Ben Nelson is an independent thinker. You can't box him in. He forces Democrats to articulate and defend their values, and that can only be good for the party.

I realized a long time ago that Ben Nelson is a more reliable Republican than most Republicans.

That there is no consequence for this position is beyond my understanding. I guess Harry Reid works in mysterious ways.

Matthew, that argument is tired. How can he call himself a Democrat when he won't support Democratic positions? He doesn't have to vote for every party plank, but Nelson is a reliable "no" vote on every important Democratic issue. This is, as Steve notes, simply obstructionism, not principle or independence.

It's really not so difficult. Nelson is a republican, just as blue dog = GOP.

While Rome burned...

Our American empire is dysfunctional to the point of being mentally ill. Imagine a house so divided against itself that it takes a super majority to agree to fill basic chickenshit government positions...

That's the good news.

The bad news?

Global warming doesn't give a shit about cloture either...

Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden, and the Big Guy himself should sit Ben Nelson down and tell him he gets nothing, absolutely nothing, for the next four years unless he stops this s**t.

I think this has more to do with the fact that Obama is planning on bringing the student loan business back in-house. Apparently Nebraska has a number of private student loan vendors that will lose under this budget plan and I imagine Nelson is holding Dawn Johnson hostage until someone gives on the student loan thing. Just a hunch....

What exactly is his concern? That at OLC he will do a Bybee memo allowing CIA officers to abort terrorist fetuses? Seriously, how could the NARAL issue ever intersect with OLC responsibilities?

It is beyond hypocritical for Nelson to use this NARAL argument since his pollster in his winning Senate campaign in 2000 and 2006, Harrison Hickman, was NARAL's pollster for 15 years and came up with the "Who Decides?" messaging for them as well.

Why is Nelson a Democratic? Everytime I hear his name, he's siding with the Republicans. Does he ever side with Dems?

We need to nominate Sen. Nelson for the next Olbermann WTF moment! -Kevo

Does anyone have an email address for Nelson? I would like to post it everywhere so he can hear how popular his obstructionism is to the voting public.

Vote against her if you must but at least allow her to be voted on.

Will check back later for an email address.

What we don't want is a minority in Congress frustrating the will of the majority of voters, who voted for a Democratic president, Democratic policies, and Democratic majorities in both houses. The filibuster was intended to be used only in extraordinary situations, not the run-of-the-will way the Republicans have been abusing it.

I think this has more to do with the fact that Obama is planning on bringing the student loan business back in-house.

This is, I suspect, closer to the truth about why Nelson is obstructing Johnson than the rather stupid idea Johnson's ties to NARAL make her an inappropriate candidate for the OLC.

Can we please stop feeding the troll? PLEASE?

"Wow. And liberals wonder why conservatives don't want Congress meddling in our private affairs." - McGruber

Except for who we marry, what we do in our bedrooms and homes, and health and medical decisions.

Mcshitforbrains there only dumb programs if you don't agree with them.

McGruber reminds me of the good old days when there were so many idiotic dumbass right-wing "trolls" who posted their clowning clownishness here for our amusement.

I remember "Charlie" and his various pseudonyms; tbrosz; Don P.; rdw and others.

All long gone, flushed down the toilet of history along with George W. Bush's public approval ratings.

The true hard-core Ditto-Heads are really a dying breed.

That's a very good thing, but still, reading McGruber's one-dimensional cartoon comic-book stereotype boilerplate drivel, I must say find myself feeling a bit sentimental for days gone by when there were so many brain-dead right-wing trolls who were so much fun to whack and it even seemed like they really mattered, and responding to their bumper-sticker talking points was really worthwhile.

Now it's obvious they are just a sad joke. And always were.

because, McG, even worse (much worse) than the idea of a bunch of Ben Nelsons screwing with my health care is the idea of a bunch of Bernie Madoffs, Ken Lays, "Smartest Guys in the Room" and AIG-sters screwing with my health care in ways solely to maximize their own greedy profits, my care be damned.

Ben Nelson is a dick.

When will Dems face the fact that the "filibuster" is no longer a tactic but a weapon used to kill democratic successes. The majority is held hostage by a minority because of an outdated senate "rule" which should be seen as unconstitutional. Face reality...republicans have abused this rule and will continue to do so until it is revoked. They don't give a shit about the public good, only political power.

Blocking the senate from even being able to vote on a nominee is not representative of a democracy so why are the people "forced" to tolerate it?

