Ben Nelson has a 52% lifetime ACU rating, Chuck Hagel has an 85%

[Hippo_Tron]

I thought that I would post just this little bit to spark a discussion. I'm not defending Ben Nelson's voting record. 52% means that he votes more with the Republicans than he does with the Democrats. Frankly I think that he should use his position to champion economic populism, which used to be a tradition in the plains states. I think that if Senators like him would champion economic populism, people in red states would be more likely to consider voting for Democrats on the national level. Granted I think that Democrats on the national level also have some work to do in that area, but that's another story entirely.

That being said, the other Senator from Nebraska, Chuck hagel, votes with the ACU 33% more of the time than Nelson does. And Hagel is considered to be one of the more level headed moderate Republicans.

My point being is that sometimes the worst Democrats are still better than the worst Republicans.

But then, you can feel free to disagree with that, or whether Ben Nelson should be re-elected.

[Robbien]

1. Bush was braying to the press that he got bi-partisan support on judges

and Nelson was the one to thank for that bi-partisan support. Nelson also gave Bush more bi-partisan cover on having that torturer become our country's AG. Nelson also gave bi-partisan cover on the debt slavery bill. And so on and so on.

Nelson is the enemy within and as such is very dangerous. Because of him and his ilk, the Democratic party has voted to support torture, debt slavery and zealot judges. Why vote Democratic, they are no different than the GOP.

[CTLawGuy]

2. some ideas to consider

Does the ACU represent what we percieve as "conservatism"?

Is it a truly comprehensive measure of one's conservatism?

Does it properly assign weight corresponding to the relative importance of the votes taken by Mr. Nelson? (For example, does a vote for the War in Iraq give you a higher rating than a vote to name a post office after Ronald reagan)

[Hippo_Tron]

3. That's a good point

I think that many here consider some things more important than others. In that case, Nelson doesn't do so well, does he?

[acmavm]

4. Just out of curiousity, are you from Nebraska? I was just wondering

because Ben Nelson has been the WORST democratic senator, other than Zell and Joe L., that I have ever seen in my life. He has sold us more times that I can count and like the other poster pointed out, whenever he does that he gives the republicans cover for the crap the pull because these things are being done in the spirit of 'bi-partisan cooperation'. And I think, like I always have, that that is exactly the plan. I think he's a ringer in the crappy political hellhole that is Nebraska. The only state in the union with a Unicameral government.

Most third world countries are more politically evolved that this place.

[Hippo_Tron]

5. I'm from Louisiana, I get Mary Landrieu

Who, I will admit, is a little better than Nelson.

[acmavm]

7. But at least you know what I mean. This state is so anti civil rights,

anti-female, anti-intellectual, anti-anything that doesn't smack of Old MacDonald and his frigging Farm.

Here the not only believe that work should be 'hard', so should life. People talk about backwardness in the South. Come here to EEE III EEE III OOO Land. You'd learn a thing or ten about backward.

[TheFarseer]

6. You're completely right that he should champion economic populism

You can't just be republican lite. You have to stand for something and that's a message that Nebraskans can get behind and also is democratic in nature.

Hate on Nelson all you want, but right now he IS the Democratic party in Nebraska. If he loses, the democrats cease to be in Nebraska.

[acmavm]

8. For ALL intents and purposes the dem party and the dodo bird have one

thing in common. They're both extinct.

[Carla in Ca]

9. Read this

<http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/06/10.html#a3387>

Sen. Ben Nelson is supporting James Dobson

in an email alert from Dobson's Gang: "Focus on the Family Action Chairman James C. Dobson, Ph.D., said today that he has been assured by U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson that the Nebraska Democrat has changed his position on the need for a marriage-protection amendment to the U.S. Constitution and that he will support up-or-down votes on all but one of President Bush's embattled judicial nominees."

Nelson, in a recent phone call with Dobson and another Focus Action staff member, pointed to last month's federal court decision voiding Nebraska's Defense of Marriage Amendment as the reason behind his change in position -- a statement he reiterated in a subsequent letter to Dobson. Prior to the May 12 ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Bataillon, Nelson had asserted that state-level protections for marriage were sufficient. Clearly, that is not the case.

[autorank]

10. A reality-based post!!! This is excellent.

Hagel puts on the civilized exterior yet he is a lock-step Bushbot and counts his own votes.

Hooray for Nelson, the most liberal senator from Nebraska.

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