NE-Sen: More than Halfway There

We're over half of the way to our goal of raising $20,000 this week for Kleeb's campaign to win the Democratic nomination for Nebraska's open Senate seat.

The primary is next Tuesday, and his opponent, Tony Raimondo has opened up his seemingly bottomless checkbook,  loaning his own campaign $450,000. We're trying to help Scott contend with his opponent's personal wealth through people-power: $20,000 or 450 donations (one for every $1,000 of Raimondo's money), whichever comes first. (Though both would be pretty cool.)

Contribute if you can. Help help send a real Democrat to the Senate, and send the message that people power can compete with big money.

On the Web:
Kleeb for Senate
Daily Kos for Scott Kleeb ActBlue page

Race tracker wiki: NE-Sen

•  Whats so great about Mr. Kleeb?

  Convince me Kossacks and this Benjamin is his!

  by BigBensBeermaster on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:32:54 PM PDT

  •  2 reasons to contribute to a candidate like this

    Not that contributing to a Presidential candidate is a bad thing, but your money goes a lot further when you contribute to someone like Kleeb.

    In rural states with small media markets, you get a lot more bang for your buck. Your donation can make a huge impact.

    In a race like this, where there is such a night and day difference between a progressive Democrat and an ultra-conservative Republican, it's not just adding to the Senate majority--it's about actually passing real, meaningful progressive legislation.

    by Yirmiyahu on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:36:24 PM PDT

  •  Handsome

    Well, you might not think this but I found him extremely handsome.  

    by geekygirl602 on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:49:16 PM PDT

    •  gawd!

      Americans are so shallow and superficial!  

      =P

      by audiored on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:10:45 PM PDT

      •  I guess Joan's test worked

        Definitely a bigger response to the post with the picture.

        by Renie on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:37:01 PM PDT

        •  Picture? n/t

          by geekygirl602 on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:50:45 PM PDT

          •  link

            http://www.dailykos.com/...

            by Renie on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:58:31 PM PDT

      •  Shallow?

        Maybe.  But I am basing the handsome on a progressive.  Wow!!!!  The fact that he is in Nebraska with a progressive message makes him sexy anyway.  Add to the fact that he is not an old man with a big belly who wants to play footsies in a bathroom stall....

        GAWD!!  Nevermind.  Every time I think someone is attractive, they turn out gay.  I give up!!!  But, I donated to him anyway!!!

        by geekygirl602 on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:54:38 PM PDT

        •  Heh...

          He's not gay, but he is married. Jane posts here a lot, too. ;)

          by Dave Sund on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:01:34 PM PDT

    •  YOWZAS!

      by Catalino Jacinto on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:11:35 PM PDT

  •  Well...

    In addition to being a phenomenal candidate and a genuinely great person, he's got a tough fight right now against a self-funded Republican running in the Democratic primary.

    We've got a great opportunity to win up and down the ballot in Nebraska.

    by Dave Sund on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:20:08 PM PDT

  •  Kleeb sounds in some ways like Obama talking

    -- and he supports Obama. His first campaign was a failed but impressive race for a Congressional seat (they had to bring Bush in to campaign for his opponent).  It changed his ideas about politics and convinced him that it is about getting people more involved, having them take ownership of the campaign, getting people fired up about changing the established way politics work in Nebraska and in Washington. He's a thorough, energetic campaigner who has been all over Nebraska talking to people in every part of the state, making direct contact, getting people involved and excited. And he came to Netroots Nation last year, too.  His funding is primarily small donor, often online, not a lot of corporate involvement.

    He's a proud Democrat in a state where the conventinal wisdom is Democrats can't get past the starting line. At the same time, he both teaches history at Hastings COllege and raises cattle, and ends one of his ads by getting on his horse and riding away. In other words, though he has a doctorate from Yale he is very much a part of Nebraska culture.

