From The Weekly Standard, December 15, 2009.

“Source: Dems Threaten Nelson In Pursuit of 60″
“While the Democrats appease Senator Lieberman, they still have to worry about other recalcitrant Democrats including Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson. Though Lieberman has been out front in the fight against the public option and the Medicare buy-in, Nelson was critical of both. Now that those provisions appear to have been stripped from the bill, Lieberman may get on board, but Nelson’s demand that taxpayer money not be used to fund abortion has still not been met. According to a Senate aide, the White House is now threatening to put Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base on the BRAC list if Nelson doesn’t fall into line.

Offutt Air Force Base employs some 10,000 military and federal employees in Southeastern Nebraska. As our source put it, this is a “naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelson’s vote.” They are “threatening to close a base vital to national security for what?” asked the Senate staffer.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/20...-nelsons-vote/

White House Threatens Nebraska Senator Over Health Care Vote

Posted by Laura Glendinning in Quick Hit on December 15, 2009

LOS ANGELES (YBH.COM) Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson introduced an amendment to the Senate health care bill which would have barred Federal funds to be used for abortions. It was defeated. Endorsed by Nebraska Right To Life during his 2006 election, Nelson has stated he will not vote for a health care bill without such a provision.
Senator Nelson Gets Pressured by White House

Senator Nelson Gets Pressured by White House

Needing 60 votes for passage, and with Joe Lieberman’s vote far from assured, the White House is skipping the carrot and going for the stick when it comes to Nelson. According to the Weekly Standard, “a Senate aide [says] the White House is now threatening to put Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base on the [base closure] list if Nelson doesn’t fall into line.” The base employs some 10,000 folks in Southeastern Nebraska.

Threats of this type are often leaked, by either party, more for political theater than anything else. However, Nelson will be in the driver’s seat if Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman signs onto the Senate health care bill. The White House will then need to confront the abortion issue head on.

http://yesbuthowever.com/white-house...-vote81363333/

Dems Threaten Ben Nelson With Base Closing

While the Democrats appease Senator Lieberman, they still have to worry about other recalcitrant Democrats including Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson. Though Lieberman has been out front in the fight against the public option and the Medicare buy-in, Nelson was critical of both. Now that those provisions appear to have been stripped from the bill, Lieberman may get on board, but Nelson's demand that taxpayer money not be used to fund abortion has still not been met. According to a Senate aide, the White House is now threatening to put Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base on the BRAC list if Nelson doesn't fall into line.

Offutt Air Force Base employs some 10,000 military and federal employees in Southeastern Nebraska. As our source put it, this is a "naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelson's vote." They are "threatening to close a base vital to national security for what?" asked the Senate staffer.

http://www.thefoxnation.com/health-c...n-base-closing

I've given three sources to this story. The White House has responded to my original source (Glen Beck, Fox News Channel) as his program was going off the air. Listen for any news source that picks up this story.


Nelson: Offutt claims false

The Nebraska Democrat on Tuesday dismissed reports by conservative pundits that the White House threatened to close Offutt Air Force Base if Nelson fails to support the legislation.

Nelson said no one has ever brought up Offutt's future in connection with negotiations over health care or any other piece of legislation. He also denied any suggestion that he might receive a “blank check” to write provisions into the legislation, and said his vote is not for sale.

“To be perfectly clear: these rumors are completely baseless and false,” he said.

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region - Nelson: Offutt claims false


But we knew Nelson would say this anyway. As a lone holdout (for the most part) he's ripe for TLC and bribes. If he truly meant what he's already said countless times- that he absolutely won't vote "yes" as long as the abortion provision is still in the bill- then any action he takes other than voting against the bill shows he was bought off. There's no negotiating with principles. He can't very well out Obama/Rahm's threat to the media or he'll have made enemies with the same people he wants to be offered favors from under the table once it's established he won't cave to hardball tactics from the White House. He's trying to pull a Landrieu. This is his 15 minutes of political hotness.

