Interesting article about the Ben Nelson-Ag Sec buzz.

[LiberalAndProud]

Think back to last July. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz – a hawk and guiding light of the neoconservatives – made an appearance in Omaha. He said the war in Iraq was succeeding and worth fighting, even though no weapons of mass destruction had been found, etc.
Wolfowitz then commenced to praising Nelson in a big way, right there in front of God and a bunch of Republican big shots and the whole darned Chamber of Commerce!
Wolfowitz said Nelson had shown "great fairness, great judgment great bipartisanship" as a member of the Armed Services Committee.
Wolfowitz then paused for a moment, turned to Nelson and said: “Thank you, Ben."
Don’t think the Wolfowitz praise of Nelson’s work was off-the-cuff. It was a “thank you” in more than a social context. Republican Gov. Mike Johanns (who wants the senate job) was sitting just a few feet away when Wolfowitz did his homage to Nelson. Wolfowitz had made clear that the administration was grateful to Nelson and it was, by golly, going to publicly acknowledge it.

http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/11/18/419c616c3a6d1

[prairie populist]

1. So, if Nelson does take the post, what's the Dems' plan?

It's clear that Johanns will run for the senate seat in 06, so he will only appoint someone who will not run against him in two years.

Any ideas on who that might be?

And, if Nelson is ag sec, and Johanns does run for senate in 06, who will the Dems counter with?

I don't know what Kim Robak's plans are since getting passed over for the university position, but I think she would make a great candidate to run against Johanns. She travelled extensively around outstate Nebraska when she was gov lite and really connected with people.

Any other ideas out there? The Democratic Party needs to be forging strategies and coalitions now, not pissing and moaning about the situation as it unfolds.

Damn, where's Bob Kerrey when we need him?

[huskerlaw]

2. The NE Dem Party

needs to find itself some candidates period. Honestly, I'm sitting here pondering names of potential candidates and Kim Robak's about all I'm coming up with. I love Kim, but only being able to come up with one name is pathetic. We can piss and moan about the repubs taking over all we want, but it seems to me like we're just kinda sitting back and letting them do it.

[TheFarseer]

3. Yeah slim pickings

Connealy eventhough he lost, he's still a good candidate, I don't know what happened to Hoppner, but I liked him. Maybe Ernie Chambers is ready for the jump to National Politics ha ha

[prairie populist]

4. Oh yeah, Hoppner

I'd forgotten about him. He was a good guy.

Do you remember how bad the Weird Herald polls were in that election? They had Hoppner way down percentage-wise and showed it neck and neck between Nelson and Harris. I almost voted for Nelson just because I couldn't stand the thought of Harris getting the nomination. But in the end, Nelson barely edged Hoppner.

I always wondered if other people who might have voted for Hoppner baled after those polls numbers showed him so far down.

[Rainbowreflect]

5. I worked on Hoppner's campaign in that election.

I was so disappointed when Nelson won. I have never liked Nelson.

[acmavm]

6. Nelson is just a closet republican. Never really made that flip from

repub to democrat. Just needed to find a party that would allow him to run for the Senate. He just votes with the bush* administration regardless. Hagel goes against them more than Nelson, and I am NOT a Hagel fan either.

Nebraska finding a viable politicians? Where the hell are we gonna come up with them? Grow them like we do corn? Anyone who amounts to someone in this state either beats ass out of here as fast as they can or turns into some republican turd hearse who's with an angle on how to fuck over the citizens of this state. And believe me, it ain't hard. We are the only state in the nation with a unicameral system and went republican because of the civil rights act and the equal rights amendment.

Shit, they're just offering him that position to eliminate another democratic senator. But Ben will hardly be missed. They know they can count on him no matter what position he's in.