Holdout senator rejects abortion compromise

[Bleacher Creature]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson — the moderate Democrat whose opposition is holding up the Senate's health care bill — says new language on abortion doesn't satisfy his concerns.

Nelson told KLIN radio in Lincoln, Nebraska, Thursday that an attempt at compromise doesn't get to the fundamental issue of barring federal funding for abortions.

Nelson says without further changes the compromise isn't sufficient.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34465355/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

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Mark it down folks. Ben Nelson saw how much power Joe Lieberman exerted with his fillibuster threat, and now he's out to do the same. I'll be shocked if we get a HCR bill without draconian new restrictions on abortions.

[joeybee12]

1. Yup, bend over for Liar-berman, and soon you find you have a

line of assholes behind you.

[Bleacher Creature]

3. Yep. Nelson smells blood in the water. NT

[mike_c]

2. Nelson is pissed that Lieberman is getting all the attention....

[bc3000]

4. Just when you thought the bill couldn't get any shittier...

We have gone from real reform, to might make things a little better for some people, to won't make things worse, to will make things worse for a lot of people.

[eleny]

5. If a deal is made and abortion rights are eroded, Dean's suggestion looks better and better

[AlphaCentauri]

24. government Subsidized abortions is not a right

the right to choose is.

[LeftyMom]

27. Health care is a right. Abortion is as much a right as a pap smear or a breast exam.

[No Elephants]

32. Does the phrase "burdening a Constitutional right" ring a bell? There is only one

medical treatment that is constitutionally protected, but it's okay to make that the one medical procedure excluded from a health care bill?

[AlphaCentauri]

36. The medical treatment is not protected

the decision of a woman to have that treatment is protected other wise all doctors would be forced to do abortions.

[nodehopper]

38. riiiight

just like all doctors today are forced to do surgery they don't specialize in, including dermatologists and podiatrists.

[lapfog_1]

6. Mark my words,

to get a "bill" done, the Dems have proven that they will give up any principle.

The final language will be "no insurance policy that is offered on the exchange will allow abortions to be paid for, whether by government subsidy or private money". If a woman wants abortion procedures to be paid for by her medical insurance, she will have to buy a separate policy just for that.

And even that might not satisfy Nelson.

Oh happy days.

Aren't we glad that we are getting Health Care Reform!!!

:sarcasm:

[Cass]

7. F*** it all. Why didn't they just go ahead and let republicans write the damn thing?

What is emerging is a republican dream of a bill anyway. Might as well let them write it and save time.

[pdefalla]

18. It has been written by Republicans

Basically, insurance companmy lobbyists have been the major architects of this bill.

[quakerboy]

35. They did write it

What we need is to get their names on it. And their votes for it. Let the bluedogs and republicans be the one to pass this bill and take the heat for any consequences.

[kpominville]

8. We need to remember and target these senators

when they come up for reelection. Every one of these sellouts need primary challenges.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

21. Good luck getting a progressive out of Nebraska.

Precisely when, might I ask, was the last time that happened?

[andym]

9. Good! by accident Nelson might force reconciliation

Then he and Lieberman get nothing and we at least get a PO or Medicare expansion ....

We will lose the mandate, possibly the subsidies for the poor and the no-preexisting conditions.

[pattmarty]

10. Well folks, you may want to start thinking about voting GREEN..............

...........in 2010-12. A lot of Dems and independents are going to be staying home in '10 and it's looking more like '12. UNLESS you live in a district or State that has an important CLOSE election vote the Green party, it more than likely won't be a "wasted" vote as the way it is looking more and more, that the Dems are going to lose seats, it just depends how much more badly the Dems can govern between now and next November. I have just decided (barring any dramatic turnaround by Obama) to vote Green in 2010, with exceptions like I stated above. I won't be even a little responsible for electing a fucking outright nutcase against a "moderate" Dem, can't do it, otherwise it's Green for me.

