NebraskaPatriot

Nelson Makes His Decision-It's Now Our Turn

the time has come . . .

I look forward to the coming days as Nebraskans totally absorb what Ben Nelson has done to the people of this state and nation in 2009. Let's review his grand legislative record:

1. STIMULUS - lead Senator who worked out the compromise that led to the "Stimulus" bill getting passed.

Cost to taxpayers: $787 BILLION

Cost to workers:    Unemployment STIMULATED from 8.1% prior to passage to 10% in November

                            15.4 MILLION now unemployed at the end of November

                            Millions more that have given up looking and not counted in this figure

Your Tax Dollars at Work:    Pork projects on steroids

2. 2009 Omnibus Bill(completed last spring)

Cost to taxpayers:  $410 BILLION

Your Tax Dollars at Work:   9,000 pork projects wasting over $5-billion

3. 2010 Spending Bill(completed Dec. 13th)

Cost to taxpayers:    $1.1 TRILLION

Your Tax Dollars at Work:    over 10,000 pork projects wasting over $11-billion

To Make Matters Worse: In this bill, Nelson approved an 8% INCREASE in spending on top of the $311-BILLION "emergency" spending increase he got passed in the Stimulus bill in February. Let me repeat that. In February, Ben Nelson got the votes together that passed the Stimulus bill. In Nelson's bill, he INCREASED the budgets of the Federal Govt. by $311-BILLION and now a mere 10 months later he has agreed to increase those same budgets 8% on top of the $311-billion increase. What checkbook is this guy writing from???

4. Debt Limit

Nelson will vote to increase our debt limit by $1.8 TRILLION the largest increase in one single year in the  history of our country. Now that's something to be proud of . . .

5. Obamacare

These are really (sarcastic) proud achievements for our esteemed Democrat Senator and now, now he is leading the charge to destroy the greatest medical care in the world and forcing our older Nebraskans into a rationed-3rd world care system.

Folks, in my opinion, 2012 is too long to wait to rid ourselves of this man. Since Ben Nelson has decided that the wishes of the great majority of Nebraskans is irrelevant, then I think it's time to make Ben Nelson irrelevant. And the way to do that is

RECALL PETITION DRIVE

                           

DONE DEAL & Nebraskans: Nelson Was For Sale

The blog HotAir just broke this story and it's pathetic. So I ask:

anyone out there know how what steps one has to go through to get a recall petition started on Ben Nelson?

Nelson Appears on Verge of Being Ben . . . Spineless

same song different verse for Nelson

It appears this morning that Democrat Senator Ben Nelson is going to replace the "FOR SALE" sign with a "SOLD" sign and is going to support Obamacare. I say appears because of course Nelson isn't saying anything officially yet and I called his office and of course you go directly to voice mail and of course his voice mail is full so you get disconnected.

It appears that Reid and Obama are going to give Nelson the anti-abortion language he wants. It also appears that they are throwing in additional dollars for Nebraska(didn't Nelson say he wasn't for sale??? Hmmm sure sounds like a pay off). If all of this is true then Ben Nelson is done in Nebraska(has a U.S. Senator ever been recalled??)

And if this is all true then get ready for Nelson to try and play this that he fought hard and won provisions that will stop federal dollars going for abortion. For that we all applaud. But then I suspect he will say something to the effect that it's only right that all bills get an up or down vote and gosh darn it, I tried my darnedest but majority rules.

Since Mr. Nelson is so concerned about the Life issue, then let me point out a wee-bit of a problem with the Obamacare bill that he appears to be allowing to go forward.

It CUTS a HALF-Trillion dollars from Medicare

Medicare is paid to hospitals and doctors for care of our older Nebraskans. So Mr. Nelson, if hospitals and doctors are getting dramatically less to pay for the care of older Nebraskans, what happens to the quality of care for older Nebraskans? Is it time to revisit the term "death panels"? I think this is a LIFE issue worth fighting for as well.

Oh and add in the fact that in an attempt to make up for the billions of lost revenue, hospitals and doctors will be forced to dramatically increase the charge for office visits as well as all other charges to those of us with private health insurance. This will translate into out of control escalated healthcare premiums, co-pays and deductibles. These huge increases in premiums will be shouldered by the consumer and employer and will ultimately push employers from offering insurance and force us all to look to good old Washington DC for healthcare . . . Mr. Nelson, I believe that's called Nationalized Health Insurance.

So Mr. Nelson, it's still not too late. Is this really the legacy you want to leave your grandchildren just so Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Obama can finally trumpet their first and only legislative triumph this year? 

Earth to Ben Nelson, find a spine and quick.

What Obamacare Is Doing To Your Reputation

Mr. Nelson, your waffling and support of the Democrat leadership has gotten you attention that's for sure but is this really the type of attention you want:

This is exactly what I fear. I get more specific in my blog entry "Nelson Vote To End Filibuster Is Vote for Obamacare". From what I'm hearing, the pressure from the White House is immense. Nelson is not a real strong person, just listen to him speak and you can pick up on that fact. As I've been saying, I just think in the end he will cave. God, I hope I'm wrong but I've been watching Ben Nelson in this state for too long to think otherwise. 

The Latest on Ben Nelson

Nebraskans continue to press and now the Governor is involved . . .

