8 Comments
Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Published Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 | 7:24 a.m.
Updated Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 | 7:24 a.m.
Rural Nevada may have been on the wrong end of the U.S. Senate race, overwhelmingly going for Sharron Angle. But in the aftermath, some rural activists wreaked revenge on the state’s most prominent GOP icon, state Sen. Bill Raggio, by pushing for his ouster as Senate leader.
The night before the venerable Raggio withdrew his name for consideration and ceded the job to Fallon’s Mike McGinness, Jim DeGraffenreid, the legislative chairman of the Douglas County Republican Party, sent out an alert:
"As many of you know, on October 8, state Senator Bill Raggio endorsed Harry Reid for United States Senate. This would have been a surprising move for any Republican, but it was particularly disturbing coming from the Republican Senate Minority Leader. This endorsement was gleefully pounced on by the Reid campaign, and was arguably a significant factor in Sharron Angle’s defeat yesterday.
"The Senate Republican Caucus is meeting tomorrow morning at 10:00 am to select their leader for the 2011 legislative session. Senator Raggio traditionally would retain his post with unanimous support, but many are questioning whether this is appropriate given his support for one of the most liberal and destructive Nevada senators.
"Senator Mike McGinness will be seeking the leadership position at tomorrow’s meeting, and I’m writing to you to ask you to contact the Senators listed below either this evening or early tomorrow morning to express your support for Senator McGinness. Senator Raggio has had a long and distinguished career as a Nevada Senator, and many of these Senators will feel pressured to support him despite the damage that his recent voting record and endorsement of our opponent has done to the Republican party. It’s important to let these senators know that they have the support of Nevada citizens to make the right choice tomorrow.
"Four Nevada counties – Churchill, Clark, Douglas and Elko – passed unanimous resolutions asking Senator Raggio to resign as minority leader, and asking the Republican Caucus to vote him out if he failed to resign. These four resolutions have been presented to all ten Republican senators, and are attached for your information.
"If you agree that Senator Raggio’s ability to effectively represent our party has been compromised, please contact these senators and let them know. Please feel free to forward this to family and friends so that they can express their support as well. Thank you!"
I have posted a couple of the rural resolutions at right. Clark County was on it, too, with the Tea Party-infused southern GOP also calling for Raggio's cashiering. I have posted that one at right, too.
The grass roots were on fire, and Raggio was immolated.
As a liberal/progressive, I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Given how hated Reid is, it is pretty clear that a significant number of Republicans statewide were unwilling to accept a far right candidate (Angle) while being very willing to accept a moderate conservative (Sandoval). In the face of that clear result, it is just astonishing that the state GOP would move itself to the right by dumping Raggio.
The "good news" is Raggio, a lame duck to begin with, is now completely free to vote his conscience rather than to be bound to the GOP caucus he would have led. The bad news is that the caucus is likely to "Gibbonsian" in its anti tax rigidity.
The problem is that too few Nevadans really have a clue about the Nevada budget. Sandoval yesterday suggested that we needed to return to 2007 spending/revenue levels. While that isnt' viewed as a good thing by anyone who believes that state services shouldn't be cut, the reality is that to get to that level some taxes will be required. The battle in the legislature over how 2007 levels will be funded will presumably require some increases, certainly something like extending the 2009 increases (which are due to sunset on June 30, 2011) and possibly more.
And dispite the rhetoric that will come from the Governor's office, his "veto" is an irrelevancy because new revenue will require a 2/3 majority (i.e. veto proof) vote. And while Raggio has no official GOP leadership role, he does have relationships and influence with other GOP senators and will likely find two of them to join him in a rational compromise budget with new revenue.
As I pointed out yesterday, the Democrats will get to redraw the legislative district boundaries based on the new census data and given his propensity for revenge (like his endorsement of Reid after Angle fought him for the nomination in 2008), he might be looking to trade some cooperation with the Dems on budget issues for consideration about what McGuinness' district would look like after those boundaries are redrawn. Like Jon Ralston says, when you set out to kill the king, you better kill the king.
Dippy is correct when he states:
"Reid OWES raggio big time..."
Yes, sadly this is how low some politicians can go...
Whereas Raggio made an adult decision to support the candidate that was best qualified, then the Republican choice to remove him could be seen as more irresponsible, vindictive, and childish. Angle was BAD, to use her for political gain, well shame on McGinness and the Republican Party. Raggio acted like a free, independent, thinking Nevadan, not the mindless, drone for the party that did not provide the best candidate.
A politician turning on his own political party is unforgivable in the eyes of the party. Raggu should change parties or get out of politics.
Look at Marco Rubio in Florida. 50% of the vote, same as Reid got. Heck won by 2000 votes. The "tidal wave" is really only a momentary swell.
Rural Nevada is a dying demographic. Obama should appoint Raggio as the Western Solar Energy Czar.
Sandoval is a dead end-er as well. The Republicans won't nominate a minority from Nevada, especially in South Carolina, etc.
I doubt that Mr. Raggio's endorsement of Reid is why Sharron lost, Sharron lost because of Sharron,
I expected this analogy from those far right type it's not there fault it must be someone Else's.
If Sharron had gotten all the other votes cast to the other candidates and the none of these candidates she still would not have had enough, She was tapped saying she didn't believe she could win without those votes and she was right.
Hey Repubs, give it up will you, Sharon Angle's defeat was caused by one person and one person only SHARON ANGLE!!!
Correction, Ralston: Rural Nevada voters were on the RIGHT end of the Senate vote! The wrong ones were the ones who elected Reid. I was hoping rural nevada could overcome the liberal insanity of Clark County but, alas, it wasn't to be. Maybe we can get Angle elected over Ensign next time, if she runs. Wouldn't that be cool for Angle to be in the Senate cancelling all of Reid's votes!