MSNBC: Nebraska's Ben Nelson will not seek reelection.

[flpoljunkie]

Heard just now on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell show.

[flpoljunkie]

1. More from Politico...

Ben Nelson retiring from Senate

By JOHN BRESNAHAN | 12/27/11 1:09 PM EST

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska will announce today that he is retiring after two terms, a serious blow to Democratic efforts to hold onto their majority in the chamber next November.

Nelson is scheduled to hold a press conference back home in Nebraska as early as today to make his decision official, said several Democratic insiders close to the leadership.

The 70-year-old Nelson was considered one of the most endangered Democratic incumbents this cycle. GOP-affiliated outside groups have already dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into TV ads bashing Nelson, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent over $1 million on their own ad blitz to bolster his image.

The White House and top Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), had quietly mounted a pressure campaign to keep Nelson from retiring. Nelson has more than $3 million in his campaign war chest, and his approval rating solidified after falling over the last several years.

But with Nelson stepping down, the Democrats’ hold on the Senate is in serious doubt, although Democratic leaders believe they can still do so. Republicans are expected to pick up control of the Cornhusker State seat, although popular former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) has been talking to top Democrats about possibly running again.

more...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70879.html

[JustAnotherGen]

4. I'm thrilled

[cutlassmama]

12. +1

[TheWraith]

13. Don't be.

Nelson voted with the Democrats almost 80% of the time. Now, he's likely to be replaced by a Republican who votes with us maybe 5% of the time. That's a win in your view?

Take a look at this list of some of Nelson's votes, and tell me if you think another right-wing Republican would give you these.

Voted NO on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)
Voted YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending. (Jul 2009)
Voted YES on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures. (May 2009)
Voted YES on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package. (Feb 2009)
Voted YES on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy. (Sep 2008)
Voted NO on $40B in reduced federal overall spending. (Dec 2005)
Strongly favors requiring companies to hire more minorities. (Sep 2000)
Supports “Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”. (Sep 2000)
Voted YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
Voted YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program. (Mar 2007)
Opposes parents choosing schools via vouchers. (Sep 2000)
Voted YES on additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects. (Oct 2007)
Voted YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar 2005)
Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
Rated 100% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes. (Dec 2003)
Supports spending resources to stop Global Warming. (Sep 2000)
Voted YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (Jun 2008)
Voted YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China. (May 2008)
Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR. (Nov 2005)
Voted YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)
Voted YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)
Voted YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)
Voted NO on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)
Voted YES on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months. (Mar 2002)
Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025. (Jan 2007)
Voted NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts. (May 2011)
Voted YES on regulating tobacco as a drug. (Jun 2009)
Voted YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Jan 2009)
Voted YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare. (Jul 2008)
Voted NO on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility. (Nov 2007)
Voted YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D. (Apr 2007)
Voted NO on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000. (May 2006)
Voted YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D. (Feb 2006)
Voted YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics. (Nov 2005)
Voted YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit. (Jun 2003)
Voted YES on allowing reimportation of Rx drugs from Canada. (Jul 2002)
Voted YES on allowing patients to sue HMOs & collect punitive damages. (Jun 2001)
Voted NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit. (Apr 2001)
Voted YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities". (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on extending unemployment benefits from 39 weeks to 59 weeks. (Nov 2008)
Voted YES on overriding presidential veto of Farm Bill. (Jun 2008)
Voted YES on restricting employer interference in union organizing. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on increasing minimum wage to $7.25. (Feb 2007)
Voted YES on raising the minimum wage to $7.25 rather than $6.25. (Mar 2005)
Voted YES on confirming of Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court. (Aug 2009)
Opposes privatizing Social Security. (Sep 2000)
Voted NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M. (Feb 2008)
Voted NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million. (Mar 2007)

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/ben_nelson.htm

[Hawkowl]

19. Suck it Nelson

I am thrilled. He is part of the problem. I don't give a shit if his mediocre voting record gives him 80% accord with the the corporate wing of the Democratic party. Let that entire wing go back to its Rethuglican roots.

