Nelson: Health Care Reform Needs 65 Votes To Be Legitimate

[kentuck]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/nelson-health-care-reform-needs-65-votes-to-be-legitimate.php?ref=fpb

<snip>
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) continues to be a scold to the liberals in his party. Before a crowd of over 200 gathered at a senior center in Nebraska, Nelson said health care reform ought to pass with 65 votes--a feat which would require at least five Republicans to break with their party.

"I think anything less than that would challenge its legitimacy," he said.

Nelson didn't go so far as to say that he'd oppose a bill that had less than 64 other votes. But he did say he disagreed with the party's legislative approach to the issue.

...more

[BlooInBloo]

1. Golly. Which clause of the Constitution says that, I wonder.

[elehhhhna]

45. the Fuckwit amendment, IIRC

[SIMPLYB1980]

2. LOL! I may be the last to say it, but

Why doesn't he just switch to the republicans already?

[wroberts189]

26. since winning majorities the rats in our own party make themselves known. nt

[Hippo_Tron]

46. Probably because he would lose in a primary

[kentuck]

3. My question is:

Where in the hell are you going to find five "legitimate" Republicans willing to break away from the right-wing choke-hold on their Party? There are not five of them, Ben.

[NightHawk63]

4. Exactly!!! (nt)

[Salviati]

12. When so many republicans are fighting the public option, against the wishes of their constituants

Who can claim that they are casting "legitimate" votes.

The public, democrats and republicans alike, are in favor of a public option. There's your bipartisanship right there. It's not our fault if elected republicans aren't serving the interests of their constituents.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Did the fool tell those seniors that their Medicare Part D wasn't legitimate because it only

passed in the Senate 54-44 and in the House by 220-215?

[HowHasItComeToThis]

36. NO, IT WASN'T IN HIS SCRIPT

[laughingliberal]

6. OK, here's one that will get 5 Republican votes

Mandate private health insurance for middle and working class people with no subsidies to help pay the premiums. Do not forbid denials for preexisting conditions. Those who are denied health insurance will still pay a fine cause it's their fault they're sick and can't get coverage. Do not rein in premium costs in any way and do not require insurers to maintain any medical loss ratios at all. Make it illegal for hospitals or doctors to treat those who can't pay or don't have coverage. Make sure there is no mandate for employers to pay any part of health care reform. Make sure abortion is not covered by any insurer at all even if they receive no federal funds. Drop any coverage for birth control but make sure Viagra is still covered. Include a resolution declaring President Obama illegitimate. There, that should please the Republicans.

[Autumn]

7. Fuck you Nelson. and the horse you rode in on

can't stand that good for nothing ass. :mad: I apologize for my language to all I offend , especially my horse friends.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

39. Dude - Leave the horse out of it...

But I agree otherwise.

Hey, Sen. Asshat, thanks for your intrepretation of the Constitution. Now shut the fuck up and vote the right way, or you're out of a job!

[Autumn]

43. LOL I apologized, I even felt so

bad I took out apple butter sandwiches to my horses to make it up to them. They understood, they wouldn't like Nelson either,they are smart.

[Brickbat]

8. Who knew there were degrees in passage, and that a law's "legitimacy" depended on the margin it

passed by? How interesting! Someone's taking the "mandate" BS from several years ago just a little too far.

[wroberts189]

9. Talk about moving the goal post..... wtf? knr nt

[gratuitous]

10. Nope, just needs 50, Ben

Read your Constitution, Mr. Nelson. I can't believe I have to lecture a sitting Senator on what constitutes passage of a bill! See, if the bill gets 50 votes for and 50 votes against, the vice president will cast a tie-breaking vote. Like when Dick Cheney voted to cut his own taxes by $175,000 a year. Remember that? And I haven't heard you squawking about the "legitimacy" of that bill.

Maybe you're just a flaming hypocrite?

