Nelson: We should have waited on health care

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Fremont Tribune

Sen. Ben Nelson said Tuesday it was a mistake for the Obama Administration to take on massive health care reforms in 2009, and suggested efforts would have been better spent addressing the economy.

Nelson, who provided the crucial 60th vote to advance the bill toward Senate passage on Dec. 19, has been active ever since trying to explain his actions to Nebraskans. Ads have aired on television and Nelson is making the rounds with the state’s media.

He requested Tuesday’s interview with the Tribune.
*

“I think it was a mistake to take health care on as opposed to continuing to spend the time on the economy,” he said.

Read more: http://www.fremonttribune.com/articles/2010/01/07/news/local/doc4b44af1b90306516425283.txt

[msongs]

1. typical republican response nt

[lsewpershad]

12. Ben is an a-hole

He needs to be kicked...out.

[Roland99]

2. Yeah, because they were doing SO much to help out the little guy

I mean, come on. Bailing out the super-rich on Wall St. will certainly have an effect in all of our wallets.


:sarcasm:

[Coyote_Bandit]

3. Ummmm......

The real tragedy is that we didn't get HEALTHCARE reform.

[area51]

20. +1 (n/t)

[nxylas]

4. He's focussing on the economy alright

Specifically the $$$ he gets from the health"care" industry.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Waited until when, exactly?

Until Hell freezes over?

[wisteria]

6. Framing was and remains our problem. We allowed the Repubs and teabaggers to gain control

of this issue and spread lies about it. And, some forces decided to undermine the president by pushing for too much to soon without considering that compromise is the way of Congress. This has created a lot of doubt in the minds of many Americans. I am sure you can come up with a poll that says millions of Americans want this or that, but the truth is many people are afraid of the changes and do not understand how all this will affect them. We still need to do a lot better explaining what is great about this bill and stop focusing on what is not in it. Heathcare change is important to our economy. Nelson apparently does not see or understand the connection between the economy and health care reform enough to explain and defend the bill. This is actually a real shame.

[swilton]

25. Who is we??

I refuse to take ownership of this problem.

The problem rests with the Republicon-lite 'Democrotitic' members of the House and Senate and the Obama Administration who let this happen. Those on DU and other progressive factions knew from the start what was going on. If we didn't have such enablers and traitors within this so-called Democratic Party, this wouldn't have happened.

[Chef Eric]

7. Wrong! Inaccessible/expensive health care IS an economy issue.

People who cannot afford to take care of their health eventually become ineffective participators in the workforce. Their health problems contribute to our country's economic problems.

[swilton]

16. The problem is health care is not an economic issue to Nelson

fool that he and his ilk are- never have and never will see this from the middle class's perspective and what would you expect when they're bought and paid for by corporations

[madrchsod]

8. the insurance companies wanted their cut after the banks got theirs.

ya can`t buy insurance if ya ain`t got a job now can ya.....

[lib2DaBone]

9. Why is Ben Nelson complaining..he got everything HE wanted..?

"Health Care to Nowhere"

[Donnachaidh]

14. perhaps because his vote is going to get his ass kicked out of office?

He's pissed because he's been (rightfully) labeled as the one who screwed up the insurance reform.

[Winterblues]

19. I don't think it will be him voting for Health Care that gets him booted

It will be his selling off his soul to the Insurance Industry. Democrats will vote for someone that wants Health care for Americans, Republicans won't. It is Republicans that are making all the threats and they wouldn't vote for him anyway..There won't be many Democrats that hold his health Care vote against him and in fact he may even gain some Democratic support. However if he blocks the Bill from final passage he will be voted out.

[Jefferson23]

10. Oh this is rich Nelson, fuck you, which is what you have done to Americans.

[pattmarty]

11. "you should retire", ya fucking douchebag!!!!

[tonekat]

13. Wrong again, Benbo!

If you hadn't been such a turncoat ass, things would have been better all around, instead, you chose to hold an important bill hostage for your own stunningly dumb purposes, making the democrats look, once more, like a circular firing squad.

No, it's not a perfect bill, but healthcare reform is only going to come in increments. Because this country is full of stupid people who say things like "Keep your government hands off my Medicare!"

Clinton screwed up partly because he waited until he alienated a lot of people with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" debacle before getting around to healthcare reform. At least Obama tackled it right away.

You've done a lot of damage, Nelson. Now resign.

[LeFleur1]

15. Typical Republican Response

He got his. The hell with everyone else.

I do agree that this bill is a mess, due to people like Ben, and it certainly isn't the best this country can do.

[Demeter]

17. If Universal Single Payer, Or Even Medicare for Everybody, Were Installed

the economy would suddenly have a rock solid base upon which to grow.

But of course, nobody believes in social infrastructure, because it goes to "little people"; people with no deep pockets for campaign contributions.

[groundloop]

18. Nelson and Lie-berman - what a pair

Considering what is missing from the bill we're likely to end up with, it's scary to think that without Nelson and Lie-berman, or without the slim victory that Al Franken had, we'd have absolutely nothing instead of what little we're getting. I'm torn between being royally pissed off that we likely won't get a public option, or slightly thankful that we're at least getting the few good things that we are likely to get.

[kenny blankenship]

21. Waited til assholes like Ben Nelson were gone?

Maybe so. Waited 'til we had stronger leadership truly committed to health care REFORM, not insurance industry bailouts? Definitely.

[themaguffin]

22. 70 years ain't long enough Ben?

[Arkana]

23. So you could stonewall bills that would save the economy

as opposed to stonewalling bills that would provide a desperately-needed overhaul of health care, Ben?

Go fuck yourself.

[Cha]

24. Is he stupid?

The Health Reform is a part of the Economical Recovery..everyone who's been paying attention knows that.

[Babyhoneylips]

30. It certainly seems that he's not too perceptive. nt

[dkf]

26. I agree. I said so from the start.

We are going to be punished for slacking on jobs and working on a healthcare bill
that isn't effective for years.

[last1standing]

27. This is what is called a self-fulfilled prophesy.

Yes we should have waited, but only because of self serving politicians like himself who worked hard to destroy anything in this plan that would be of help to the average citizen.

[DevonRex]

28. Nelson is the mistake. What a fucking asshole. He was part of the

effort to gut anything meaningful from HCR and had to have his ass kissed with some disgusting prolife garbage.

And now he wants to complain? That low life MFer.

[depakid]

29. The mistake- which may prove catastrophic, was not cutting Nelson and his ilk out of the process

entirely.

[Skittles]

31. shows how out of touch he is

health care is very much an economic issue