Ben Nelson: a consistent voice for life

The Democrats for Life of America (DFLA) announced their endorsement of Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson’s bid for re-election. The organization cited Nelson’s consistent support for pro-life issues in making the endorsement.

“Washington needs more leaders like Senator Nelson. Ben Nelson has been with the pro-life community every step of the way and we know we can always count on him to stand up for the unborn,” said Kristen Day, Executive Director of DFLA. “Senator Nelson has been a strong supporter of the issues important to our membership and we are proud to support his re-election campaign. Keeping Ben Nelson in the Senate will ensure that Nebraskans and all Americans have a strong voice advocating for the pro-life position.”

“I am very proud to accept this endorsement. I have always been committed to protecting unborn children and I’ve worked closely with DFLA to accomplish this goal,” said Nelson. “I look forward to continuing to work with them after November and into the future.”

In its endorsement of Nelson, the DFLA cited his strong support for the right to life. From his first day in public life, he has worked to reduce the number of abortions. As Governor and now as Senator, Nelson is a strong supporter of the partial birth abortion ban. He will continue to work to prevent taxpayer funding of abortions and supports stronger restrictions on abortion.
In 2003, Ben Nelson received the 2003 Legislative Award from Democrats for Life [Lincoln Southern NE Register, 7/11/2003] and he currently sits on the organization’s federal advisory board.

http://democratsforlife.org

* SAME SEX MARRIAGE ISSUE DIVIDES DEMOCRATS

Errol Lewis made a good point in yesterday's New York Daily News about the gay marriage controversy as a potential stumbling block for Democrats. Gay marriage is likely to be a major issue in the New York and California Governor's races as the Democratic nomineees Eliot Spitzer and Phil Angelides support same sex unions. It is certainly naive to believe this issue will not become a significant factor in other elections this fall and impact the 2008 Presidential contest. See link to full column http://tinyurl.com/o52k6

"Gay and lesbian political groups should think carefully before making their next move following yesterday's state Court of Appeals decision to outlaw same-sex marriages in New York."
"It's tempting - but politically counterproductive - to condemn the court's logic, condemn all opponents of gay marriage as bigots and Neanderthals and rally around the dissent by Chief Judge Judith Kaye and its ringing, history-will-absolve-me closing lines: 'I am confident that future generations will look back on today's decision as an unfortunate misstep.'"

"There's a time to invoke future generations, and a time to focus on the politics of the moment. Right now, if gay activists continue to push for gay marriage as the all-important political litmus test for candidates in New York and elsewhere, they run the risk of helping to weaken and splinter the Democratic Party just as it stands within striking distance of winning a majority in Congress this year, and just as the party begins ramping up for the 2008 presidential elections."

"As pollsters, pundits and politicians have known for years, several key Democratic constituencies - gays, union households and black voters - have been clinging together in an increasingly unstable political coalition for the past two decades. Few issues disrupt this already-shaky alliance more thoroughly than gay marriage - and Republicans have built a string of political victories on exploiting these tensions."

"Black voters, for example, who vote in huge numbers for Democrats, get uneasy on the issue of gay marriage. Polls taken over the past decade consistently show that about 63% of black voters remain opposed to gay marriage - a position that stems from the theology of many black church denominations."

"That doesn't mean black voters are jumping party lines to vote Republican. But it does mean that introducing gay marriage into a campaign can create a trickle of black ministers and their congregations to the GOP."

"The same is true of working-class union households, many of them Catholic, who normally vote Democratic but draw the line at gay marriage."

"In a close election, shifting a few votes over the party line can make all the difference: The most recent presidential election was decided by only 118,601 votes in a single state, Ohio."

"Nineteen states have already passed constitutional amendments barring same-sex marriage - 11 of them in 2004. Such amendments have never failed to pass when placed on the ballot."

"Six more states will hold votes on the issue this fall - a foolproof way to fire up the Republican base and drive a wedge between core Democratic voters."

I couldn't agree more. We are looking at a very emotional issue that may have as much impact on American politics as abortion or gun control.

* DICK CHENEY BETS AGAINST U.S. ECONOMY

Counterpunch http://counterpunch.com/ posted an excellent column on July 5 by Mike Whitney on how Dick Cheney is betting against the American economy. The Cheney investment strategy certainly helps to explain why how our leaders are so indifferent to the prospects of a U.S. financial collapse.

"Wouldn't you like to know where Dick Cheney puts his money? Then you'd know whether his "deficits don't matter" claim is just baloney or not."

"Well, as it turns out, Kiplinger Magazine ran an article based on Cheney's financial disclosure statement and, sure enough, found out that the VP is lying to the American people for the umpteenth time. Deficits do matter and Cheney has invested his money accordingly."

"The article is called "Cheney's betting on bad news" and provides an account of where Cheney has socked away more than $25 million. While the figures may be estimates, the investments are not. According to Tom Blackburn of the Palm Beach Post, Cheney has invested heavily in "a fund that specializes in short-term municipal bonds, a tax-exempt money market fund and an inflation protected securities fund. The first two hold up if interest rates rise with inflation. The third is protected against inflation."

"Cheney has dumped another (estimated) $10 to $25 million in a European bond fund which tells us that he is counting on a steadily weakening dollar. So, while working class Americans are loosing ground to inflation and rising energy costs, Darth Cheney will be enhancing his wealth in "Old Europe". As Blackburn sagely notes, 'Not all bad news' is bad for everybody."

"This should put to rest once and for all the foolish notion that the 'Bush Economic Plan' is anything more than a scam aimed at looting the public till. The whole deal is intended to shift the nation's wealth from one class to another. It's also clear that Bush-Cheney couldn't have carried this off without the tacit approval of the thieves at the Federal Reserve who engineered the low-interest rate boondoggle to put the American people to sleep while they picked their pockets."
"Reasonable people can dispute that Bush is 'intentionally' skewering the dollar with his lavish tax cuts, but how does that explain Cheney's portfolio?"

"It doesn't. And, one thing we can say with metaphysical certainty is that the miserly Cheney would never plunk his money into an investment that wasn't a sure thing. If Cheney is counting on the dollar tanking and interest rates going up, then, by Gawd, that's what'll happen."
"The Bush-Cheney team has racked up another $3 trillion in debt in just 6 years. The US national debt now stands at $8.4 trillion dollars while the trade deficit has ballooned to $800 billion nearly 7% of GDP."

"This is lunacy. No country, however powerful, can maintain these staggering numbers. The country is in hock up to its neck and has to borrow $2.5 billion per day just to stay above water. Presently, the Fed is expanding the money supply and buying back its own treasuries to hide the hemorrhaging from the public. Its utter madness."

"Last month the trade deficit climbed to $70 billion. More importantly, foreign central banks only purchased a meager $47 billion in treasuries to shore up our ravenous appetite for cheap junk from China."

"Do the math! They're not investing in America anymore. They are decreasing their stockpiles of dollars. We're sinking fast and Cheney and his pals are manning the lifeboats while the public is diverted with gay marriage amendments and 'American Celebrity'."

"The American manufacturing sector has been hollowed out by cutthroat corporations who've abandoned their country to make a fast-buck in China or Mexico. The $3 trillion housing (equity) bubble is quickly loosing air while the anemic dollar continues to sag. All the signs indicate that the economy is slowing at the same time that energy prices continue to rise."

"This is the onset of stagflation; the dreaded combo of a slowing economy and inflation."

"Did Americans really think they'd be spared the same type of economic colonization that has been applied throughout the developing world under the rubric of 'neoliberalism'?"

"Well, think again. The American economy is barrel-rolling towards earth and there are only enough parashutes for Cheney and his gang."