Knives Out

Senator Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska has already announced that he will vote for the Confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. In this, Alito joins such luminaries as Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman as Democrats who support President Bush. Why is he doing this? Well conservative columnist Steve Muscatello has an answer.

As a red state Democrat running for reelection in 2006, Nelson has little choice other than to hitch his cart (at least in part) to Bush, who carried Nebraska by some 30 points in 2004. Likewise, Nelson must approach every Sena

So in order to hold onto his job, Nelson has to play nice with President Bush and the Republicans. I don't think very much of that choice; and I think even less of it after considering the rest of Mr. Muscatello's column (who's long name makes it likely I will give him a nickname (Muscy?)), which is a gameplan for getting Nelson out of office at the first opportunity. Gratitude to Sen. Nelson for voting the "right" way doesn't extend very far, I guess.

So Sen. Nelson finds himself in the interesting position of alienating his own party while allying himself with people who will cut him out of office at the first opportunity. I'd feel sorry for Sen. Nelson except, you know, I don't.