NebraskaPatriot

Nelson Next Redemption Step is Obamacare SAY WHAT!!!

Nelson afforded prime opportunity to show Nebraskans he hears us . . .

It now appears that Obama, Pelosi and Reid have a new plan to get Obamacare passed and signed into law. And according to WashingtonExaminer.com Pelosi's own staff isn't being very quiet about it. 

And folks, this is where our Democrat Senator Ben Nelson comes into play. On first blush, I have a feeling that this is Nelson's worst nightmare. Obamacare, his Waterloo. Cornhusker Kickback, folks are still mad as hell about that and now Obama-Reid-Pelosi are bring that all back up again. Not good especially after Nelson just started down the redemption path with his recent support of the Republican filibuster against Obama's leftist wacko nominee for the National Labor Relation's Board.

So I'm sure that he is peaking around the corner right now and can't believe what he is reading and hearing that Obamacare is ALIVE!!!

So after Mr. Nelson stops shrieking, there is an opportunity that is presenting itself to him, but will he take it?

Nelson can take another step down the redemption path by playing hardball with Obama, Pelosi and Reid. He can gather other nervous Democrats(you can't turn around in a Democrat caucus meeting without running into one of those!) in the Senate and they should march up to the White House and let Obama know that if they try this "trick" as Pelosi's own staff member called it, to get Obamacare passed, then Nelson and his group will hold up every nomination that comes down to the Senate. They will join the Republicans and filibuster every Obama agenda item and they will be out in front of television cameras blasting Obama, Pelosi and Reid for bastardizing the legislative process. 

Bottom line, they should make it very clear, they will bring the Capitol to a complete and utter standstill if Obama-Pelosi-Reid forge ahead on Obamacare.

Now, the question is, how bad does Ben Nelson want to get back in the good graces of Nebraska voters?

I guess time will tell. 

Nelson Bewildered by Nebraskans' Anger

is the reality of his actions setting in yet . . .

Nebraska Democrat Senator Ben Nelson said in an interview today with the Fremont, NE Tribune, “I  think it was a mistake to take health care on as opposed to continuing to spend the time on the economy,”

He went on to say, “I would have preferred not to be dealing with health care in the midst of everything else, and I think working on the economy would have been a wiser move.”

While it appears that Nelson is trying to find some solid ground on which to step back onto with Nebraska voters, the Democrat still is living in a fantasy land when he claims that by holding out, he, Ben Nelson was able to get changes in the bill that “took a bad bill and made it better.”

He added, "I cannot understand the level of anger and frustration aimed at me because this language that I put together does ban (federally funded abortions). It absolutely bans it,” he said.  

Really? Well Senator, let's look at this reality:

Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat and leader in the House in getting tough pro-life language in the House's version of Obamacare described Nelson's self-proclaimed victory for pro-life in the Senate version this way:

"What the Nelson compromise does is recognize abortion for the first time as a benefit in a federal health plan. It mandates that at least one plan has abortion coverage. Those are drastic changes to the current law.” -National Review Online 12-24-09

Meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement on 12-23-09 after Ben Nelson performed his supposed magic on the Obamacare bill in the Senate:

"Federal funds will help subsidize, and in some cases a federal agency will facilitate and promote, health plans that cover elective abortions."

And finally there is Julie Schmit-Albin, Executive Director of Nebraska's Right to Life and a long time vocal supporter of Senator Nelson. Schmit-Albin writes the following on NRL's blog:

"Senator Nelson had a chance to ensure that the longstanding principle of the Hyde Amendment against federal funding of abortion with narrow exceptions, would be placed in the Senate healthcare legislation. He dashed any hope of that with his late-night agreement with Senators Reid, Boxer and Schumer on unacceptable language that he claimed would address pro-life concerns."

She went on to write:

"There is no pro-life Nebraskan more devastated by Senator Nelson's actions than myself. It's a very sobering day for myself personally and for pro-lifers across Nebraska and the nation. Senator Nelson obliterated the hope of pro-life Americans who saw him as the last man standing between expansion of government funding of abortion and the Hyde amendment."

