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Ben Nelson just issued a statement saying he’ll vote no on cloture for Craig Becker tomorrow, joining the Republican filibuster.
“Mr. Becker’s previous statements strongly indicate that he would take an aggressive personal agenda to the NLRB, and that he would pursue a personal agenda there, rather than that of the Administration,” said Senator Nelson. “This is of great concern, considering that the Board’s main responsibility is to resolve labor disputes with an even and impartial hand. In addition, the nominee’s statements fly in the face of Nebraska’s Right to Work laws, which have been credited in part with our excellent business climate that has attracted employers and many good jobs to Nebraska. Considering these matters, I will oppose the upcoming cloture motion and the nomination.”
Nelson’s statement cites Becker’s past pretty much verbatim from a Chamber or NAM press release. This makes a maximum of 58 votes for Becker, making Enzi and Murkowski’s votes essential.
Let’s pick apart Nelson’s opposition, shall we?
Nelson claims that Becker would bring “an aggressive personal agenda to the NLRB,” rather than that of the Obama Administration. How does that make any sense, when it’s the Obama administration that nominated him twice? Beyond that, Becker repeatedly said at his hearing that there is a stark difference between his previous scholarly works and what is required of a fair, impartial judge on the NLRB.
Next, Nelson says, “the Board’s main responsibility is to resolve labor disputes with an even and impartial hand.” So Nelson is going to help the Board on its mission by filibustering its nominees. Brilliant!
Finally, Nelson claims Becker’s statements “fly in the face of Nebraska’s Right to Work laws.” One, “right to work (for less)” laws didn’t come up in the hearing nor have his previous statements reflected on the topic. Two, Becker, in response to GOP questions on the topic submitted in writing, affirmed that that is the law and should be respected where it is law. So what’s the problem?
The problem is Ben Nelson wants the Chamber of Commerce, NAM, and other corporate groups to pad his pockets for his 2012 race. That’s it. Workers be damned.
UPDATE: Here’s a statement from the AFL-CIO via Sam Stein at HuffPo:
“It’s a shame and a disappointment that Senator Nelson is willing to continue to leave working families without a fully staffed NLRB,” said Eddie Vale, a spokesman for the AFL-CIO. “Becker is an eminently qualified nominee. Its pretty confusing and circular logic that Nelson contends he wouldn’t represent the administrations agenda, when he was nominated by the administration, twice.”
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About Work in Progress
Can you make a post about why recess appointments are hard for Obama but easy for Bush?
Nelson is ugly through and through. Great photo, horrid man.
Not to mention the fact that he makes Norm Coleman look smart.
Not only that, but not all states have ‘right to work’ laws. Does the NLRB operate in them, too?
Also, WTF does Nelson need more money for? He’s got more money now than he needs for his campaign.
Let’s all call his office tomorrow.
and this is the lousy dem working against the working class…………. selling out for his pot of gold… i hope he gags on it!
Obama doesn’t do recess appointments. Wouldn’t be bipartisan.
I think we need another summit… with all the centrists this time.
Shorter Nelson: I don’t care if I look like an obstructionist idiot, because my voters will never catch on.
We’ll see whether his gamble proves correct.
And unions should definitely fund it all… heck throw in some more campaign contributions to a few Blue Dogs in a show of more good faith.
Got a recess comin’ right up. Let’s see, one more time, what Obama’s made of.
I wonder if the Blue Dog Senators from “right to work” states, like FL, drew straws to see who’d be the patsy for sabotaging Becker. Or did Nelson volunteer. I can’t wait to see how Bill Nelson votes.
Let me guess – previous people in the post were corporate whores – and that is good enough for AMERICA?
Hey – fillabuster everyone. Fuck it, let us go down the drain.
Say what he will – the rule applies to all these cases (even when its not an impartial post)… main street can fuck off and wall street can do the fucking.
I also wonder if Trumka and Stern are gettin’ a clue.
I found a better one.
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5519/bennelson.png
Did he vote for Chief Injustice Roberts?
Guess he belives any rich corporate asshole that is part of the agenda.
