His extraordinary sensitivity extends to his own needs and those of his constituents, but not so much the needs of his party or other senators’ constituents, whom he routinely leaves hanging. Only weeks into the Obama presidency, Nelson joined a handful of moderate Republicans to oppose spending in the stimulus and succeeded in reducing the bill’s size. Throughout the health care reform debate, he held firm against the public insurance option, defending insurers who are major employers in his state. During the endgame of Wall Street reform, he briefly suggested he hadn’t made up his mind about the bill after heaping praise on its latest revisions. For the past several weeks, Nelson has joined the Republican party in filibustering a measure to restore unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, which lapsed at the beginning of June. The upshot: a legislative debacle that has made the entire Democratic party look ineffectual while 2.1 million people who’ve been out of work for longer than six months have missed checks. Economists no less mainstream than Mark Zandi, former advisor to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), have said that the failure to reauthorize the benefits could jeopardize the economic recovery.
I understand that a senator’s primary responsibility is to the voters of his state, whose votes he depends on for his continued employment in the world’s most exclusive club. Most senators manage to grasp the reality that there’s another responsibility at work in their job, and that’s the responsibility to ALL Americans. Good senators- EFFECTIVE senators- manage to recognize and juggle both responsibilities in a way that works for everyone. Then there’s Ben Nelson, Democrat from Nebraska, whose attitude towards non-Nebraskans seems to be “F—k you…do you have a vote in Nebraska??”
Yes, Nebraska is very fortunate, in that it’s unemployment rate is 4.9% in an era when it’s running at about 10% nationally. As far as Nelson seems to be concerned, that seems to be all that really matters. Interestingly, in a day and age when Nelson and other senators vote to throw megabillions at our two never-ending wars, Repulbicans (and Nelson) are determined to reduce the deficit on the backs of the unemployed. That’s right; the war doesn’t need to be paid for, though it provides no stimulative effect to the economoy. Unemployment benefits, however, DO need to be paid for, despite that demonstrably stimulative effect that these dollars do have on the economy.
To Nelson’s way of thinking, 10% unemployment nationally isn’t an emergency. Why should it be? Hey, in Nebraska life is pretty good, right? So…let them eat cake? Is that the attitude that Nelson seems to be operating with? Certainly, Nelson is ultimately responsible to the voters of Nebraska, but if he doesn’t want to be known as Sen. Marie Antionette, he needs to step up and do the right thing by ALL Americans.
Today, he’s blocking a six-month, $25 billion extension of FMAP — federal aid to states — while 30 states have already counted on the funds for next year’s budget, meaning severe layoffs are on the way if the funds don’t come through as promised. Nebraska, however, is not one of those 30 states and seems content to watch the rest of the nation burn. It’s not conservative fiscal management that gives Nebraska its low unemployment rate and rosy budget outlook, but an economy based on lavish federal defense spending and agribusiness subsidies, combined with incentives that lure insurers to base their operations in Nebraska and soak up money from consumers in other states.
Throughout the health care debate, Nelson worked tirelessly to reduce the expansion of public health care, defending insurers who are major employers in his state.
In short, Nebraska’s economic good fortune is built on smoke, mirrors, and federal largesse, but that isn’t going to stop Nelson from going to the well to protect the interests of those who elected him. After all, he doesn’t answer to unemployed folks in Michigan or South Carolina.
No one who’s paid attention over the years could claim to be surprised by Nelson’s homerism. Nelson has always been concerned first and foremost with his own political career, which means looking out for the interests of his constituents in Nebraska…even if it’s to the detriment to the country. No reasonable person would ever accuse Nelson of being a great Senator. Hell, how he can claim with a straight face to be a Democrat defies rational explanation. And yet here he is, holding the fate of millions of unemployed Americans hostage. Interesting how he has no problem with throwing untold billions at our two never-ending wars, but he must oppose extending unemployment benefits because they’ll grow the deficit.
I can only hope that there will be a reserved parking spot in Hell with Nelson’s name on it….
WE DESERVE BETTER.
