I know that Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson isn't real popular around DKos, but - speaking as a Nebraskan - I'm hoping everyone will take a good, hard look at the dangerous extremism that's our only real alternative in the 2012 election. Earlier today, the blogger Ronaldo of New Nebraska Network posted a great diary featuring the following local TV news interview with state Attorney General Jon Bruning - the clear frontrunner for the Republican Senate nomination. In it, you'll see Bruning state his belief that "default may be necessary" while declaring that even the radical Boehner plan to raise the debt ceiling is too moderate to win his support.
Here's Bruning's statement from the interview:
"It may be something that has to happen to make the fundamental changes that are necessary in the American governmental system. We have to shrink it. And, if the Democratic Party that controls the White House and the Senate doesn't understand it, default may be necessary. God forbid it is necessary, but it may be. They have to understand."
Yes, I certainly hope we are starting to understand what it means when dangerous rightwing politicians like Jon Bruning are elected to the U.S. Senate. I'm not asking anyone to love Ben Nelson, but it's time for all of us to come to grips with just what it is we're looking at as an alternative should we lose his seat in 2012.
Want to see Nelson defeated? Hoping he doesn't even run for re-election? Well, this is what we get if that happens. And, don't forget that it would also bring us that much closer to losing Democrats' slim majority in the Senate - our best defense against the rightwing extremism that has taken hold in the House of Representatives.
With stakes like these, supporting Ben Nelson isn't choosing the lesser of two evils. It's a choice dictated by sanity, maturity, responsibility - even morality. Please don't fool yourself into thinking there is anything remotely "progressive" about betraying these principles.
The dangerous extremism embraced by Jon Bruning is a threat to the entire nation and to our future. In Nebraska, we can defeat this extremism in 2012. And, that means helping Ben Nelson win reelection. For all the frustration that will no doubt cause me, I'm going to remember the above video of Bruning and will never have any doubt that I'm doing the right thing.