Nelson(D-Neb): Let's make a deal (centrists dealing on filibusters)

[Rose Siding]

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who is working on a bipartisan compromise to end the filibuster of judicial nominees, said he believes that his party’s practice of blocking confirmation votes on controversial nominees has put him and fellow Democratic centrists in politically difficult positions.

Nelson, who accepts recent comparisons between himself and former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), a centrist Democratic dealmaker, suggested that a few Democrats in so-called red states might be relieved should the prospect of filibustering the president’s nominees be eliminated. He discussed his emerging role on judicial nominees during a luncheon interview with The Hill last week.
....
“Senator Salazar has been supportive of moving forward” on allowing confirmation votes on even Bush’s controversial nominees, said Nelson.

“Senator Pryor voted to move forward on Judge Pryor, and Sen. Lincoln has on a couple of occasions voted for cloture on other judges,” Nelson added. Judge Pryor is a nominee to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Nelson is negotiating with Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), chairman of the Rules Committee, to reach a bipartisan compromise to end the impasse between Republicans and Democrats over the judicial filibuster.

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/041305/nelson.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Uhhh...Ben?

Why are you working at odds with your leadership?

Ben, grow a spine, wouldja? Very helpful things, spines.

[Pirate Smile]

19. Uhhh... Ben? Did you see this? Would you just shut up for a while unless

you were bought off, of course?

"Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska was one of the top GOP targets for 2006. Indeed, Bush won Nebraska by 33 points, not the sort of place that should be hosting a Democratic senator, right?
Well, those GOoPer hopes are fading by the minute. (Subscription link)

Privately, Republicans cite two primary reasons for Nelson's growing electoral strength: his strong relationship with the White House and the GOP's inability to secure a top-tier challenger to run against him.
"The administration has reached out to him on more than one occasion," said one Republican strategist. "To a certain extent it is where the process of governing has gotten in the way of the process of politics."

The administration also robbed Senate Republicans of their top recruit when Bush named then-Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns (R) to be Agriculture secretary in January. Johanns would have been term limited out of office in 2006 and had openly discussed a run against Nelson prior to his appointment.

As a result of the confluence of these developments, Republicans have focused more time and energy on recruiting challengers against -- and attacking -- Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd (W.Va.), Kent Conrad (N.D.) and Bill Nelson (Fla.).

They may blame Bush for their lack of recruitment, but Bush has run hard against other Democrats that supported his agenda (Max Cleland, Jean Carnahan, etc). Fact is, the GOP bench in Nebraska is thin. Their most popular politician -- Rep. Tom Osborne (former local football coach hero) -- has passed on the Senate and is more interested in running for governor.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/12/11486/6587

[DeaconBlues]

2. This dumbass needs to realize that more of Bush's judicial nominees

are being confirmed than were Clinton's. There is no crisis - republicans are just pissed because they aren't getting absolutely everything they want.

I am really getting to regret that I voted for that clueless bastard Nelson.

[Zenlitened]

3. Why does this "compromise" sound exactly like...

"caving in" ?

What crap. This is just what we don't need -- "making nice" with the repubs for the sake of the red states. That's a strategy with a rather poor track record.



(edit spelling)

[MrTriumph]

4. Nelson: The Jellyfish from Nebraska

x

[progressoid]

5. He's a DINO - -

Nebraskas Dems generally lean to the center but Nelson is so afraid to make a stand. He's always trying to make both sides happy. That ain't going to work.

(Chuck Hagel - R of Nebraska also leans to the middle a little)

[Rainbowreflect]

10. I actually have a great deal more respect for Hagel than

I have ever had for Nelson. I hate looking at his face when he shows up a local Dem stuff. I want to ask him what he's doing there.

[progressoid]

20. We hear a lot more criticism of this administration from Hagel than Nelson

thats for sure.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Let's make a deal like they do in Baseball

Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson and Lieberman for Snowe, Collins and Chaffee. We may have to give them some cash, too, unfortunately.

[wellst0nev0ter]

7. Haven't You Listened To Norquist? Bipartisanship = Date Rape

I swear to GAWD, these turncoats will "bipartisan" any stupid thing Republicans put on the table

Republican leadersip: We propose that 2 + 2 = 7

Democratic leadership: No, 2 + 2 = 4, that's the way it's always been and there is no reason to change it now

Republicans: That is pre-9/11 thinking and it shows that you Democrats are unable to embrace new ideas, such as 2 + 2 = 7

"Centrist" Backstabbers: All right, let's compromise. Why don't we say that 2 + 2 = 5 and call it even?

