Sen. Nelson D-Nebraska To Retire.

[BlueShoe]

Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat from Nebraska, has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2012. This move is seen as an excellent chance for the GOP to pick up his seat, therefore enhancing their chances to regain control of the Senate. Republicans must gain four seats in order to regain control. With several Democrats appearing vulnerable and others retiring, pundits give the GOP a good chance to control the Senate in 2013. While Nelson has been perceived to be a moderate or even conservative Democrat, his giving in and supporting Obamacare and the stimulus bill has hurt him in his conservative state.
www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/28/nebraska-senators-retirement-leaves-democrats-nervous-for-2012/

[JustRalph]

He was toast and he knew it.

[mostpost]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

Senator Ben Nelson, REPUBLICAN from Nebraska, has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2012. This move is seen as an excellent chance for the GOP to pick up his seat, therefore enhancing their chances to regain control of the Senate. Republicans must gain four seats in order to regain control. With several Democrats appearing vulnerable and others retiring, pundits give the GOP a good chance to control the Senate in 2013. While Nelson has been perceived to be a moderate or even conservative Democrat, his giving in and supporting Obamacare and the stimulus bill has hurt him in his conservative state.
www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/28/nebraska-senators-retirement-leaves-democrats-nervous-for-2012/

FTFY

[BlueShoe]

Starting your New Year Eve celebration a bit early Mosty? Popping a cork this early does dull your perception. Nelson is in no way a Republican or remotely a conservative. He is to the left of the most liberal RINO GOP member of Congress. He is not, however, a Marxist or Socialist, a quality rarely found in an elected Democratic official. Nelson is a moderate, which is why he was able to be elected in generally conservative Nebraska. If as predicted his seat falls to a Republican, Nebraska will then have an all GOP delegation in Congress.

[Tom]

And they shall stand for truth, justice, and the American way!

[Robert Goren]

I am from Nebraska and a democrat. Ben Nelson is 70 years old and is retiring. The local polls that I have seen show him behind by a small amount, but he was almost always behind in the polls and still managed to win 4 out 5 state wide elections. There was no doubt that the republicans smelled blood and were lining up to run against him led by AG Jon Brunning. At the time of his announcement there were 5 candidates in the republican primary including a couple of other heavy hitters. There will be at 2 or 3 more including one or more of the 3 congressmen and/or the governor. The democrats have nobody who is well known to run although there was talk last night of Bob Kerry running for his old seat. I doubt that will happen.. At this point all the congressional seats and every state wide office except for Nelson's senate is held by a republican. I would be greatly surprised if his seat doesn't go republican. The only way it wouldn't is if somehow a greatly flawed candidate comes out the primary.
I am wondering if there isn't a health issue involved here. He was already running TV ads and had a very large war chest. He was only 2 points behind in the polls. 6 years ago he was behind by 5 points with a year to go and won by 15 or 16 points. So I doubt it was because he thought he was facing certain defeat.

[bigmack]

Originally Posted by mostpost

FTFY

Here's the really hilarious part. With that, it could very well ensure my adroit prediction for Nov '12. House, Senate & Oval O, all in dripped in Red.

Should be fun run.

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

Starting your New Year Eve celebration a bit early Mosty? Popping a cork this early does dull your perception. Nelson is in no way a Republican or remotely a conservative. He is to the left of the most liberal RINO GOP member of Congress. He is not, however, a Marxist or Socialist, a quality rarely found in an elected Democratic official. Nelson is a moderate, which is why he was able to be elected in generally conservative Nebraska. If as predicted his seat falls to a Republican, Nebraska will then have an all GOP delegation in Congress.

He was elected in Nebraska by first being Governor. He got elected the first time because the incumbent republican governor was a disaster. He did an ok job, so he was re elected. In the middle of his second term a senate seat opened up and he ran and was defeated Chuck Hagel by a narrow margin. When the other senate opened up 2 years later, he ran and was elected. He won re election against Pete Rickets a son of an internet millionaire(whose family now own the Cubs) by a large margin. When he was governor he was very publicly recruited by the republicans to change parties. About the only time he voted with the democrats in the senate on a major issue was on the health bill.

