The scriptures refer to reaping the whirlwind. That certainly describes Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson after the first state-wide poll since the controversial deal he cut in exchange for his deciding vote on the Senate health care bill. A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows that if he were running for re-election today, Mr. Nelson would lose to Nebraska’s GOP Governor David Heineman by a stunning 61% to 30%. Only three years ago, Mr. Nelson won his current term with a solid 64% of the vote. Clearly, the senator’s fall in public esteem is a direct reaction to his having voted for the health care bill as part of a deal in which Nebraska was exempted from the costs of new federal Medicaid mandates. The ObamaCare bill was already unpopular enough in Nebraska but became even more so when state residents discovered they would be saddled with it anyway, plus exposed to national ridicule over Mr. Nelson’s sweetheart deal. Now 53% strongly oppose the bill, while another 11% somewhat oppose it. Only 17% favor the deal that Mr. Nelson struck in order to vote for the bill. But the poll also shows a path to redemption. Asked how they […]
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Ben Nelson’s Purgatory
Stephan: Seen in this light Senator Nelson did as much as he could. The population of Nebraska in July 2009 was 1,783,432 -- less than half of one per cent of the total American population. As a result of the Nelson bargain for his vote he got his state a special status. It will be interesting to take a poll two years from now asking how many Nebraskans on the new program would like to give up their benefits.
BEN COULD HAVE BEEN A HERO AND CHOSE TO BE THE GOAT AND HE SOLD OUT SO CHEAPLY AS HE BETRAYED HIS STATE AND COUNTRY..