Ben Nelson: Bill covers too many uninsured people, must be scaled back

[Frank Booth]

Source: Daily Kos

Nelson's key points:

1. Asked if he would vote for cloture even if his initiative to restrict abortion were adopted, Nelson flatly said "no."

2. Nelson not only said a vote before Christmas was not feasible, he joked about it taking until next Christmas.

3. Nelson said unless the bill's Medicaid expansion provisions were made optional he would oppose cloture.

4. Nelson said the bill's revenue provisions were unacceptable because the economy was bad.

5. Nelson said because the subsidies which provide the bill's coverage expansion couldn't be paid for without additional revenue, they needed to be "scaled-back"

6. Nelson also that unless cost control were addressed first, coverage couldn't be expanded.

Read more: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/18/816105/-Ben-Nelson:-Bill-covers-too-many-uninsured-people,-must-be-scaled-back

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Hope this source is ok -- it's the only one I could find that thoroughly summarizes Nelson's comments to a Nebraska radio station.

At this point, due to the corrupt assholes in Washington, I don't want the bill to pass. Still it's hard to know where to stand, given that even more corrupt assholes want to see it fail.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Nelson is running ads in Nebraska touting his willingness to go against his party

and side with Republicans. That ought to be a crystal ball for how he plans to vote. I hope no one is actually counting on a Yea from him.

[wryter2000]

10. I think this is the Florida Nelson

Ben = Nebraska
Bill = Florida

Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum.

[TwilightGardener]

14. Nope--this is the Nebraska Nelson we're talking about here.

[wryter2000]

26. D-OH!

I saw the Bill near Nelson, and my eye skipped over Ben. Thanks. :hi:

[NYC_SKP]

33. D-OH?? Another Nelson, a Democrat from Ohio???

:rofl:

[hedgehog]

32. Time for the local party to wave Bye-bye and nominate someone else!

[napi21]

2. My suggestion: Use Bush/Cheney tactics-threaten to cut off

the balls of anny Congressman who opposes cloture!

[HughMoran]

3. With friends like this?

Who needs Republicans?

[Blasphemer]

4. Good good. And these are the people they're compromising with... give me a break... nt

[tularetom]

5. There was a rumor that the administration had threatened to close a base in NE

if Nelson did not vote for the health care bill. And I have to confess that even though I think the bill sucks, I was actually hoping that the rumor was true, because it would indicate to me that they had the balls to stand up to a DINO.

Alas it proved to be false because bases can only be closed by the base closure commission which has not scheduled another round of closures until 2013, or after the next presidential election.

[FarCenter]

8. But as CinC, couldn't Obama move all uniformed personnel out of Nebraska?

[tularetom]

13. Yeah I guess he could

and, as we all know-

"IF THE PRESIDENT DOES IT IT CANNOT BE ILLEGAL"

[Larkspur]

6. And Axelrod won't call Nelson insane

Wonder of Nelson is on President Rahm Emmanuel's enemies list?

[Bozita]

7. It's like whack-a-mole. Those Blue Cross Dogs take turns popping up from their holes.

Bastards all!

[depakid]

34. This is why appeasement doesn't work

All it does is give an incentive for every corrupt, recalcitrant self serving pissant to pop up with new demands.

TIME FOR RECONCILIATION.

[sabrina 1]

9. All I have to say to Nelson about his concerns is that

they could all be addressed by a Single Payer system. Now, someone should ask him about the one third cost of a system that retains the very costly Private Insurance Industry to distrubute the funds available for Health Care.

If we eliminated the middle men, Private Ins., we would instantly save one third of the cost which is going to profit. And we don't need them. There is already a system in place which could merely be extended to cover all Americans. A small tax, such as we have for SS and Medicare, and which IS contstitutional, unlike mandates to buy from private business, would be far less of a burden on those who will not be able to afford the punitive mandates and fines now in the bill.

Maybe someone should ask Nelson why he left out the huge cost of Private Ins. whose overhead is ten times that of Medicare? And after informing him of this, if he is really sincere about cost concerns, is he now ready for a Single Payer system?

They are all hypocrites, each fighting in their own way to ensure that one industry doesn't suffer any losses and it's not the American people they are worried about.

[wackywaggin]

12. Agreed!

The only way I would accept the current plan is if President Obama came on National TV and stated all Senators, Congresspeople, Federal, state ,and local Public employees will be on this same plan!!

[TwilightGardener]

18. Here's why Ben Nelson isn't concerned about the cost of private insurance:

From Wikipedia:

"Nelson made his name and money in the insurance industry. After graduating from law school, Nelson landed a job as assistant general counsel for Central National Insurance Group of Omaha. In 1975, he became state insurance director before going back to work for Central National Insurance as an executive vice president and eventually president.<5> He won his first elected office in 1990 when he became governor of Nebraska."

