I'm sending a note to Ben Nelson this morning -- no, I think I might call his office instead -- and thank him for the gumption he's showing on the health care bill. I'm going to tell him I read the ABC News story about him (excerpts below) and really appreciated his comments. I'll ask him to stand behind those words in the days ahead when the President and the Democrat party starts increasing the pressure.I'm also going to remind him of some of the the statements of his fellow Democrats promising they will get abortion back into the bill and tell him to be extra careful, extra resilient in resisting their sneaky efforts.
And then I'm going to ask Ben Nelson to complete his pro-life responsibilities there in the Senate by doing one other very important thing; namely, to vote against any further Supreme Court nominees put up by the radically pro-abortion Barack Obama.
For Ben Nelson's defiance on abortion provisions in the health care bill mean next to nothing if he continues to approve of judges who are chomping at the bit to extend abortion. For instance, what good is it for a "final" health care reform bill to have a Stupak amendment if the Supreme Court promptly negates that particular part of the bill?
And you know that backup plan is already well into the works.
So, Senator Nelson sounds good right now. And he may even be sincere and well-meaning, I don't know. But as long as Ben Nelson remains a Democrat who adores Obama, accepts his czar-oriented oligarchy and obediently votes for the President's extremist judicial nominees -- he's not truly defending the sanctity of life cause.
Here's that ABC report:
In a warning sign for the White House, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska tells ABC News that he'll vote to block any health care bill that looks like the bill passed by the House.
"Well, first of all, it has more than a robust public option, it's got a totally government-run plan, the costs are extraordinary associated with it, it increases taxes in a way that will not pass in the Senate and I could go on and on and on," Nelson said in an interview that is part of ABC News' Subway Series with Jonathan Karl.
"Faced with a decision about whether or not to move a bill that is bad, I won't vote to move it," he added. "For sure."
The $1.1 trillion price tag on the House bill, Nelson said, is "absolutely" too high...
"Federal taxpayer money ought not to be used to fund abortions," Nelson said. "So whether it is subsidies on premiums or whether it is tax credits or whatever it is...it should not be used to fund abortions." Nelson also talked about the message he heard from former President Bill Clinton, who talked to Senate Democrats at their weekly closed-door luncheon.
"What I heard him say is that you don't have to let the desire for perfection get in the way of the good," Nelson said. "And that makes a great deal of sense. But I would add the caveat that we have to be sure it is not a bad bill, that it doesn't add to the deficit, that it doesn't increase taxes, and that does, in fact, control the growth in costs."