[derby378]

11. You know, George W. Bush never got anywhere near 65 percent

And yet we had FReepers screaming at us "He's YOUR President, get over it, suck it up, 9/11, support the war" for eight years nonstop. Doesn't mean that Bush was, is, or ever shall be legitimate.

At least Reagan was what we'd call legitimate. He was a fuckup, and his 1980 campaign used dirty tricks, but at least he actually got the votes as far as I'm aware.

[rvablue]

13. Why do some Democrats do this? I'm so fed up. n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

25. Because they aren't Democrats.

Yeah, they might call themselves that. Just like Milli Vanilli called themselves "singers".

[glitch]

44. b i n g o - they are moles nt

[redqueen]

14. I really wish he'd just STFU. (nt)

[Soylent Brice]

15. *sigh* what the fuck does that even mean.

what the fuck purpose would a comment like that even serve.

?

[LynneSin]

16. Which is why Nelson will never be a president

:eyes:

[SoCalDem]

17. Just another Bush-Democrat ..

Isn't there ANYBODY better than him, for a primary challenge, next time?

[skipos]

18. Good God, I'd like to see a list of bills that passed with less than 65 votes

I am sure Ben made this "challenge the legitimacy" claim about each one, right?

[jaxx]

19. Get his ass out of office.

Next he'll caucus with the pubs.

[kentuck]

20. You can't trust anyone that wears a hairpiece..

If they will cover up their head, they will cover up anything. ;-)

[SammyWinstonJack]

28. +1

:spray:

[rucky]

21. and saying it makes it true!

maybe he's making a side bet and needs to cover the spread?

[Neecy]

22. Good luck with that, Ben

The Republicans as a group will refuse to vote for *any* bill because they want to damage Obama politically - make this his Waterloo. They could lard this thing up with all kinds of business-friendly BS (in fact, the Baucus bill already has) and it wouldn't get a single GOP vote.

And Nelson knows this. He obviously wants to see the bill killed completely.

[BeyondGeography]

23. The nambiest of all the namby-pambys

[Avalux]

24. I just heard Nelson arguing for a public option; gave support to Rockefeller's amendment.

So what is really going on? Interesting.

[Mass]

31. You saw Bill Nelson (FL). This is Ben Nelson (NE)

[Avalux]

35. Oops! Sorry about that - had them mixed up. n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

37. That was Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). This is Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Mutual of Omaha). nt

[SIMPLYB1980]

40. Isn't it Bill Nelson (R-FL)?

:shrug:

[spanone]

27. hey ben, why not a fucking 100 votes? eh? fuck you mr. nelson

[FLAprogressive]

29. may he slip on a banana peel and fall on a hard, unforgiving surface.

[PA Democrat]

30. Well, by that definition then Nelson should resign his seat because

he received 63.9% of the vote during his 2006 reelection bid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_United_States_Senate_election,_2006

[robinlynne]

33. great response!!!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

41. You the MAN....

in the gender-neutral sense of the word, of course.

That was a GREAT catch -- I expect to see that pointed out on Olbermann tonight!

[rudy23]

32. Another episode of "When Democrats Sell Out, and Try To Explain It Away"

They are just bending over backwards to try and please the insurance companies, while trying to seem like the party we put into the majority to do the exact opposite.

[librechik]

34. Rs: "Oh, and BTW, if it does get passed we'll repeal it at the earliest opportunity"

give me a break

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

38. He didn't raise objections to the Republicans when they were exercising the Nuclear Option!

Mr. Nelson can kiss my black ass!!

[glitch]

42. How come this SENATOR doesn't know how LEGISLATION works?

All that is required for LEGITIMACY is for the LEGISLATION to be passed.

God what a sad maroon.

[Hippo_Tron]

47. Hi Senator, how about you take those five Republican votes and shove them up your ass?

[Orsino]

48. Unless all 105 senators vote for it, it won't be legitimate. n/t

[izquierdista]

49. 51

He should be clobbered over the head with that number.