Ben Nelson's voting record please...

[Ned_Devine]

This guy's about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. If someone has his voting record, I'd love to see why this guy calls himself a democrat

[robinlynne]

1. agreed.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. Google votesmart n/t

[AshevilleGuy]

3. I wonder if we could trade him for Gordon Smith?

After all Nelson just got re-elected! We are stuck with him until January 2013!!!!

[sandnsea]

9. Oh dear god wash your mouth out

That guy is a complete tool. He doesn't speak but what he's been given permission by the leadership. He is NEVER EVER the deciding vote on anything. He is given permission to vote on a few issues that are critical in Oregon, but it never matters one way or the other.

[AshevilleGuy]

13. He had the nerve yesterday to vote with the Dems on Iraq.

That is more than I can say about Nelson or Pryor. And Nelson isn't even up for re-election until 2012!

Smith's antiwar speeched have been sincere, you can tell that. You would know more about him, being from Oregon, but I think he would still be better than Nelson.

[TwilightGardener]

15. Geez, I feel for both of these poor guys! If you demand lock-step loyalty, then

no one can ever make a principled dissent. And then we become...THE GOP!!! (sreams of horror)

[sandnsea]

18. Challenge

Show me one time where Smith cast the deciding vote.

[AshevilleGuy]

19. When does Nelson ever vote with the Dems, when it counts?

Considering that we have a one-vote majority, yeah we do need lockstep loyalty. He is no better than Lieberman, and Lieberman did vote against the same sex marriage amendment.

[sandnsea]

17. I told you how he operates

I guarantee you if he were the deciding vote, he'd be on the Republican side. He NEVER stands for principle, Not Ever. Give me Nelson, who doesn't play these hoodwinking games, any day of the week.

[AshevilleGuy]

20. You don't think Smith's speech on Iraq was sincere? n/t

[sandnsea]

21. He's up for election in 2008

Oregon has been anti-war from the start. No. I did not think it was sincere.

This is a guy who chose to support juvenile detention programs over social services - until HIS son committed suicide. This is a guy who said he thought people weren't really hungry - at a food pantry.

He's an ass. Don't be fooled by these so-called Republican moderates. When push comes to shove, they're all the same.

[AshevilleGuy]

22. His son committed suicide? What was that about? n/t

[TwilightGardener]

23. I'm not arguing with you, because I don't know that much about

Smith, except that he has been vocal against the escalation. But sometimes I wish that people would take rhetoric into account, even if someone ultimately does not vote the way we want them to. Words can be very powerful in influencing public opinion, and I'm grateful for any 'Pug that lends his voice to our cause, even if he or she may not give us their vote--they will catch crap, you can count on it. Most Americans aren't watching votes, they're listening to sound bites. This helps sway opinion, and puts pressure on Chimpy. And no one can necessarily assume the reason behind any given vote, anyway. When a truly good measure comes up, it will pass with bipartisan support--that's the test of good legislation, IMHO.

[sandnsea]

4. He's a peg that is allowing today's hearing

That's pretty danged useful and a whole lot of people here need to remember it. Local people need to do more to educate their friends and family so these barely Dem Senators can be dragged into reality.

[AshevilleGuy]

5. Okay. The Senate will have to vote on a new Attorney General

soon, it would seem. Can Nelson be counted on to oppose another RW nominee that bush will likely send up, or will he roll over yet again? The vote will be very close, need I say.

He did vote to confirm Gonzales in 2005, AND he was the only Dem to vote yes on the Marriage amendment.

[sandnsea]

11. Will Smith?

Does Nebraska have another Dem who can get elected who can be counted on?

[Hippo_Tron]

24. Doesn't matter, they can block a right wing nominee in committee

[Ned_Devine]

8. When it counts...

and it's in the public view, his votes always drop the ball for people like me. Look, I know that even if the vote had gotten the 60 it needed for a majority yesterday, it wouldn't have mattered since dipshit would just veto it (funny how he suddenly likes to veto things now! I guess he's being bi-partisan!) BUT, it's EMBARRASSING to have the republicans have the majority in yesterday's vote. FUCKING EMBARRASSING! It's even worse to have that turkey necked shit-bird McConnell out there crowing about how they got their way thanks to some worthless democrats and one sack of shit independant. I'm fucking sick of it

[TwilightGardener]

12. I have to tell ya, I think ol' Ben voted his conscience on that Reid

thing. I am guessing that he would have had a hard time approving a withdrawal on a timetable. That's my guess. Voting for withdrawal may have hurt him with the electorate out here, but he's not up for re-election any time soon, so I don't think that was a consideration. Look at it this way: No one would get mad at Russ Feingold for voting against Biden-Hagel or Warner-Levin, because those both contained promises of funding, which he doesn't agree with. He wants to de-fund. You wouldn't construe from his vote that he was "pro-surge" or "pro-war", because you know he had trouble with specific terms of the measure. Give Ben the same consideration--not everyone agrees on the best way to get out of that mess.

[mnhtnbb]

6. Here you go. When we lived in NE, he was a guest at my house

for a cocktail party pre-Jefferson/Jackson Day Dinner. I wasn't impressed.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Ben_Nelson.htm

Bob Kerrey, on the other hand, came in and went straight to the kitchen
where he remained seated at the counter for the whole party.

[TwilightGardener]

7. I am on Nebraska Senator Damage Control today--they should

send me a thank -you note! Anyhoo, I just don't think they're gonna get a more Progressive guy into office out here. It's possible, but not likely. You've got to read the local papers to see why. I am grateful to HAVE a Dem represent us, even though he's on the conservative side. But then, so am I, on the Dem spectrum (ducks and runs).

[paulk]

14. I've spent a fair amount of time in NE

and, considering how conservative the place is, I'm damn glad to have anyone with a "D" next to their name coming from there....

[TwilightGardener]

16. Damn straight!

[SaveElmer]

10. Harry Reid for Majority leader...

Nelson - Aye...

Out of Nebraska...I'll take it...