[JustAnotherGen]

21. He doesn't stand a chance of winning

Better to put our money and time on house seats that can be won. Example - I live in NJ. Ed Potosnak ran in 2010 against a career politician Republican. I think this time - Ed can win. There's heavy anti-incumbent attitudes running in NJ . . . Remember - a bunch of idiots voted for Chris Christie, they now regret it, and they want to take it out on the IndieTeaPublicans that represent them in Washington. So we lose that Senate seat in Nebraska . . . but imagine if we can pick up several seats in NJ.

Joe Lieberman's seat in CT is up - we have four solid Candidates up there (Susan Bysiewicz, Chris Murphy, William Tong, Lee Whitnum) if they can keep it clean on their way to the nomination. Linda McMahon will buy the nomination again - and she'll lose. I think people see TEA for what it is now . . .

I also think Elizabeth Warren will wipe the floor with Brown in Massachusetts.

We'll replace Nelson with a solid Democratic in the North East. I'd rather see the money going to a place where we can go ovaries to the walls and win it. Nebraska is probably a lost cause.

[Bluenorthwest]

23. That 'same sex stuff' is a fake out. He Voted YES on a Constitutional ban on marriage

equality. And so fuck him.
He rates 11% from HRC, indicating an anti gay rights stance.

[kenfrequed]

24. Useless really

The committees he served on allowed him to kill bills before they made it to the floor. His position on the Financial services and the Commerse committees was particularly daunting to all efforts to reform.

So he is with us on 80% of the watered down, pork riddled, super-compromised bills that make it to the floor of the Senate. And I would argue this 80% number. I think it is going to be weighted towards centrist bills as the centrists themselves help weight the numbers. Rather than 'supports the majority the majority of the time' I would prefer numbers reflecting support for comprehensive progressive legislation. I can cherry pick bills to make a republican look liberal and list them out.

[Beavker]

28. +1

Agreed. The REAL Dem issues that was to set the tone for the Democrats during the Obama Era were torpedoed by that rich fat cat bastard. How many of those 80% were real game changers, or even things that were massively bi-partisan.

I'd kiss NE goodbye and work on winnable states.

[joeglow3]

50. Useless = I support a hard right Republican in Nebraska

Nice.

[kenfrequed]

80. Logical fallacy

There actually will be another candidate running in that state for that office. But yeah, whatever, it was certainly worth having someone in there to stab the party and the president in the back repeatedly if we get a public option, a clean stimulus bill without stupid repug-nik tax cuts, and a draw down on the stupid and useless war on terror.

Oh wait...

[bullwinkle428]

37. Forgot to add "Deciding vote on Bush Tax Cuts" and "Voted against raising debt ceiling".

[harun]

47. Eff Nelson and it is good he is gone.

[Ken Burch]

74. It's not like you can ONLY win as a Dem in Nebraska

by insisting on watering-down any universal healthcare bill to nothing and by insisting on treating Obama as if he's just as evil as the right says he is.

A real Dem can win there if we just find a candidate who will work hard and present a coherent message

[SugarShack]

82. He was with us on Medicare and Soc Sec and those votes are coming and he'll be gone!

You only get a HARD RIGHT REPUB in nebraska..no moderate will win. Nor a dem. THis IS a loss for us...so stop sucking up the propaganda! He was a lousy dem...but now...we'll have the Ryan Plan supporter there...weakening healthcare reform and soc sec.

[bigdarryl]

9. Serious my ass, Nelson is a democrat in name only stop your BULLSHIT Politico

Bob Kerry how old is he now like 90!! Come on Dems get some Progressive young bloods to run

[brooklynite]

18. Name one...

...everyone likes to say "why don't we run a REAL progressive", without suggesting a single name. Hasn't been a Democratic House member since the mid-90's, has been a Democratic Governor (source of the last three Democratic Senators) in over 10 years, and there are several hundred thousand more registered Republicans than Democrats.

