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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson stories: 20 news summaries
showtime: 8pm

All Eyes on Blanche Lincoln in Cliffhanger Senate Vote

Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson expected to back health reform in first vote

Nov 21, 09 7:24 AM CST
(Newser) - Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln is in the hot seat tonight, as the last Democratic holdout to the 60 votes Harry Reid needs in balloting tonight to bring the health care bill to the Senate floor for debate. Nebraskan Ben Nelson said yesterday he would vote yes, and Louisiana's Mary Landrieu... More »

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Democrats • Senate • Harry Reid • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Ben Nelson • Blanche Lincoln

Nate Silver

Most Red State Dems Can Vote for Health Care

Only Blanche Lincoln faces 2010 fight, and she'll be a tough sell

Nov 20, 09 9:27 AM CST
(Newser) - The main reason Senate Democrats have a prayer of passing health care reform is that not many of them are up for reelection next year, says Nate Silver. Only a third of the Senate is up for re-election in 2010, and most of the Democrats in that group come from... More »

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Senate • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Ben Nelson • Nate Silver • Election 2010 • 2010 • Blanche Lincoln

Three Dems Threaten to Block Health Debate

Reid & Co. scramble to appease Lincoln, Nelson and Landrieu

Nov 18, 09 10:43 AM CST
(Newser) - Three Senate Democrats are threatening to prevent the health care reform bill from even making it to the floor of the chamber. Normally it’s a routine procedure to get the 60 votes necessary to open debate on a bill, but Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu are balking... More »

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Senate • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Ben Nelson • Blanche Lincoln

 Reid 'Optimistic' 
 About 60 Votes 

Majority leader thinks he's got the support to send bill to the floor

Nov 18, 09 10:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Harry Reid is “cautiously optimistic” about the success of his frantic attempts to unite the 60 votes of his caucus behind the Senate health care reform bill. “I think we’re together,” he says. But the majority leader was positively voluble about the bill itself, notes the... More »

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Congress • Joe Biden • Harry Reid • Democratic caucus • legislation • vice president • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Ben Nelson • concession • Senate majority leader • Blanche Lincoln

opinion

Call Lieberman's Bluff—Make Him Filibuster

Senate rules make delay tactic too easy for fence-sitters

Nov 13, 09 2:29 PM CST
(Newser) - The filibuster is supposed to be a last resort. It allows the Senate minority, when it's willing to engage in endless debate—at the cost of holding up the chamber’s other business—to challenge legislation. But today, senators need only signal their intention to filibuster to stall a bill,... More »

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Joe Lieberman • filibuster • health care reform • Ben Nelson • US Senate • Republicans

 Health Reform 
 Faces Tougher 
 Battle in Senate 

A very different health bill enters a sharply divided Senate

Nov 9, 09 6:48 AM CST
(Newser) - "That was easy," Nancy Pelosi quipped after health care reform squeaked through the House; viewed from the other side of the Capitol, this is no joke. As the action shifts to the Senate, Harry Reid has a tough hand to play. The GOP minority wields more power in... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Harry Reid • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Ben Nelson • public option

PUBLIC OPTION SHOWDOWN

 Reid's 6 Biggest Headaches 

Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman are two of them

Oct 28, 09 8:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - To get the 60 votes he needs just to bring his health care bill to the floor of the Senate, Harry Reid is going to have to rein in some of his caucus' members. Politico surveys the majority leader's biggest challenges.
  • Joe Lieberman, Conn. The independent said yesterday
... More »

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Senate • Harry Reid • Joe Lieberman • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Evan Bayh • Democratic Party • Mark Pryor • Ben Nelson • Democratic Senators • public option • Blanche Lincoln

 Reid Goes for 
 Broke With Public 
 Option Bill 

Senate majority leader banks on 60 votes, infuriates Baucus

Oct 23, 09 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Reid is preparing to bring a health reform bill that includes a public option to the floor of the Senate, gambling that his 60-member caucus will support the plan if it contains opt-out measures for individual states. The majority leader and other senators met with Barack Obama yesterday to... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Barack Obama • Charles Schumer • Senate • Harry Reid • Olympia Snowe • Susan Collins • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Max Baucus • Ben Nelson • public option

HEALTH REFORM



 Six Senate 
 Swing Votes 

From Dems who swing right to left-leaning GOPers, debate promises suspense

Oct 14, 09 12:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - As health care reform bills merge and change on the Senate floor, the pool of legislators to watch has grown. The Wall Street Journal takes a look:
  • Olympia Snowe, R-Maine: Her vote for the Finance Committee bill was clutch, but "doesn't forecast what my vote will be
... More »

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Congress • Senate • legislation • Olympia Snowe • Senate Finance Committee • Susan Collins • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Ben Nelson • Roland Burris • public option • Blanche Lincoln

Public Option Compromise Gains Steam

Proposal creates national plan but lets states opt out

Oct 8, 09 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - The public option lives: both conservative and liberal Democrats seem to like an idea proposed by Chuck Schumer to establish a national health plan but allow states to opt out if they so choose. Conservative Ben Nelson has backed it, and a spokesman for Max Baucus said he might join... More »

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Charles Schumer • Howard Dean • health care reform • Max Baucus • Ben Nelson

