The problem is not just that Nelson is a conservative Democrat, resisting a progressive policy goal

[Are_grits_groceries]

<snip>
In the larger sense, the problem is not just that Nelson is a conservative Democrat, resisting a progressive policy goal. It's also the fact that Nelson has developed a reputation for ignoring substantive policy details. This makes it extremely difficult to explore compromise solutions with him -- Nelson tends not to understand what other senators are offering. When he raises a concern that troubles him, Nelson hears the explanation of why that concern isn't really a problem, but doesn't really believe it because he doesn't really understand it.

This is a classic example. Nelson probably heard a Republican tell him Nebraska would be hurt by Medicaid expansion. He believed it. When he raised the point with proponents, Nelson didn't understand that Nebraska would benefit from the Medicaid changes.

For what it's worth, Nelson huddled privately with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) earlier today. After their meeting, Nelson told reporters, "Hopefully we're making progress. As I said, there's always a lot of room which you have to have between the bid and the ask, and we're seeing if we can close the gap."
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

I think this is true in a lot of cases. The Senators or Reps just don't have a clue, and they don't try to get one. Their twee little minds get stuck on something they do understand no matter how minor that point may be. Then they refuse to budge because they can't comprehend anything else. It is also telling as to who they might believe when told something.

[Tansy_Gold]

1. Your link

goes to the home page. Any idea where the actual article is?


TG

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. There isn't a link to another article.

You have to scroll down to this header: 'Why Talks With Nelson Go So Poorly.' The rest is on the home page.