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Nelson Accused of Selling Vote on Health Bill for Nebraska Pay-Off (Bribery, the Chicago way)
Fox News ^ | 12/20/2009 | fox news

Posted on 12/20/2009 6:50:54 AM PST by tobyhill

What started as Sen. Ben Nelson's personal stand against covering abortion with taxpayer money translated, somehow, into millions of dollars in federal aid for his home state.

The Nebraska Democrat, following weeks of negotiations with his caucus, finally agreed to back the Senate's health care reform bill this weekend after Democratic leaders made a series of concessions. Nelson's support gives Democrats the 60 votes they need to overcome a filibuster, barring any last-minute defections.

But critics by Sunday were heavily questioning Nelson's motivations, given that the abortion restrictions he sought and won did not satisfy several major anti-abortion lawmakers and groups and that it took a major federal payoff to his state to seal the deal.

Critics were calling it the "cornhusker kickback" and the "Nebraska windfall," lobbing accusations of political deal-making at Nelson.

"It's pretty obvious votes have been bought," Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benedictarnoldnelson; benedictnelson; bennelson; cornhuskerkickback; cornhuskerkickbacks; nebraska; nebraskawhore; nelson
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1 posted on 12/20/2009 6:50:55 AM PST by tobyhill
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To: tobyhill

Like Lincoln always said, an honest politician is one that when he’s bought, he stays bought.

Mary Christ-mas America


2 posted on 12/20/2009 6:53:15 AM PST by bray (Palin can see the White House from her Porch)
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To: tobyhill

The word bribe should be used frequently in the next election. What happened is not bargaining, it was a clear cut bribe for a vote. November 2010 can’t come too soon.


3 posted on 12/20/2009 6:54:23 AM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: tobyhill

If this thing goes through, it must be repealed the first day pubbies ever have the votes to do so.


4 posted on 12/20/2009 6:54:37 AM PST by wendy1946
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To: wendy1946

Wasn’t this they same tactic used to swing the Louisiana vote?


5 posted on 12/20/2009 6:56:29 AM PST by rovenstinez (All)
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To: wendy1946
Once it's through there's no undoing it without a Conservative super-majority in congress and the White House.
6 posted on 12/20/2009 6:57:05 AM PST by tobyhill
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To: rovenstinez

Why yes...yes it was. It worked so well, they decided to use it again. Whores...the lot of them.


7 posted on 12/20/2009 6:58:12 AM PST by tsmith130
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To: tobyhill
I think a lot of people are going to move to Nebraska - if they are poor and need Health Care.
Just like the gays move to a state that allows gay marriage
Just like they move to California if they are homeless...
just like they move to Chicago if they are crooks...

I am starting to see a pattern...hmmm - Anyone want to buy my Nebraska Farm? I am in Texas where we are going to secede? Interesting country
United we stand, right?

8 posted on 12/20/2009 7:02:54 AM PST by Ganndy (back to Lurking...)
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To: tobyhill

Then there probably needs to be a credible threat on the table of pubbies and conservatives simply taking their marbles and going home. That would have to begin with Texas and Utah.


9 posted on 12/20/2009 7:04:45 AM PST by wendy1946
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To: tobyhill

Ping


10 posted on 12/20/2009 7:04:48 AM PST by TheVitaminPress (as goes the Second Amendment . . . so goes the Constitution.)
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To: tobyhill

These are the Democrat Senators up for re-election in November 2010.

One thing FReepers can do in the next 10 months is to post negative/critical news about these particular Senators. Many of the postings at FR get copied to emails for further dissemination.

