It's a pleasure to note that the Republican party split is getting wider. The split -- between Republican loyalists and radicals -- may ruin the that party's effort to take the Senate in November.
The Hill calls it a fight between conservatives (tea partyers) and the "establishment" (Republicans). Except tea partyers are knuckle-draggers, not conservatives, so between "radicals" or knuckle-draggers and "establishment" is probably more accurate. Conservatives are generally the thoughtful Republicans, old and young, who are no longer welcome in a party where radical know-nothings and authoritarians hold sway. I make these distinctions because it's important to recognize that conservatism (like liberalism) is being given a bad name by the current rightwing rebels and thugs.
The Senate Republican primary in Nebraska has turned into a proxy war between conservatives and establishment Republicans that could complicate efforts to wrest control of the Senate from Democrats. ...The Hill
South Carolina's Jim DeMint is pushing his way into the center of the fight once again, determined that Nebraska take a hard right turn.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a leading voice for Tea Party conservatives in Washington, has made an aggressive bid to defeat Jon Bruning, the front-runner in the primary, because of lingering doubts about his commitment to conservative principles. ...The Hill
The Dems are pretty optimistic that Bob Kerrey (ex-governor and former presidential candidate) could take the seat back for Democrats. The Senate seat in question is currently held by Ben Nelson, a retiring DINO no one will miss.
Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the Senate Democrats’ chief political strategist, said GOP discord in Nebraska has helped his party’s chances of clinging to Senate control.
I wonder if Schumer really said "cling" or whether this is a sample of The Hill's, um, reportorial integrity? The Democrats have a clear majority in the Senate, which is why the right has used or threatened use of the filibuster on a regular basis.
“In Nebraska we’re 50-50 and I think in Nebraska, once the primary is over and people get to focus on who the Republican actually is, Kerrey’s going to do even better,” he said of Democratic candidate Bob Kerrey, who represented the Cornhusker State in the Senate from 1989 to 2001.
“There’s only one state where the strong likelihood is there’s a pick-up. That’s Maine and that’s ours. You go to the next group, it includes North Dakota and Nebraska, and they’re 50-50 states, which is great for us,” Schumer said. ...The Hill
