Ricketts' funding level boosts cap on (Ben) Nelson (Dino-Ne) gifts

[Omaha Steve]

Full story reg req:http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2223257



Published Sunday
August 13, 2006

Ricketts' funding level boosts cap on Nelson gifts

BY ELIZABETH AHLIN


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The priciest political race in Nebraska history just got a little more expensive.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pete Ricketts has given an additional $1.7 million to his campaign, bringing his total personal contributions for the general election to $2.425 million, said campaign spokeswoman Jessica Moenning.

That will trigger the so-called "millionaires' amendment," a provision of federal election law that will allow Ricketts' opponent, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, to collect more money from individual contributors.

snip: "This is a race that's drawing a lot of interest, not just in Nebraska, but nationwide," said John Hibbing, political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "It's just going to make it easier for Nelson to raise money."

[acmavm]

1. Well I would say that this proves that the old saw that 'anyone can grow

up to be pResident' or senator or whatever is a thing of the past.

If you're rich enough you just buy the election.

[Staph]

2. The same thing happened to Robert C. Byrd . . .

in West Virginia. His opponent, noted millionaire lunatic, John Raese, has loaned or given $1.5 million to his own campaign.

For details, see http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2006081219

FYI, I'm not terribly worried about Senator Byrd. He's raised $4.3 million, compared to Raese's $1.3 million. Apparently the national Republicans assume that Raese hasn't a chance.

[davidinalameda]

3. Raese was the wrong candidate to take on Byrd

if the Repukes in WV had any sense, they would have chosen another candidate

I'm a former WVian

:hi:

[Staph]

4. My guess is . . .

no one else really wanted the hopeless task of taking on the institution that is Robert C. Byrd. Raese is just nutty enough to do it, and so rich that no one has ever said no to him (well, except for the voters that elected Rockefeller for senator in 1984 and those who voted for Arch Moore for governor in the 1988 Republican primary).