    He's not so progressive that I would be happy if he were running in Massachusetts -- but it's a very red state out there. He's against the Iraq war and urges diplomacy with Iran, he's for universal health care, backs unions (is endorsed by the Nebraska AFL-CIO), wants to expand early childhood education and quality daycare, bashes "No Child Left Behind," and promotes alternative energy and investment in research to create green jobs, including manufacturing that would stay in this country. He does support ethanol (not surprising but not good), and has some other limitations, but baby, this is as good as it gets when opening new paths in what has been stubbornly red territory the last 30 years or so. A good replacement for Hagel's seat? Oh, yeah. Oh, that would be sweet.

    We need to expand our Senate seats in the West! This is one of the ways the Republcans have had such a lock on power! Kleeb isn't a progressive's perfect candidate, but he's an honest, grassroots/netroots, corporate-free, committed Democrat with a chance to steal a bit of Republican thunder and help our party in a real way.

    And his opponent in the primary is a rich, self-funding REPUBLICAN, who switched his registration only because he felt it would be easier to win the Dem primary, giving him a cushier path to the Senate. Wouldn't it be a pleasure to help defeat that kind of tactic?

    Just two last points, BigBen.  First, I gave all my discretionary money for this paycheck to the people in Burma, so I can't give anything to Kleeb before his primary, even though I had planned to. So you'd not only be helping the party with that Benjamin, you'd make me feel better too.

    Secondly, there is not a dude in the whole Congress who looks as good in a black cowboy hat as Kleeb does. This is one fine-looking cowboy.  Of course, we don't care about such superficial things here at DKos, not at all. Especially not us women. We're above such distractions. But hey -- it's always good to undermine stereotypes, right?  And a latte sipping volvo driving East Coaster this guy is not.  So send a little help to an Obama-friendly cattleman, and help the Democratic party re-establish our home on the range.

    by Fiona West on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:14:52 PM PDT

    •  It's all airbrushing, ya know ...

      I like to think that both Scott and I have "Norman Rockwell" faces.  He looks like a cherubic 14 year old from one of the paintings and I look like the 113 year old dead guy who painted them.

      I wrote elsewhere that when I met him, my first thought was: "I'll bet he gets carded at Burger King."

      Not that he doesn't cut an imposing figure and commands a room's attention -- he does both.  But he's a wee bit more gangly than the pictures let on.

      The hat adds fifty pounds.  Easy.

      by RavinDave on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:42:07 PM PDT

      •  As long as he commands enough attention

        to get them to vote Democrat.
        :)

        by Fiona West on Wed May 07, 2008 at 08:13:10 PM PDT

  •  Go to his website and learn about him.

    He seems legitimate to me and probably someone who would represent the grass roots.  We could use a couple like him over here in Colorado.

    by lobo charlie on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:27:41 PM PDT

•  Send an Independent

  Better to send an independent.  2006 we were made all kinds of promises, if only we elected Democrats.  We get the same old same old.  They are beholding to the Democratic or Republican machines, not the people.

  Break the addiction to the facade, vote independent.

  by NoneIn2008 on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:33:45 PM PDT

  •  No, no no. Kleeb is the real deal.

    by mcmom on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:34:59 PM PDT

  •  Not really an option in this race

    or in most of them. You did know this was a Democratic blog when you signed up?

    by mcjoan on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:51:29 PM PDT

    •  Snap!

      by mcmom on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:56:40 PM PDT

•  And if you're in the mood

  to not just beat the Republicans badly but making them cry, think about helping this guy as well located in the most Republican of territories of Newport Beach, CA (they say he has a shot):

  Steve Young in CA 48th

  by bogmanoc on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:38:57 PM PDT

•  AAArrrggghhh, but ...

  ... Republican candidate Mike Johanns STILL WINS!

  by KYJurisDoctor on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:57:32 PM PDT

  •  I talked to a Republican a few days ago

    He told me that many are not happy with Johanns and they are looking for an alternative. I threw out some talking points on Kleeb's issues and I think it might have worked. He almost won one of the reddest districts in the country in '06, keep hope alive!

    by illinihusker on Wed May 07, 2008 at 05:59:22 PM PDT

    •  And the ONLY reason he didn't win ...