Senator Nelson still is not living in the reality that is now on the ground in Nebraska. As sure as we have snow on the ground and sub-zero wind chills, the great majority of Nebraskans are pissed off at Senator Nelson. And he is only compounding the issue with his insulting ad  that  is running day and night where he looks in the camera and says "I listened to you". As my father would say , "The hell you did."

It is becoming very clear to everyone but Ben Nelson. As I said in an earlier blog entry, the recent decision by Byron Dorgan, Democrat Senator of North Dakota not to run for re-election is the fate that is awaiting one Ben Nelson unless he does something very dramatic to change the dynamic. Such an opportunity will present itself in the next few weeks in U.S. Senate . . . 

Subzero & Blizzard In Eastern Nebraska But Heating Up In DC

it warms the heart on these bitter cold days . . .

We are now in the midst of our third blizzard of the winter season in Eastern Nebraska. Gore is right, this Global Warming is hell. Sub zero wind chills and 40 mph winds and snow. Meanwhile in Washington, the Democrats are apparently bound and determined to stoke the anger of their constituents across the country.

I continue to be amazed how tin-eared these folks are or they figure they've gone this far and are taking the Kamikaze approach. The latest is this closed door, secret meeting at the White House to reconcile the two version of Obamacare into one bill. The President's own words from the campaign trail just one year ago that he would hold these meeting with C-SPAN cameras present, are being played over and over again on television.

Meanwhile, Republican House member Eric Cantor of Virginia is doing his best to throw more gasoline on the fires in each of the Democrat House members home states. The blog Hot Air has an article on a memo just released in which Cantor explains how the Reid/Pelosi/Obama behind-closed-doors meeting on Obamacare will make Democrats lives even more difficult at home. It's a must read.

Ben Nelson: What a Piece of Work

this is like a kid that gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar . . .

It's not my fault, bad old Harry Reid put it in the bill. That my friends is the newest incarnation that Ben Nelson has come up with to save his political hind-quarters.

I strongly urge you to read a piece in the Politico that is just amazing.

So now "it was simply a marker", no big deal folks, silly you, it will all be fixed.

Wow, Ben Nelson is flying down the advanced slope right now with out ski poles and through uncharted terrain for him. He's never been on the defensive in this state and it's becoming very obvious that Nelson is not good at making it up as he goes. And his attempts so far have done nothing but insult the intelligence of Nebraskans. 

Now famous Ben Nelson phrases:

My vote is not for sale.

I listened to you[from his new TV ad running in Nebraska].

I didn't ask for the Cornhusker Kickback to be put in the Obamacare legislation

It was simply a marker

Nelson Runs Ad During Nebraska Bowl Game

you know your goose is cooked when you have to do this . . .

Nebraska's Democrat U.S. Senator Ben Nelson ran a television ad last night during the Huskers' bowl game with Arizona. What was stunning about it were Nelson's very first words in the ad:

"I listened to you"

If your brain just went numb then you just had the same reaction I had when he said those four words.

Why is it when politicians are in trouble their instinct is to treat the public as idiots?

Ben Nelson with those four words just provided further proof that he is clueless because if he really "listened to you" then he would have voted as the great majority of Nebraskans asked repeatedly and he would not have allowed Obamacare to come up for vote.

Nelson, you had your chance last night and this is what we get, an attempt to make us out as some dumb country folk that really meant for you to vote for Obamacare when we said not to vote for Obamacare????? Really, is that the best you have?

Amazing . . . 

Hey Ben, I Think We Are A Bit Unhappy With YOU

doesn't change his vote but . . .

New Rasmussen Poll on Ben Nelson is what I thought it would be. The great majority of Nebraskans HATE what Nelson did in selling his vote for Obamacare.

The poll shows a Governor Heineman vs Nelson contest but I can tell you that we have several high profile Republicans in this state that would fair as well.

It's ugly out here when you talk to folks about Nelson. The dislike is genuine and we are not a state that gets too worked up about much outside of Nebraska football.

Ben, You Sure You Know What You Agreed To?

how can he be right and all other pro-lifers be so very wrong????

And now it's Bart Stupak, House member from Michigan that is contradicting Ben Nelson's claim:

"I stuck to my guns and stood for my pro-life principles"

- Ben Nelson on the floor of the Senate December 24, 2009

In an interview today with National Review Online, the Michigan Democrat said the language of the health-care bill must be crystal clear.