Here's a spinoff topic of this story:

Johanns: Probe Offutt 'threat'

WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., and 19 other GOP senators today called for a hearing into reports that the Obama administration used the future of Offutt Air Force Base as bargaining chip in the health care debate, according to a press release by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., has flatly denied that Offutt came up in connection with the health care bill or any other piece of legislation. The White House also has described those reports as "absurd."

The group of Republican senators called for a hearing in a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and the committee's top Republican Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"Various media reports have stated that the Obama Administration would put Offutt AFB in southeastern Nebraska on a future BRAC list because of a vote on healthcare reform," the senators wrote in the letter. "While we recognize the importance of Offutt AFB as the headquarters of U.S. Strategic Command and the approximately 10,000 individuals that work there, we feel that this installation should remain open or be closed on its own merits."

Nelson is a crucial vote in the health care debate. Conservative pundits such as columnist Michelle Malkin have cited anonymous Capitol Hill sources in writing that Nelson was threatened with closure of the base if he failed to support the pending health care legislation. Nelson says those reports are being spread by partisan sources eager to defeat the legislation.

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region - Johanns: Probe Offutt 'threat'



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5M_Ttstbgs

they really need to accept that the people have spoken and the answer is "no".

__________________
Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

Exactly but, somehow, that "By the people, For the people" thingy isn't working.

We need CHANGE

Its important to note that Strategic Command is placed smack dab in the middle of the country for a reason, to be as far away from a potential enemies as possible.

So that makes this more or less treason.

If Nelson had any balls at all, he'd say so in front of as many cameras as possible.

__________________
January 21, 2013: The End of an ERROR.

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
---Benjamin Franklin

no argument from me cuz

__________________
Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

Roland Burris may take the heat off him, he's ready to blow it all off for not being socialist enough.

The wheels are coming off. Christmas is gone, shooting for State of the Union now. I and beginning to think this thing just might go away unless they accept defeat and take the reconciliation route. I have to wonder if the blue dogs will bail if they try that though.

one thing you can count on, congresscritters will do about anything to keep their phoney baloney jobs.

__________________
Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

Politics is a tough game. I wonder why Obama would threaten to put people out of work/make them move/disrupt their lives/disrupt the lives of civilians that count on the base for their income, etc. Apparantly they are expendable as long as he gets his way. I give credit to him though for at least having the balls to make the threat...wrong as it may be. Michelle must have let him have them that day.

__________________
"If you think about it, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine," he said. "It's the post office that's always having problems." Barack Obama on government run healthcare. 08/11/2009

American by birth.
Conservative by the grace of God.

Still sore about the war of northern aggression.

This administration is pathetic.. and this is equal to treason to me.

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Obama, Making it Rain Beotch!!

Oh, dear Christ.

Do you people not even know what treason is? The mere fact that the POTUS says or does something that you don't like does not constitute treason.

__________________


Noli arrogantium iniurias pati

Really? Do we have this confused with the type of treason the lefties were willing to accuse the former President with?.....War crimes tribunal even.

yes, this is more like extortion. and while its the norm in Chicago, its illegal everywhere else. sort of a high crime or misdemeanor.

__________________
Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

So, your evidence of "treason" is a Faux News story where the person who's supposedly getting threatened categorically denies the claim?


The behavior of some on the right is really getting embarassing. Have you no shame?

__________________


Noli arrogantium iniurias pati

Embarassing? Sure, but it still pales in comparison to the behavior of some on the left during the Bush years.

__________________
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb discussing what's for dinner.
Liberty is a well armed lamb willing to contest the majority decision!" ~ Benjamin Franklin
"Diplomacy is the art of saying Nice Doggie! while you're looking for a rock. ~ Wynn Catlin
"There are no innocent civilians." - Gerneral Curtis Lemay. A.K.A Bombs away Lemay

I'd disagree. Accusations of treason? Bogus claims of death panels and "Obama's a Muslim?" The left sure had some idiots, but the right wing loonies have only gotten started and they already are an embarassment to the nation.

__________________


Noli arrogantium iniurias pati

Do you understand the geographic significance of moving the headquarters of the countries strategic forces to a location closer to the border or the sea?

__________________
January 21, 2013: The End of an ERROR.

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
---Benjamin Franklin