Health Reform Ads Already Turn Nasty

Dems' Nelson blasts liberal TV spot, warns tone will kill legislation

Aug 1, 09 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson is firing back against two liberal groups who are accusing him of partnering with insurance companies to “lead the charge to delay health reform” in a new TV ad, the Hill reports. “If this is an indication of the politics going into August, then... More »

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Howard Dean • Nebraska • health care reform • Ben Nelson • senator

analysis

 60 Votes 
 No Quick Fix 
 for Senate Dems 

Absences, diverse opinions could prove stumbling blocks

Jul 2, 09 9:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - With the Minnesota election finally settled, Senate Democrats have 60 potential votes now—but that won’t guarantee smooth sailing, the New York Times reports. Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd may often be out sick, and a range of viewpoints means the caucus won’t likely “walk in lockstep,... More »

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Congress • Senate • Harry Reid • Senate Democrats • Al Franken • Ben Nelson

OPINION

If Health Care Push Fails, Blame Dems

Public wants a public option; why do 'centrists' oppose it?

Jun 22, 09 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - Now ought to be a good time to reform health care. With costs up and coverage down, polls show the public overwhelmingly favors change. Unfortunately, “a handful of Democratic senators are still determined to party like it’s 1993,” writes Paul Krugman of the New York Times.... More »

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health care • health insurance • universal health care • Democrat • health care reform • congressional Democrats • Paul Krugman • Ben Nelson • health insurers • insurance industry • public option

Moderate Dems
Balk Over
Obama Deficit

Right wing of the president's party will fight to shave budget

Mar 11, 09 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama may be president, but it’s Congress that passes the budget, and moderate Democrats are the ones holding the keys to the federal treasury, reports Time. Obama’s 2010 budget calls for $3.6 trillion in federal spending. And though deficit-hawks appreciate the president’s honest numbers (in... More »

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Senate Democrats • Joe Lieberman • deficit • House Democrats • Ben Nelson • federal budget • Obama administration • Blue Dog Democrats

President Gets Personal With Swing Senators

Holds highly unusual
1-on-1 meetings with stimulus holdouts

Feb 5, 09 10:22 AM CST
(Newser) - President Obama is reaching across the aisle to moderate senators whose votes are crucial to passage of the economic stimulus bill. He put in a call to John McCain, who has been a vocal critic of the bill’s current incarnation. “We'd like to sit down and try to... More »

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John McCain • Senate • Senate Republicans • Olympia Snowe • Susan Collins • economic stimulus package • Ben Nelson • President Obama • meeting

 Senate Dems Don't Have 
 Votes to Pass Stimulus 

Senate moderates, GOP insist on stripping out billions

Feb 4, 09 9:23 AM CST
(Newser) - President Obama’s first big bill, the stimulus package passed by the House, lacks the votes to clear a Senate filibuster, reports the Washington Post. Senate moderates are proposing to strip $200 billion in spending to win GOP supporters. Says Democratic whip Dick Durbin, “100 decisions” will be “... More »

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Senate • filibuster • Susan Collins • Lindsey Graham • Dick Durbin • tax breaks • economic stimulus package • Ben Nelson • Obama administration

TALK SHOW ROUNDUP

Senate Queasy on Spending in Obama Stimulus

Kyl: 'Start from scratch;' McConnell vows Dems won't get 60 seats

Feb 1, 09 11:30 AM CST
(Newser) - The level of spending in Barack Obama’s House-approved $819 billion stimulus package will complicate its Senate passage, say two senators whose support will be crucial. “Unfortunately, this bill has become a Christmas tree,” Republican Susan Collins told CNN, while Democratic colleague Ben Nelson said, “There’s... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Senate • Jon Kyl • Mitch McConnell • Susan Collins • economic stimulus package • Tom Daschle • Ben Nelson • Judd Gregg

In Senate, Pranks Mix
With Politics

Democrats Nelson, McCaskill channel Ashton Kutcher

Jun 23, 08 12:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - The prank war started when Ben Nelson took advantage of Claire McCaskill's inexperience and got his fellow Democrat even more nervous about her 2007 Senate swearing-in than she already was. The action since then has been sporadic but inventive. McClatchy returns from Capitol Hill with tales of the lawmakers' dueling... More »

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Senate • Claire McCaskill • prank • Ben Nelson

Fellow Pols Shaken by Kennedy Diagnosis

Colleagues met news with 'stunned silence'

May 20, 08 2:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ted Kennedy's Senate colleagues reacted to news that the lawmaker has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor with "stunned silence," Ben Nelson of Nebraska tells the Hill. "I am having a hard time remembering a day in my 34 years here when I felt this badly,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
John McCain • John Kerry • Senate • Ted Kennedy • Mitch McConnell • Patrick Leahy • Ben Nelson

Clinton Plans Fla. Visit, Denies She's Campaigning

Obama camp snipes at 'cute' evasion of DNC sanctions

Jan 29, 08 4:39 PM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton will make her first official campaign appearance in Florida tonight just as primary voting ends, honoring the letter if not the spirit of the Democrats' pledge not to campaign in states that leapfrogged Super Tuesday without party permission. Barack Obama's campaign called the projected winner's timing "too... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • delegates • Florida primary • Ben Nelson

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