The Omaha World Herald has written that Sen Ben Nelson (D-NE) will not be seeking re-election. Nelson's decision to retire rather than seek another term has been expected by many. Nelson stated earlier he would discuss the matter with family over the Christmas break.

RealClearPolitics has listed this Senate seat as a Republican gain for some time now. The expected Republican nominee is state Attorney General Jon Bruning.
http://www.omaha.com/article/20111227/N ... u-s-senate
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls ... _race.html

Good riddance.

Huff Post 08/09/2011 "Jon Bruning, Nebraska Senate Candidate, Compares Welfare Recipients To Raccoons"

Saaaay ... he's got reptile eyes ....

Nice, typical republican. He should be quite popular.

The only hope is that the people of Nebraska will realize that the agendas of these yahoos will do nothing to help any of them. The GOP has made a public 1% spectacle of itself this past year, and the eyes of the people in this country are opening up to the fact that they are the ones being targeted by everything the repubs have attempted to do this last year. My hope is that 2012 will be a GOP wipeout!

(I know, not likely, but I do believe they will suffer because of their actions to some extent. Hopefully a large extent.)

Nah, MsDaisy. I lived in that Red State long enough to know that the (R) after your name gives you a huge advantage. The only way a Pub loses there is if a very popular conservative Dem from a populated area runs against him.

Well let’s at least hope that’s the case. Even a conservative dem is better than an asshole repub.

I agree with ZekeB regarding the chances for a Democrat in a state-wide race in Nebraska. Nebraska twice sent Bob Kerrey to the US Senate (1988 and 1994). In the 1950s, 60s and 70s Nebraskans elected Roman Hruska. There are way more Hruskas (and Brunings) remaining in Nebraska than future Kerreys.
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/bi ... ex=K000146


http://themoderatevoice.com/120138/the- ... eepstakes/

For anyone who has criticized the actions of Kent Conrad (ND), Tim Johnson (SD), Max Baucus (MT), Mary Landrieu (LA) or former senator Byron Dorgan (ND), look at what the alternative is.

Republicans experience the same level of frustration with Susan Collins (ME), Olympia Snowe (ME) and Scott Brown (MA). In Brown's case, their frustration may be ending shortly.

All true and I wouldn't vote for any but the rare Reepub over them. But on the other hand, I would surely vote for any decent Dem over them. Wish folks would understand that we're not gonna throw the baby out with the bathwater just because we point out that the water is filthy.

There is a move afoot to bring Kerrey back for this race.

Frankly, if Nelson, Conrad, Baucus, et al were as good Democrats as Collins, Snowe, and Brown are Republicans, I'd be totally thrilled. Sadly for us, they're not.

Seriously. In 2009, we had the House, 60 seats in the Senate, and the Presidency. There was a shitload of good legislation that either stalled or was watered down in the Senate because Nelson, Conrad, and a few others wouldn't stand with their party on cloture votes. I wouldn't have given a rats ass if they voted against the legislation proper, but the fuckers wouldn't stand firm enough to give shit that had overwhelmingly passed the house and had a majority whip count in the Senate get an up or down vote at all.

Frankly, I think a real argument could have been can be made that having those assholes in the Senate did more harm to the Democrats, and that the alternative would have been an improvement. The outcome wouldn't have changed, and at least then the media narrative would have been more likely to be "Republicans obstruct legislation" instead of "Democrats, with their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, again fail to pass the President's agenda."

Link for an old man, Skeppy , or are you just playing with me?

Gee I don't know about that in the Senate. *cough* Mary Landrieu *cough* Even Ben Nelson, ack, he almost, almost killed the ACA.

Yes, but he's traveling in India and wouldn't comment.

Fully agreed. I'd rather have an enemy in front of me than a traitor stabbing me in the back.

And he left the D's holding the check...



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/2 ... f=politics

I believe a lot of the blame for Democratic Senators not being united when needed falls on the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid. Reid apparently gained his management skills from Tom Daschle who also was a failure in that position. Democrats need a majority leader, not a majority wimp.

Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and others do as they damn well please because there is no repercussion for not toeing the line.

I'll be happy for Reid to share some blame but not the lion's share.

Roman Hruska (Hruska being Czech for pear, btw) and Carl Curtis were Nebraska's two senators when I first moved (errr was sent, courtesy of Uncle) to Nebraska. They spent a long time in office and weren't particularly noteworthy for accomplishing anything. The people I hung out with had two differing views of those two. Some of us considered them to be like a bale of hay. Some of us considered them to be like a sack of bran.

http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-r ... z1iqzfDB5u
Until I read or hear Bob Kerrey say he wants to represent Nebraskans again in the US Senate, I'll continue to view all of this as wishful thinking.

http://journalstar.com/#ixzz1ir78Vj68

The answer is officially no. Bob Kerrey has decided not to run for Nebraska's US Senate seat.
http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-r ... 8d20e.html

That's too bad.

Real Clear Politics has moved the Nebraska Senate seat from "Leans GOP" to "Likely GOP". It shouldn't be long before it's moved again to "Safe GOP". Nebraska AG Jon Bruning is probably still a heavy favorite to win the Republican nomination. All the polls I've seen are from last year.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls ... e_map.html
Losing Nebraska and the open North Dakota seat will mean flipping Massachusetts and Nevada just to stay even (assuming all the other Democratic Senators win re-election).