AP Bemoans Retirement of 'Centrist' Ben Nelson, Who Voted for ObamaCare and Stimulus
In an item which still has a breaking news tag, Josh Funk at the Associated Press (saved here for future reference, fair use, and discussion purposes) call retiring Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson a "centrist," and almost seemed to mourn over "an increasingly polarizing climate" which made it clear that Nelson's reelection would have been a steep uphill fight. Of course, there was no mention of the infamous Cornhusker kickback which was offered and then withdrawn in a firestorm of controversy in an Obama administration attempt to win Nelson's support for the passage of ObamaCare -- which they got anyway.
Here are several paragraphs from Funk's report and the immediately following breaking news item:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson says he decided to leave the U.S. Senate after 2012 because he wants more free time, not because he's retiring.
... The 70-year-old centrist Democrat and former governor announced his decision not to seek another term Tuesday. His departure is expected to make it easier for Republicans to win the only seat in Nebraska's congressional delegation that hasn't already gone to the GOP.
... He says he's also confident he could have won himself, saying his poll numbers have improved despite being hammered by conservatives for supporting the federal health care overhaul.
... Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson survived nearly two decades representing heavily Republican Nebraska by carving a path down the political center. But faced with navigating that road in an increasingly polarizing climate, Nelson is stepping away - and swinging the door wide open for the GOP.
Nelson, the lone Democrat in Nebraska's five-member congressional delegation, announced Tuesday that he wouldn't seek a third term. He was facing a tough campaign against several Republicans who've spent the past several months attacking his support for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and federal stimulus legislation.
"Who can blame him given the current political mood of the country?" said former state Democratic Party Chairman Steve Achelpohl.
... Democrats banking on Nelson's ability to leverage those centrist stances and capture statewide races were left scrambling, and many state activists acknowledged being taken by surprise.
One suspects that more than a few people are upset about the timing of Nelson's announcement, given that he continued to press hard for campaign contributions this year while his party spent heavily in the Cornhusker State in an attempt to shore up Nelson's image.
As for Nelson's "centrism," here are his grades from the Club for Growth during the past six available years:
The arc of Nelson's Club for Growth voting record gives away his opportunistic economic liberalism.
Once Democrats achieved a majority in the Senate after the 2006 elections, Nelson went far-left, scoring only one point above the late Ted Kennedy in 2007 and below many known lefties, including Sherrod Brown, Debbie Stabenow, and Bernie Sanders in 2008. His "improvement" in 2009, when he voted for the stimulus plan, and 2010, when he voted for ObamaCare, was clearly intended to mask Nelson's inner leftist.
Fortunately, Nebraskans finally saw through the clever facade, even as Funk at the Associated Press bitterly clings to Nelson's claim to be a moderate. Centrist, schmentrist.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
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Comments
I think Nelson was quoted as
Submitted by killa37 on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 3:43pm.
I think Nelson was quoted as saying the TEA Party needs to be defeated..............although I keep hearing that the TEA party was just some minor 'astro-turf' non-movement. Too bad the 'political climate' doesn't agree with some of these entrenched elitist beaurocrats..............I hope they all keep retiring, I don't care which party they're from. Of course, they all have a much better retirement set-up than we do!!!
Centrist?
Submitted by Curly on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 4:01pm.
About as "centrist" as the Kenyan Kaiser and Our Lady of Perpetual Travel!
Ben Nelson???
Submitted by pcnav on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 12:03pm.
Doesn't Ben Nelson look like Heat Miser from "A Year Without Santa Claus"?
Too bad
Submitted by KornKing on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 5:14pm.
A "centrist"(and pro life) Democrat would NOT have voted for Obamascare.
All those years ago when Ben was flirting about a party change, if he were so "centrist" he would have done it, country would have been a lot better off.
open message to Ben..don't
Submitted by jkwtrading on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 7:53pm.
open message to Ben..don't worry when it all comes down, we will include you in the crime party.
you will get your just due..
Just like the ol' Steve Miller song...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 8:09pm.
..."Go On Take The Money and Run..."
To be a good Democrat these days...
Submitted by Mary Louise Turner on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 8:23pm.