[Blue_Tires]

25. he should be forced to say that as a disclaimer anytime he opens his mouth

all congresscritters should reveal which lobby bought them out, really...

[sabrina 1]

27. Thank you, that explains it completely.

So Big Business is running their own candidates. Sounds like it's even better than a lobbyist, to plant one of their own in Congress. Is there any way to get rid of these of Big Business operatives from the government? Surely even Republicans cannot approve of this ~ so blatant, it's mind numbing.

[TwilightGardener]

28. You'd almost think Ben Nelson would worry about appearances

and avoid siding with the insurance industry he's so closely tied to... but, nah. And people in Nebraska don't give a rat's ass.

[mstinamotorcity]

30. I hate to break it

to you but most of the former lobbyist in the Dubya/Shooter era were all in some sort of Government position. This is how Capitol Hill is ran. The corporate insurance and big Pharma ,Wall Street and investment banking, have had lobbyist on Capitol Hill doing their thing for a long time. If you go back a few years you will see why some of the conditions we are in have originated. They have had oil and gas people over the interior they got rid of justices to pad their way through the system they fixed the media on a lot of levels to tell you what it is you think and drown you in fear.Is it level orange or red today.The Senators that you see coming out grandstanding are not doing this because of principal or an objection to true policy,they are doing this to save their corporate interest plain and simple. They sold us out. And we sort of put our selves into the s--t too.We had to get rid of the old blue dogs and we didn't. But even if we do now in the upcoming elections,they have made their money and the damage is done. Our only hope is to try and get rid of the blue dogs and put someone in their place who will vote the best interest of the people.And if this is mind numbing you may as well get some prozac because if you ask we will tell you some stories that will change your thought process forever.

[Winterblues]

31. His only concern is what the Insurance Industry says it is.

You can not use logic and rational thinking with him. He is on the take and nothing anyone says will change that fact..

[pleah]

11. Would someone please kick this guy in the ass?

:banghead:

[jgraz]

15. Sorry, the White House is too busy attacking Howard Dean.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[earthside]

16. No. His concerns should be addressed.

It is important to get a bill; let's hope the White House compromises with Nelson.

Actually, what would be even better is if Harry Reid resigns as Senate leader and is replaced with Nelson ... that would sure help the White House get a bill before Christmas.







:sarcasm:

[Dappleganger]

17. My conservative husband is more progressive than this idiot.

[Unvanguard]

19. Ignore Nelson, get Snowe. n/t

[jwirr]

20. This man single handedly is the reason I will not be donating to the

DNC or the House and Senate committees. I will pick my own candidates and take my chances that they cannot be bought. If he thinks he does not have uninsured in his state he can think again. I lived in his state and I work with the poor. To hell with you Nelson.

[Hello_Kitty]

21. Hey pom pom squad: How many compromises are enough?

If Nelson succeeds in allowing states to pull out of the Medicaid expansion, are you still going to be all "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good"? Because the Medicaid expansion is supposed to cover 15 million people.

[Nite Owl]

22. You should just hear what the WH is saying

about this guy.....

" ."

Wow, they put him in his place.

[TwilightGardener]

23. Unlike Dean, Nelson actually matters in passing this, though.

We don't know what is being said, either.

[thecrow]

35. Please tell us!~~!

[damntexdem]

24. Restore reform or kill the bill and start over.

And use reconciliation, so LIEberman and Ben Noisome can be told to go to hell.

[Liberalynn]

39. Bravo!

Charging people for not having insurance without their being a strong public option is just wrong and there is no way the Pukes or the turncoats like Lieberman and Nelson are going to vote for anything with a public option, so reconcilliation is the way to go.

[Demeter]

29. Words Fail Me

What is the purpose of this bill, Ben? Anyone? Bueller?

[NashVegas]

36. The Last Point Is the Best

6. Nelson also that unless cost control were addressed first, coverage couldn't be expanded.

Absofuckinglutely.

[Warren Stupidity]

37. We are getting screwed in every orifice.

The kleptocrats are laughing their asses off. If the bill fails it is a huge victory for the far right teabag party. If the bill passes it is likely a short term political liability for the already weak Democratic Party in 2010. Long term, this bill or something similar might make minor differences in the current system, but the current system is woefully broken and heading for outright disaster, so 'minor changes' are pointless.

The best that can be hoped for is that a massively flawed 'reform' will somehow get repaired by the same CORRUPT FUCKING ASSHOLES who allowed this mess to develop to begin with. That is one ridiculous hope.

If the bill fails it is likely to be another 8-16 years before another effort is made.

[New Dawn]

38. The Nebraska Democratic Party has "a big enough tent" for any right-winger in the state to join.