Nelson: I'm ready to work with Martinez (won Bob Graham's Senate seat)

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Sun, Nov. 07, 2004

U.S. SENATE


Nelson: I'm ready to work with Martinez

BY FRANK DAVIES
[e-mail]


WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the lone Democrat left in Florida who has been elected statewide, says he will have no problem working with Republican Mel Martinez, elected senator Tuesday after a bitter campaign.That's because Martinez campaigned door to door for Nelson in 1978, when both were young lawyers in Central Florida and Nelson made his first, successful race for Congress.

''We've been friends for 25 years, and I know him well,'' Nelson said of his new Senate colleague.''I think we'll be able to work together on issues important to Florida,'' he said.

That's despite Nelson's extensive campaigning for Betty Castor, the Democrat who fell short against Martinez in a campaign marked by nasty TV ads.The Democrats' dismal showing on Tuesday, with the defeat of Castor and President Bush's solid win over John Kerry, will force the party to do some soul-searching, Nelson said.

''Democrats who are elected statewide, like Bob Graham and myself, are political moderates, in tune with the mainstream,'' Nelson said.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/10119000.htm
(Free registration)

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Please check this article on Nelson's Bush-backing view of Venezuela:

Published: Sunday, April 18, 2004
Bylined to: David Coleman


US Senator's Miami Herald diatribe made to measure for southern Florida exiles

In a not unexpected harangue published in today's Miami Herald, reporter Richard Brand says US Senator Bill Nelson (Florida-Dem) has ended a three-day visit to Venezuela convinced that President Hugo Chavez Frias is "aiding Colombian guerrillas", blocking "the opposition's recall referendum petition" and "ignoring a flourishing black market for passports and other official documents that could fall into the hands of terrorists." Nelson, who is a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is quoted as saying ''We may reach the point where the US has to treat this government as a hostile and unfriendly government to the US and the US interests."

While is is clear that Nelson has parroted the US State Department's internal disinformation handbook on the Chavez Frias administration and that reporter Richard Brand is patently catering for his southern Florida readership of exiled Venezuelan and Cuban radicals, he reports that Nelson had "a tense conversation" with Foreign Minister (MRE) Jesus Arnoldo Perez which appears to have been a one-sided bundle of unsubstantiated opposition allegations that Venezuela is/was assisting the Colombian FARC.

While Perez had informed the visiting US Senator that "Venezuela has no ties to the guerrilla groups," Nelson arrogantly slung the assurances back in Perez' face saying "I respect your right to your opinion (?) but that I disagree with you ... and that is based on complete information, including intelligence that I have seen!''

Nelson refuses to describe the "intelligence" on which he so broadly relies but it is apparent that it is form the same source that had assured the world of the existence of WMD in Iraq as a pretext for the US invasion of that country ... backtracking, Nelson said: "Obviously, I can't share the sources, but I can share the conclusion ... we have plenty of evidence of participation by representatives of the Venezuelan government when the FARC is given safe haven to come across the border and communication with the FARC both inside Venezuela and in Colombia.''

Venezuelan officials, naturally, deny the arrogant US Senator's diatribe and Venezuela's Ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez Herrera reacts strongly saying, somewhat pointedly, that United States "intelligence"' has failed in the past ... "I wouldn't trust 100% what American intelligence (?) said ... there is no evidence of Venezuela helping the FARC.
(snip/...)

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=17579
(Free registration is required)

[tsuki]

1. That is just what Florida needs.

A good Baptista.

[Florida_Geek]

2. I just email Nelson over kiss Repugs ass and

turning away from Dems.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. May I ask exactly why Graham didn't seek another term? Republican...

incumbents seem to hang on, even if they're on their death beds, to keep an (R) in office. Why don't we do the same, particularly given the importance of our number in the Senate?

[Judi Lynn]

6. Who knows at what point Strom Thurmond actually DIED?

It appeared he was barely conscious for years. And what the hell was THIS mess?

Too bad Bob Graham bailed. We never needed him more.

[teryang]

4. Nelson's a POS

I won't vote for him.

[goobergunch]

7. Say hello to Senator Katherine Harris, then

(as per the end of the article)

Sorry. Throwing moderate Democrats overboard is not the strategy we need at this point, IMO. They're not my favorite kind of Democrat, but in a two-party system like America's, not voting for Nelson risks a Republican getting elected.

:shrug:

[teryang]

8. Nelson's a conservative

...as far as I can tell. I've corresponded with his office several times about various issues and every response I've received has been unsatisfactory. While I'd hate to help a fascist like Harris, I don't really see any difference in Nelson except the label.

If you want to convince me I'm wrong based on his legislative actions, I'd be glad to be educated, but I think he's an asshole and will not vote for him unless persuaded otherwise.

[chaumont58]

5. What Nelson really said was:

"Bend over, Mel, and I will gladly kiss your ass. XXXXXX"

Fuck any Democrat who cooperates one god damn iota with repukes. Any! Including the Clintons.