NE-02 candidate Jim Esch, a fellow that many thought to be cut from a very progressive bolt of cloth has just announced his endorsement of lifelong Republican, industrialist, and Bush Buddy, Tony Raimondo, for the U.S. Senate in Nebraska. This is a HUGE step backward for the progress that Nebraska's Democrats have made in the past couple of years.
OMAHA (AP) - Democratic Senate hopeful Tony Raimondo has received an endorsement from an unexpected source - Jim Esch, who's running for the 2nd District House seat.
Esch, also a Democrat, said Thursday he know some people will be surprised by the endorsement because many of his supporters also are strong supporters of Raimondo opponent Scott Kleeb.
But Esch says he's convinced Raimondo is the most qualified candidate and has the best chance to beat former governor and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in November.
Surprised? Hell, I've been run over by a steamroller.
How in the hell could a guy like Jim Esch, the guy that ran a populist, grassroots organization without Ben Nelson's Nebraska Democratic Party backing him in 2006, yet turned in the best performance in any of the three congressional districts in Nebraska, turn his back on his supporters and go for a guy like Raimondo? Especially going against another Democrat that, like Esch, was able to stir up a frenzy of grassroots support - Scott Kleeb?
I hope I'll wake up soon and discover this was a bad dream caused by something bad that I ate.