Posted on 12/17/2009 9:32:37 AM PST by Ravi
WASHINGTON — Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson — the moderate Democrat whose opposition is holding up the Senate's health care bill — says new language on abortion doesn't satisfy his concerns.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
I have questions about Sanders’ intentions here. Does he intend to withhold support by voting against cloture? Or does he plan to support cloture and then vote against the bill. If it’s the latter, then he’s really supporting the bill and Bernie Sanders is much ado about nothing. I have not heard him clarify what his opposition actually means - cloture, or the actual vote.
The GOP would need to flip 11 senate seats to win back the U.S. Seante next year. It is close to impossible.
Look at the polls - it’s do-able. The race starts next month here in MA.
If the GOP can get to 48-49, flip one or two Rats or IND seats and see how it plays out.
Look at this list.
By my count, Democrats are highly vulnerable in three states (Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada), Somewhat vulnerable in two (Pennsylvania, Connecticut), Possible toss-ups (at worst)in four more (New York, Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota), heavy favorites in three more (California, Hawaii, Washington) and all but guaranteed re-election in the remaining four (Vermont, Oregon, Wisconsin., Maryland).
Let’s see what happens.
What are you talking about?
Nelson is not going to become a Republican.
And we are not going to retake the Senate in 2010.
They would be really great RINOS.
If the Gov. is saying go against this bill, the Gov’s office must be getting slammed with Nebraskans calling saying they do not want this bill.
Looks like Nelson is getting enough pressure he’s actually holding his ground.
Now it’s time to start on the other few iffy’s, Nelson of Fla, Collins, Snowe (who has been good so far but unreliable).
We can’t let our guard down until this and any other bill is dead and buried.
the moderate Democrat whose opposition is holding up the Senate's health care bill
I’m sending faxes to senators, but my two pubbies are already against it. What more can you do when your reps are already on board (against)?
I will NEVER forgive Lie-berman for his support of the 2000 election re-re-re-recount fiasco. He sold his soul at that point, IMHO. Hell can have him.
There is a fighting chance of retaking the Senate outright in 2010 or at least getting close enough where flipping a Rat or IND can make the difference. Is there a problem with having vision and fighting back against the Rats with their own tactics? It worked for them with Jeffords, who's to definitely say it won't work with Nelson or Lieberman? What's the harm in trying?
Or is it better to just do nothing and end up being so weakened that mounting a filibuster is nearly impossible?
I really hope you are right and am willing to eat crow. Also, I do not think the 2010 list includes the special elections in Massachusetts for Teddy Bare’s seat and in New York for Hillary’s old seat. So I guess there are actually 18 chances to flip RAT seats versus the same number of GOP seats.
Dick Morris (ok, it’s Dick Morris) ran down 10 seats that he called “low hanging fruit” which are Rat Senate seats that have a good chance of being flipped. It is possible.
If Scott Brown can pull it off here next month, I’d say the odds are at least even the the GOP can pull it off. A Brown win would be gigantic!
Besides, what’s the harm in being optimistic? It’s the Christmas season after all.
Nelson of Florida is very proud to be YES vote.
NE is the “heart” of the heartland of America.
Having a guv weigh in publicly points out the momentum that the resistance against the bill is gaining.
Support is even waning here in CA, although those in favor still outnumber the opposition. The dimwits were already on the zerocare bandwagon, but now that they’re figuring out how much it’s going to cost and how many jobs this disintegrating state will further shed as a result of zerocare, they’re catching on that zerocare really does mean “zero care.”
The elderly living in sunny SoCal must be scared half to death of the Medicare cuts and that they won’t outlive the tax burden imposed on them for four years before there’s any “care” to be had.
Beyond that, the illegals and those living around the poverty level won’t have their plight improved because they’ll be on Medicaid, which is the last stop in medical care before none at all and the graveyard, so there’s really nothing in it for the poor, either.
I really think we’re approaching the point where only the hard-core commies and the truly clueless who only hear the part that someone else will pay for them support it. They’ve alienated the young by forcing them to buy coverage and enforcing it through the IRS and jail sentences, they’ve alienated the elderly, they’ve alienated small business and even big business to some extent, and even the unions for awhile by placing a tax on “Cadillac” plans. I think that was removed, but now the unions and their membership have been awakened to the possibility that it can be put back in later and......gulp......they might actually have to PAY FULL PRICE/PAY THEIR OWN WAY for what they’re getting. They now know they are not bullet-proof, so even they aren’t as supportive as they used to be, or so I hear. They’re figuring out that this is a government and union boss/leadership power-grab (all medical care will be provided by union workers, right down to the guy painting lines in the medical facility parking lots or else the facility will not get its stipend), not a big boon to the membership itself and that they are vulnerable to higher costs and taxes. Union workers hadn’t realized that it costs more money to run a bigger plantation and that there really is a limit to corporate resources and OPM (Other People’s Money). The union membership, at least the individuals with two brain cells to rub together, are learning that they’re NOT special and they’re as much a part of the riff-raff as the rest of us.
Of course, strictly private facilities for the rich and the political class will remain available to them on a hush-hush, “hiding in plain sight” basis
If this monstrosity passes, a person’s form and level of medical care will be a measure of his position in society. Americans will become balkanized through this stratification.
There’s some smarts in what you say. NE is a red state. It won’t hurt Nelson to flip and it takes the heat off him.
Nelson might, just maybe, maybe might do it. Joe? Never happen. And it wouldn’t be good for the pubs if he did. Joe would just be a RINO and pull the party left, which is the LAST influence they need. The pubs don’t need a “big tent”. We see what the “big tent” concept has done for the rats - they are at each other’s throats because really the only commonlaity among their various little balkanized self-interest groups is the drive to get someone else’s money. After all, the desire to kill capitalism is not the same desire as to kill babies in the womb or two dudes in pink leather jock straps wielding black whips wanting marrying each other and live happily ever after in a cottage with a white picket fence. In other words, the widely disparate objectives of their various constituencies are clashing in front of us and it isn’t helpful to their party. Joe’s general moderate-left belief system just doesn’t dovetail well with the conservative platform we are struggling to solidify. Yeah, I know he’s not a radical and that he’s pro-Israel and national security, and I know he’s not a really, really big Big Government guy and he’s basically a decent human being with some heart and guts, but he’s just too far left when it comes to too many issues (such as taxes) so important to a party trying to find its conservative feet.
Nelson isn’t up for re-election until ‘12. That’s an eternity in politics. Further, promising to undermine their own candidate over one vote from a rat is not a party I want to be part of. No. Nelson should switch parties to get some cover for a principled vote. Giving him some committee leadership and some level of power in the party would be fine, though. McConnell should send Kyl, Coburn and Graham at him - let Lindsey earn his keep for a change by doing something right. He makes me nuts, but he’s a good negotiator. Kyl’s a good/nice guy and Coburn’s a doc who could re-inforce the no-abortion aspect and also how bad a deal the whole bill is for medical care in general.
Why do you say that?
Nobody ever thought Ben Nighthorse Campbell would switch, but he did.
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