“There cannot be, in any way, public funding for abortion,” says Stupak. “What the Nelson compromise does is recognize abortion for the first time as a benefit in a federal health plan. It mandates that at least one plan has abortion coverage. Those are drastic changes to the current law.” “President Obama needs to keep current law in place, as he said he would,” says Stupak. “The polls show that the public doesn’t want public funding for abortion. If the president really wants to work with us, he has to recognize this.”

Ok, so add this to long time pro-life supporters and the U.S. Catholic Bishops. Again, I ask, who do you believe?

Doth Thou Protest Too Much?

"I stuck to my guns and stood for my pro-life principles"

- Ben Nelson on the floor of the Senate December 24, 2009

It's interesting that Ben Nelson felt the need today to go to the floor of the U.S. Senate AFTER the Senate voted to pass Nelson-Obamacare. It appears Ben is feeling the heat from pro-life folks who are not happy at all and in fact are using the word "betrayed" in describing Nelson's compromise on the abortion issue in Nelson-Obamacare.

My feeling is that if the language was that clear in the Nelson-Obamacare bill that just passed the Senate then Nelson did not need say another word. But apparently old Ben may have miscalculated, badly, as pro-life groups who have been staunch supporters of Nelson year-after-year are outraged and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on December 23rd that said the following:

"Federal funds will help subsidize, and in some cases a federal agency will facilitate and promote, health plans that cover elective abortions."

So I guess this comes down to whom you believe: Cornhusker-Kickback Ben or Catholic Bishops?

Gosh, I don't know. This is a difficult one . . .

Ben Nelson Support is Victory for Death Panel

gosh, here we go again, that pesky deal where facts leak out about Nelson's Obamacare bill . . .

Earlier this week, I posted that by all reports, Ben Nelson's Obamacare bill has a death-panel lite provision. Well the bloom has come off the Nelson rose as Sarah Palin voiced her concerns about that same provision on her blog.

Can't wait to see Nelson have to explain this one. I'm sure he will find a way to blame someone else. I don't think Governor Heineman can be blamed on this one! Oh wait, I bet Nelson claims ignorance, a perpetual state for him.

Is That A Death Panel in Nelson-Obamacare Bill?

Senate Obamacare plan puts panel in charge of Medicare decisions . . .

Details are starting to come out on the Senate’s version of Obamacare and it’s not good news for older Nebraskans. Here are just a couple items in the Obamacare bill that Ben Nelson endorses wholeheartedly:
 

1. Starting in the spring, anyone who treats Medicare patients will face a 21-percent CUT in their Medicare payments. Older Nebraskans that means doctors, hospitals and nursing homes. We all know what such a slash in Medicare payments translates into in terms of availability and quality of care.
   
2. Seniors are the biggest losers in the Nelson compromise healthcare bill. Apparently, Senator Nelson has no problem slashing Medicare funding by half a trillion dollars. In fact, that is the main reason that the CBO gave this bill a favorable cost estimate. However, the real expert here is the actuary for the Medicare Trust Fund, who came out last week saying that such cuts will cause seniors to have a very difficult time finding a doctor and would devastate the quality of care.
3. Death panel lite? Ben Nelson has agreed that a new independent board will have the power to cut Medicare benefits and only Congress can override the board’s decisions. Feeling all warm and fuzzy about this provision? Let me add this tidbit. As we have all seen, members of Congress in general have no spine so they are not going to touch any decision made by this panel when the inevitable rationing of Medicare begins. The bottom line here for Older Nebraskans is that decisions about your quality of care will be made by faceless bureaucrats in Washington DC and not by your physician or family. Ben Nelson isn’t concerned, of course then again, he has nothing to worry about when he reaches that magic age because he is on the Federal Healthcare program and that’s as gold plated as you can get.

There are plenty other provisions that will make your toe nails curl and I will get into those in other posts.

If I’m an older Nebraskan, these three provisions should make you want to grab Mr. Nelson by the shirt collar and shake him. Folks, this is how Ben Nelson thinks seniors should be treated. How can you come to any other conclusion based on his support for  the Obamacare bill in the Senate?