Richard Painter announces exploratory committee for Senate in MN.

[MelissaB]

Link to tweet

Just announced my exploratory committee for the US Senate

I hope he runs and wins the Republican primary.

[oberliner]

1. Hopefully DU will work hard to see that this Republican is defeated

[MelissaB]

2. Yes, I agree, but if a Republican wins I hope it's a sane one.

Painter seems sane.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I hope he doesn't because he could win.

We want to keep both of our Senate seats (Franken's replacement Tina Smith, and Amy Klobuchar) Democratic.

[MelissaB]

5. Franken was my favorite senator

even though he wasn't mine. Damn, I miss his voice and the check he provided on Republicans.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. He was my senator and I'm still steamed over what happened to him.

I like Painter as a cable TV talking head but he should stay there. He also has a good gig teaching law at the U of Minn. I do not want him to run against Smith or Klobuchar.

Since he's been such an outspoken critic of Trump, I wonder how well he would do in a Republican primary (which would depend a lot on who else is running, possibly that snake Pawlenty). Minnesota went for Hillary, but there are nests of hard-core Trumpkins in the rural areas.

[left-of-center2012]

4. No no no

“Painter was the chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration from 2005–2007.”

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. They had an ethics lawyer??! Who knew! nt

[MelissaB]

7. I'm not advocating for him,

just posting info that he is interested in the seat. He seems to be one of the only sane Republicans left.

[BannonsLiver]

10. I understood where you are coming from

Some of the responses here are Pavlovian.

[MelissaB]

11. Thank you!

[left-of-center2012]

13. We should be promoting Democratic candidates

That's why this is the DEMOCRATIC underground.

Not the "Hey, check out this Republican candidate underground"?

[BannonsLiver]

14. Who said the OP was promoting a GOP candidate

In fact I believe in one of their responses they specifically said they were not doing that.

Regardless of what YOU might think Painter running IS news.

What makes me are people who can’t tell the difference between someone like Painter and Rick Wilson and lunatics like Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz. Like I said, Pavlovian.

[mcar]

8. I like Painter but this seat needs to stay D

We can't risk another Senate seat.

[octoberlib]

12. We need this seat to stay D .

But if he does run and win ...The good thing about him is that he would vote to impeach Trump and this statement from his website "It's not a blue wave or a red wave. It's a wave of Americans fed up with partisanship, corruption, and money in politics...and it's coming." The Dems should never have pressured Franken to resign.

[Kirk Lover]

15. Can't he go run in a red area? Bring some sanity back to the R party..go run somewhere

where R is a shoe in ...NOT MN !!!

[H2O Man]

16. Interestomg OP/thread.

While I enjoy some of his quips about Trump, I recognize that he is a conservative republican. And a conservative republican who trashes Trump would create a problem. I'd prefer that the candidates of the Democratic Party be able to use Trump as needed in their individual states. However, I think it might be interesting to hear how his primary positions differ than his record. But it seems better if he ends up as a regular guest on television shows, rather than being candidate in the general election season.

[Gabi Hayes]

17. Where are Spinner and Paddlefoot?

[Leith]

18. Nope, I Won't Consider Supporting Him

First, he's a Republican. His own webpage mentions that he was a WH ethics lawyer for Bush.

Next, there were a couple recent tweets that he posted. I would still like to know why he doesn't have a blue check mark, but it's looking like he really did say these things:

Thanks to SHRED for these threads:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210263660

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210261650

Painter is NOT a Democrat and he doesn't want to be one.