Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

by Jonathan Singer, Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:41:38 AM EDT

Over the past several months, a number of leading Republicans around the country have defected to the Democratic Party in their election bids. Their ranks include two former Republicans now running statewide bids in Kansas this fall, Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison who is challenging wingnut state Attorney General Phill Kline and former Kansas Republican Party Chairman Mark Parkinson who is running as Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' running mate. Now another prominent midwest Republican, this time one from Nebraska, is defecting her party to run as a Democrat, as the Associated Press reports.

The GOP lost its lock on the top state government offices this week when State Auditor Kate Witek jumped to the Democratic party just a few months after campaigning as Republican Tom Osborne's running mate in a failed gubernatorial bid.
"I got to the point where it seemed the Republican Party was only looking at controlling all the offices instead of looking at resolving all the problems challenging this state," Witek said in Friday's Lincoln Journal Star.

True, there seem to be at least some ulterior motives behind Witek's move, most notably that she is now able to run for a third term as a Democrat whereas she would not be able to do the same as a Republican. However, the fact remains that yet another Republican in the midwest has publicly come out against the extremism and the hard-right conservatism of today's GOP -- a fact that will not be lost on Republican voters in the region. Such moves only hasten the implementation of Howard Dean's 50-state strategy, growing the base of acceptable Democratic candidates in states previously less than hospitable to the party's candidates, and improve the party's chances nationally both in the short-term and the long-term.

Tags: midwest, Nebraska, Republican Defections (all tags)

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Re: Another Widwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Widwest? That's a typo, right?

by dayspring 2006-08-19 08:11AM | 0 recs

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Link to story...

...is here.

What sort of term limit law can be skirted round by changing parties?

I mean, you'd be getting Arnie running for gov as a Dem in 10...

by skeptic06 2006-08-19 08:25AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Widwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Widwest?

by BooMan 2006-08-19 08:28AM | 0 recs

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Another typo

Should be "ulterior" instead of "alterior." :)

by Liberaltarian 2006-08-19 08:38AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Somebody needs to tell Kate Witek that there are already enough Republican politicians in the Democratic Party. We're trying to gid rid of them as it is.

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 09:20AM | 0 recs

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5 Ws of Journalism

Well, at least you included Nebraska as a tag, but just reading through the posting, I'd have no idea which particular midwestern state the defection was in.

Granted, most of them are just flat and grassy, but the folks there seem to mind.

by Geogriffith 2006-08-19 09:49AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

I thought it was in KS.

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 09:54AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

I live in Nebraska. I am less than enthused about the "defection" of Ms. Witek. I have no idea what her ulterior motives are, but time will most likely reveal what she hopes to accomplish with this manuever. A couple of weeks ago she had a LTE in the Omaha paper in which she criticized Hagel for his stance on Iraq and praised the bush and condi. See the following post on one of the local blogs for a little history and dissection of her comments.
http://newnebraska.blogspot.com/2006/08/ envy-in-nebraska-republican-politics.htm l

As for Hagel. He's long on talk and short on votes to back up his "courageous" Sunday morning blatherings. When he votes to bring the troups home, then I will believe him.

by pax 2006-08-19 10:11AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Maybe Witek thinks grateful Democrats will give her Nelson's Senate seat one day since they're peas in a pod?

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 10:33AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

dipshits like you are the reason that our party hasnt been doing that great the last 35 years or so. she wants to become a democrat, there are no democrats basically at all in office in nebraska, give her a break. freiken purists, makes me quite angry. nothing is ever good enough

by yomoma2424 2006-08-19 10:55AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

I'm charmed to meet you too, Zell!

The reason the Democratic party has fared so poorly in recent years is because, thanks to DLC Corporacrats in charge of it's message, it has tried to make itself self indistinguishable from the GOP - why should Democrats bother going to the polls just to vote for a choice of Republicans?

If GOP voters want to cross over and support RealDems because their message is better and truer, that's great. But we need fewer Republican politicians in the Democratic Party, not more.

"If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time...."
--Harry Truman--

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 11:20AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

lol ZELL? haha the man who bashed the democrats and voted like a republican? you mean you - because your the one now whose bashing a democrat, just like zell. because as of right now the auditor of nebraska is a DEMOCRAT!

by yomoma2424 2006-08-19 02:56PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Actually, she's now a DINO just like Zell (who still calls himself a Democrat, by the way).

