Sen. Ben Nelson: Say, Maybe We Shudda Waited on Healthcare ‘Reform’

Publius Forum ^ | 01/07/10 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

Every week we are seeing another Democrat deciding not to run for re-election or one that is switching parties to the GOP all due to the wild, left-wing overreach indulged in by the Obama Administration and its cohorts in Congress. Connecticut's Senator Chris Dodd is only the latest heavy hitter Democrat that is looking for an "exit strategy," if you will. And with all these pols looking to jump ship, the infamous 60th vote on healthcare, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, suddenly finds that bringing healthcare to a vote so soon was a bit of a mistake!

On Wednesday, Nelson, a master of the understatement, told the Fremont Tribune, "I think it was a mistake to take health care on as opposed to continuing to spend the time on the economy."

Right after that statement, Nelson pronounced the maiden voyage of the SS Titanic "a bit of a flub," said that Amelia Earhart made a "miscalculation" in her flight plan, and decided that founding the city of Pompeii at the foot of a volcano was probably "misguided." But he still thought that his 60th vote for Obamacare was a good one.

So much for his judgment...

Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...

[Mobile Vulgus]

Nelson is a fool. Let's hope he loses his job over it.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Y’think?

[popdonnelly]

Nelson voted for it, and he owns it. No backtracking is going to change that.

[Huskrrrr]

“I voted for Healthcare before I vote against it. I’m a member of the Kerry Flipflop Club.”

[HerrBlucher]

November 2, 2010 America is going to have one stompin Ho down.

[SERE_DOC]

Oh Capt. Freakin Obvious show up.

Perhaps if Sparky wasn't so quick to jump on this constitutional / economic train wreck he'd have a clue.

But alas hookers & politicians..... one gets paid to preform and the other gets elected and prostitutes one self.

[lowtaxsmallgov]

Kind of like Benedict Arnold, who came to loathe his poor decision, but what could he do? It was too late...

Ben Nelson takes his rightful place in that pantheon of political weasels.

[TNCMAXQ]

Maybe Nelson should form some kind of fusion ticket with Schwarzenegger, who also has suddenly changed his tune.

Nelson ought to resign now and let Republican Gov Heineman appoint his replacement.

[mwl8787]

People in Nebraska need to turn the heat up on Nelson. For starters, Reid still needs to assemble another 60 votes. Second, Nelson is arrogantly quoted in the article that he’s only received favorable public feedback on his betrayal. The nerve.

Capitol Hill switchboard is 202-224-3121. I got through to my senator easily today, which means that people are not sufficiently calling and Raising Hell.

[thepatriot1]

I’m just asking. Is the healthcare bill a done deal? I realize the house and senate bills still have to be reconciled. Is this a mere formality? Can it still be stopped?

[TNCMAXQ]

I am unclear on that too. Many analysts are saying if Scott Brown should win in MA next week that this would put an end to the bill because he would vote to filibuster. But I wonder then would the Dems just use whatever maneuvers they need to ram the bill through without another vote?

[JenB987]

Maybe We Shudda Waited on Healthcare ‘Reform’ but that bribe was too good to pass up!

[NTHockey]

Benedict Nelson is as much a traitor as Benedict Arnold. Treason is a crime punishable by death.

[Joe Boucher]

Hey Ben,
Once proud Man.
Currently a p.o.s. baby murdering supporting whore.
Not worth s thimble of spit.
Sold America and his soul to socialism.
For “Lucre”
Ben you are a whore, burn in hell

[556x45]

Like children, pols need to be closely watched and monitored. The sad fact is Ben and the rest of Congress were voted in by us. We’re the real problem here. Yes, Ben owns part of the blame for sure but the buck stops w/ us not any pol. We’re the root of the problem!

[Digger]

Many analysts are saying if Scott Brown should win in MA next week that this would put an end to the bill because he would vote to filibuster. But I wonder then would the Dems just use whatever maneuvers they need to ram the bill through without another vote?

Sure. A high possibility would be one of the missing chromosome Maine senators would switch. They just didn't need them this go-around but these worthless POS will do what the PTB tell them.

[Right Wing Assault]

You could have stopped it, you greedy dumb bass!

[Mrs. Don-o]

No, it's not over yet. If they change one word in reconciliation, both sides have to debate it again, which means there's the possibility of a filibuster because they need 60 in the senate to close debate (again). If they don't change anything in reconciliation and go with the senate version, the house could well stop it dead.

From another thread:

Click and contact Rep. Bart Stupak, Rep. Joseph Cao, and the Potential Flip Vote of your choice. If the vote on the final (post-reconciliation bill) goes exactly as it did last time in the House, but with just three people flipping from YES to NO, THIS BILL WILL FAIL.

Bart Stupak Contact Information

Again: there were 42 members of the House who voted both in favor of the Stupak amendment to bar taxpayer funding for abortions and in favor of the main bill. Clearly, Speaker Nancy Pelosi couldn't have won passage of health care legislation had the House not adopted pro-life language.

It’s
VISIT DISTRICT OFFICES WEEK
(this week and next)

The names below are all of those who voted in favor of both measures on November 7 (Stupak Amendment + the BillfromHell itself), with an asterisk *next to those who were considered undecided on the morning of the vote. To be clear, many of these members would have supported the health care bill no matter what. However, given the 220-215 vote margin on the House vote, what it means is that when the pro-life language is stripped from the bill during negotiations with the Senate, if Pelosi loses the support of any three of these people below as a result -- without picking up anybody else's support -- the bill cannot pass the House.

