After the deal became public Saturday, Nelson was slammed by former allies opposed to abortion. He tells people he feels like he’s been bitten by the family dog. [reference]
When you invite a dog into your home to be part of your family and you say and do things the dog likes and then give him a sudden kick you should not be surprised to hear a yelp. Sen. Nelson courted pro-lifers and certainly talked as if the pro-life cause was the fundamental issue on which could not be trumped. He talked the talk until he voted the vote or imbibed the bribe. I guess pro-lifers were a trophy dog to be used when they suited his purposes to get elected in a pro-ife state. Pro-lifers were a nice ornament to have around.
Contrary to Sen. Nelson this was not a dog bites man story, but a man bites dog story. Pro-lifers have complained about his abandonment of the unborn, it was he who slipped in the knife.
Using pro-lifers as ornaments is nothing new. Even though Republicans usually support the pro-life cause – you often get the feeling that it is more an issue of politics then one of conviction for many of them.
8 comments
I’m a NE resident, attended a protest on Sunday along with 1,799 other people, packing the venue to overflowing.
Come 2012, I don’t know who’s going to be running against him, but I do know that I’ll vote for the challenger. As will more than one other person. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another R in the senate next time. My one regret is that I don’t know if we can get him back before November 2012.
When you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas.
“…I never can think of Judas Iscariot without losing my temper. To my mind Judas Iscariot was nothing but a low, mean, premature, Congressman.”
– “Foster’s Case”, New York Tribune, 3/10/1873
The true Judas Iscariots are those who vote for “pro-life” Democrats in the first place. It’s a big lie, and everyone knows it.
How nice, the good congressman thinks us pro-lifers like a dogs who do his bidding…shouldn’t it be the other way around? Isn’t he supposed to be serving the people?
What will the man think when he kneels before an image of the Infant Jesus on Christmas eve? Or will he find an image of baby Herod?
Even though Republicans usually support the pro-life cause – you often get the feeling that it is more an issue of politics then one of conviction for many of them.
That is why I’m so disappointed to see these supposed pro-life Democrats crumble. My hope had been that if it “pro-life Democrat” actually ceased to be an oxymoron, and that Democrats could run viable pro-life candidates, the Republican party might finally be forced to give our cause more than just lip service, and actually walk the walk. If the Republicans remain the only pro-life game in town, they will never have any incentive to deliver the goods…
Don’t forget Sen. Casey, who sold his vote for even less apparently.
BillyHW: Up until this sell-out, Nelson’s pro-life record was flawless… and had gained the trust of MANY pro-life Nebraskans. I do not believe that Democrat=pro choice. But I will NEVER trust Ben Nelson again. Period.
Kevin: My fear is, come 2012, there is going to be a BLATENT pro-choicer (and likely, pro-gay marriage, etc….) running against Ben, and we’ll all be saying, “But he’s the lesser of two evils.” I’m praying already for someone with a SOLID prolife record to face Ben in 2010.