Ben Nelson Running Ad Responding To Liberal Groups — But Doesn’t Mention Public Option
As you know, centrist Senator Ben Nelson is very unhappy with the progressive groups targeting him with ads in Nebraska hitting him for slow-walking health care reform. He even called up a man who appeared in the ads to complain.
Now Nelson is up on the air with a new spot in Nebraska responding to the lefty groups, Democracy for America and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Take a look:
“Like too much stuff coming out of Washington, it’s hard to know what’s fact and what’s fiction,” Nelson says. He then articulates his principles for reform: Keeping spending under control, helping small businesses, and controlling costs.
“Most of all, the plan needs to work for Nebraska,” Nelson concludes.
But Nelson’s response doesn’t address the core criticism of the lefty groups’ ad: The suggestion that Nelson isn’t fully committed to a public option.
Indeed, Nelson’s response doesn’t mention the public option at all.
Update: I should have noted that the progressives are responding by extending their ad buy yet again. The fact that Nelson has felt the need to respond suggests that the ads targeting him could be gaining traction with his constituents.
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Public option hell – he doesn’t mention health care.
“Keeping spending under control, helping small businesses, and controlling costs.”
Where does that say one thing about health care reform? He’s walking a fine line – it is Nebraska, after all. Which is why I wish the left would work WITH moderate Democrats and not against them – sorry, I’m with Rahm.
controlling costs
Of course, this explains why one of the things he objects to about a public option is that it would drive down the insurance rates charged by the health insurance companies……
*headdesk*…………………
oddjob – they do all seem to miss the “option” part of public option.
I’m as frustrated as you are. I just want to retain that seat for the Democrats and we don’t have a chance in hell of putting a more liberal Democrat there. The only thing we can do is get Nelson defeated and find a Repug in his seat. I know he doesn’t always vote with us, but he votes with us more than anyone on the other side of the aisle does.
It’s called pragmatism and apparently most Americans no longer understand what that means. I fear for democracy, I really do.
Remember — it’s called “Mutual of OMAHA” for a reason. Right, anti-public option NEBRASKA senator Ben Nelson?
I recognize that the seat is better as it is than it would be if filled by a Republican. It’s just that I don’t get his concern. It makes no sense to me.
Generally speaking I have no problem with free enterprise, but I think it’s been apparent for some time now that our healthcare model doesn’t work very well. Fighting to protect something that doesn’t work is weird.
oddjob
Honestly I am not so sure that the seat is any better in Nelson’s hand than it would be in a Republican’s hand. If he still mostly votes Republican exactly what is the advantage? I think its time to let him wither on the vine with absolutely no support from the Dem establishment and liberals and progressives constantly hitting him for selling out his constituents.
what is the advantage?
The majority isn’t GOP, which means the bills that go through the Congress are different.
Greg,
Why do you keep calling Nelson a “centrist?” I don’t see him that way at all.
When nearly 80% of the population supports a public option but Nelson doesn’t, that excludes “centrist” as a defining characteristic of Nelson’s politics.
I am still laughing about the telephone conversation Nelson had with that restaurant owner, where he said he would support a public option only if nobody could sign up for it.
I had the same thought when I read Greg’s opening line. Centrist is an editorial comment unsupported by the evidence.
Nelson is a right-wing Democrat. Not saying far-right, but definitely substantially right of center.
“He then articulates his principles for reform: Keeping spending under control, helping small businesses, and controlling costs.”
Fascinating. Addressing the issue of health care reform, he says nothing — absolutely NOTHING — about health care.
Now maybe you smart guys & girls can explain me the difference between his first & third principles.
Nelson’s ad was directed at the NE electorate. If he does vote for health insurance reform w/ public option, it will be because he believes that it’s what’s “right for his state” and because it fits within the principles he laid out in his ad.
What DFA and PCCC fail to understand is that Ben Nelson cannot be seen as caving to Washington, DC liberal interests that are running these ads. By running these ads, they’re actually creating a political environment that makes it more difficult for Nelson to vote with the Democrats.
I explained what was wrong with the ad over here.
The reason nobody mentions public option is that it is not an option for many of us. If the gummint starts offering health insurance, the companies underwriting our retiree policies (which we earned after 30 or so years of employment) will write no new policies and will therefore go out of business leaving us with whatever public option said gummint deigns to give us. That means it’s not an option, it’s a one way ticket to single payer government funded health care which has a very poor record in taking care of us geezers. No thanks. In this case, the cure is worse than the disease.
So Nelson should not represent his district but march to the orders of the progressives?
And if he dare disobey these orders or dares to respond to this ad he will be hit harder?
you people need to take a long hard look in the mirror.
“That means it’s not an option, it’s a one way ticket to single payer government funded health care which has a very poor record in taking care of us geezers.”
You mean, uh, like Medicare?
Or all those socialist European countries like France and Germany who are busily murdering all their “geezers” through their public health care systems?
Producer writes: “So Nelson should not represent his district but march to the orders of the progressives? And if he dare disobey these orders or dares to respond to this ad he will be hit harder?”
Um, no. Nelson should represent the PEOPLE OF HIS STATE (Senators don’t have “districts”, btw) and not march to the orders of Wellpoint, Aetna, UHC, BC/BS, and the rest of the corporations who fund him to the tune of over $2M. Which is what the DFA/PCCC ad points out. Nothing more, nothing less. I’m sorry that concept is too difficult for you.