Speaking of Roberts – the guy knows he’s a plant. Has he ever been seen on TV not bright red and grinning like the Cheshire Cat?
Enough is Enough!
Every real progressive in Nebraska needs to make sure the clown call Ben Nelson get kick out of office in 2012
Blue Dogs = Republicans
The Progressive movement has been mis-treated, disrespected, by the white house and blue dogs. It is time for us progressives to start fighting back.
Every Blue Dog dem needs to fear the new Left.
Every working class democrat in Nebraska needs to know what kind of garbage they sent to congress.
The only good Blue Dogs are retired and un-elected Blue Dogs.
Or sniffing glue?
If they’d been huffin’ they’d have told the Dems to go fuck themselves a long time ago.
Yet another reason to never give a dime to the DSCC.
Senator Nelson is chairman of the Legislative Branch subcommittee of the Appropriations committee and the Strategic Forces subcommittee of the Armed Services committee.
If the Dem leadership had any backbone at all he would be removed from those chairmanships.
Right after Holy Joe. Shit, they can’t even find the balls to do that.
Got a recess comin’ right up. Let’s see, one more time, what Obama’s made of.
In the face of Shelby’s blatant extortion, Obama has zero to lose in making the recess appointment for all 70 outstanding nominations Shelby currently has blocked.
There are some things that are simply indefensible: let’s watch the repubs try to call political bullshit on Obama stuffing the game right up Shelby’s ass, and then it’s game on. If Obama is truly looking to show some spine and leadership, this is about as close to a no-lose proposition as will be found any time soon.
Shelby’s plan isn’t to the benefit of the repub party, it is to the benefit of Shelby. He might be very surprised to see that no one has his back on this one.
Or the DNC, which funneled $500k to Nelson for an ad touting opposition to the public option
Nelson will never be punished for anything if Lieberman wasn’t removed for campaigning for McCain.
yeah, see HuffPo for how Nelson ardently defended nominees’ rights to upper down votes, including roberts and alito. and bolton. and on and on… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/08/ben-nelson-to-filibuster_n_454437.html
You know, it doesn’t even matter about right to work – it’s in the law and the NLRB can barely enforce the law, let alone change it.
We are definitely on the same page. Trotsky once said the difference between an evolutionary and a revolutionary was that the revolutionary takes advantage of opportunities as they arise.
All newly elected DemoRats are neutered as part of their orientation.
The NLRB hasn’t enforced the labour laws in decades.
Its time for Ben Nelson to leave the Democratic caucus.
Nice thought, but who’s going to make him?
yup – played correctly, this one’s a gift.
If Obama was a real leader and not the fraud he is, he would have long ago gone to the American people and named names of Republicans masquerading as democrats and told the American people to vote the impostor’s out of office. Do the Progressive’s and labor leader’s have Primary challengers all lined up to go against 6 or 12 fake Democrats???????? The Progressive’s need to break away from the Demo-Pubs and start a new party! The Progressives and Libertarians have more in common than people think.
Granny McConnell would prolly go apoplectic.
Balls, Obama needs Balls! Big Cajones! Reid won’t do shit.
I see over at TPM that Shelby released most of his holds but not ones relating to the Air Farce tanker contract.
The Dem Party of FDR and JFK must be Reborn!
Obama and Rahm are determine to screw the american people with their HCR scam. Obama will call this the Insurance Companies must become richer campaign.
I thought 2010 was suppose to be about JOBS?
a little less extortion – but extortion remaining nonetheless.
It is – but not OUR jobs.
Bank jobs, insurance jobs, pharma jobs, jobs for Rs and DINOs, yes.
But not jobs for real people.
Because we won’t be sufficiently grateful for their largesse and we don’t have the kind of money the corp-rats have.
I disagree the NLRB has a lot of employees who really care about justice in the workplace, but they’re working with corporate-friendly labor law, so there’s only so much they can do.
If we organized active union members in Nebraska we’d be reading something else. 8.3% density can do a lot. Remember, WE endorsed him.
fixed it for ya
Nelson’s got to go!
It’s not about the workers. It’s about the policy makers. With pro-business officials making policy the labour laws have not been enforced.
