Former commander of USS Cole considers run against Reid

WASHINGTON -- Retired Navy Commander Kirk S. Lippold, who has an extensive background in the military including a major run-in with al-Qaida, is pondering a run for U.S. Senate in Nevada, two sources said Thursday.

Lippold was commanding officer of the USS Cole in 2000 when it was attacked in an al-Qaida suicide bombing in the harbor of Aden, in Yemen. He retired from the Navy in 2007.

"At this point I would just say, stay tuned," Lippold said in a brief interview. "Nevada clearly needs more experienced leadership than candidates who are in the race right now are capable of providing."

Two Republican sources said Lippold is doing some testing-the-waters to run in the Republican primary, where he would join a crowded field wanting to take on incumbent Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat. The deadline for filing is March 12.

"Since he is saying stay tuned, we will stay tuned as well," said Robert Uithoven, spokesman for Republican candidate Sue Lowden. "There are so many rumors about people coming into the race, we are not sure the field is set and we are still a month away from filing."

Brandon Hall, Reid's campaign manager, said: "Senator Reid will let the Republicans deal with their crowded primary. Our campaign will stay focused on making sure Nevadans know what Senator Reid is doing to create jobs, cut taxes, and keep people in their homes."

Lippold, of Carson City, is senior military fellow with Military Families United, a national security advocacy group in Washington. He also is president of Base to Peak LLC, a consulting firm that does training and crisis management, according to his biography.

While in the Navy from 1981 to 2007, Lippold earned multiple decorations.

He became an early figure in the war on terror when a skiff packed with explosives rammed into the USS Cole as it was anchored in the Aden harbor on Oct. 12, 2000. The attack, which was tied to al-Qaida, killed 17 sailors.

A Navy investigation concluded that Lippold and his crew probably could not have prevented the attack and should not be punished, news reports said.

But Lippold continued to come under scrutiny. A Navy board recommended him for promotion to captain in 2002 but it was not confirmed by the Senate.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., then-chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued Lippold should have been held accountable for what investigators found were lapses on board.

Lippold's promotion remained in limbo until his name was struck from the promotion list in 2006.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.