Posted on 12/22/2009 8:48:30 PM PST by Reagan 2.0
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman was just on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren, where he denounced Harry Reid's purchase of Nelson's 60th vote for cloture on the Senate bill.
"Nebraska doesn't want a special deal, we only want a fair deal. We're embarrassed by what's going on... Nebraskans are angry and upset by what they've heard," Heineman said. "I've also asked Senator Nelson... he has a chance tomorrow to vote no on cloture. That would be the best thing for Nebraska, the best thing for America. Send this bill back to committee, go home for Christmas and think about it and get it right.... He has the chance now, he had the chance a week ago, vote no on cloture and this bill won't go forward."
More on this at WSJ online.
But special attention should go to Senator Ben Nelson, who played hard-to-get the longest and in return for being the 60th vote won an exemption for Nebraska from paying any of the additional costs for the bill's Medicaid expansion, which is worth $100 million. He also won millions of dollars of exemptions from the $6.7 billion in health insurance fees for Nebraska-based companies like Mutual of Omaha.
This is the same Senator who declared a few weeks ago that "my vote is not for sale." Well, he never said: at any price.
Senator Nelson has already secured his own defeat if he tries for a re-election bid, but he still has a chance to regain the respect of his constituents and his own ability to look himself in the mirror. But he appears to be going the other way, rationalizing his poor behavior...
Video of an earlier appearance by Heineman at the link.
(Excerpt) Read more at patriotroom.com ...
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman is a Republican.
Although I agree with him, his ringing disclaimer of Sen. Nelson, the bill and a ‘No’ vote ... really would carry more weight if he was a Democrat.
The press will call it political posturing (D vs R) and not report the substance of the stand any way.
Again the citizenry is left to discern the truth on their own.
There is the old joke. A man in a bar asks a young woman if she would have sex with him for twenty five dollars. She said no and added what do you think I am. He then offered one million dollars and she said yes. Now we both know what you are now that we negotiated the price.
There is no truth. Only lies. This whole criminal episode is a string of lies.
National General Strike January 20th.
Did Heineman say anything before it became clear that there was a public backlash against Nelson's vote? If not, I'd say the evidence points toward posturing.
I believe it was after, but then again it’s just one article I read.
I don't know one way or another in this case, but I'm getting sick of politicians running to the front of the parade to act like they're leading it, and then expecting me to praise them for doing it. Too much of that crap going on for this country to ever have any hope of turning itself around.
Heineman sent him a letter yesterday and he neber asked for the special treatment in the first place.
In fact, I saw him on Greta’s when Nelson’s vote was supposedly “up in the air” and before Nelson bargained with Reid, and Heineman CLEARLY STATED that he and Nebraskans wanted Nelson to vote NO.
Heineman sent him a letter yesterday and he never asked for the special treatment in the first place.
In fact, I saw him on Greta’s when Nelson’s vote was supposedly “up in the air” and before Nelson bargained with Reid, and Heineman CLEARLY STATED that he and Nebraskan’s wanted Nelson to vote NO, adding that the bill was a bad deal for Nebraska and a bad bill for America.
That he was talking before the vote is good to hear anyway. I'm skeptical enough of almost all politicians that I'd bet he checked the polling on the issue before he made his stand though.
Well, heck yes he did and he said so. Nebraskan’s wanted their Senator Nelson to vote against the bill.
The governor had already been in contact with Nelson several times urging Nelson to vote NO before he appeared on Greta’s show.
Heineman has been completely upfront.
I might add, that the people in Nebraska are particularly enraged because Ben had been on talk radio there indicating that he was going to vote with the Republicans and then he double crossed them by voting with his party.
Ben also led the governor to believe he was going to vote with the Republicans.
I’m in Nebraska. If I’d held the Governor’s seat; I’d have urged Ben Nelson to stop supporting a blatantly Unconstitutional Bill!
Heineman for US Senate.
Okay, let’s keep the pressure on - especially Nelson. The governor and people of Nebraska are really giving it to him. Let’s add fuel to the fire! Let him know we are not only sick of the corruption of which he is chief benefactor, but we will also be cheering for the Cornhuskers to lose big to the Arizona Wildcats in their upcoming bowl game!
Nelson
bennelson.senate.gov
Phone: (402) 441-4600
Fax: (202) 228-0012
Webb
http://webb.senate.gov
Phone: 202-224-4024
Fax: 202-228-6363
Landrieu
http://landrieu.senate.gov
Phone: (202)224-5824
Fax:(202) 224-9735
Lincoln
http://lincoln.senate.gov
(202) 224-4843
Fax (202) 228-1371
Bayh
http://bayh.senate.gov
Phone: (202) 224-5623
Fax: (202) 228-1377
Lieberman
http://lieberman.senate.gov
Phone: 202.224.4041
Fax: 202.224.9750
>> In fact, I saw him on Greta’s when Nelson’s vote was supposedly “up in the air” and before Nelson bargained with Reid, and Heineman CLEARLY STATED that he and Nebraskans wanted Nelson to vote NO.
bttt
So what? Posturing is as valid a political weapon as anything else in this fight.
Are you suggesting that Republicans must make a "high road" fight?
-PJ
I'm not bothered by the posturing per se and I don't think Republicans should bring a knife to a gunfight. I AM bothered when I suspect that the "principled stand" is just all show. Too often, the people that we think are on our side were posturing not to sway the general public, but rather to fool you and I into thinking they really believed what they were saying.
I think most politicians on both sides of the aisle will vote for something that they know is bad for the country as a whole, as long as THEIR interest group benefits as a result.
Without looking into it, I'd bet those Nebraska politicians would all be in favor of laws requiring we burn our food in our cars (ethanol), even though the country as a whole suffers from higher food costs and higher fuel costs.
They're no less whores than some east-coast politician that would sell out the country in exchange for subsidies for the insurance companies in their state.
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