Dawn Johnsen is the best nominee to come from Obama and Reid must make sure she at least gets to be voted on...even if he has to bite off Nelson's ear.

I remember "Charlie" and his various pseudonyms

He spammed every thread too, took them over and held them hostage. Shutting down conversation was his only goal, too.

So apparently you DON'T actually have a problem with goverment "meddling in our private affairs."

Which is it, McGruber?

McGruber: "I could care less what you do in your bedroom or house."

With all due respect, nobody gives a flying fuck what you care about or don't, asshole.

You are an ignorant, stupid and irrelevant member of a crackpot lunatic fringe that the American people have overwhelmingly rejected.

A true senate majority leader would be denying Nelson any sub-committe chairs, taking him off any important committee assignments and basically making his life in the senate a living hell.

Unfortunately the Democrats have Harry 'I just want to be loved by my abusers' Reid as their 'leader'.

Why they keep this guy around I will never know.

McGruber wrote: "... the traditional definition of marriage, in all major religions and cultures."

To the extent that marriage is defined as a religious sacrament, it is an "establishment of religion", and the government is prohibited by the Constitution from giving it any recognition whatsoever.

If you don't like the US Constitution then move to Iran.

"...In light of this kerfluffle, are you sure you want a bunch of idiotic nitwits crafting legislation to regulate the financial and health care industries?..."-McGruber

What an idiot...the financial and health care industries don't connect... and it is health care ins., not the 'care' itself...and only an idiot cannot understand that the SS program is the greatest most successful program Americans have ever had. Maybe it doesn't work for you but it does for millions and if everyone paid the same portion of their income into it would always run a surplus. You're general lumping of issues to support your resentments don't compute like saying I hate the EPA and the FDA and wish they'd just let me buy my prescriptions direct from Canada...duh!

You know, Harry could put the screws to Nelson. Nelson can vote "no" on the nomination if he wants, but being a Democrat means he has to vote to have a vote. I like the idea of stripping the SOB of all his plumb committee posts until he realizes that he is a Democrat.

McGruber wrote: "Last time I checked, state after state after state were passing laws against gay marriage, or passing laws defining marriage as union between a man and a woman."

You haven't checked lately then. In reality, state after state after state is passing laws to recognize same-sex marriages.

Fortunately, homophobic bigots like you are a dying breed and the American people are overwhelming rejecting your religion of fear, prejudice and hatred.

McGruber wrote: "The Constitution merely prohibits government from establishing or recognizing one religion over another."

Wrong. The Constitution says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".

If marriage is a religious sacrament, then it is an establishment of religion, and the Congress may not make any law regarding marriage.

In particular, if even one religion recognizes same-sex marriages, then a law "defining marriage as union between a man and a woman" is blatantly unconstitutional since it would prohibit the free exercise of that religion.

The only form of marriage that the government can regulate or legislate about in any way is civil marriage, sometimes called civil union, which is no more and no less than a legal contract between two freely consenting individuals. And the government most certainly cannot prohibit individuals from freely entering into legal contracts with each other because of their race, gender or other irrelevant issues.

McGruber wrote: "One last thing: the government recognizes religion all over the place."

You are not asking the government to "recognize" religion. You are asking the government to make your ignorant, backwards, oppressive and evil religion the law of the land and force it on everyone else -- while simultaneously screeching that "conservatives don't want Congress meddling in our private affairs".

It's amazing that you don't vomit with disgust at your own hypocrisy.

Last time I checked, state after state after state were passing laws against gay marriage, or passing laws defining marriage as union between a man and a woman.

You seem slightly outdated, McG. That should say:

Last time I checked state after state after state were legalizing gay marriage and the 'union between a man and a woman' thing got struck down as fast as it was passed.

Nelson's obstructionist behavior is enabled by Harry Reid. A majority leader worthy of the name would never tolerate someone like Nelson, and would assert his prerogatives as leader. Until that happens we can expect more of the same.

Looks like the Mystery Moderator finally got fed up with McGruber's troll-spam and deleted it.

Nelson is holding his vote until BHO backs off of the student loan industry.

Dawn Johnson has integrity...which is why culture of corruption and mad torturing Republicans, along with some equally corrupt conservative Blue Dog Democrats, are virulently opposed to her nomination.

IMO, the thing that is so maddening about Nelson's and all anti-Choice legislators is that Roe v. Wade is the law of the land. Choice is the law of the land. It's not just a policy difference, it is obstructing a nominee who agrees with the law and will swear to uphold the law.