[JustAnotherGen]

22. So

It's a lost cause right? ONLY Nelson could win it? But I don't think ONLY Scott Brown could win it in Mass. I don't think ONLY a Republican can win in CT. What if we pick up two solid Democratic candidates in a different state?

big darryl and I get the pleasure of daily seeing the 'buyers remorse' of TEA in NJ. It's real, and it exists in the North East. Nebraska? I'm not so sure it can be won at all. Nelson as the candidate or not.

[Bluenorthwest]

25. If the Party does not know who to run, that is a huge failure on their part.

That is their job, keeping a deep talent pool. Perhaps they need to stop with the religion and the appointment of hate preachers to 'out reach' positions and stick to running a political Party?
Not my State. It is the Party's role to keep candidates in the wings when we need them, that is NOT the job of rank and file Democrats in other States. This is an area where current leadership fails again and again out of fear and simple dithering.

[stevenleser]

42. You already have said you lived your whole life in a blue state. You clearly dont understand what

this is about.

I've spent time in Nebraska and other midwest states. I've spent time in the south. The chance of getting and keeping anything resembling a progressive in those areas is slim. The best we can hope for right now is a centrist Dem.

Yeah, I would love to be able to get a Kucinich clone elected to the senate in Mississippi. Good effing luck with that.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

72. Wrong wrong wrong wrong

Screw the party. We do not care who they run. What matters is that a smart, liberal, ethical, and moral person decide to try. That would be a great first step. And she/he/it may win.

[Creideiki]

71. Obama won the southeastern NE district that includes Omaha and Lincoln

You're right. Nebraskans just won't vote for anyone who's even marginally progressive. /sarcasm

[brooklynite]

73. ...and lost the state by 120,000 votes.

If Omaha and Lincoln get their own Senate seat we can talk. Until then, it's a state-wide race.

[Omaha Steve]

52. Scott Kleeb did run for senate

He only got 40% of the vote 4 years ago while Obama was popular and won Omaha.

[progressoid]

57. Progressive Democrats in Nebraska...

They occasionally run, but they don't win here.

[RoccoR5955]

10. Good riddance to bad rubbish! n/t

[dmallind]

17. Let's see how all the folks who claim it's easy to replace Blue Dogs with "real" Dems now.

This is a perfect example. I believe Nelson had a party line voting record of 79% IIRC. Close enough anyway. 20-1 odds on anybody with a better record getting elected there. (BTW the BEST Republican votes with Dems in the teens). Come on folks - give the electorate a REAL Dem to vote for and show how easy it is to replace "DINOs" and how wise it is to want to dump them....

[liskddksil]

20. but why waste resources that can go to winnable races, such as Warren's, Berkley's, Heitkamp's etc.

to prop up Nelson, who is not popular, and who did everything in his power to muck up the health-care bill.

[dmallind]

29. Because of the 79%. Who gets to lead the Senate and committees depends on numbers too. nt

[liskddksil]

34. which is why we need use our limited resources to help the candidates that can win, so we can hold

and expand our majority. By not having to throw money away at Ben Nelson, who was unpopular in his own state as he is here, we can make a stronger play at these winnable races.

[russspeakeasy]

70. Good call....Nelson is another Lieberman....asshole.

[kenfrequed]

35. And what did he do on those committees?

He actually helped prevent real reform on the banks to get out of committee in both the financial services and the commerce committees. His Blue Dogs actually screwed us and screwed the President when they organized in December of 2008, a month before President Obama even took the oath of office they were already setting up to position themselves atop the scales and tip things as they pleased.

I'm sorry but these guys are part of the problem.

[stevenleser]

43. And his far right GOP replacement? How do you think they will vote on those committees? nt

[dmallind]

49. You miss the point. The Senate numbers determine who leads and forms committees

Even if the voting records were not 60% betterr from the worst Dem to the best Rep, A D is always better than an R because the more Ds we have the more committee power - on ALL committees.

[kenfrequed]

83. But the trade off seems to be...

That the establishment conservative blue dogs seemed to squat on the leadership positions in some of these committees despite the fact that in the house the progressive subcaucus was the largest subcaucus. Our party was snowed into believing a great folly.

