Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) gave one hell of an interview yesterday to Lincoln, Nebraska’s KLIN-AM radio, expanding his 'cloture ransom' to include more than just massive new restrictions on abortion. Nelson is now demanding that the bill be "scaled back" to cover fewer than the 30 million promised by Pres. Obama, that its revenue provisions be eliminated, and that its Medicaid expansion be made voluntary. Not surprisingly, he says he can't imagine that the legislation will pass the Senate by Christmas.
Here's audio:
Nelson's key points:
- Asked if he would vote for cloture even if his initiative to restrict abortion were adopted, Nelson flatly said "no."
- Nelson not only said a vote before Christmas was not feasible, he joked about it taking until next Christmas.
- Nelson said unless the bill's Medicaid expansion provisions were made optional he would oppose cloture.
- Nelson said the bill's revenue provisions were unacceptable because the economy was bad.
- Nelson said because the subsidies which provide the bill's coverage expansion couldn't be paid for without additional revenue, they needed to be "scaled-back"
- Nelson also that unless cost control were addressed first, coverage couldn't be expanded.
In sum: unless Ben Nelson is bluffing, the only way he will vote for cloture is if abortion is restricted, the subsidies are whacked, the revenue provisions are nuked, and its Medicaid expansion is gutted. Oh, and he doesn't think there's any chance of it happening by Christmas.
So now that Ben Nelson has named his price (not that he can't move the goalposts again), Democratic leadership must choose one of three scenarios: (a) cave in to Nelson's demands Lieberman-style, thereby eliminating any pretense of this being a good bill; (b) call Nelson's bluff and schedule a cloture vote without satisfying his demands; or (c) abandoning negotiations with Nelson and choosing instead to pursue reconciliation.
The one thing they can't do is blame kos or Howard Dean or progressives for killing health reform. If health reform dies, it will be at the hands of the Joe Liebermans and Ben Nelsons of the world -- and the people who negotiated with them.