Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson's Office Reposts CQ Rating As Most Independent Dem

Eric Kleefeld | January 4, 2011, 2:54PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

You might have seen that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) has been rated by CQ as the Democratic Senator most likely to cross party lines. And if you haven't heard about it, it turns out that his office is also stepping in to publicize it.

The ratings found that Nelson voted with the Democrats on just under 54% of "party unity" votes -- Senate motions where a majority of the Democratic caucus votes opposite to a majority of Republicans. The runner-up was Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), who has retired, and who sided with the Dems on 68% of party unity votes.

Today, Nelson's Senate office reproduced on their "Nelson In The News" section an article from the Omaha World-Herald, the state's largest newspaper, which picked up on the story.

I asked Nelson's communications director Jake Thompson, was the office trying to send a particular message by reposting that article on their site? "No, not really," said Thompson. "If you look, it's really just case by case, I thought it was an interesting article. CQ is something you have to subscribe to, so people might not have access to the numbers. I thought it was a way to let people know about it."

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2012 elections

DeMint Targets Red-State Dem Senators In Fundraising Email

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 9:42AM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)

Sen. Jim DeMint is already hitting the virtual campaign trail for the 2012 Senate races, National Journal reports, with his Senate Conservatives Fund leadership PAC sending out a fundraising email targeting four red-state Democrats who voted against the earmark moratorium.

The targeted Senators are Jon Tester (D-MT), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Kent Conrad (D-ND) and the newly-elected Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who just won a special election and is up for a vote again in 2012. All four of them hail from states that were carried by John McCain in 2008.

"These senators are nice folks but they have ignored the will of the American people and they must be replaced with principled conservatives in 2012," DeMint says in the email. "That's where the Senate Conservatives Fund comes in and it's where you can help."

DeMint then adds that his PAC will need "at least $4 million" for these four targeted races.

NE-SEN

Nebraska's GOP Atty. Gen. To Run Against Ben Nelson

Eric Kleefeld | November 5, 2010, 4:29PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) already has a challenger for his 2012 re-election, the Lincoln Journal Star reports, with Republican state Attorney General Jon Bruning forming an exploratory committee:

Bruning has started raising money for a Senate campaign, formed a four-person campaign staff, and is ready to go.

"I can't imagine any conditions under which I would not run," Bruning acknowledged at a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda.

"I want to run. I'm ready to run."

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Ben Nelson

Sen. Ben Nelson Buys Airtime In Nebraska To Defend Health Care Vote

Christina Bellantoni | December 30, 2009, 12:14PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

Sen. Ben Nelson will defend his support for the health care bill to Nebraska voters in a new political television ad tonight - even though he won't face them again until November 2012.

Nelson says the health care plan will not create a government-run system and lowers the deficit, and boasted of his role in improving the bill, saying he did so because "I listened to you."

The Lincoln Journal-Star got a look at Nelson's 30-second ad, which will air tonight during the Holiday Bowl game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Arizona Wildcats.

The newspaper reported that he speaks straight to the camera and says he wanted voters to hear from him instead of listen to "distortions" about the debate.

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