Business groups endorse Nelson

[Omaha Steve]

Nelson did get $285,000 from Ne. organized labor just before the primary. He repeatedly votes against drilling in ANWR. Then he votes for a conservative judge to stay on good terms with right wingers. He is still the better choice than Ricketts.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2180297

Published Wednesday
May 31, 2006

Business groups endorse Nelson

BY HENRY J. CORDES


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson now has picked up a trifecta of endorsements from normally Republican-leaning business organizations.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses on Tuesday endorsed Nelson's re-election bid, citing his support for tax cuts and work to lower health insurance costs for small businesses.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business-Industry Political Action Committee both previously backed Nelson, who faces Republican Pete Ricketts in November. Ricketts' campaign declined to comment on the endorsement.

Mike Donohue, a spokesman for the independent business group in Washington, said Nelson is the first Senate candidate from either party his organization has endorsed this year. While his group does not typically endorse a lot of Democrats, Donohue said, having pro-business Democrats like Nelson in the Senate is important.

"He's shown he can reach out to members of his (party) caucus," Donohue said.

Nelson said the business endorsements show he has a record of putting Nebraska interests above those of political parties.

"When you put Nebraska first, you look after your small business community," he said.

The endorsement means the independent business group will back Nelson's campaign financially and urge its 6,000 Nebraska members to support the senator.

Such business endorsements also provide Nelson ammunition against charges that he's "just another Democrat," said Jennifer Duffy, who follows Senate races for the Washington-based Cook Political Report.

"It's very good inoculation," she said.

Nelson has had a 68 percent voting record with the independent business group in recent years. But Nelson's sponsorship of a bill aimed at reducing health care costs for small businesses was a major factor in the endorsement, said Bob Hallstrom, government affairs director for the group's Nebraska affiliate. He called the health care bill the group's No. 1 priority.

The business group did not endorse Nelson when he first ran for Senate in 2000, though it did previously endorse him when he ran for a second term as governor in 1994.