To be a good little Democrat these days, he or she must toe the hard-left line at all times. He/she must support unions and a assortment of loony causes, including abortion and extreme environmentalism. If you don't, you are blackballed (see former Gov. Robert Casey, Exhibit A)...The truth about Mr. Nelson is that he is a CINO (Centrist In Name Only), and his true leftism is revealed in his voting record. Good riddance to Mr. Cornhusker Kickback - now let's get rid of other phony centrists in both parties and try to clean up DC at last.
Centrist? Hardly.
Submitted by Thalpy on Thu, 12/29/2011 - 10:35am.
Almost all of these alleged centrists sit at the left hand of Marx, their Father.
Nelson has been a centrist Democrat by any ideological standard
Submitted by Jer on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 12:18pm.
of measurement, and I doubt there is a single GOP member of the House or Senate--past or present--who would disagree with that assessment.
Jer
The Club for Growth numbers for 2007 and 2008 ...
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 2:24am.
... speak for themselves. Finally in the majority, seemingly untouchable thanks to the Democratic wave, Ben was free to be the real Ben.
What they supposedly "think" doesn't matter. What his voting record is, does.
So centrist ....
Submitted by NL207 on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 2:54am.
that he voted for Obamacare, the most massive entitlement program ever contemplated in America. Moreover he demanded and received a special consideration for his home state in exchange for this vote, the infamous 'Cornhusker Kickback'.
Nowadays the term 'Centrist Democrat' means something slightly to the right of Nikolai Lenin and slightly to the left of the Fabian Socialists.
So centrist, even
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 3:14am.
Brad Wilmouth refers to Nelson as a centrist Democrat.
Better grab Wilmouth and jerk him back in line, NL.
Jer
MSNBC's Schultz: 'Damn Democrats' Not Supporting Obama Enough, 'Damn Right I'm a Tax and Spend Liberal'
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2011/10/13/msnbcs-schultz-dam...
Oh, that proves Nelson's centrism ....
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 8:47am.
... beyond a shadow of a doubt. I surrender (/sarc).
Voting for Obamacare and the stimulus and his 2007 and 2008 voting record, which as shown were right there with Ted Kennedy and Sherrod Brown, prove his far-leftism.
Tom B,
Submitted by Agnostic on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 8:55am.
You are being unfair to Nelson. He did not want to vote for ObamaCare - at least not until he was properly compensated. Once he flipped publically he could not flop back to his original position. Selling your vote makes one a politician in the worst sense of the profession.
A good point, Agnostic...
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 11:13pm.
But it's an apolitical symptom of Washingtonitis.
Jer
edit...and bi-partisan and non-ideological
Washingtonitis
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 12:58pm.
A disease that must be cured before any real improvements can be made even if they are only the perceived improvements of social programs that will last as long as their is money that can be printed, borrowed or stolen.
Or ...
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 12:12am.
... Nelson just played hard to get, trading on a carefully cultivated but undeserved reputation.
It takes a lot of really bad votes to get down to 15% and 11% with Club for Growth.
Or a lot of deals and
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 9:42am.
Or a lot of deals and laziness. I don't mean to argue with you but it is the impression I get from Nelson that he doesn't have a strong conviction of liberalism. His votes are, IMHO, testimony to his lack of belief, understanding, conviction and/or ethics. He votes for whatever is easiest and most advantageous to him at the moment and with the big sticks of Reid and Pelosi DC machines pushing the agenda he has had ample reason to vote liberal. Again, I don't know the man and this may be an unfair judgment but it is the impression I received when I've read some of his statements.
Well, okay
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 10:19am.
That is a possible interpretation.
If so calling him a "centrist" would still not be correct, as in your scenario he has no core. "Opportunist" would be the right term.
a rose by any other name
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 12:59pm.
still may smell like the fertilizer if the opportunist or the politicians are near by
Tom...If Club for Growth, National Journal, ADA,
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 7:21pm.
ACU et al were to add a category such as "this congressman/senator unranked due to opportunism, self-interest, and vote bartering", those organizations would be forced to discontinue their rating services since there would be virtually no politicians remaining to rate.
Jer