There have always been those who work for compromise between the parties. This is not a bad thing in most cases. Our problem came when we abandoned positions and crowned the compromisers as the leaders of the party. This had the effect of marginalizing the left and redefining starting points in all negotiations toward the center of the political spectrum. In negotation starting out from a position that might be considered a reasonable (or tolerable) compromise is probably the worst way to end up in that position.

But it is these people that made up the failed DLC faction that saw putting the absolute centrists in charge of the leadership of the party. In most economic issues this was responsible for a large shift to the right and it is quite possible that the rightward shift of the republican party might have been made more plausible because of this.

(I would digress that if this was the intent, it seemed like an interesting tactic, but clearly it hasn't worked out as planned.)

Compounding this problem is the fact that most of these democrats among the Blue Dog/third way/DLC set tend to be especially well financed in terms of campaign contributions from corporate america which further compromises their objectiviety and integrity.

[harun]

48. Sometimes things need to get worse before they can get better. Nelson is a sell-out to the 1% if

Nebraska wants to keep electing rep's of the 1% they'll have to live with the consequences.

[Bozita]

2. How long until he passes through the revolving door and reappears as a healthco lobbyist?

[TheWraith]

3. Minimum five years under the new law, I believe. nt

[kenfrequed]

36. Really??!!

Awesome!

Unless of course there is some work around like being a spokesman, or a consultant, or being paid to write a book about how the Democratic party is too conservative with some kind of grant by the healthcare industry... who knows what loopholes might lay in such a law. After all, it was designed by the people who benefit in being able to wriggle free of it.

[TheWraith]

38. Dunno about loopholes, but I'm pretty sure the waiting period for lobbyist is 5 years now.

It was the subject of some reforms a couple years ago. Subsequently a couple of retiring Republican Senators resigned instead of waiting for their term to expire, so as to beat the new time limits and get out while the old waiting period (two years) was still in effect.

[kenfrequed]

79. Well then...

Maybe the law is stronger than I thought. That would be a hopefule sign, I guess I'm hesitantly optimistic then.

[bigdarryl]

5. GOOD RIDENCE!!!

ASSHOLE!!!! should really make a difference if a rethug takes that seat because Nelson was a Corporate Democrate anyway

[SadPanda]

6. Say Bye Bye to that seat

While he certainly wasn't the best Democratic Senator at least he caucused with the Dems. May as well just write that state off now.

[bigdarryl]

11. Why don't you wait and see who's running on our side before you CHICKEN OUT!!!

[OmahaBlueDog]

14. Why don't you face facts?

The seat will go to Dave Heinneman (if he chooses to run) or AG John Bruning - both of whom are hardcore righties. The only Dems who would even be viable would be Bob Kerrey (he's already said no), former Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey (not terribly popular) and Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle (barely survived a 2010 recall).

[Bluenorthwest]

26. And that fact, if it is a fact, is a failure on the part of the Party leadership, national

and State. It is their job to ready candidates and keep a 'deep bench'. They keep failing to do so in States that offer any form of competition. It is a failure of Party leadership, and most of them are 'centrist moderates' like Nelson, they should know dozens of people to run for that seat. Why don't they know any at all?
No sensible organization puts all it's eggs in one person's basket. Idiots do that.

[joeglow3]

51. Explain how you get a "deep bench" when you cannot even elect a Democratic janitor.

[kenfrequed]

31. I am happy

That you at least wear your Blue dog support on your shoulder.

The fact of the matter is that it is the Nelsons and the Bayhs and their ilk that are as much to blame as anything for our losses in 2010. By giving the republicans constant fillibuster cover and by facilitating the most obstructionist minority parties tantrums in the history of the US it made it harder for the White House to paint the reality of what the republicans were doing.

By blocking progressive reform in the committees and failing to call out the fillibusters it prevented crucial up or down votes on issues we could have hung around the necks of the repukes and smothered the tea party before it got going. They would have been standing up for obstructionism and against serious reform.

Moreover people like Bayh and Nelson stood with the banks at every turn making it impossible to get proper regulation put against these people when it should have been childs play to do so since they were recieving our money. We could have cornered the pro-bank republicans and painted them exactly for who they support.

