It would appear that Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson’s latest vote for cloture of the health care debate in the senate has definitely not endeared him to his constituents in the cornhusker state.
You see, Senator Nelson is a blue dog Democrat, meaning that he is supposedly a conservative Democrat. Theoretically that is the only kind of Democrat that could be elected in the conservative heartland of the country, but he showed his true colors when he allowed Senate majority leader Harry Reid to in effect bribe him with payola for his state if he would agree to be the 60th and final vote needed to end debate on the un-Constitutional, and thereby illegal, health care legislation the Senate was proposing.
Perhaps he is hoping that the voters will forget his egregious vote when he comes up for re-election in 2012, but somehow I don’t think people are going to forget this vote. As President Obama’s spiritual advisor and friend of twenty years (Reverend Wright) said, “the chickens will be coming home to roost”!
Rasmussen just released results from a poll conducted on December 29th of Nebraska voters and they are decidedly very unhappy as a whole with Senator Nelson. While Senator Nelson won his seat in 2006 with an overwhelming 64% of the vote then, this recent poll pitting Senator Nelson against incumbent Republican governor, and potential opponent for this seat in 2012, Dave Heineman would win right now with a 61% to 30% voter margin.
Nebraskans’ approval rating of the recent senate health-care deal is at 17%. 64% of them oppose the health-care overhaul proposed, which includes 53% of them strongly opposing it.
Even if Senator Nelson were to try and redeem himself by ultimately voting against the final reconciled health care bill when it comes up for its final vote, 47% of Nebraskans say they would still vote for governor Heineman for the senate versus 37% for Senator Nelson.
Perhaps he is hoping that the voters will forget his egregious vote when he comes up for re-election in 2012, but somehow I don’t think people are going to forget this vote. As President Obama’s spiritual advisor and friend of twenty years (Reverend Wright) said, “the chickens will be coming home to roost”!
Rasmussen just released results from a poll conducted on December 29th of Nebraska voters and they are decidedly very unhappy as a whole with Senator Nelson. While Senator Nelson won his seat in 2006 with an overwhelming 64% of the vote then, this recent poll pitting Senator Nelson against incumbent Republican governor, and potential opponent for this seat in 2012, Dave Heineman would win right now with a 61% to 30% voter margin.
Nebraskans’ approval rating of the recent senate health-care deal is at 17%. 64% of them oppose the health-care overhaul proposed, which includes 53% of them strongly opposing it.
Even if Senator Nelson were to try and redeem himself by ultimately voting against the final reconciled health care bill when it comes up for its final vote, 47% of Nebraskans say they would still vote for governor Heineman for the senate versus 37% for Senator Nelson.
Now I realize that a lot can happen in the next few years, but I suspect come November 2012, Nebraska will most likely have a new senator representing it in Washington D.C. Such is the price one pays when one goes against the overwhelming opinion of one’s constituents. Sounds like a well-needed house cleaning of an opportunistic power-grubbing senator to me, and good riddance to this first of many Democratic casualties to come in 2012!
2 comments:
Couple of facts on Nelson since he is, unfortunately, my Senator. Nelson was a Republican for many years and held office as a Republican. He switched parties to run for governor in the 90s and has been a "Democrat" ever since. He did this primarily because he could not get along well with the Republicans at the local level.
Nelson benefited from the demographic changes taking place in the state as Nebraska has become much more moderate in the last 15-20 years. Despite utilizing the Democratic Party money, volunteers, and assistance, he has continued to be a stick in the eye to real Democrats. He is fervently pro-life, he still clings to the failed ideas of trickle down economics, and like most Republicans, is in favor of state imposed religion. He is a wingnut.
The statistics you cite are a mixed bag, but much of that anger is from liberals and not necessarily just from conservatives. President Obama won an electoral vote from Nebraska in the 08 election (NE splits the votes based on Congressional districts). This was the first time a Democrat got a Nebraska vote since LBJ in 1964. The far right Congressman Lee Terry, who represents the district, only won re-election by 2% against a 35 year old guy with no experience and no job who was considered a joke by the GOP.
Nebraska is slowly shifting away from the far right, and Nelson is playing it all wrong if he wants to continue to represent the state. In my opinion, he tried too hard to appease the wingnuts while flipping the bird to average, everyday Nebraskans. I personally told the Nebraska Democratic Party to stop calling me for money as long as it continues to support Nelson. I'm not the only one. And the GOP won't have anything to do with him now, either (despite at one time being known as Bush's favorite Democrat).
Nelson refused to do what is right, and tried to be too cute by half. He is done in the state, but not for the reasons you think.
Regardless of the reasons why, anyone that changes positions simply to hold on to power, like Nelson or Arlen Specter, are not deserving of it and should be kicked to the curb regardless.
While I obviously disagree with most Democratic positions, I can at least respect a Democrat that is transparent and consistent in his dealings, even if he is a left-wing moon bat. :)
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