Deep thought 2: Ben Nelson edition

A few thoughts on this:

• Ben Nelson should have just voted for it, no bribes required. (Booo hisss, bad Ben. Bad)
• Since he made it clear he WOULDN'T vote for it without a bribe, the question Americans should be asking is: "How much I willing to personally suffer in order to punish Ben Nelson?" Or in other words, "Is it OK if I'm screwed as long as I know Nebraskans are no better off?"

Thank you, that is all.

"We did it, Mr. President"

Reports are that a deal has been reached that both pro-choice and anti-abortion sides can live with. Plus a little extra cash just for Ben Nelson's Nebraska constituents.

There's an old saying that politics is like sausages in that if people could see how they are made no one would swallow it. Well, no one could say the process of passing this bill has been anything but ugly. Such is the life in our lunatic legislature.

But the passage of this bill will be a major achievement for America, for Senate Leader Harry Reid, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and for the President. A weary but fervent congratulations to them all for getting us here.

Seems Nutty Is Flavour of the Month in Washington

President Obama's Nominee for Office of Legal Counsel, Dawn Johnsen, is a specialist in constitutional law who has spent many years working in that office, including a stint heading it up as Acting Assistant Attorney General from 1997 until 1998.

But, apparently some folks - including leading Senate Democrat Ben Nelson, of Nebraska - have a problem with Dawn. Republicans plus Nelson have indicated that they will not support her nonimation in the Senate. What's their problem with her?

Well, apparently Ben Nelson is concerned about her time spent working for a particular organisation - NARAL. That's right - it turns out, horror of horrors, that apparently Dawn Johnsen is PRO-CHOICE! (Like the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, tha vast majority of all Democrats and 60% of the American public...)

Nelson's spokesman says:

"Senator Nelson is very concerned about the nomination of Dawn Johnsen, based on her previous position as Counsel for NARAL. He believes that the Office of Legal Counsel is a position in which personal views can have an impact and is concerned about her outspoken pro-choice views on abortion."

But... abortion is LEGAL. Constitutionally protected, even. Nothing that Johnsen, or even Congress could do would overturn the Supreme Court's ruling on that.

So this (Democratic!) Senator's objection is that Dawn Johnsen, in her role at the Office of Legal Counsel, would be forced to work to... uphold the law? That to his great regret and concern her position is to... strongly support the current legal and constitutional framework?

Don't know what their serving in the Senate Cafeteria these days, but it seems to be something kinda nutty.

HINT: Should you wish to let Senator Nelson know your thoughts, you can reach him at

Washington, D.C.
720 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-6551
Fax: (202) 228-0012