The fact is that Bayh and his bunch cut our heels out from under us in December of 2008 when they formed up their blue dog caucus before President Obama even took the oath of office. Had they not been bank loving weenies we might have actually accomplished a hell of a lot more and it is these same weenies that helped ruin healthcare by forcing out the public option. After all, because healthcare reform was done during budget consolidation we only needed a simple majority to pass it so it could have been as Democratic as all get out.

And what has become of most of the Blue Dogs? Exactly what one would expect. Fail to excite the Democrats in your state and fail to represent their interests and the interests of the poor and working class and they will not show up to vote for your ass.

And where did these guys immediately go to to find work? Those wonderful people in the lobbying industry that have been so wonderful to us.

Someday Nebraska will vote for a real Democrat. Soon? Who can say, but eventually it will happen.

[PassingFair]

33. +1000

In the words of Eugene Debs, I'd rather vote for what I want and
not get it than vote for what I don't want and get it.

Now if we can get rid of the other Nelson twin....



Yuck!

[Myrina]

39. +1Brazillion

[Pab Sungenis]

63. And that will change the vote on key issues...how?

Nelson was almost consistently a vote against the Democratic agenda. The only difference is in control of the Senate and I have a sneaking suspicion his seat won't change that.

[OmahaBlueDog]

75. He voted against the Dem agenda a little over half the time

..which is bad, I concede. However, he did vote with us on key issues (such as health care reform) and will be missed when whatever Mike Johanns clone becomes the new junior senator from Nebraska.

[Pab Sungenis]

78. I've said it before and will say it again.

Supporting Blue Dogs only hurts us in the end.

When you have a member of your own party voting against your key agenda items, or supporting filibusters by the opposition, then they're doing you harm. And if you keep sending them back because they put your letter after their name but do next to nothing else, it's self defeating.

It's easier in the long run to replace someone from the opposition with someone who will vote your way than it is to eject an entrenched member of your own party. Now that Nelson's gone, even if a Republican takes the seat for six years, we stand a better chance of putting a real Democrat in place next time.

[JEB]

7. Go big red.

Nebraska, you're better than Bennie the Boob. Hope he enjoys his Government health care for the rest of miserable little life.

[craigmatic]

8. Nelson has no balls. At least go down fighting instead of quitting.

[OmahaBlueDog]

16. He's been running a PR -type series of TV ads for months

People here outside of Omaha are strongly anti-Obama, and won't forgive him for being the 60th vote on health care reform. I'm guessing one of two things:

a) The pollsters said the ads weren't making a dent
b) Dave Heinneman said he'd run for the seat (I'd guess this is unlikely, since the NGOP has been grooming John Bruning for two years)

[Bluenorthwest]

27. This is a sincere question from a life time blue state guy...

Do people who are actually 'anti-Obama' and opposed to health care reform really vote for other Democratic candidates at all? They are anti reform anti Obama Democrats? What makes them Democrats, family tradition?

[stevenleser]

40. Yes. They have a different concept of what it means to be a Democrat. Best evidence of this

are the county Democratic Parties in the panhandle of Florida. Check them out sometime. See what they believe.

[OmahaBlueDog]

76. Sincere answer

Nelson was liked in Nebraska because he was a Democrat, which appealed to folks in Omaha (especially those in organized labor) and to some extent Lincoln, but also was very pro gun rights (he's an avid hunter who consistently got high marks from the NRA) and pro-ag. He had been a popular governor, and was a reasonably popular senator with members of both parties here in Nebraska until he voted for health care reform, which is irrationally unpopular here.

