Florida Senator Bill Nelson avoids the stage during health care battle

[seafan]

Nelson avoids the stage during health care battle

By Alex Leary, Times Staff Writer
September 8, 2009

WASHINGTON — The conference room doors swung open every few minutes, a mini political drama unfolding on the fifth floor of the Hart Senate Office Building.
One by one members of the Senate Finance Committee faced a gantlet of reporters straining for news about a health care overhaul. Amid the clamor that July morning, one senator opted for a more private exit.

Sen. Bill Nelson is Florida's most powerful Democrat in Washington, but he has remained on the margins of the health care debate. Nelson has said little as colleagues from much smaller states take the lead, instead focusing publicly on issues like pythons in the Everglades.

.....

Nelson, 66, predicted the idea was dead during a visit to Lakeland last week. "I want consensus so that we can have as many people as possible with health care coverage, and we cannot get the 60 votes in the Senate with any public option," he told the Lakeland Ledger.
"The public option is only one of hundreds of issues concerned with health care reform," he said. "Public option means different things to different people. Some people think of it as socialized medicine, but that type is not and has not ever been considered. Still any public option will not pass."

A few days earlier in Daytona Beach, Nelson told nearly 200 business and community leaders that he has advocated an "incremental approach" toward reform.
Nelson told the group he favors saving money through less duplicative medical testing, and said he would like to see insurance "exchanges" where individuals could join together for lower rates.
The senator declined to be interviewed for this story, saying through a spokesman that he would rather wait until the Finance Committee is closer to voting on its bill. He has relied on staff to signal personal opposition to a public option, pointing to problems with Florida's Citizens Property Insurance Corp. as a warning sign.

As much as liberal Democrats bash his cautious approach — Internet message boards are full of outrage and accusations he is too close to the insurance industry and its money — Nelson is not unlike many other legislators taking the safe route.

.....

So while others sweat the details, Nelson has continued to engage in media-friendly pursuits, like tackling the problem of Burmese pythons in the Everglades and Chinese drywall and continuing the fight against offshore oil drilling.
Nelson's health care posture has drawn attention from Democrats at the state and federal level. This summer, TV ads and petition drives were launched to press Nelson into action.

.....

Sadly, Florida really does not have any worthwhile US Senate representation whatsoever on health care reform, the most crucial aspect of our nation's burdened economy.


Once again, Bill Nelson demonstrates an unforgivable lack of leadership for the people of Florida.



But, he had PLENTY OF TIME to accompany his wife on a *trade* mission to Borneo in August.

[valerief]

1. He's a well-practiced whore, isn't he? nt

[tsuki]

3. He doesn't need to practice. He is well-experienced. nt

[Alhena]

2. He and Even Bayh seem to be competing for biggest coward award on health care ...

neither of them seems to want to go on the record. Say what you will about DINO's like Landrieu- at least they have taken a position.

[watercolors]

4. He is as useless as a tit on a bull!

so dissapointed in him, I doubt I will ever vote for him again! I at one time admired the man. he is not the man I once new.

[madfloridian]

5. Unfortunately he and Evan Bayh have the power, and apparently we don't.

They can act cowardly but in the end they seem to win.

:shrug: