Ben Nelson’s Bribery Flip-Flop?

Ben Nelson was another Democrat senator on the fence for the Senate Health Care bill. He was up in the air based on his pro-life stance and the abortion mandates being slipped into the bill.

There have been reports that Ben Nelson was apparently offered somewhere between $300-$500M worth of earmarks for his state of Nebraska.

The White House and Democratic Leadership in the Senate has told Senator Nelson they will close every military base in Nebraska — a threat that is not credible, really — but they have also offered Senator Nelson between $300 million to $500 million in earmarks, according to key hill health care operatives. These hundreds of millions will be available for whatever he wants to spend them on in Nebraska.

Earlier, as mentioned above, there was a report that the White House and other Democrats were threatening to close Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. 

A Nelson aide has not only discredited the AFB threat, but has also stated the earmark bribery is an erroneous report.

As the Senate health care debate enters crunch time, the pressure from all sides continued to grow today, with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., right in the middle.

His spokesman quickly dismissed a report by conservative columnist Michelle Malkin that Nelson was even being threatened with “closure of an air force base,” presumably Offutt Air Force Base, which is south of Omaha and home of U.S. Strategic Command. Malkin also said Nelson has been promised a “bribe bigger than Sen. Landrieu’s.”

That’s a reference to Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat and one of the last holdouts on the vote to begin the health care debate. The legislation includes a provision to increase Louisiana’s Medicaid funds that Landrieu says is worth $300 million.

I wonder who we should believe? Another politician or people legitimately concerned about the future of the country? Excuse me if I’m not ready to concede that the bribery is false, given the fact that so many politicians seem to have lost all sense of decency, integrity and any connection to the people they supposedly represent.

The Connecticut Republican Primary – Is Linda McMahon Really The Best Choice?

Vince McMahon’s wife, Linda, will officially be entering the political “ring” in the state of Connecticut, as a Republican.  She plans on winning the Republican primary and eventually defeating disgraced Senator Chris Dodd.  All of this initially sounds like great news since the McMahon’s are such a famous family and have built up the WWE, in the state of Connecticut.  However, there are recent findings that show Linda McMahon has given money to the DNC as well as to Rahm Emanuel of all people!

As for Linda McMahon, conservatives may find her political donation record more than troubling. She donated an astounding $15,000 to the Democratic National Campaign Committee between the years of 2006-2007. She also has donated $7,800 to Rahm Emanuel, the same Emanuel who is President Obama’s chief of staff and leading the charge on the Obama administration’s liberal agenda. It may only be a matter of time before McMahon is labeled a political opportunist.

Red FLAG! RINOs are just as much a problem in our government as are radical liberals with no morals or integrity.  This is not a one-sided issue, and those of us who stand for accountable government and despise elitism are not very happy with this situation. 

The public in Connecticut will easily be fooled by the star power of Linda McMahon and her husband.  Unfortunately, Connecticut is also fooled by pedigree and money.  Many of my friends, growing up in Connecticut, are drawn to other elitists and consider their education, mannerisms, the way they speak, how much money they have, etc. to be the most important aspects of running for political office.  Let’s hope that begins to change in 2010!

Some other candidates: 

Rob Simmons seems to be good man and was the first to officially announce his bid for the Connecticut seat, but I’m not sure whether he has the pull or charisma that is needed to now defeat Linda McMahon in the primaries.  He is a believer in small government, accountability, fiscal responsibility, and honesty, unfortunately, he has already held a seat in Congress and may be viewed as a Washington insider – something nobody wants to be labeled these days.

Peter Schiff will also be running in the primaries against Linda and Rob, as well as two other gentlemen.  Peter Schiff can come off very blunt and opinionated, but he was the one person who predicted the crash of 2008.  Peter Schiff is a proponent of Austrian economics and has run an investing company in Darien, CT, for quite some time.  I would trust Peter Schiff on financial issues any day, probably over any other person running; nationwide!  The only issue is where he stands on other issues.  Peter Schiff was Ron Paul’s economic advisor during his 2008 run, so it is my understanding that he is more a Libertarian than a Conservative or a Republican.  As long as he knows the constitution, stands by it, and fights for smaller government and fiscal restraint, he has my vote.

I just hope that the primaries are conducted in a respectful way and there is an agreement made in advance that none of the candidates will dig up major dirt on anybody else.  This is the opportunity of a lifetime for the Republicans – to beat a life-long career politician; Dodd. Connecticut could use a good Republican to change the mentality of the state.  Don’t screw it up guys!