From the New Nebraska Network
For much of the last year, the discussion has been about choices. The decisions and differences that existed in a political environment where we often have very little choice.
From the beginning, it was clear that this race would be the story of Nebraska politics in 2008, and, as I believed, that this race was going to be the most important race in Nebraska in 2008.
The stakes were clear. The choices that we had ahead of us were not.
In early 2007, Republican Senator Chuck Hagel had to make a choice. Would he run for President or reelection, or would he simply retire? Hagel delayed that choice, ultimately choosing not to run. But what Ryan Anderson said nine months ago still rings true today:
What this proves to me is we can't afford to be spectators any more. The Nebraska blogosphere has served as a vigilant watchdog of Chuck Hagel's record. That's all fine and dandy, but there comes a day when every public official must answer those critics and defend that record and for Senator Hagel, that day is Election Day, 2008. If we aren't committed to making that a contest, we can't pretend to be serious about building a "new Nebraska".
Building a new Nebraska, of course, will require a renewed two party system and the return of a true political dialogue. Neither of these goals are advanced by allowing the dean of the Nebraska Republican Party to be re-elected by acclamation.
As Hagel's intentions became clear, another institution of Nebraska politics had to make his choice. After months of speculation, Bob Kerrey made the choice that was best for his family, and declined to run.
The choices that came next are the most difficult - difficult to explain, and difficult to understand. We still don't know all of the details, we probably never will. But two days after Kerrey announced his decision not to run for the Democratic nomination, Tony Raimondo dropped out of the Republican race. The choice was made, no doubt encouraged by Ben Nelson, by the state chair and the DSCC, to recruit Tony Raimondo - a lifelong Republican - to run for the Democratic nomination. It was "suggested" to Kleeb that he might have better luck running for legislature, or, if he really wanted to take another shot at Adrian Smith, it might be all right. But the message was pretty clear: Tony Raimondo, lifelong Republican, is the insiders' pick. The timing of Raimondo's exit from the Republican race was not coincidental. He knew the opening was there if Bob Kerrey did not run. And the NDP paid lip service to Kleeb as a candidate, but never really intended to court him. Tony Raimondo was always the backup plan.
But a funny thing happened right after Bob Kerrey dropped out. A 20 year-old college student decided to start a Facebook group: Draft Scott Kleeb for Senate. Membership grew instantly, as many who remember and supported his run for Congress in 2006 embraced the idea of a run for Senate. That Facebook group sparked a website, and just like that, a Draft Kleeb movement was born.
If it was the intention of Tony Raimondo to present himself as a disillusioned Republican who saw the light and became a Democrat, he really didn't plan it that well. When he dropped out of the Republican primary, he made it pretty clear that he was dropping out mostly because of money. (How wonderful, then, to see the story about our newest "Democrat" juxtaposed on the news with the story of Mike Johanns raising $1 million. Don't think that wasn't lost on news editors across the state tonight.) Maybe it was hubris, or a lack of political instinct, but then, really, Tony Raimondo had to have been assured that he wouldn't be challenged. Otherwise, why take the risk?
Right now, the Nebraska Democratic Party is offering us a choice between a Beltway insider who was a member of the Bush administration and one who was almost a member of the Bush administration. Between two men who switched parties for no better reason than political convenience. Between two men who, up until 40 days ago, were both running for Senate as Republicans.
This is a false choice. A choice based on the flawed logic of partisan ideology. Understand that our problem with Raimondo isn't because he's a Republican. Or that he registered as a Democrat. It's that he has no guiding principle of what those words mean to him. If it's simply about what his party registration is, then the words "Republican" and "Democrat" become just labels. A lifelong Republican spends six months preparing for a campaign for Senate, donates tons of money to Republican Congressional candidates, the NRSC, and the Nebraska GOP, and then expects to have any credibility when he jumps ship 40 days after dropping out.
There are many choices ahead. Scott Kleeb has a choice to make. He has to choose whether the time is right to make a run for Senate. But as he made clear to us, this is our campaign too. So we have a choice to make. And our choice is clear. We need to stand with Scott Kleeb. The road will not be easy, but the choice could not be more clear-cut.
The stakes have never been higher in this race than they are right now.