The Omaha World-Herald is reporting that Columbus businessman Tony Raimondo is moving ahead with his plans to run for Senate, making him the third Republican to make significant moves toward a bid for the nomination. But what’s most interesting about this move, is Raimondo’s motivation – he doesn’t think Hagel’s running. And the longer Hagel waits, it becomes more and more likely that he’s right.

It’s strange, of course, that after Pete Ricketts was defeated in part because he was an arrogant businessman who spent millions of his own money on one of the dirtiest campaigns this state has seen in a while, that the Republican party seems content to split those aspects into three distinct candidates. Jon Bruning taking the role of the arrogant, empty-suit Republican. Hal Daub taking the role he knows best: a disciple of the slimiest version of Republican politics. And Tony Raimondo being the candidate that will spend millions of his own money on a campaign no one else believes in.

That’s not to say that Raimondo won’t take on the arrogance or the mudslinging – after all, he is a Republican. And we all know about Hal Daub’s personality. A year after nominating Pete Ricketts for Senate, the Republican Party hasn’t learned from their mistake – in fact, they’re ready to repeat it.

Now, if the man himself enters the race – all bets are off.