The polls in Nebraska are all bad for Nelson on this issue if he supports Obamacare. Heck it's gotten so bad that there is now an ad running comparing Nelson's votes on Amendments to the Obamacare bill to those of Republican Senator John McCain. Folks, this isn't an election year so you can see just how bad Nelson's internal polling must be that he needs to have campaign style ads running three years out from his re-election bid in 2012!

And now in the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has called Obamacare "bad news for Nebraska" and he urging Senator Nelson to vote against the bill.

The very popular Republican governor said that a new analysis by Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services indicates state spending on Medicaid will go up which is crippling for states trying to balance the budget(a unique concept that those in Washington DC might try!)

“America’s health care system needs improvement, but this bill is not the answer,” Heineman said in a letter to Nelson. “You are now the 60th vote, and as Governor of the State that we both represent, I urge you to vote against this bill and against cloture.”

Heineman was on Greta last night on FOX News. He said that since Nelson was a two term governor, he understands that impact the these dramatic increases in Medicaid will have on state budgets. I really thought Heineman played it really well and did a great job of laying out why Nelson should vote against this bill.

This morning on National Review Online, Bill Kristol wrote under the heading "Let Them Be Home for Christmas":

Bill Kristol looks to Ben Nelson to get D.C. home:

public safety, good government, democracy, and David Brooks all argue for Ben Nelson saying today that we'll all benefit from a nice holiday break during which we can talk with the American people and recharge our batteries, and that he looks forward to seeing everyone in the New Year.

Will Ben Nelson continue to hold out forcing everyone to go home and face the American people over the Christmas break? If he does, then I applaud him, if he caves, then it's the same old Ben Nelson and he can kiss 2012 goodbye. I have to admit that I don't have a lot of confidence in the man but maybe he will surprise me this time. 

Nelson Get Tough For Once

Rumors are swirling that Obama threatens to close Offutt Air Force Base in the Omaha area if Nelson doesn't play ball.

Mr. Nelson, here's how to handle that one.

You walk over to Rahm Emanuel's office, you get an inch from that wimp's face and you let him know that if the White House wants to play "Chicago style hard ball politics" by touching Offutt then you will work with Republicans to hold up ever judicial nomination that comes to the Senate; that you will work with Republicans to filibuster every bill the Democrats and the White House put before the Senate and that you will make it so that EVERY thing comes through you for the next year. And when the Republicans take seats and cut the Dems majority in the Senate next November, that you will have even more power by working with the Republicans to completely shut down the Senate. Then you tell them that you can make their lives a living hell. End with this little nugget that by doing this you will get re-elected in 2012 and that's more than I can say about you folks.

He then should turn and walk out and as you walk out look over your shoulder and let them know that the Republican Party has been courting you for years to switch. And leave it at that.

Obamacare Update: Nelson Feeling Pressure From Home

Great blurb in National Review on-line. The bottom line is that we have to keep the pressure on this guy.

Nelson Vote To End Filibuster Is Vote For Obamacare

I submitted the following to my local newspaper as well as the Omaha World-Herald:

Key votes are quickly approaching on Obamacare as Democrats try to ram through a take over of one-sixth of our economy; cut Medicare by a half a trillion dollars; force huge increases upon states in un-funded mandated Medicaid increases and dramatically increase taxes and fees to feed this monstrosity.

 

In an article in this newspaper late last week, Democrat Senator Ben Nelson said he would vote against the Senate’s Obamacare bill if his concerns are not addressed. Now on the surface that sounds reasonable however, when you look at what he didn’t say, you will find that Nelson appears to be playing politics with the lives of Nebraskans.

 

Unlike in the House of Representatives, Senate rules require that a bill overcome a 60-vote threshold before it can go to the final-51 vote majority vote for passage. It’s this 60-vote threshold that is key to “filibustering” as it’s called in the Senate or defeating a bill.

 

Right now, all 40 Republicans appear to be standing firm on filibustering the bill. They need one Democrat to join them and kill Obamacare by keeping it from going to the final 51-vote majority vote and that’s where Democrat Ben Nelson comes into play.  I cannot find anywhere that Nelson says he is open to supporting the Republican filibuster.

 

So, if we take what Nelson’s has said so far then it appears he is inclined to vote to break any Republican filibuster but will then vote against the bill in the final vote. By taking this path, Nelson can claim that it’s only right that a bill be allowed to get an up or down vote, which will satisfy Obama and the Democrats thereby keeping Nelson in their good graces. Then by voting against the bill in final form, Nelson will play the “I will do what is best for Nebraskans” card and tell Nebraska voters that he was against the bill but gosh darn it, those other Democrats outvoted him. If Nelson goes this route then kiss your healthcare goodbye as a Nelson vote to end the filibuster is a vote for Nationalized Healthcare since it only takes 51 votes to pass it once the filibuster is stopped. No amount of spin from Nelson can change this fact.

 

So, now is the time to contact Mr. Nelson. I know most people shy away from getting politically involved but folks this isn’t about politics, this is about our healthcare; your parent’s healthcare; your mother’s healthcare and the quality of care of future generations. We need to call, e-mail and send letters to Ben Nelson. Trust me, he’s feeling the pressure already as evidenced by a recent new political advertisement that is running here in Nebraska in a non-election year that equates Nelson’s votes to Republican Senator John McCain. It’s now or never folks, we cannot let up on our pressure on Ben Nelson.