After securing a deal to ensure that 49 states pay for Nebraska’s Medicaid and Medigap, Senator Ben Nelson has changed his state’s image.
by Michael Naragon
It finally happened. The Washington inevitable has come to pass. What was extortion has now become bribery, according to a new Washington Post story.
At the end of the week, reports were surfacing that Sen. Nelson (D-NE) was holding out against the liberal takeover of health care despite alleged White House threats that an air base would be closed if he did not comply with the president’s wishes. He became something of a folk hero for a few days, encouraging those who seek to maintain personal freedom in an era of rampant Marxism spilling out of D.C.
My, how things can change with time and billions of dollars. What had amounted to extortion with the threatened closing of the air base has become blatant bribery, as Nelson secured taxpayer money for Nebraska to grease the wheels. Outside Nebraska, the other 49 states of the Union will now be footing the entitlement bill for Nelson’s constituency in return for his support of the nebulous health care legislation. We will now all pay for Nelson’s vote, in addition to the financial pain that will accompany the multi-trillion dollar socialist catastrophe that is the Reid-Pelosi-Obama health care bill.
“I know this is hard for some of my colleagues to accept and I appreciate their right to disagree,” Nelson said. “But I would not have voted for this bill without these provisions.” Oh, that makes it better. Either we all chip in to float Nebraska, or we don’t get the most intrusive piece of government filth we’ve seen since FDR. Is this the definition of a catch-22?
In light of this new willingness by Nebraskans to take our cash, perhaps some changes should be made to reflect the Midwest’s own welfare state. The formerly proud Cornhuskers should become the Nebraska Freeloaders, the pride of the Big 12. Perhaps Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and the other conference teams should be required to chip in a few free touchdowns for the ‘Loaders next year in the spirit of the times. I’m not sure what they’d get in return, but receiving handouts seems to make Nebraska, or at least their lawmakers, happy.
Oh, and the new team would need a new mascot. Might I suggest something like…
UPDATE – Sen. Nelson’s office can be contacted here: http://bennelson.senate.gov/email-issues.cfm
Nelson isn’t up for re-election until 2012, but there’s a glimmer of hope, Nebraska. The Constitution doesn’t make any provision for popular recall of congressmen, but that isn’t stopping the people of Louisiana from making a go of it with their rebellious Republican, Anh Cao, who was made famous by being the lone House Republican to vote for the health care bill. Legally, any popular recall would be challenged, but, as Louisiana’s Secretary of State put it, “Because we elected them, we can recall them.” Food for thought, at the very least.
5 Comments
December 19, 2009 at 9:50 pm
When Nelson was holding firm I always suspected he would cave. His toupee symbolizes a confluence of fraud and vanity. I just knew he could be bought
December 19, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Looks like if the price is right, there is not one righteous man or woman in the Democratic party.
God told Lot He would not destroy Sodom if a few righteous men could be found and we all know what happened there. We are in big trouble and we are rotting from the head.
December 21, 2009 at 6:23 pm
You got it. These people aren’t just misguided they are EVIL. “Posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it.” John Adams
An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy; because there is a limit beyond which no institution and no property can bear taxation.
John Marshall, McCullough v. Maryland, 1819
December 20, 2009 at 1:01 am
Most of Nebraska was against this. Nelson just didn’t listen. This will come up at his re-election and there is a lot of talk amongst people regarding popular recall. We will see what happens.
December 22, 2009 at 11:48 pm
pissed nebraskan,
I agree. After sending innumerable e-mails and making phone calls to Nelson’s Omaha and Washington offices to make my feelings known about the health care reform, I read Sunday’s headling in the Omaha World Herald. Not until today was I able to calm myself enough from speaking in the “construction worker” language I’d used for so many years in order to call Nelson’s office and e-mail him again. Explaining the total moral and ethical failure example he has proven to be.
Michael,
There is one thing in your comparing the Huskers to the slime-ball we call a “Senator”. The team is built on a tradition of honor, not politics, the Big Red expects no hand-outs from anyone, they earn their status. If not, they work to get better. That is the AMERICAN WAY!
I am definetly in favor of recall and term limits. We must do something defensively, BLACK SHIRTS, way in taking back the control of our nation!