm guessing that he will be one to find the candidate and convince them to run. But, no, he won't run for Congress again.

        by ptmflbcs on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 11:11:10 AM PDT

    •  Man, that IS a strong Democratic lineup.

      I am crossing my fingers hard that Hagel doesn't decide he likes the Senate after all.

      by brownsox on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 11:31:36 AM PDT

  •  I would be very surprised if Kerry ran.

    He already put his time in and then he moved to NYC.

    While it looks like the diarist meant to imply that Kerrey would be running, he might instead be saying that the speech is itself evidence that things are ramping up, not that Kerrey would be the candidate.

    Kleeb is obviously an attractive candidate, but we'll see.

    by mvr on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 12:24:48 PM PDT

    •  Well, guess ptmflbcs is saying he thinks Kerry

      will run.  I'm not an insider so what do I know.

      by mvr on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 12:26:11 PM PDT

      •  Heh...

        May have been the first time I've been called an "insider." Suffice it to say that the reaction to my reaction to Kerrey's editorial was enough to convince me that he's running.

        by ptmflbcs on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 01:10:56 PM PDT

•  Jon "go along" Bruning

  The republican leadership and key players just don't get it.  Can you imagine Bruning's campaign slogan "the Republican Yes Man!" "Go Along Jon" or "Bush was right".  In Bizarro world, that could win the 28% republicans and be enough to win the primary.  Wouldn't be nice to see the Club for Growth get involved and make it really nasty.  

  I think Hagel would have a very good shot at re-election in the general due to his independance on the Iraq issue.  However, the republicans have no tolerance for dissent.    

  I hope Kleeb considers running.  What an impressive candidate he would be.  

  by arogue7 on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 10:44:53 AM PDT

•  Kerry - lieberman

  ugh!

  by wuod kwatch on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 12:31:46 PM PDT

•  Kerrey has baggage.

  I won't go into it though.

  I hope we can do better than him for Nebraska.

  by doinaheckuvanutjob on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 02:30:21 PM PDT

  •  I don't live in Nebraska...

    ...but, given the Democratic Senator that you do have, I doubt it.

    I'm not Kerrey's biggest fan, but he'd do well in a NE Senate race, and he's also probably better than some of the other "Democrats" who could potentially run in Nebraska.

    I want that extra Senate seat more than I dislike Kerrey.

    by WayneNight on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 03:14:42 PM PDT

  •  If it's what I'm thinking of...

    That's old news. Let 'em try to bring up Vietnam. See how far that gets them.

    by ptmflbcs on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 03:25:33 PM PDT

    •  Well it stopped him from running for Pres. cold.

      And it's just another file Rove can use on him.

      Those who detest the DLC will not be fond of Kerrey, but true enough it's Nebraska. He is not a populist, and he has that Liebermanesque way of undermining/scolding other Dems and Dem party positions and leadership. I don't look forward to his return. Can't say he's on my hate list, but he sure isn't on my love list.

      by doinaheckuvanutjob on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 02:19:12 PM PDT

•  "Bizarro-Ned Lamont"

  You get a recommend just for that line.  Nicely done, Dave!  Nicely done!

  by Skylewalker on Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 08:57:34 PM PDT