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 03:27PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

how do you know shes a dino? im sure you know a lot about what she thinks. if you look at the self identification, there are only 25 % liberals compared to 35 % conservative. we cant win without moderates. not to mention, ill take what i can get in Nebraska, the place where Ben nelson as a popular sitting governor and very conservative democrat couldnt win an open seat versus unknown chuck hagel in 1996.

by yomoma2424 2006-08-19 07:29PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

how do you know shes a dino

How can a Republican cross dresser be anything but a DINO?

we cant win without moderates

Ned Lamont is a moderate. Those you're referring to are conservatives.

ill take what i can get in Nebraska, the place where Ben nelson as a popular sitting governor and very conservative democrat couldnt win an open seat versus unknown chuck hagel in 1996.

Interestingly, Republican Hagel is less conservative and more critical of Bush than Republicrat Nelson. That sort of shoots down convention foolishness which says only the most conservative, corporate-conniving, bush-kissers can win in the heartland, doesn't it?

People stereotype voters in states like Nebraska, and Montana -- which just elected a liberal governor Schweitzer, has a Democratic legislature, and is about to elect liberal Tester. But they'll vote liberal if only a good candidate delivers the message.

So apologizing for rotten Republi-Dems based on crass electoral calculations which are not even reality-based just doesn't hold water.

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 07:59PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Hagel is most definately not less conservative then Nelson.

He has never put his money where his mouth is in regards to the war. On other issues he votes 95% of the time with the conservative/Republican line.

This love affair the center-left seems to have with Hagel is disgusting and has to stop. If you keep pusing this story-line he could very well becaome a front-runner in the Republican primary for president. Hagel would be a terrible president.

He's brilliant politician, your description of him shows that clearly.

phat

by phatass 2006-08-19 11:57PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

I loathe Hagel (and Nelson). But Hagel has criticized Bush more than Nelson has.

Rest assured, I'm not one of those stupid Democrats who has had love affairs with the likes of Powell, McCain, Hagel, -- or Landrieu either.

by Sitkah 2006-08-20 09:10AM | 0 recs

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You missed another one

...in the run-up to Lieberman v. Lamont. Oklahoma state senator Nancy Riley (R-Tulsa), the only one of three GOP candidates for Lt. Gov this year who did not make the run-off in a high-dollar "I'm more regressive than you" media blitz, switched her party affiliation to the Democratic Party at a news conference on August 4. Due to state laws, her change will not take effect until September 1, but she will caucus with the Democrats and be registered as one before the general election.

The "Oh, the conservatives always win" pundits will not stop saying that they expect the OK Senate to go GOP for the first time in 80 years, but Riley's switch changes the current Senate's composition from 25 Dem-23 Repub to 26 Dem-22 Repub. And that was just 10 days after Riley got 41,984 votes (23.46%) in the statewide Lt. Gov's race, forcing the run-off between the other two candidates. Before announcing her switch, Riley refused to endorse either of the other two candidates.

As for the announcement itself:

Riley said she had been considering a change since June because the Senate's moderate Republicans are "being pushed to the side by the extreme right wing."

Speaking at a standing-room-only press conference, the 48-year-old former schoolteacher said GOP members refused to listen to her or consider her ideas.

Riley quoted Senate Republican leaders as saying they would "rather be in the majority than be right" and "it's all about making the other side look bad," during the last legislative session.

She described the GOP caucus' "lack of concern" for Oklahomans and its treatment of her as "abhorrent."

"I received no support at all. I had many discussions with Senator Coffee about my frustrations with the caucus but nothing changed."

It's happening all over the country, not just in Kansas because of Kathleen Sebelius.

by mdeatherage 2006-08-19 11:18AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Riley's switch changes the current Senate's composition from 25 Dem-23 Repub to 26 Dem-22 Repub.

As far as the voting on bills goes, it will still be 25 Dem-23 Repub.

Conservative leopards can change parties, but their spots remain the same.

Since so many Democrats are so worried about the Green Party, it would be much better if some of them jumped to the Democratic Party -- especially since their values are already Democratic ones anyway.