Bayh, Evan - (D - IN)
Bennet, Michael F. - (D - CO)
Dorgan, Byron L. - (D - ND)
Lincoln, Blanche L. - (D - AR)
Reid, Harry - (D - NV)
Specter, Arlen - (D - PA)

Boxer, Barbara - (D - CA)
Burris, Roland W. - (D - IL)
Dodd, Christopher J. - (D - CT)
Feingold, Russell D. - (D - WI)
Inouye, Daniel K. - (D - HI)
Leahy, Patrick J. - (D - VT)
Mikulski, Barbara A. - (D - MD)
Murray, Patty - (D - WA)
Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY)
Wyden, Ron - (D - OR)


11 posted on 12/20/2009 7:07:19 AM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
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To: tobyhill
Reminds me of the joke about the cad talking to a young lady:
Cad: "Will you go to bed with me for $1,000?"
Girl: "Sure!"
Cad: "Well, how about $500?"
Girl: "WHAT? What do you think I am???"
Cad: "We've already established that - now we're haggling on price..."

12 posted on 12/20/2009 7:08:23 AM PST by COBOL2Java (Big government more or less guarantees rule by creeps and misfits.)
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To: Dutch Boy
re: The word bribe should be used frequently in the next election

Add whore to the list too. No other word for what these Senators have done in trading their vote for personal gain. I have little faith in the electorate, but I hope and pray these people will regret their actions come election time.

Voters have short memories and these whores make sure they get lots of pork for their constitutes during the brief attention span just before an election. Our only hope is to get out the conservative vote en masse next time and send a message, very loud and very clear that we are taking back our America!

13 posted on 12/20/2009 7:10:33 AM PST by jwparkerjr
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To: wendy1946

Someone said last week that the only “repeal” to have occurred in federal legislation was prohibition.


14 posted on 12/20/2009 7:22:43 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Impeachment !)
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To: wendy1946

Wouldn’t it be a hoot if Nelson was the last to vote and the count was 59 for and, then, he cast his vote against the bill? That would be my Christmas gift.


15 posted on 12/20/2009 7:27:58 AM PST by Evil Slayer (Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war)
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To: wendy1946; bray; Dutch Boy
This is the biggie, the 60-votes-needed-for-cloture vote. Nelson can still vote against it and kill the bill.

Exhort him! Shame him! Call him back to duty!

Click here to go to Ben Nelson's web-based message system and leave a message. After you send the message, you can hit the "Back" button, get back on the message page and do it again. And again. And again.

Let's break down his damn servers.

Then: Click here to SIGN THE EMERGENCY PETITION asking Nelson to keep his promise and vote AGAINST the manager's amendment (abortion funding.)

Don't grow weary this late in the fight.
There are three cloture votes needed.
Nelson hasn't voted for one yet.

16 posted on 12/20/2009 7:33:01 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West" - Aragorn)
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To: tobyhill

Ben Nelson will now join the growing list of gutless traitors that have sold out the once Greatest nation on earth! they will reap what they have sown!


17 posted on 12/20/2009 7:57:53 AM PST by timetostand (Merry Christmas)
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To: tobyhill

I was just watching Senator Kent Conrad on Fox News Sunday and he was asked about this bribe his party had used to get Senator Nelson’s vote. To my surprise, he spoke the truth in answering. He explained that no present congress can bind a future congress on spending and that in essence, the deal Senator Nelson sold out for is meaningless.

If Senator Nelson was at least an honest crook, he would cancel his deal considering the Democrat leadership could not even wait until after the vote to brag about buying him off with a hot check.


18 posted on 12/20/2009 8:09:20 AM PST by etcb
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To: Presbyterian Reporter
They may be up for reelection, but if no one is challenging them, it doesn’t matter. They win.
19 posted on 12/20/2009 9:04:08 AM PST by GrannyAnn
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To: tobyhill

So Nebraska gets the fed to fully fund their medicare share, but the other states (people) do not?

What about the 14th Amendment? Equal protection and all that. Special treatment with federal funds where the American people are forced to fully fund a federal program that their own states must cost-share. . .where is the fairness in that? Where is the question of legality/constitutionality? Not to mention morality?

Oh, wait, I forgot. . .we are talking about congress here. . . .never mind.


20 posted on 12/20/2009 9:58:56 AM PST by Hulka
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