Don’t purge Bill Raggio

Republicans in the Senate have already punished Bill Raggio for his support of Harry Reid by stripping him of his state senate minority position. But for some in the GOP, still stinging from the re-election of Reid over Sharron Angle, that's not enough.

"Recall", say some. "Shun", say others.

In the Old West when hanging wasn't justice enough, the townsfolk would dig up the man's corpse, try him again for other offenses and then hang him again. I'm not sure how that's any more satisfying that the first hanging, but I guess for some it was.

This is a long way to tell you that I'm so not for hanging Bill Raggio again. He backed Reid and he paid a price. But he's still an important figure for the GOP in Nevada, not only historically, but he will be again in the next legislative session. Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval is going to need all the help he can get to bring fiscal sanity to state government. In that game, you don't want Bill Raggio on the bench. You want him playing.

I understand the angst the GOP feels after the re-election of Reid. But purging Bill Raggio isn't helpful, especially for small businesses and individuals who need tax relief in Nevada. So, in the file labeled "No one asked me, but ...":

The GOP ought to give Bill Raggio a lifetime achievement award, not a swift kick out the door. Time to be big, not small.