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Published Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010 | 1:30 p.m.
Updated Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 | 11:04 a.m.
Bill Raggio
In a reflection of what they say is the mood of their constituents, Senate Republicans purged Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, from their leadership in a unanimous vote today.
Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, stepped in as leader, pursuing the post after constituents in Pahrump and in Churchill County asked him to do something about Raggio’s support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid instead of Republican Sharron Angle.
Raggio said he withdrew his name from consideration because he didn’t want to create discord in the caucus.
“There are a lot of agitators like Chuck Muth in the world and Tea Partiers who think I committed a mortal sin because I didn’t support Angle,” he said. “I didn’t want that to be part of the process.”
Raggio appeared calm and at peace with the decision in his first press interview with the Las Vegas Sun in the minutes following the caucus vote. His phone ringing off the hook, he sought to reassure friends that he’s not upset with the decision.
“This is not a swan song,” he said.
But Raggio, who has long fought for what he describes as a pragmatic budget approach that doesn’t starve the state of revenue needed to fund essential services, also is stepping out of what are expected to be intense and difficult budget negotiations.
He resigned from the Senate Finance Committee, saying he doesn’t want a hand in what his caucus will attempt to do.
“They have their own budget objectives and I don’t want to be an impediment to those,” he said. “I want them to have the leeway to deal with the budget in their own terms.”
Not all in the caucus were happy with decision, despite it being unanimous.
Sen. Dean Rhodes, R-Tuscarora, said he “supported” the decision. Asked if he was happy, he said: “None of us are happy all of the time.”
McGinness said he began counting heads after the Churchill County Republican Central Committee asked him to seek the leadership spot.
“When I got to six, I knew I had the support,” he said.
He would not name the six. Sen. Ben Kieckhefer and Sen. James Settelmeyer both said the decision was “unanimous” and would not say whether they backed McGinness’s effort.
Raggio said he doesn’t regret his decision to vote for Reid.
“There’s no way I could support her,” he said of Angle, who ran a bitter primary challenge against Raggio in 2008.
But he had a warning about allowing ideological “my way or the highway” divisions in the party.
“This may be a Pyrrhic victory for them,” he said. “The desire to splinter the party may come back to haunt them as it’s done in the past.”
I dont know the man yet If I met him I would say Thank You for your support of Harry Reid. In your heart you knew it was the right and proper thing to do for NEVADA.
Therefore I sincerely thank you
Raggio = RINO
Good riddance...
With internal hostilities aside I hope we can move forward in creating a responsible and sustainable budget. Since Democrats have promised to look at everything on the table, I think Republicans should do just that.
http://prgibbons.blogspot.com/2010/11/ev...
What a shame that the republican party is so willing to cut off it's nose to spite it's face.
Raggio was a strong leader worthy of respect.
Rather than posting a self-promoting link that's absolutely off-topic from the transfer of power between Senator Raggio and Senator McGinness, I'll note that Raggio was right, and endorsed the candidate that Nevadans chose to represent them in the United States Senate.
Raggio's bravery will be missed after his last term, and the spineless, unprincipled few who would purge their party of any but the most extreme voices will quickly learn a lesson.
Raggio should know the routine by now.
Either goosestep in perfect unison with the zombies or be declared an un-American traitor.
That's fine, we don't need two Democratic parties in Nevada. The folks need a clear choice between unemployment checks (Dems) and paychecks (GOP).
Question: If Reid becomes incapacitated, is there a special election or does the governor appoint his successor?
Without compromise you get gridlock. The extreme right has exposed its position that there will be no compromise, although voters did not completely agree with their ideology.
The upcoming Session now promises to be a full-blown fiasco. Buckle your seatbelts.
You have to appreciate Mr Raggio's integrity. It must have been a difficult decision to cross party lines. Yet, he put his money (and position) where his mouth is. Voting a straight party ticket does a dis-service to the republic as there are thoughtful and good people on both sides of the aisle. Mr Raggio should be commended not pilloried.
Goodby Raggo the RINO..
Wait for the next election and Raggo will be gone forever...
Sorry Raggio, you aren't far enough right for todays NEW GOP........you need to make more outlandish, wacky statements, you need to alienate more segments of the population, you need to run from the press and above all else, only talk thru rightwingnut radio and TV where your nutty utterances will be applauded and reap you windfalls of campaign contributions !!!
The nuttier you are the more they will accpet you.........sense and moderation were for the Reagan era GOP.
His only sin was endorsing Reid. Staying away from Angle was fine, most of the party did the same.
A case of principal over ideology.
Raggio is right. This is a pyrrhic victory for the Nevada Republicans in the Senate. The citizens of Nevada voted in quite a margin to re-elect Reid and wanted nothing to do with Angle.