[Illuminated]

15. Green Party gets my vote.

[onehandle]

16. Meh. nt

[wysimdnwyg]

22. I did that once

While it didn't have any effect in my state, the sentiment helped give us 8 years of chaos. No thanks, not doing that again.

[pattmarty]

28. Well, what do we have now? Is "better than Bush" the way you want............

..................to spend all your years in the US? It's that, or we better get organized and get out in the streets. Since the beginning of the 20th century that is the ONLY way we got anything to move forward in this country. Probably 95% that frequent this board would find the Green party to their liking.

[Ed76638]

11. It's Howard Dean's fault. n/t

[tomm2thumbs]

12. Funny that the White House attacks Dean - they know he's right or they would ignore him

In this case, Right makes fight

[kestrel91316]

13. Hey, if Americans don't want abortion to be safe and legal and AVAILABLE

and AFFORDABLE, who am I to argue with them?

I think I'm done fighting that battle. Bring on the coat hangers and let the chips fall where they may.

[ellie]

23. Agreed!

And the anti-women people want to outlaw birth control, too. What the hell? Come on menopause! I am almost there!

[Jefferson23]

14. Oh this ought to get more interesting, they'll blame this on Dean too? LOL n/t

[tonekat]

17. Just join the GOP already you goddamn hillbilly! N/T

[BlueMTexpat]

19. Ben Nelson uses his so-called "Pro-Life" stance to disguise his

actual hatred for women, as do so many others, including other women, who simply do not believe that women are capable of making informed choices that affect their own lives and futures and often the lives and futures of all significant others in the equation.
Either we are or we aren't.
I believe that we are. And I thoroughly resent efforts by any persons who try to put restrictions on the exercise of choice, which overwhelmingly does not result in abortion (by an overwhelming preponderance of the aggregate, women CHOOSE to give birth), but can indeed help to create the circumstances where abortions may be the only option.
Never forget that one ultimate goal of this group is to restrict family planning altogether, including outright bans on ANY means of artificial birth control, which is why they are the most fervent champions of the much-discredited and statistically irresponsible family planning method, i.e., abstinence only.

*************
So, Ben Nelson, you and your ilk can take a flying leap into the Great Beyond and leave us alone! Unfortunately, we are currently stuck with you in the Senate until 2012. But you can bet your bottom dollar that you will be a prime target for this DUer from now until them. And I won't be alone. That I can guarantee you.

[xxqqqzme]

20. Nelson is a moderate???

That's news to me.

[No Elephants]

33. Try to keep up. Moderate Democrats are now the "looney far left fringe," while

Democrats like Nelson, who are acually Republicans with (D)s after their name, are now "moderate Democrats" or "centrist Democrats.". We pretend the real far left, namely actual Socialists or Communists, simply don't exist--and never did. Get with the program.

[AlphaCentauri]

25. Whats worry me, for some is more important to get a subsidize abortion

than a public option, abortion is a choice like getting silicon implants, illnesses on the other hand are not a choice.

[No Elephants]

34. NO, abortion is nothing like getting silicone implants, ffs.

[KakistocracyHater]

37. having 8 children over at least 15 years of your life is the other 'choice'

& it is not abortion, it is birth control, only a small portion of what they call 'abortion' is actually abortion. It's birth control pills, condoms, etc.

[ck4829]

26. There should be zero "compromise" over abortion

Any other rights and freedoms Nelson wants to put up on the bartering table?

[Odin2005]

29. Go fuck yourself, Ben!

[damntexdem]

30. Let Nelson kill the bill.

Then use reconciliation to run one over his sorry ass.

[hayu_lol]

31. Since the Dems in Nebraska won't dump this SOB...

Nebraskan Dems should go for the real Republican next election. At least we will have gotten rid of one of the two lame Nelsons.

For those who make comments about coat hangers...saw the results of those once...a neighbor. You don't even want to go there.

Choice is settled law and should be publicly funded like any other procedure agreed to by a woman and her doctor. PERIOD.