Is Sen. Ben Nelson (DLC - Neb.) a republican mole?

[Zorra]

The 15-14 vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee came after the House last month narrowly rejected a companion bid to punish Cheney in a continuing battle over whether he is complying with national security disclosure rules.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., switched his position from a subcommittee vote Tuesday.

http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_6359610?nclick_check=1

"The president has the power and authority to issue executive orders to do exactly what he wants" Sen. Ben Nelson

Why did Nelson vote with the republicans? There does not appear to be any valid reason for this treacherous act, other than that he is working as a republican mole within the Democratic party.

We really need to make sure that this guy gets trounced in the primaries the next time he is up for election, he's a bad apple.

[Warpy]

1. Well, he's certainly a MONARCHIST

and I'm delighted to say he's a distinct minority in the Democratic Party.

I'd be as ashamed to be from Nebraska right now as I'd be ashamed of being from Connecticut, although at least their monarchist had the decency to quit the party.

[MadMaddie]

2. Is he up for reelection?....it seems to me we need to rid ourselves

of these kind of politicians....he is in the same boat with Lieberwhore....they are doing more destruction to the Democratic Congress than the Republiks are doing..

[charlie]

3. He's just an idiot

Been breaking for the Republicans for a long time. He's infatuated with Dubya. Seriously.

[rucky]

4. No, he's a Democratic mole...

infultrating the Republican Party by acting JUST LIKE THEM.

Clever, huh?

[0007]

5. Nelson votes with the republicans quite regularly. I don't see

how anyone could vote for that insipid jerk.

[fazoolius_2006]

6. Hmmmm....

[paulk]

7. you should move to Nebraska and run against him

it's kinda cold there in the winter, and the wind blows constantly, so be sure to bring some warm clothes.

[Individualist]

8. Know your DLC

The current chairman is Harold Voted For Torture Ford, and one of DLC's co-founders is a PNAC signator.

"This is why the DLC is dangerous. For all their claims of supposedly wanting to help Democrats, they employ people like Marshall Wittman who specifically try to undermine the Democratic Party, even if it means he has to publicly defecate out the most rank and easily-debunkable lies. They reguarly give credence to the right wing's agenda and its worst, most unsupportable lies. They are the real force that tries to make sure this country is a one party state and that Democrats never really challenge the Republicans in a serious way."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/why-the-dlc-is-so-dangero_b_13640.html

"Without a doubt, the DLC is the most fundamentalist organization within the caucus, the most ideologically rigid, and the most destructive to the progressive cause."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/5/24/1712/23448

The only thing worse than a neocon is a damn neocon enabler. :puke:

[Selatius]

9. No. He's a Democrat.

His party registration papers say so. Anybody who says he isn't a "true" Democrat is simply injecting his own opinion into what constitutes a Democrat. I submit the only piece of evidence worthy of determining whether a person is a Democrat is his registration papers. That's an issue of fact. Whether he is a "true" Democrat is an issue of opinion. Don't confuse the two.

Anybody can be a Democrat. Joe Lieberman is a good example.

[TahitiNut]

14. Just another reason (in a long list) that I'm an independent.

"Truth in labeling" is nowhere less in evidence than in partisan politics.

[AndreaCG]

16. Wrong. Lieberman left the Democratic Party after he lost the primary

Although the Democrats gave him a committee chairmanship he is an Independent and for all intents and purposes a Republican now.

[LeftishBrit]

10. I doubt it; probably just a right-wing Dem

Here's a description from Wikipedia of one of his predecessors, James Exon:

'Exon's first bid for public office was his successful campaign for the Governor of Nebraska defeating incumbent Republican Norbert Tiemann. The term of the Governor was extended to four years before the election. He was re-elected in a landslide in 1974 and became the first Nebraska Governor to serve eight years in that position.

His repeated vetoes of the legislature's spending programs earned Exon the reputation as a fiscal conservative. He vetoed 141 bills in his final seven years as Governor or an average of 20 a year. Due to his ability to control expenditure and his reluctance to raise taxes, Exon won the support of many Nebraskans who normally voted Republican.


Senator from Nebraska 1979-1997

Exon's popularity as Governor carried over to his 1978 campaign to be elected as a US Senator as he was elected with 68 per cent of the vote. He had a reputation as a moderate Senator often working with Republicans on fiscal and military issues. While serving on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, Exon was a strong defender of the B-2 stealth bomber.

In 1984, Exon had his closest election in his political career due to the popularity of President Reagan eventually winning re-election by 25,000 votes. He was re-elected again in 1990.

Exon helped to write and secure support for a spending reduction in the US budget of $14 billion in 1994 which he stated was his proudest political achievement. His Communications Decency Act of 1996 was Congress's first effort to try to prevent minors accessing pornography via the Internet. It was later overturned by the US Supreme Court.'


And about another Nebraska predecessor, Edward Zorinksy:

'As a Senator, Zorinsky was a moderate Democrat, voting with Republicans on some issues. He was courted by the Republicans to rejoin their party in 1982. He hinted that he might change parties in 1986, but ultimately never made the switch.'


Sounds like Dems in Nebraska are often right-wing and perhaps need to be in order to be elected.

[ClintonTyree]

11. The sad truth is.....

that a Nebraska Democrat is far different than a New York Democrat or any other blue state Democrat. Red state Democrats like the Nelsons (FL and NE), Landrieu (LA) and such have much shorter leashes with their constituents. It puzzles the crap out of me but that's the way it is. Democrats from red states aren't allowed to get too progressive, too citified lest they feel the wrath of their constituents at the voting booths.

Another reason I think the meme "Democratic majority" is a farce. Democrats from different parts of the country don't all stick together like their Repiglickin counterparts. Their constituents (generally) are a little "redder" and to keep from getting the boot they bend under the pressure. You see, Democrats actually CARE about the people they represent while Repiglickens are only out for themselves and the rich that back them.

This is just a theory of mine, mind you, but I think it explains why there are Democrats that seem to trend toward a more conservative point of view. Joe Lieberman is the exception to this theory however: he's just a downright dishonest liar.

[WCGreen]

15. They are elected to represent the people of their state first...

And the democratic party second...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. He's a politician doing what politicians do best. Pander.

“Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote,
He's a-runnin' for office on the ballot note.
He's out there preachin' in front of the steeple,
Tellin' me he loves all kinds-a people.
(He's eatin' bagels
He's eatin' pizza
He's eatin' chitlins
He's eatin' bullshit!)”

Bob Dylan

[TahitiNut]

13. Ben Nelson is and has been pure reichbot .. worse than Lieberman, imho.

I've vented my disgust for that imbecilic bastard reichbot many times on DU ... often only to have some mealy-mouthed defense of his 'red state' requirements thrown up, like feces (and of less value), in my face. Anyone who watches CSPAN2 can see himm CONSTANTLY schmoozing with the most extreme fascists on the GOP side of the aisle. He's a complete and total sleaze and I wouldn't donate a penny to ANY campaign coffer that, even with the remotest possibility, might assist him.

[EFerrari]

17. I agree. (Uh uh, we've agreed TWICE this week.)

He's always on the wrong side of EVERYTHING. I didn't know that was humanly possible.