The Republicans in the state senate ousted him without thought about the consequences, like cutting off your own nose to spite your face. It will come back to haunt them. They and Sandoval are going to fail miserably and the good folks of Nevada are going to pay the price.
The electorate spoke - but did you vote for Gridlock? see this petition ; http://worktogetherDC.org
I agree with one of the posters. Raggio = Rino. But I think that the person who will learn a lession will be Raggio, the turncoat, who is as far out of touch with his constituants as Harry Reid.
tdkarabatsos...Question: If Reid becomes incapacitated, is there a special election or does the governor appoint his successor?
Answer: That is a hard one. If he is alive and incapacitated for like over 3 months then I guess he can be replaced. It could go to the courts to decide. Below is the NRS. It says vacancy caused by death, resignation or otherwise. Otherwise could be anything.
Reid did have that stroke that most people don't know about and he has been seeing a specialist (many people don't know about that either). He is old but he looked OK the other day.
NRS 304.030 Governor to appoint qualified person upon vacancy in office. In case of a vacancy in the office of United States Senator caused by death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor may appoint some qualified person to fill the vacancy, who shall hold office until the next general election and until his or her successor shall be elected and seated.
(Added to NRS by 1960, 281)
I happened to look at the Reno Gazette online before I went to the Las Vegas Sun and found this story. It's really funny the difference between how the two newspapers portray Mr. Raggio's comments.
Thank you to Mr. Raggio for his long service to the State of Nevada, for your good ideas and for keeping the crazies in the Legislature at bay.
As to the Republican Party's new leaders in the Nevada Senate, good luck to you as the minority party. You might find that you have less influence than you did before.
Raggio "was" Republican Leader of the State Senate.
He "was" in a position of leadership and he should have kept his mouth shut if he did not want to support Sharron Angle, who was HIS party's candidate.
Raggio has had a long, rough history with Sharron Angle and personal feelings probably entered into Raggio's decision to become a "turn coat" to his political party...
This is shaping up to be a lot like Hitlers party, Now when I say that I am not calling the GOP or the tea party Nazis, It's that the similarities are so similar they cannot be ignored when you here things like party purity (Aryan)or turncoat (one who speaks his mind that may differ from the mantra)And your either with us or against us and us and them I pray that these people don't rule with anger and hate for we may have the same fate.
Mr. Raggio exercised his right of freedom of speech and now he is being punished for it.
Bill is going to get what he wants anyway, Sig is going to let him play conductor on the Corruption Express to Victorville.
While Raggio was GOP leader there was a greater likelihood that he would have worked with the caucus. Now as what amounts to an independent, he will feel no obligation to work with them and will, essentially, be a democrat, especially if the GOP moves much to the right. Essentially, it is not 11 to 10 but 12 to 9. And with redistricting on the menu this session, the ideologues have really shot themselves in the foot. Anyone want to bet what McGinness' district looks like next cycle? LOL
If Raggio was a Democrat and announced publicly that Sharron Angle was the preferred candidate, he probably would and should be removed from any positions of leadership in the Democrat Party.
Mr. Raggio exercised his right of freedom of speech and now he is paying the price for his bad judgment.
casinokid - they campaigned on Anger and Hate, why would their rule be any different?
I find it humorous how simplistic some of the rightwing comments are here. Thankfully we have ppl like botfx to represent the right with both honesty and sophistication, as compared to (or should I say contrasted with) those whose "analysis" consists of calling Raggio a RINO. I only hope those folks have greater visions when walking near anything than they do in their political perpsectives.
McGinness is a solid guy and knows the lay of the land well, but this is just an awful thing to have happened. It's indicitive of the continuing purification of the Republican Party. You must march in lockstep with the right-wing base or off with you head. There's no "big tent" here no matter what they say... the party has been hijacked by the ultra conservative, Christian right who tolerates no deviation from their core beliefs. There's no compromise in them on anything and not enough of them to dominate things, so how do we get business done with them? Beats me!
Hey Raggio: you like democrats so much become one.
@ smartone618
Where do devout LDS politicians fit in this picture of "the ultra conservative, Christian right who tolerates no deviation from their core beliefs" ???
This man did the right thing. He did not let a D or an R influence his vote. He voted for the best candidate and its a shame we have so many small minded people in this society who are dug into these extreme ideological views. This will not solve our problems. Thank you Mr. Raggio for doing the right thing.
Raggio has seen the light and is way too smart to remain an incompetent Republican any longer.
Hope he realizes the door to the Democratic Party is always open if he decides to abandon the GOP's suicidal rats and their capsized ship.
