Pete Ricketts Biggest Spender in the Country
by Kyle Michaelis
National Journal's campaign spending figures for the first quarter of 2006 show Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts as the biggest spending Senate challenger in the entire country - reporting $1.59 million in spending as of March 31st, almost all of it his own money. And, that was almost three weeks ago, so who knows how much he's spent since then?
In Nebraska, a small (by population) and cheap media market, this insane level of spending basically boggles the mind. Ricketts spent more than a quarter of a million dollars more than the next highest challenger: another super-wealthy Republican, Rich Tarrant of Vermont.
In fact, only two incumbents spent more than Ricketts, the mighty Hillary Clinton of New York and the desperate Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania - both in markets much larger and more expensive than our own.
Nebraska, I've never thought your vote was for sale, but Ricketts' is certainly putting that to the test. This is a man who's obviously used to getting what he wants, no matter the cost. If he comes out of that Republican primary, voters may as well just name their price and Ricketts will have the check in the mail.
Who does this guy think he is? Even more troubling, who exactly does he think we are? Is selling our democracy to the highest bidder really one of these "Nebraska values" Ricketts has been talking about on TV for the last 6 months?
Maybe I should ask his mother.
In Nebraska, a small (by population) and cheap media market, this insane level of spending basically boggles the mind. Ricketts spent more than a quarter of a million dollars more than the next highest challenger: another super-wealthy Republican, Rich Tarrant of Vermont.
In fact, only two incumbents spent more than Ricketts, the mighty Hillary Clinton of New York and the desperate Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania - both in markets much larger and more expensive than our own.
Nebraska, I've never thought your vote was for sale, but Ricketts' is certainly putting that to the test. This is a man who's obviously used to getting what he wants, no matter the cost. If he comes out of that Republican primary, voters may as well just name their price and Ricketts will have the check in the mail.
Who does this guy think he is? Even more troubling, who exactly does he think we are? Is selling our democracy to the highest bidder really one of these "Nebraska values" Ricketts has been talking about on TV for the last 6 months?
Maybe I should ask his mother.
posted at 1:42 AM
2 Comments:
I recall a race in Kansas City in 2004 for Congress. Jeanne Patterson, the wife of a wealthy KC businessman, decided to run for Congress. She ran against the former mayor of KC, Emanuel Cleaver. She spent millions of dollars of her husband's money. You couldn't turn on the television without seeing a Jeanne Patterson ad.
In the end, though, she got her ass kicked. But that was in Kansas City, in a district with a sizable minority population.
Maybe if he'd quit spending so much money he could get a nicer hat.
Post a Comment
<< Home