[bigmack]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

About the only time he voted with the democrats in the senate on a major issue was on the health bill.

It's not that you intentionally fib, you're just so ill-informed you can't hep yourself.

Are you familiar with Google? Here's the newsflash. More often than not, links via Google on ANY subject contradict with your opinion. With all due respect, I'm gonna go with Goo on yet another unfounded opinion of yours.

http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/21744/

[cj's dad]

Originally Posted by mostpost

FTFY

You really are a very foolish and shallow man. !!

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by bigmack

It's not that you intentionally fib, you're just so ill-informed you can't hep yourself.

Are you familiar with Google? Here's the newsflash. More often than not, links via Google on ANY subject contradict with your opinion. With all due respect, I'm gonna go with Goo on yet another unfounded opinion of yours.

http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/21744/

Sometimes I think Robert is an alien from another planet because he surely knows very little about this one! Nelson was your typical Dem liberal who the media loved to portray as a "moderate". Good riddance to him. One lib down and hundreds more to go!

Boxcar

[mostpost]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Sometimes I think Robert is an alien from another planet because he surely knows very little about this one! Nelson was your typical Dem liberal who the media loved to portray as a "moderate". Good riddance to him. One lib down and hundreds more to go!

Boxcar

Anyone who thinks Ben Nelson was a liberal either has a very distorted view of what a liberal is, or is very ignorant of Nelson's stand on most issues, or is very ignorant period. On second thought, all three apply to you.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by mostpost

Anyone who thinks Ben Nelson was a liberal either has a very distorted view of what a liberal is, or is very ignorant of Nelson's stand on most issues, or is very ignorant period. On second thought, all three apply to you.

And if you think he was a conservative, you're more naive or willfully ignorant than I can imagine. Yes, he liked to portray himself as right-leaning because Nebraska is a red state. But he was just another lukewarm, duplicitous, what's-in-it-for me politician suitable for the barf bag.

Boxcar

[mostpost]

Originally Posted by bigmack

Here's the really hilarious part. With that, it could very well ensure my adroit prediction for Nov '12. House, Senate & Oval O, all in dripped in Red.

Should be fun run.

My predictions for 2012:
President if Romney nominee: Obama wins with 350 to 400 electoral votes.
If Gingrich nominee: Obama carries all but deep south.
If anyone else nominee: Obama sweeps 50 (I mean 57)

House: Dems gain at least 30. More likely they regain control.

Senate: Dems lose one of retiree states (Nebraska).
14 dem incumbents win easily. Two (McCaskill and Testor) squeek by.
Elizabeth Warren beats Scott Brown in Massachusetts.

Those predictions are based on the improving economy which will continue to improve at an accelerating rate. On anger at over reaching Republican governors like Walker and Kasich. On disgust with Congressional republicans tactics of obstruct and delay. and on polling trends which show Republican support dropping in individual races.

We will see who is right in November.

ETA: Tea Party born 2009 Died 2012.

[Robert Goren]

You guys are just plain loco if you think Ben Nelson is a liberal. I am a liberal and live in Nebraska. He could not have been re-elected governor or elect twice to the senate in this state if he was a liberal. The closest thing we ever had to a liberal in office in this state was Bob Kerry. Kerry like Nelson was elected governor first when the republican incumbent was a disaster. Kerry made a name for himself when he got passed a sales tax hike which was to expire in 9 months when the budget crunch was expected to be over. No one expect Kerry to let the tax to expire. He shocked the state by doing just that. That was unheard of at the time in this state. He became in the eyes of cynical Nebraskans the rarest of politicians, a truthful politician. He was re-elected governor and twice to the senate despite being completely out of step politically with most Nebraskans. I know people who the democrat they ever voted for Kerry. Nelson is not any where near as liberal as Kerry nor is as popular as Kerry was. Nelson was considered a republican in sheep's clothing until the health care vote which is why the republicans only ran token opponents against him until this election cycle.