The reason Raggio doesn't fit in with the Republican Party is because he is because:
1. He is an individual
2. Has a memory greater than 1 month
3. Is able to understand what he is looking at
4. Believes in using the mental capabilities given to him to support the people of Nevada rather then those from National Republican Platform who support the US Chamber of Commerce and it's foreign interests ("US" here means Unnamed States).
Go for it Bill! You are a better Man then all of them.
The Concentration camps had their own badges for homosexuals - and the camps themselves were run by German Christians. Check it out at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concen...
Trade unionists, liberals, social democrats, Freemasons, anarchists all got the RED TRIANGLE BADGE.
Homosexuals got the PINK TRIANGLE BADGE.
What Badge will Raggio get?
hss46,
Thanks for the kind words, but I prefer to think of myself as being above the aisle. :) I'm much too liberal in some of my beliefs to be called a conservative. Remember, I like TR and Ike.
Good riddance, don't let the door hit you in the rear on the way out! For years Senator Raggio has steered the tax dollars away from the people of Clark County and given them to the cow counties. Clark County pays the tab for the entire state and gets almost nothing in return. Maybe the new Republican leadership will try to stop the spending and taxing and demand ballanced budget without raising taxes or making to deep of cuts. It's time the people who pay the bills get some rewards!
Raggio had a lot of clout. The Republicans just shot themselves in the foot.
Dear Mr. Raggio-thank you for being a class person
in the Nevada Republican Party. Many (Democrats/Independents) have always held you in very high esteem. You have always been a voice of reason.
Many of us will miss your quiet and thoughtful leadership from the other side of the aisle. Balanced is a good description for you. I Didn't always agree, but had deep respect. I now truly fear for Nevada's well being. Good luck to you and your family.
I've only read the "trusted" comments because I don't have any time or respect for cowards who spew their venom anonymously. I applaud you all for your honesty in coming forward but I have to say to every liberal who calls Raggio a "hero" and calls Conservatives names: you are hypocrites. Want proof? One name ought to do it: Joe Lieberman. How quick were the Dumbocrats to jettison their 2000 VP candidate when he did not "toe the line?" They ran a far left loon against him in the CT primary; Joe wiped the floor with him, then went on to get re-elected as an Independent. The Dumbocrats then licked his boots because he represented the crucial 60th vote in the U.S. Senate. So, the moral of this tale is: people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Beautiful!
Benedict Arnold has been sentenced. Justice has been served. Now go after the rest of the turncoats and bring them to the political gallows.
Why is TonyCrazo calling Meg Whitman a "traitor?"
Boy, these Democrats are still angry at everyone who did not vote their way.
And that's a lot of people...
Great point Mr. Fink...
Raggio is right that this shouldn't be about Angle but it seems he's too eager to raise taxes and not eager enough to look at creative ways to provide better services at a more reasonable price.
I think this is a great move because I didn't see Raggio holding the line long enough to get the Democrats to make enough concessions on spending cuts and reform. The fact that he states (for two straight years no less) that we've already cut to the bone, when government spending is barely down at all (especially compared to the private sector) just tells me he's not serious about making a responsible budget.
all the above said, I admit, I don't know (nor do most people) what goes on behind the scenes. It could very well be the case that Raggio has been able to thwart Democrats from making a worse mess of things.
This is entirely possible because politics is a game of give and take. Its just I don't know what the Democrats gave up in order to get the last two tax hikes.
Hey, Benedict Arnold? Looks like the British have open arms and are waiting for you to climb into bed with King Harry. Buh-bye!
Honestly Mr. Raggio, did you expect any other outcome?
Sharron Angle had 320,996 <45%> Nevadans votes.
Care to make your case with them?
RINO piece of garbage
Angle: CINO
The "C" is for Christian.
Even Heller did not want Angle to win. He gave wishy washy support to her candidacy then a few days before the election said maybe voting Reid out would not be a good thing for Nevada. Raggio had the courage of his convictions both in his support of Reid and a common sense approach to essential taxation to keep the state running. He took a hit, but most people respect his long service and we have not heard the last of him. Chuck Muth and the rest of the nattering nabobs from the right do not and cannot measure up to Bill Raggio.
Raggio One of the few Republicans who can be trusted.the others are all Angle and Palin jokers with nothing to contibute but bs.
Bill Raggio calls his ouster a 'pyrrhic victory' for GOP agitators who are singing:
"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day."
Join in there "whatever."
TonyCrazo rants about poor LarryVegas:
"And when you used the name gbigs you claimed to be an advisor to the Sharon Mangle campaign. Is that why she lost?"