      ... was a panicky 11th hour visit from Bush to stomp for Adrian Smith and a glut of sleazy GOP-sponsored robocalls optimized to alienate prospective voters.

      That Scott could sway as many as he did in that district in this state was nothing short of astounding.  

      by RavinDave on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:34:59 PM PDT

  •  he has a real chance

    Don't dismiss this race just because it's Nebraska. Kleeb got 45% of the vote in Nebraska's most Republican Congressional district in 2006... Do the math. If he can keep that margin in the 3rd district, he'll only need to win about 52% in the rest of the state--the part of the state that is the most Democratic-friendly. Kleeb can win this.

    by Yirmiyahu on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:08:15 PM PDT

•  Kleeb pronounced KLEBB

  I just gave extra again.

  Snippets.....From his website:

  Kleeb (pronounced Klebb)
  Scott grew up on military bases overseas, spending his summers at his family’s Nebraska home.
  worked as a ranch hand
  Yale
  Masters degree in international relations, and then a PhD in history, with a special focus on agricultural economics. Awards and honors soon followed. His doctoral dissertation won the prize for best work in Western American history. He won another prize fellowship for outstanding teaching. Scott got a coveted position at the United Nations Policy Planning and Analysis Unit and served as an Associate World Fellow at Yale.

  Scott lives in Hastings with his wife Jane Fleming Kleeb and their children, Kora and Maya.

  PHOTOS:
  http://www.scottkleeb.com/...

  by LNK on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:33:54 PM PDT

  •  maybe he shouldn't spell his name wrong

    by unertl on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:01:25 PM PDT

•  Correction...wealth...not weatch.

  "his opponent's personal weatch".
  
  I believe you mean personal wealth.

  By the way, Kleeb rhymes with Web.  As in the "World wide Web".  

  by Mr SeeMore on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:38:55 PM PDT

•  So, what's Tony spending his money on?

  HINT: It's not GOTV

  So, essentially, they're spending a whole lot of money on television ads and minimal staff. And no polling.

  Sign of a well-oiled machine right there.

  by Dave Sund on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:42:14 PM PDT

  •  Ick

    As he has previously, Raimondo called Johanns a "lifetime politician" and described Kleeb, a Hastings College instructor, as an "academic."

    "I just believe, the way things are developing, that there is a need for a U.S. senator to have job creation skills," said Raimondo, 68, a former Republican.

    by Renie on Wed May 07, 2008 at 06:54:13 PM PDT

•  Could only put $20 in the pot for Kleeb...

  But it's $20 well spent.

  by madame defarge on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:01:11 PM PDT

•  Threw in a few dollars.

   That's because I got my first real job today in this terrible job market.  When I actually get a pay check there will be more donations.

  by redrelic17 on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:01:45 PM PDT

•  from his wife...

  hi there, Dave's right I do post here ;)

  first thanks mcjoan for always believing in us.

  We need your dollars and here is my promise.

  I promise you Scott will always have our backs.  

  He studies issues deeply.  He is a steward of the environment in the truest sense of the word.  He believes education is at the heart of changing our economy and will work to ensure every family has the healthcare needed to keep their families healthy.  Oh, and yes he is pretty cute 

  This is from the Omaha Reader, the online version isn’t up yet, but one of our staffers took a pic of the cover for me...I love it!

  

  by janefleming on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:08:55 PM PDT

  •  Is he visiting the UNL campus anytime soon? nt

    by illinihusker on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:24:44 PM PDT

  •  Hey Jane

    No problem. Hang in there and we'll be right with you!

    by mcjoan on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:50:28 PM PDT

•  oops...i cant seem to get this pic to show up

  http://www.flickr.com/...

  by janefleming on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:10:26 PM PDT

  •  Wow...

    That's a seriously bad-ass photo.

    by Dave Sund on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:13:30 PM PDT

  •  Here ...

    

    by RavinDave on Wed May 07, 2008 at 07:33:31 PM PDT