**UPDATE at 3:15pm**Oh well...
***
This is purely from the rumor mill kids...but...follow us here...
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter announced he will not run for re-election.
Word has it that the White House has blessed a decision by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to head back to Colorado to run for the office.
Sooooooooo....that would leave the Interior Department empty....
Who to fill it...who to fill it...
An embattled Senator who may have a tough time in a few years? One who organized a visit to Nebraska by the Interior Secretary last year?
OK we'll say it: We've heard that Ben Nelson's name has been bandied around for this spot.
Now, a few problems with this:
1) Dave Heineman would then get to pick his replacement, thus losing the Dem's edge for a filibuster proof majority. That's a big one.
But, maybe that's the price for Nelson's vote on Health Care?
Could be too expensive for such a vote...maybe.
2) Would Nelson really want that gig? Probably less time at the turkey farm. Pretty much zero time in the limelight ever again.
But a cushy job, if he'd really be interested.
We doubt it.
But, you know, we always encourage more info out there than less!
Have fun.
***
Of course there are a zillion related Nelson stories, but the biggie lately (and linked by Drudge) is the Fremont Tribune story where Nelson dropped the...
Of course there is still time for Nelson to kill the bill then, no? That fence Nelson lives on top of must have a jacuzzi and a bowling alley for it to be that comfortable.
But the true whopper from the story is this one:
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter announced he will not run for re-election.
Word has it that the White House has blessed a decision by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to head back to Colorado to run for the office.
Sooooooooo....that would leave the Interior Department empty....
Who to fill it...who to fill it...
An embattled Senator who may have a tough time in a few years? One who organized a visit to Nebraska by the Interior Secretary last year?
OK we'll say it: We've heard that Ben Nelson's name has been bandied around for this spot.
Now, a few problems with this:
1) Dave Heineman would then get to pick his replacement, thus losing the Dem's edge for a filibuster proof majority. That's a big one.
But, maybe that's the price for Nelson's vote on Health Care?
Could be too expensive for such a vote...maybe.
2) Would Nelson really want that gig? Probably less time at the turkey farm. Pretty much zero time in the limelight ever again.
But a cushy job, if he'd really be interested.
We doubt it.
But, you know, we always encourage more info out there than less!
Have fun.
***
Of course there are a zillion related Nelson stories, but the biggie lately (and linked by Drudge) is the Fremont Tribune story where Nelson dropped the...
“I think it was a mistake to take health care on as opposed to continuing to spend the time on the economy.”
Of course there is still time for Nelson to kill the bill then, no? That fence Nelson lives on top of must have a jacuzzi and a bowling alley for it to be that comfortable.
But the true whopper from the story is this one:
Nelson said the “Cornhusker Kickback” -- $100 million that was included in the Senate bill to help Nebraska cover Medicaid expenses -- was not intended to be a special perk for Nebraska, but rather a vehicle by which individual states could choose to opt out of federal funds for Medicaid in the future.No wait, the REEEAL whopper was this one:
“I’d have to say that nine out of ten people that come up to me thank me.”Guessing that Nelson was referring to his Christmas dinner, and the tenth who said nothing was an Uncle snoozing on the couch...
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16 comments:
Not going to happen...
...because...? (c'mon, show a little effort)
Hmm. Not going to happen because of Nelson's ego. Ben can be a spoiler for the next 2 years and be the 60th vote on cap and trade, card check, etc. A cabinent member is a yes man that plays for a team...BEN NELSON IS LOYAL TO NOBODY!!!
We took the "Loyal and Trustworthy" wording off of the Nelson Boy Scout statute. We wanted to make sure our tribute to our greatest son is historically accurate.
Oh no "we" didn't, McCook. That statue was bought and paid for by Ben himself, and he'll have it installed in the front yard of his personal property - his boyhood home. It is his own gift to his huge ego.
Did ben really pay for his own statue??? Sweeper is this true???
What, your Google machine ain't workin'? Try "ben nelson statue mccook".
Or (geez) cut and paste this for more info...
http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1596945.html
Wow Sweeper, who buys their own statue? What an ego!!!!
I have a new motto for the statue. "He had the guts to make a bad bill better"
Its not going to happen because the Dums need 60 for the next two years. Why would they give that up? Even if there is a miracle and one of them dies or Scott Brown wins in Mass. they still have 59 and can easily convince one of the RINO's to vote with them.
I also think Ben thinks that this will blow over by November '12.
One year. The 60 votes are gone next November, no matter what.
Obama might well figure nothing much will get done next year, it being an election year. The Dems are going to be desperately trying to look centrist, and will probably get some GOP votes for anything they do. After the final cloture vote on the conference reform bill, there won't be any more 60-40 completely partisan votes in the Senate this year.
By that reckoning, It's worth sacrificing Nelson's seat for 3 years, to save Colorado for another 6 years, and get his vote in the final bill.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will not run for governor of Colorado and instead will endorse Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, according to two sources familiar with the decision.
Thanks for the update.
Crisis averted.
It's just as well that Salazar screwed up Ben's chance to be the Head Park Dood. I was having trouble anyway picturing E. Bennie standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon in his Ranger Rick suit, gazing steely-eyed out over its vast reaches.
Maybe the BIA is looking for help ... or even the Bureau of Sanitation - we all remember how good he is at finding places to dump stuff that no one else wants.
Too bad. He could have declared his statue a National Monument.
"Guessing that Nelson was referring to his Christmas dinner, and the tenth who said nothing was an Uncle snoozing on the couch..."
hahahahahahahahahaha
RWP,
Funny stuff.
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