(For your cut-and-paste convenience: following each name is a city and zip you can use (zip + any 4 digits) to get past their filter and into their constituent message system, and the local area code if the site requires it.)

Baca, Joe (CA-43)
http://www.house.gov/baca/zipauth.shtml
Bloomington CA 92316 (909)

Berry, Marion (AR-01) *
http://www.house.gov/berry/messageform.html
Jonesboro AR 72401 (870)

Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
http://bishop.house.gov/display.cfm?section_id=13
Decatur GA 30032 404

Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18) *
https://writerep.house.gov/htbin/wrep_findrep
Merced CA 95348 (209)‎

Carney, Christopher (PA-10) *
http://carney.house.gov/contact.shtml#email
Clarks Summit PA 18411

Cooper, Jim (TN-05) *
http://tinyurl.com/22cet4
Mt. Juliet TN 37122 (615)

Costa, Jim (CA-20) *
http://www.house.gov/formcosta/issue.htm
Coalinga CA 93210 (559)

Cao, Joseph (LA-2) *
http://josephcao.house.gov/Contact/
New Orleans LA 70119

Costello, Jerry (IL-12)
http://costello.house.gov/IMA/issue_subscribe.shtml
East St. Louis 62203

Cuellar, Henry (TX-28) *
http://cuellar.house.gov/Contact/ContactForm.htm
Laredo TX 78043 (212)

Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03) *
https://forms.house.gov/dahlkemper/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
Meadville PA 16335 (814)

Donnelly, Joe (IN-02) *
http://donnelly.house.gov/contact/contact-us-form.shtml
Logansport IN 46947 (574)

Doyle, Mike (PA-14)
http://doyle.house.gov/email_mike.shtml
McKeesport 15132 (412)

Steve Driehaus (OH-1)*
https://forms.house.gov/driehaus/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
Cincinnati OH 45201 (513)

Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08) *
http://www.ellsworth.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=325&Itemid=
Bicknell IN 47512 (812)

Etheridge, Bob*
http://etheridge.house.gov/Contact/
Lillington, NC 27546 (910)

Hill, Baron (IN-09)
https://forms.house.gov/baronhill/IMA/issue_subscribe.shtml
Bloomington IN 47401 (812)

Kanjorski, Paul (PA-11)*
http://kanjorski.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1479&Itemid=
Scranton, PA 18503 (570)

Kaptur, Marcy (OH-9)*
http://www.kaptur.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=152
Toledo 43604 (419)

Kildee, Dale (MI-5)
http://www.house.gov/kildee/contact_form.shtml
Flint 48502 (810)

Langevin, Jim (RI-2)
http://langevin.house.gov/comments.shtml
Warwick, RI 02886 (401)

Lipinski, Daniel (IL-3)
http://www.house.gov/formlipinski/zipauth.html
Oak Lawn, IL 60453 (708)

Lynch, Stephen (MA-9)
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Brockton, MA 02301 (508)

Michaud, Mike (ME-02) *
https://forms.house.gov/michaud/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
Bangor ME 04401 (207)

Mollohan, Alan (WV-1)
E-mail at CongressmanMollohan@mail.house.gov Wheeling, WV 26003 (304)

Murtha, John
https://forms.house.gov/murtha/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm
Johnstown, PA 15901 (814)

Neal, Richard
http://www.house.gov/neal/write_neal.html
Springfield, MA 01105 (413)

Oberstar, James
http://wwwc.house.gov/oberstar/zipauth.htm
Duluth, MN 55802 (218)

Obey, David (WI-7)
http://forms.house.gov/obey/webforms/contact.htm
Superior, WI 54880 (715)

Ortiz, Solomon (TX-27)
http://www.house.gov/formortiz/issue.htm
Corpus Christi, TX 78408 (361)

Perriello, Tom (VA-5)*
http://perriello.house.gov/?sectionid=90
Danville, VA 24541 (434)

Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
http://www.house.gov/formpomeroy/zipauth.htm
Arnegard ND 58835 (701)

Rahall, Nick
http://www.rahall.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=9&sectiontree=9
Bluefield, WV 24701 (304)

Reyes, Silvestre (TX-16)
http://reyes.house.gov/Contact/vyo.htm
El Paso, TX 79901 (915)

Rodriguez, Ciro (TX-23)*
http://www.rodriguez.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70&Itemid=46
San Antonio, TX 78214 (210)

Ryan, Tim (OH-17)
http://timryan.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=42
Akron, OH 44310 (330)

Salazar, John (CO-03)
http://www.house.gov/salazar/contact.shtml
Grand Junction Colorado 81503 (970)

Synder, Vic (AR-2)
http://www.house.gov/snyder/contact.shtml
Little Rock, AR 72207 (501)

Space, Zack (OH-18)*
http://space.house.gov/?sectionid=61&sectiontree=26,61
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601 (740)

Spratt, John (SC-5)
https://sprattforms.house.gov/spratt/forms/contact-form.shtml
Rock Hill, SC 29730 (803)

Stupak, Bart *
http://www.house.gov/stupak/IMA/issue2.htm
Marquette, MI 49855 (906)

Wilson, Charles (OH-06)
http://www.charliewilson.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=139
Wintersville OH 43953 (740)