Kleeb's lead comes even though he was outraised by Smith in the second quarter.  Kleeb collected $203,000 for the 2Q while Smith raised $290,000.  What's amazing about these numbers, however, is that Smith's advantage even in funds raised during this time would be nearly obliterated were it not for a last minute campaign stop by Dick Cheney which netted him a cold $85,000.  In fact, it now appears that Cheney's fundraising stop was absolutely nothing short of what I reported it to be a month ago: a sign of desperation from a campaign verging on bankruptcy.

This si the Fifty State Strategy in action, folks.  How the hell did this become a competitive race?  Because the GOP took it for granted, they assumed that this is their seat for the taking and so they turned their guns on each other and aimed to kill rather than reserving some ammunition for November.  The Club for Growth backed Smith, and all told raised about $400,000 for him (almost as much as Kleeb has raised this entire cycle, all told).  But the more moderate Main Street GOP Partnership backed John Hanson, an Osborne aid and one of Smith's several serious primary challengers, and spent thousands of dollars of their own rightly attacking Smith -running in one of the nation's most agricultural districts- for accepting so much money from an organization opposed to agricultural subsidies and ethanol tax incentives.  Smith won a divided primary with less than 40% of the vote and, apparently, woefully depleted coffers.

Kleeb, meanwhile, has kept his eye on the prize and has been running a campaign  intended to win.  This is one guy not content to be a sacraficial lamb.  He's raised far more money than any Democrat ever contending such a Republican seat, he's blazed the state shaking hands and walking parades and slapping backs.  He's gone on tour with former Governor/Senator/9-11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey, matched wits with Smith in public debates and recieved unanimously positive attention from both the local and national press.

In response to the Cheney fundraiser, Kleeb held a press conference at the same time and in a different part of town to lay out his plan to make Western Nebraska a technological and research pioneer in the field of energy independence (energy is a cornerstone of Kleeb's campaign, he also hit Smith hard in their first debate for unscientifically denying the existence of global warming).  His campaign and the Nebraska Democratic Party also raised hell over the news that the city of Grand Island would be picking up the bill for Cheney's security: their efforts raised this issue on the local news stations and newspaper and their complaints filled the Smith campaign e-mail account to capacity.  (check out this cartoon from the Lincoln Journal Star for a taste of the reaction: Fiscal Conservatism )

Kleeb has generated enthusiasm and has genuinely ignited the grassroots in this prairie state.  His press conference, held at nine in the morning on a workday in a small rural city was attended by over 60 people.  His one-day tour with Senator Kerrey filled venues to capacity. And the Democratic conventions in rural Nebraskan counties have gone from sparsely attended meet-and-greets to standing room only, rip-roaring festival (as reported last month in the USA Today ).

Kleeb is on a path to victory.  Perhaps it won't be his victory, perhaps he won't be the next Congressman from western Nebraska.  But if we act now, this can be our victory.  This can be a victory for a fifty-state strategy, demonstrating that genuinely competitive races can exist even in places where the national political debate has long since devolved into a monologue.  This can be a victory for people-powered poltiicis, demonstrating that even small groups of passionate people who really believe in a candidate and in a platform can make a difference.  This can be a victory for us.  But only if we're willing to bet on our candidate.  Please consider donating to Scott Kleeb and widening his cash advantage over a radical and reactionary Republican opponent.

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For more information on who Scott Kleeb is and what he stands for, read my previous diary, : "Scott Kleeb and the future of Red State Democrats"