Ben Nelson(D-Ne) poised to lead (Senate) as moderates gain strength

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10478370

Published Wednesday November 5, 2008
Nelson poised to lead as moderates gain strength
BY JOSEPH MORTON
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON — A new era begins today for Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

Democrats have increased their majority in the Senate, where Nelson could emerge as a senior leader of centrists, political observers said.

Moderate Democrats will represent an important group in the next Congress as President-elect Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada are expected to rely on their support.

"They're going to need his (Nelson's) vote all the time," said Jennifer Duffy, an analyst at the Washington-based Cook Political Report.

The election added to the number of moderate Democrats in the Senate, which already had incumbents such as Nelson, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Max Baucus and Jon Tester of Montana, Jim Webb of Virginia and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

Nelson "could actually take some leadership role in this unwieldy coalition because if they stick together as a bloc, they're pretty powerful," Duffy said.

FULL story at link.

[DarthDem]

1. Yawn

Senate moderates bore me.

[amdezurik]

2. you sound like Zap Brannigan

"you never know where you are with those dammed neutrals!" as he blow up the Neutral home world :P

[DarthDem]

10. Good Reference!

I won't be blowing up their homeworld, but yeah, Senate moderates really leave me cold. :-)

[Indenturedebtor]

12. Yeah wtf does "moderate" even mean anymore?

It means "Corporate Whore" to me :shrug:

We need votes to get legislation passed, but I can't stand these right leaning so called moderates :puke:

[Leopolds Ghost]

18. It literally means that -- to them -- as does "sensible centrist".

If you are not sensible, you do not understand "the importance of leadership" and "success" and "being respectable" and "knowing how the real world works" and "growing up and having to make lots and lots of money to be a considered a contributing member of society" which is the upper class ideal.

[Indenturedebtor]

19. That's EXACTLY how they are! :(

"In the real world you have to screw over the innocent, and betray everyone you can in pursuit of personal interest."

Bleh.

[fascisthunter]

3. oh no

we can do much than a DINO. No thanks...

[mnhtnbb]

4. Mayor Mikey Johanns (former mayor of Lincoln, NE) has taken Hagel's seat.

Nelson will have to contend with that. Nelson will continue his march to the right. Fuck 'em both.

[TwilightZone]

7. Ben isn't marching anywhere.

He's always been moderate/right-of-center. Otherwise, he would have never gotten elected in Nebraska as a D.

[mnhtnbb]

15. I used to live in Lincoln. In fact, Mikey was just running for Mayor

when we moved there. We were quite active in local Dem politics. One time we hosted
a pre-Jefferson/Jackson cocktail party and we had Ben Nelson, Bob Kerrey and Ted Sorenson
(JFK's speechwriter) at the house. Kerrey walked in, went straight to the kitchen, and
sat at the counter on a barstool the entire time.

Yes, Ben has always been right/moderate. But, at least Hagel was willing to stand up to the Repub
party regarding the Iraq war. Mayor Mikey is a go-along, get along guy. He won't be pulling
Nelson left, he will be pushing him further right, imo.

[bobbolink]

5. Ah, yes, the centrists give me so much "hope".

So much for that 4-letter word.....

[charlie]

6. The "Benator"?

The president of Dubya the Dreamboat Fan Club?

Typical. Will make goo-goo eyes at the Preznit, but is ready to play hardball with his own party.

[wryter2000]

8. This is why I wasn't excited about the possibility of getting 60 seats

1) we'd need Lieberman...again
2) we can't always count on "moderates"

This is why our work is only beginning. I plan to lean on DiFi hard.

(I hope she forgets I told her I'd never vote for her again. :))

[DarthDem]

11. Agree 100%

I thought 60 was a dim possibility - - in fact, it still is, if Martin wins the runoff and Franken and Begich prevail in the recount/extended counting, respectively - - but we needed Lunsford to beat Cabbage Patch Boy in Kentucky for any shot at *actual*, non-Liebertool 60. And as you point out quite correctly, there's always the Nelson Brothers, Landrieu, Pryor and Lincoln, and even Salazar and DiFi who aren't going to see things the same way as most of DU does. Such is the curse of being the party of intelligence, nuance, and tolerance for opposing viewpoints. If we truly want to get to 60, we need to work on some seats like Specter's and, yes, McCain's in 2010. We just may do it then - - if I recall correctly, the map is pretty favorable.

[TahitiNut]

14. Exactly. The Dems would need at least 68 seats to reliably be "filibuster-proof."

All that jack-assery about 60 seats was idiotic nonsense.

[seemslikeadream]

9. What's wrong with Bernie Sanders?

If he ran the DSCC they, dems would have won a dozen Senate races this year. Instead of the 5 - 7 seats they may at most.

[Vickers]

13. Every "Democratic" Senator named "Nelson" can kiss my ass.

Fuck 'em.

[FLAprogressive]

16. oh fuck. If we have to constantly rely on Nelson we're screwed.

We can actually rely on Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe more than this hack.

[marmar]

17. So if Nelson is a moderate, is the author implying Harry Reid is a liberal?

Is that how far right the party has shifted?