Monday, January 11, 2010

Adios Cornhusker Kickback


Word from the U.S. Senate is that Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson's Cornhusker Kickback will be stripped from the final Health Care Re-form bill that comes out of the conference committee.

Liberal Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold -- apparently still questioning whether Nelson's deal was legal -- said,
Well, whether that provision was legal or illegal, it shouldn’t have been done. I understand that Sen. Ben Nelson has already indicated he knows he’s probably not going to get it in the end. I think it’s going to get stripped from the bill.
So here's the question: If the Cornhusker Kickback doesn't become the Countrywide Kickback, will Ben Nelson vote against this massive unfunded mandates on the states?

Nelson has said -- in one of his many excuses for his special deal -- that based on the Cornhusker Kickback, individual states could choose to opt out of federal funds for Medicaid in the future. If then, the provision isn't in there, will he vote for the bill? Will there be a Medicaid opt-out provision for all states?

And, can't he just swing another deal for Nebraska, like lots of other states got? Heck, Harry "Obama is a light-skinned Negro" Reid said "that's what legislating is all about. It's compromise."

So how about scoring Nebraskans some-more-a-that-there Compromise! Louisiana sure got their share! We've been led to believe that's what this bill is all about, right? Everyone with their hand out?

Or does Nebraska once again get the shaft, along with all the bad press it has received over the past month?

Or could this Bill be defeated, as Senator Dodd has suggested, and a majority of Nebraskans seem to want?

13 comments:

macdaddy said...

I'm very interested to see what the substitute bribe for Senator Nelson is. Perhaps there isn't one. Perhaps he just gets on TV and spews the lies about 9 out 0f 10 people who came up to me said "vote for it!" Just remember that Senator Nelson believes that it is the proper role of government to control every aspect of healthcare. The rest is just haggling over the price and for all we know, he's the cheapest one on the corner.

One Out In The Third said...

Senator Feingold...

You can rest assured that the majority of Nebraska voters will see to it that Senator Nelson is "going to get it in the end." That "end" coming November 2012.

Anonymous said...

Ben Nelson got WORKED big time. Used, abused and kicked to the curb in DC and soon in Nebraska.

What a goof.

Anonymous said...

Everyone knew that this would not be in the final draft as it is grossly unconstitutional. Nelson should have demanded that his staff sit on the regulation drafting panel or that he be allowed to appoint the committee that would put to regulations to bed. Then those people could have rigged the funding to Nebraska's benefit just like New Yorkers have with medicaid and medicare for years.

As it sits, Nebraska will end up not getting it's wishes respected by their Senator, we will get this bill as our law, we will have to live with it, we will pay for our share and some of the other state's as well.

We will also be embarrassed by this in front of the whole country.

All for nothing.

This ham-fisted screw up should cause us to recall Sen. Nelson.

Anonymous said...

Agree or disagree, I had to laugh at "unfunded mandate" because I remember so many of those from W's years.

Jake said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Where is the case law to support this as unconstitutional?

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see Nelson voted out of office.

Anonymous said...

People need to get real about Ben Nelson. In 2006 he had the highest approval rating of any Senator in the country. He can raise more money than Heineman and Bruning combined. By November 2012 most of the healthcare reform measures will be in place and Nebraska voters will know damn well which party was lying to them in '09.

Shoe Salesman said...

Seriously Sweeper - You just spent weeks kickin the crap out of Nelson's deal and now you criticize him for not getting more. That's the problem with you conservatives - you don't know what you want, you just don't like anything that can't be traced back to Reagan.

Why don't you post about Don Walton's story today about Nelson bucking his Party more than any other Dem? What about posting on the report out of California that shows Gov. Steroid has cut his own inside deals to pass his agenda - putting egg squarely on his face after his silly comments on sunday talk shows? I'd post the links but I'm aware of your policy.

You all can keep laughing - but this vote will stand the test of time - and Nelson has already publicly said he is working to fix the unfairness in Medicaid funding. But please, please keep running clips of Sen. Feingold criticizing the deal - it'll only help Nelson.

I think you've gotten too clever this time sweeper. Make up your mind - is Nelson supposed to look out for Nebraska or not? and if he is, as you say here, where is the mocking of Senator NoHands and our three House members: See no good, say no good, and do no good?

also, Anon 451 - cite any law that shows this to be unconstitutional. Even our dimwit AG in NE didn't join the circus because he knew its a stunt (though he's simply annoyed his staff didn't think of it). And, don't you tea baggers have any other tricks in the book besides a recall? get a life.

Street Sweeper said...

Shoey,

1) See if you can absorb some sarcasm once in a while. It'll do a body good.

2) The point (since you seemed to miss it) is that EBN told us how he got the deal. Now the deal is gone. So what's his move now?

3) Here's my take on the EBN voting record: He votes with the Dems 63% of the time. If people want him to vote like a conservative, that S-U-X.

4) Oh, and he voted with Obama NINETY PERCENT of the time. But of course that's buried at the end of the story, and missed the headline. Gee.

5) California is screwed no matter what they do. They get what they deserve.

6) We look forward to the GOP members taking the lead in January of 2011.

Thanks for reading!
SS

Anonymous said...

So if Nelson voted against Democrats 37% of the time, but with Obama 90% of the time, doesn't that mean that Obama supported some Republican-leaning ideas, and that Democrats didn't always support them? Did you even catch that irony, SS? Of course, Johanns is 94% bought and paid for by the GOP, and Adrian Smith being the ultimate puppet without a brain. He is, after all, Eric Cantor little whipping boy.

Anonymous said...

Nelson just got faced.