If [small businessman] Snider is looking for those who are truly "leading the charge to delay health care reform," he needs to look no further than his other Senator, Mike Johanns, or his Republican Congressman, Lee Terry. In fact, Snider should have seen Terry in action throughout the House Energy & Commerce Committee's mark-up of HR 3200, during which Terry cast vote after vote against the very sorts of reform he so desperately needs. Look, I would love to see more genuine progressive leadership from Nelson on the issue of health care reform. But, at the same time, I appreciate that Nelson approaches this issue from a radically different place than most liberal Democrats. He doesn't perceive the same inherent competition between corporate interests and the needs of the people. His approach isn't quite "what's good for Blue Cross is good for Nebraska," but I can't say that's too far off the mark. This isn't something new. This is who Ben Nelson is - and what the people of Nebraska voted for in their two-term Democratic Governor and U.S. Senator. As frustrating as that may be in the present case, it's a choice we've made as Democrats and as Nebraskans - one we certainly didn't regret when it meant taking the majority in the U.S. Senate after the 2006 election. It's cheap and unfair to reduce Nelson's well-known philosophical difference with the left-wing of the Democratic Party to just some insidious instance of quid pro quo. That's what this ad does in its second half - accomplishing absolutely nothing but giving the Nebraska Republican Party the best gift it could have hoped for as it works to claim Nelson's seat in 2012.
...Most importantly, we know our Democratic Senator well enough not to tolerate his being reduced to some cartoonish slave to insurance industry money while he struggles to do what's best for the people of Nebraska. That's not the Ben Nelson we know nor the Ben Nelson we trust to continue working on behalf of every Nebraskan.
What?? This is the state's "premiere source of progressive online political commentary?" Sounds more like a bad DSCC fundraising pitch. "The Ben Nelson we trust to continue working on behalf of every Nebraskan." Pathetic. Notice how Kyle completely excused Nelson's millions from out-of-state insurance companies. And notice how Kyle took a progressive position supported by 76% of Americans and tried to marginalize it as solely the "left-wing of the Democratic Party." Again, pathetic. And saying Nelson actively working against his constituents and lying to them is "what the people of Nebraska voted for?" P-a-t-h-e-t-i-c. Actually, shameful. Kyle Michaelis is either a complete party hack or he was once a progressive who has now been co-opted by party hacks. But there's one thing he is not: the state's "premiere source of progressive online political commentary." In fact, I can prove it. Here's some political commentary from Darwin, one of Kyle's Nebraska commenters: Once again, Kyle...you have proven that you are not willing to hold Nelson accountable for anything. We all appreciate your finger wagging whenever Nelson does something that even you cannot abide, but for criticism to be meaningful it has to come with, at least, the threat of consequences. There is nothing about this ad which is dishonest. There is nothing about this ad which constitutes a "cheap shot" at Nelson. Nothing in this ad reduces Nelson "to some cartoonish slave to insurance industry money." ...What the ad does is try to push Nelson in the right direction. Nelson has given the impression that he can be moved on this issue. But, it's only going to happen if we hold his feet to the fire. You, it seems, would rather anoint them with oils. Mary Magdalene would be proud. As for why the ad is not directed at Johanns, Nelson is a player in this debate. Johanns is not. Criticizing Johanns for the delays in healthcare reform would be like criticizing a towel boy because his team didn't reach the Super Bowl.
Congratulations, Darwin. In one comment, you proved that there are indeed more premiere progressive voices in Nebraska than Kyle Michaelis. And in one blog post, Kyle Michaelis has completely decimated his credibility as a progressive. In the once-in-a-lifetime fight where progressives most needed Kyle to step up and hold Ben Nelson accountable, he stabbed them in the back in favor of party hackdom. Feel free to tell Kyle your thoughts in the comments of his blog. |