Two comments:
1. How Nelson gets re elected is a mystery – will be interesting to see how this shrew politician does it..
2. One reason Americans don’t understand, much less respond to Democratic political arguments – the use of terms like “circular logic”. Why can’t Democrats learn how to practice politics right?
watertiger is upstairs!
Late Night: Sarah Palin, Eleventy-Dimensional “Go Fish” Player!
It’s what happens when the Prez is perceived as a wuss.
Wonder if HClinton was Prez if these Dems would have been pulling this stuff.
This ignorant bastard is the best excuse there is to tax the people who voted Him into office for the damage they caused the Country.
The thought that a puke slimeball like this can get elected and hold office shows the true shape this Country is in. He was that before healthcare brought his putrid face more into the light but people failed to see.
A bully is only a bully if u allow them to be one. Unfortunately, the president too often presents himself as a bipartisan wuss. As president he is within his legal right to make recess appointments. The question is does he have the fortatude to make those appointments? We just don’t know with Obama.
Having and keeping the Senate really was a mistake on the part of the Constitution authors and amenders. The broad public only needs the head of state and the House. The Senate is really a House of Lords, in my opinion, existing to insure that the wealthy minority has its own special body in the government that protects the wealthy minority’s interests. The Senate seems to be proving that viewpoint true more and more every day. The Senate cannot be respected.
I can’t wait till Nelson loses his reelection in 2012… even assuming a Republican will take his place. What a schmuck!
I used to be firmly in the “more and better” camp — but if “more” means Nelson… forget it. I can accept people in the Senate Democratic caucus who will vote against the caucus, but not one who will vote against cloture. That’s an unforgivable sin — which should result in a complete forfeiture of all DSCC and DNC funds, presidential campaign stops, perks and positions, pork and pet projects, etc.
Let the Republicans filibuster, actually filibuster, Becker’s nomination.. Think of the picture – Republicans droning on and on, holding up Senate business, in order to keep a labor representative from serving on the National Labor Relations Board.
homer http://www.altara.blogspot.com
There’s no longer any such thing as a filibuster on the floor – all the GOP has to do is endlessly suggest the absence of a quorum and then there’s roll call. And it continues.
If Obama doesn’t push back on THIS one, then he will be capitulating his entire Presidency. Shelby put a hold on over 70 nominees! We can’t have this obstruction BS for each and every one of them and still get any work done in the Senate. And yet it is plain as day that that is PRECISELY what they intend to do. The Republicans together with the Democratic turncoat sellouts who screwed America on HCR are determined to sink the Obama administration with gridlock and inaction AT ALL COSTS. If Obama doesn’t recognize that and refuses to use the power of the Presidency to get anything done, then WHAT GOOD IS HE?
Is he cowering under his desk in the Oval Office whimpering “Please don’t hurt me! Can’t we all just get along?” He must be, because he’s clearly NOT getting anything done. He’s planning more “bipartisan” publicity stunts and pissing away a massive public mandate for change. What a weak, wimpy, simpering, whiny, pathetic do-nothing! I’m ashamed for having voted for him, and I wish I could take my vote back and cast it for Ralph Nader, because at least then I would KNOW that I was throwing it away on someone who would never lead the country, rather than being tricked into doing so.
I really can’t stand this crap; I think my head is going to explode!
I wonder if Reid, already knowing the outcome of today’s vote, gave Nelson a free pass to vote no on Becker?
Caption on photo of Ben Nelson shown above:
“You got a real purty mouth…”
Or:
“C’mon. Squeal like a pig…”
People like this are US Senators?
I know this is late .. but did anyone see this(thanks to Wikipedia):
http://bench.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZmRjZjVhNTViODU2YjRiNzc3ZTEyMmJlMjE2Yzc4Zjc=
yeah … I know about the link .. but the relevant quote:
The president’s nominees, especially to the Supreme Court, deserve an up-or-down vote, even if the nominee isn’t popular with the special-interest groups in Washington. As a former governor who appointed the entire Nebraska Supreme Court and the entire Nebraska Court of Appeals and more than half the current judges in Nebraska, I understand how important appointments are to our judicial system.