[slay]

15. Good

n/t

[Bozita]

30. WOW, check out the headlines over at HuffPo right now!

BEN FOLDS
Human Impediment To Progress Retiring From Senate
NELSON'S GREATEST HITS: Blocked Jobless Aid.. Helped Kill Foreclosure Bill.. Health Care Disaster.. Blocked Financial Reform Debate.. First Public Option Opponent.. 'Tragic, Pathetic Figure'
Ben's Words Of Wisdom: 'I Know About The Holograms'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/?country=US

[DeathToTheOil]

32. One of the actual headlines on HuffPo:

Human Impediment To Progress Retiring From Senate

[harun]

45. LOL, I have to agree.

[OKNancy]

41. kick this one up

[Tx4obama]

44. Which now makes 7 Democrats and 2 Republicans retiring from The Sentate - LIST on link below

List of U.S. Senators that have 'announced' that they are NOT running for the Senate in 2012
http://www.democraticunderground.com/110090

[harun]

46. Excellent news. Horrible, horrible Senator.

[uppityperson]

53. PLEASE CHANGE FORMAT to go with LBN rules.Thank you.

News stories must have been published within the last 12 hours. Use the published title of the story as the title of the discussion thread.

[perdita9]

54. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

[itsnotaboutu]

55. Best News...

I've heard all year.

[jonthebru]

56. He is a selfish stupid old man.

Nothing he does is for the greater good for his constituents or the country.

[MrSlayer]

58. So, the seat will continue to be held by a Republican.

Except the next one won't be in the closet.

I'm sure it's possible to get a real Democrat in there. I just think it is very, very unlikely.

[Safetykitten]

59. "I know all there is to know about the holograms"...sung to the Crying Game

[Jim Lane]

60. I dislike Ben Nelson but I like Pat Leahy and Barbara Boxer.

Nelson's decision makes it less likely that Dems will hold the Senate.

Nelson screwed us on health care and on (insert complete list here) but he supported Pat Leahy to chair the Judiciary Committee. The ranking Republican, who'll probably become Chair if the Republicans pick up a couple seats net, is Charles Grassley.

Over at Environment and Public Works, Nelson's vote helped Barbara Boxer replace James Inhofe as Chair. Inhofe, one of the leading global-warming deniers in Congress, is still the ranking member, and will probably resume control if there's a Republican majority.

Think of an issue, any issue. Figure out which Senate committee deals with it and look at the committee's roster. Compare the current chair (a Democrat) with the ranking member (a Republican). If you can contemplate the change with equanimity then you're not paying attention.

[Jester Messiah]

61. Good riddance to that traitorous piece of garbage. [nt]

[Pab Sungenis]

62. Nelson not seeking re-election

[LynneSin]

64. A republican will replace his seat and outside the letter we won't be able to tell the difference

There are very few democrats that I have so crossed off my list that their retirement (or loss in the election) would not upset me.

Ben Nelson was never a team player. I mean geez even once in a blue moon Joe Lieberman would get it right when it came to women's issues or gay rights.

All I can say is good riddance and don't let the door slam you on the ass on the way out.

[DonCoquixote]

65. One more Dino

becomes extinct. let's add Max Baucus next.

[julian09]

68. Just now Laurence O'Donnell just said that Bob Kerry DIDN'T rule out run nt

[emulatorloo]

84. He was joking (imitating reporting on Chris Christie)

When Christie says he is not running, talking heads and reporters would say "he left it open"

[lonestarnot]

66. Yippeekiyo!

How many more to go? Bluedogs begone.

[unkachuck]

67. see ya, bennie....don't let the door hit you in the ass....n/t

[DallasNE]

69. Nelson's Fate Was Sealed

When he provided the 60th vote to end the filibuster on the Affordable Care Act. This Jon Bruning guy is an over the cliff right wing nut but is a shoe-in to be elected. Think Joe Miller if you want to know what kind of guy he is.

[OmahaBlueDog]

77. I knew Bruning was the guy when they ran a massive ad camaign for his unopposed run for AG

There's some talk that Lee Terry or Heinemann might jump in. I don't think so.

Lee Terry is from an Omaha political family, and has held the seat in NE 2 for coming on a decade now (Omaha Steve can correct me). The problem with Terry running is that NE - 2, despite gerrymandering, could be lost. The Dems are running a reasonably popular Douglas County Treasurer named John Ewing against Terry. He's young and African-American, and a known local name. He could easily sweep into a vacant seat; as it is, I'll give him a puncher's chance against Terry, who has had some close scrapes.

Heinemann could easily win the seat, but if you're the NGOP, why not run someone young who can stay in the seat for three decades?

[lsewpershad]

81. Good riddance