Republicans: All right, it's a done deal.

(After hammering out the new bill during the conference session, the Republicans finally emerge)

Republicans: All right, we have reached a BIPARTISAN agreement. 2 plus 2 now equals ten. Anyone who does not agree with this BIPARTISAN reform legislation is obviously a leftist out of the mainstream.

[mmonk]

8. Remember

Nelson is an enemy of what what we stand for. Also, the obvious one, Zell Miller. Any wishy washy dems concerning this issue need to be defeated in any re-election attempts. They are more dangerous than the radical right republicans because they wear the disguise of being democrats.

[w4rma]

9. This wimp is the guy who couldn't even make a stand for the popular Social

Security program. That would actually have been a vote *gaining* stance for Nelson. If he's refusing to stand up to Bush when it will gain himself votes then maybe this guy isn't a wimp. Maybe he's a mole.

I like traitorous moles even less than I like out in the open Repugs.

[aquart]

11. Nebraska elected an idiot? Why?

Does he have a problem with Republicans blocking Democratic nominees, too?

[rocktivity]

12. What's Nelson's e-mail? We all ought to send him this link

From MediaMatters.org:

NBC host Katie Couric interviewed former President Bill Clinton on the April 12 edition of Today,...(and) asked...

...Right now it seems the most effective thing that Democrats are doing on Capitol Hill is blocking various nominations, at least from their perspective. Like, you know, John Bolton, or -- U.S. ambassador to the U.N. -- or head of the EPA...or the head of the FDA ...How can the Democratic Party retool itself so they're not simply seen as obstructionist in terms of the president's agenda?

CLINTON: Well, first of all, I don't think that's fair. I don't think Mr. Negroponte will be blocked. I'm not sure Mr. Bolton will be blocked. There are policy reasons on the environment and food safety for debates on the others. And on judges, that's just a hoax. I mean, the Democrats blocked 10 out of over 200 judges. The Republicans wouldn't even give a vote to 40 of my Court of Appeals judges -- four times as many, just on the Court of Appeals, never mind all the others that they wouldn't have voted. So, this image that, I'm sad to say, you know, you just perpetrated it, it's ridiculous. The Democratic Senate has been nowhere near as obstructionist to President Bush on judges as the Republican Senate was to me. Not even close.

SMACKDOWN!!!!

:headbang:
rocknation

[redqueen]

15. Thanks! I'll e-mail this to his office this afternoon.

:hi:

[rocktivity]

22. And thank you, Redqueen

I couldn't have sent it even if I knew his e-mail, because I was at work. And thanks for employing the patriot smiley in your sig--I'm the one who submitted it to DU!

:headbang:
rocknation

[redqueen]

24. Right on!

I just hate being accused of hating America because I'm a liberal. I love my country - that's why I want it to live up to its promise, eventually. It's all up to us, right?

[SoCalDem]

13. Typical.. "We'll hold still and not scream while you repubes..."

well you know the rest:eyes:

[redqueen]

14. I think his office is hearing from some angry Democrats.

The staffer I talked to seemed to know what I was going to say. :)

[Rose Siding]

17. Yay! -good for you

:yourock:

[Kolesar]

16. The gop vowed to smash "the two Nelsons" if they don't cooperate on SS

Then come back after the 2006 midterms for another vote on SS. I cannot remember who said it. I don't think it was RNC Mehlman.

[warrens]

18. That's surrender, not compromise

Compromise is, Smirk withdraws the five or six total losers. Anything else is surrender.

[acmavm]

21. I live in Nebraska and I can tell you for a fact that this guy IS NOT A

DEMOCRAT. He claims to be, but what he is really is a frigging plant to get two republican senators from this rat shit state into the Senate. He's a frigging fraud. He never, and I do mean never votes with democrats or for the benefit of democrats.

I e-mailed the Nebraska Democratic party a while back and told them to dump this guy and find a real democrat to run for office. As soon as I am done posting this, I am going to do it again.

Ben Nelson, Zell Miller, Joe Lieberman. In poker that's called 'three of a kind'.

[Gloria]

23. Does Reid make any effort at all to control these people?

Inc. Biden and Lieberman.

[Demeter]

25. NO DEALS!

What was it Monroe said: Millions for defense, not one penny in tribute! Same story, different parties.