As I have told TonyCrazo many times before, I do not know who "gbigs" is, and further more, I don't care.
Thank you very much...
Dippy is right. I need to pace myself. I have a hard time lasting over four hours now.
"larry vegas; take it easy, the strain of the last couple of days has been hard on you. pills and beer are a bad combination, eat some soup and have a glass of warm milk. you gotta learn to pace yourself."
Hey, this is America. Even old, bitter people still have a right to live! They may live every day in frustration and misery but they have a right...
Sen. Bill Raggio i s just one more casuality in the losing-side of the Republican Party in Nevada. The proximate cause of Senator Raggio's unseating is due to the Tea Party's lack of political and common sense in chosing a candidate for the office of U.S. Senator.
It appears that Senator Raggio chose to support the State of Nevada (via his endorsement of Harry Reid), instead of Sharon Angle (who was an obvious loser, and had no political savvy to go along with her illogical positions (rants) on the issues.
If the Republican Party could have advised the Tea Pary on who to choose for a candidate - and the Tea Party would have listened - the result of November 2 might have been different.
This is assuming that the Tea Party people have some "political experience," and understanding as to what it takes to win a political campaign. IF THEY DID HAVE such qualifications, and had chosen another candidate (like Sue Lowden) to support, Harry Reid might not have won this race. Because Sharon Angle had to defend her unfortunate rants on the issues, the heat was deflected from Harry Reid and his track record as Majority Leader. Sharon Angle defeated herself. She had no business running in the Senate race.
I believe that Sue Lowden (who most people would know was a former Nevada State Senator), could have beaten Harry Reid - on the issues. But Lowden was knocked out of the primary election by the Tea Party - and the Republican Party said nothing.
I would not support Harry Reid for re-election, because I do not agree with his track record. But I would not support Sharon Angle either - because of her illogical, radical, and unsupportable views on certain issues. Angle would not have been good for Nevada in the U.S Senate.
So, I don't blame Senator Raggio for supporting someone (Harry reid) who has the experience and seasoned ability to work in Washington, DC, as a U.S. Senator.
And Senator Raggio - a respected man in Nevada - who has been a good worker for the people of Nevada, has been removed from his position of leadership. Well, I have been around politics in Washington, DC, and Nevada, for over 28 years - and I find that even the guys in Washington are more forgiving than the Nevada Republican Party.
Some one herein said that the republicans may soon find some remorse for their actions. I believe that will become evident in the future.
@ dipstick:
I agree with you regarding Sue Lowdens rhetoric and campaign smarts. It seems that at some point, almost all politicians say or do something stupid; at the very least, not in the best interest of their objective: to convince voters to elect them.
In Sue Lowden's case, I believe she had either an inexperienced campaign manager, or the manager did not seek out and put forth, advice on how Lowden could convince the voters that she had both the experience for the U.S. Senate job, and had a track record of producing positive results.
But for the voters to be able to decide if her talents and experience were enough for the job, she (and the campaign manager) had to FIRST - identify them for the voters.
What got me interested in Lowden's candidacy was some good things that she has done in the past - some of which show her caring and character; qualities that a U.S. Senator should have. She also cares about Nevada, and has been involved in promoting the Las Vegas business environment; something that a U.S. Senator from Nevada needs to do too.
Before the primary, I read a news article published by a Las Vegas Veterans' organization that illustrated some of the work Sue Lowden did to support our troops while touring in Vietnam with BOB HOPE.
I have seen both her personal and professional sides. She has shown compassion for people, was a news reporter in Los Angeles, established a positive political track record in the Nevada State Senate, and has shown her business knowlege as co-owner (still?) of the Sahara Hotel and Casino. All these qualities, should have been trumpted as part of the foundation for her election. But this did not happen - and she was not seen, or promoted in the light that she should have been.
If such tidbits of her personal "track record" were made public during the campaign, (without the chickens bit) - her accomplishments could have built support among the voters as a person very qualified to be a U.S. Senator.
As we have seen many times, politicans are elected - to some extent - on the basis of how their positions on the issues are perceived, how competent they are "to get the job done," and how well they liked by the voters (democrat, independent, or republican).
So if her message was not getting out during the campaign - she should have changed campaign managers and run, in part, on her life-long accomplishments; thus providing a reflection of the quality of person she is. THEN, she would have had a chance to do verbal battle with Harry Reid on the issues. And because of Reid's current disfavor - even in Nevada - Lowden just may have won the election.
dipstick - thanks for your coments.
What these career politico's don't get is that we the people are tired of them making a lifetime career (and hence lifetime pensions) out of feeding off the public trough.
Enough is enough of the career politician.