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 12:07PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

First of all, Witek wasn't term-limited, she opted not to run for re-election (probably because she assumed she was going to become Lt. Governor, since she was running on the Osbourne ticket). Secondly, I haven't heard anything about her running for re-election as a Democrat. I don't think that's a legal option, post-primary and all. I think she did this largely because of disgust with Governor Heinemen and his administration (when Heinemen was State Treasurer, he went on a furniture-flipping rampage through Witek's office), which really hasn't shown any interest at all in solving any of the state's problems.

by Ryan Anderson 2006-08-19 02:38PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

The state convention just nominated her this afternoon.

phat

by phatass 2006-08-19 05:19PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Oops, forgot about the convention nomination process.

by Ryan Anderson 2006-08-19 10:20PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Well, the Secretary of State may have to weigh in on this, too.

Your description of her situation with the Reapublican party seems to be spot on.

Her comments about the party wanting to hold on to power, more than govern, are quite telling.

I take her at her word. She's never seemed to be the type of person to be completely politically calculating. Sure, she considered her political future before she made this switch and she obviously has ambitions.

I had heard about her switching, before her announcement, from a mutual friend (I don't know Ms. Witek, I know someone who knows her) and her comments seemed completely genuine.

Considering what happened in the Republican primary for CD-1 in 2004, I'm surprised this hadn't happened sooner.

I think she may have just opened the floodgates.

phat

by phatass 2006-08-20 12:11AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Could you please knock off the suspicion of Repu7blican who switch to the Democrats? There wasn't any of that when Democrats switched to the GOP over the last few decase. That's one reason why this ex-Republican became an Independent.

by spirowasright 2006-08-19 06:12PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Could you please knock off the suspicion of Repu7blican who switch to the Democrats?

When you've been stabbed in the back as many times as ordinary Democrats have by their faux-Democratic politicians in DC, you get a liitle touchy about being stabbed there again by real Republican politicians invited into top positions.

Ley them try stay where they are and change the GOP for the better rather than jumping ship to change the Democratic Party for the even worse.

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 07:03PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

You weren't around when John Lindsay bolted the GOP in 1971, were you? While your suggestion about disenchanted Republicans makes sense, it's kind of difficult in practice (believe me, I should know, I soured on the GOP during Ronniemania in the 1980s).
By the way, I can assure that there was little suspicion of all the southern Democrats who switched sides in the 1990's on the part of Republican activitsts and the local GOP noise machine branch, so I don't see why you can't afford Republicasn who jump ship to join your side the same courtesy. That was how the Republican built themselves up in the south and that's probabaly going to play a key role in any Democratic realignment in the Midwest and West, whether you like it or not and whether you trust the new Dems or not.

by spirowasright 2006-08-19 08:56PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

I remember Lindsay switching parties. It was the end of his political career because Democrats back then weren't enthralled with the notion that letting Republicans run their party was a good thing.

As for Democrats who jumped ship in the 90's -- I was glad to see them go just as glad to the old Democrat racists become Republicans. And if the GOP wanted to give those benedict arnolds preferential treaqtment that was their business. We don't need no stinkin' GOP traitors in preferred positions within the Democratic Party -- we already have too many like Lieberscum undermining our principles and credibility as it is.

by Sitkah 2006-08-19 10:43PM | 0 recs

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But I Thought We Were All Rad-Libs??

How can this be? The MSM has me convinced that after the Lieberman purging, the Dems have been taken over by the radical left. Are these midwest Republicans aware of this? Are they radicals too? Sheesh, who would have ever thought so many people in the midwest favored terrorism.

by Andy Katz 2006-08-19 06:52PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another Midwest Republican Defects to the Dems

Sitkah, I tried changing the Republican Party for the better here in Georgia. My efforts were unblemished by success. GOPpers do not care about the environment, women's rights, racial and religious pluralism, or the working class in general. They never have. They never will. The Greens are hopeless, and the Libertarians are misguided. I feel that the only the Democratic Party offers a real chance to change America for the better.

Of course, I was just an activist and still am. I have never sought public office for myself. If you were referring solely to officeholders, forgive my sensitivity on the subject. Peace.

Charley

by CLLGADEM 2006-08-20 04:17PM | 0 recs