Anybody else here think Ben Nelson is setting up his own "exit strategy"?

[Ken Burch]

He's been against almost all of what his party and his president want-and he's being wicked loud about it.

Now, he's basically threatening to filibuster any Obama court appointee who won't be just like Scalia or Roberts.

I'm thinking the guy is setting up an "actuality trail" for when he crosses the floor. What do other DU'ers think?

[DavidDvorkin]

1. That would be an odd thing to do in the current political climate

The tide's running the other way.

[Ken Burch]

2. What I'm thinking is that Nelson may have the idea that by defecting

he could get credit as the person who "started the turn of the tide", and be rewarded by the GOP with a cabinet post or even a place on the 2012 ticket.

I can picture the guy's mind working that way. There's something a little too big about how he's making a show of being anti-Obama.

[Optical.Catalyst]

4. The Republican Party is in a death spiral

No politician hoping to have a future would willingly switch to being a Republican.

The Republicans will only have 35 Senators after the 2010 election

The Republican party will cease to exist as a viable entity after the 2012 elections.

I would be more suspicious that Ben Nelson was planing on bailing out of politics all together and keeping his collected campaign contributions for his own personal use.

[Ken Burch]

6. Perhaps it's that.

n/t.

[DainBramaged]

8. The GOP thinks they 'have a chance' at the Virginia and NJ governorships

I have a better chance of becoming a Senator from Pottsylvania.

[Optical.Catalyst]

11. So the Republicans retain a small measure of local influence

Local influence does nothing to advance the right wing agenda in Washington

[notesdev]

10. I'd temper that optimism some

Between electoral history and the economy, it is extremely unlikely that Democrats will make gains in 2010. And if Geithner is still running Treasury, and Bernanke is still running the Fed, then I would go as far as to say significant losses are certain.

Midterm elections are not kind at all to Presidents. Just ask Bill Clinton.

[Optical.Catalyst]

12. I refuse to temper my optimism down to to the level of hopelessness like I see in some threads

The 2010 elections are not here yet. We haven't lost yet.

I am not going to carry the 'Loser' flag around until the time comes that Democrats actually lose.

[stevedeshazer]

7. I think that's a valid line of thought

Maybe. After all, it's Nebraska. Big Red.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. I saw that,

and, like when I read about the GOPigs, I thought, "How can they object to someone who hasn't even been identified yet?"

This is the kind of ideological bullshit that's spelling the end of our country as we once knew it.

This is just awful.

I don't know what Nelson's game is, but if he's trying to squeeze out some pork from the White House, I hope to hell that they give it to him and just shut him the fuck up ...........................

[AllentownJake]

5. The guy is worse than Lieberman

He has a 70% approval rating in Nebraska. He's like fucking Bayh. He's lining his pockets with corporate contributions.

Let him fucking go. If he wants to be a repiggie fine.

[DJ13]

9. I think there are some (repug) Dems that want to turn our party into

the new GOP.

They are beholden to the same corrupt corporate donors as the hard line conservatives in the failing GOP.

And those corporations dont care about the symbols of party affiliation, they only care about continuing the ruinous pro-corporate path the GOP was on up until the voters kicked their asses to the curb.

Politicians like Nelson shift with the whims of whoever is paying for their reelection, they have no sense of public service.

[L. Coyote]

13. Ben Nelson, U.S. Senator representing Nebraska

That's Red Nebraska in the Red Heartland! D'oh!!!

Email Me - http://bennelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
I always want to hear about the concerns and views of Nebraskans.

http://bennelson.senate.gov/