Kleeb, Raimondo Split Newspaper Endorsements
May 08, 01:06 PM CST
The two biggest papers in the state are divided when it comes to the Nebraska Democratic Senate Primary.
On Sunday, the Omaha-World Herald wrote that Nebraskans would be best served by a Raimondo-Johanns matchup in the fall:
Tony Raimondo
On the Democratic side, Raimondo stands out for his long record of accomplishment and civic dedication. He is a business leader who grew an international business in a small Nebraska city where skeptics told him it could not easily be done.
He has extensive firsthand experience in dealing with companies and governments around the globe. His decades of practical experience in the world of international business have given him important insight into economics, work force training and education.
In Columbus, Raimondo has earned respect as a civic leader. On a statewide level, he has been a dedicated promoter of efforts to inform young people about the employment opportunities in Nebraska’s manufacturing sector.
Raimondo is an economic conservative and a political centrist – a position on the ideological spectrum quite similar to that of his close friend, Sen. Ben Nelson. Partisans who paint Raimondo as a pure Republican who switched parties opportunistically would have a hard time explaining his long support for Nelson as his previous support for centrist candidates.
Raimondo is a competitor of unusual determination and strength. Those qualities would serve him well if he is given the opportunity to go up against Johanns in the general election…
Today, the Lincoln Journal-Star fired back with its endorsement of Scott Kleeb:
Scott Kleeb
Kleeb offers an appealing blend of intelligence, drive to get things done and thoughtfulness on the issues.
These qualities are on display when Kleeb discusses the nuances and complexities of the future role of the United States in Iraq.
Kleeb understands that a precipitous pullout could be disastrous for U.S. interests in the Mideast, and for the millions of people in Iraq and nearby countries who would find themselves drawn into expanding violence…
Kleeb’s thoughtfulness and pragmatism is demonstrated by his stance on health care reform. He said he is attracted to a plan devised by Dr. Richard O’Brien and others that was presented to Sen. Chuck Hagel’s Health Care Commission…
Kleeb also wants to address a profound weakness in the nation’s energy policy. During the past seven years, he points out, the nation has done far too little to encourage conservation. It’s time, he says, to provide incentives for conserving energy that are at least comparable to the incentives offered for increased production.
Reading these editorials, it seems Nebraska Democrats have a tough decision to make on Tuesday.
Unlike the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star, the Nebraska Democratic Party does not endorse candidates in contested primary contests. We attempt to provide timely updates and offer the same opportunities to all candidates.
– by Eric Van Horn | Send this to a friend
We just don’t need more of the same.We need people in office who have a conceptual frame work that enables them to think clearly about both domestic and international issues.We do not need politicians who say that we would “obliterate”Iran or who would have us remain in Iraq for a hundred years.Nor do we need tax cuts for the rich!
Which of the two candidates would fit the bill.I do not think that it would be a former Bush supporter!
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He’s a social conservative in many of the worst ways possible and he’s backed Bush’s war since it began. There’s even a conservative blogspot (highplainspatriot.blog) that has “denounced” him saying (and I quote)
“Since originally having this column printed, it appears that Tony Raimondo’s position has swung to the left and I would have to amend my closing comments. I now have serious doubts about his position on the war in Iraq.”
What I find interesting about this is that they have him quoted on their site from March 30, 2008 with a bunch of pro-Iraq war rhetoric.
How did Mr. Raimondo make such a radical shift in such a short amount of time?
I feel very uneasy about this new and improved “Democratic” version of Raimondo.
When I was listening to him last night I kept thinking, “So, how is the guy a Democrat? He’s clearly Republican on all of the significant issues SAVE the Iraq War.”
I log on this morning to find about more about his viewpoint on the Iraq War and find out that this is his NEW viewpoint on the Iraq War (changed within the last couple of months).
This smells of trouble to me.
It looks to me like he’s decided to run as a democrat:
1) Because it does look like the GOP is going to suffer a major defeat this year even within red states (thus running Democrat might be a wise idea if you want to win)
2) The republicans have quite the little bundle of “names” that are running and frankly, who wants to run against Reb Party favorites (Johan is the name I’m thinking of)?
I think this switch of parties is a matter of convenience and my vote will reflect my opinion.
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