Ben Nelson.  He’s back.  And he is one oily SOB.

So, here’s Ben Nelson, a Democrat from Nebraska that has his nose up so many health care companies, his nostrils could double as a stethoscope, and he’s got something to say about Sotomayor.    First, his weasily duplicitous point:

Sen. Ben Nelson said Wednesday he has not decided whether he will vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nelson said he’ll delay his decision until next week’s scheduled Senate vote.

“I accept her judicial philosophy of fidelity to the law,” Nelson said during a telephone conference call from Washington.

Nelson said he also believes Sotomayor is committed to supporting settled judicial precedent.

But, he said, he needs to “convince myself she won’t be an activist” on the court.

“I need an opportunity to review a few things,” the Democratic senator said.

Wow!  A democratic senator is concerned about Sotomayor!  Why, I’ll bet he’s spending countless nights, struggling with the issue as to whether or not this “wise Latina” is worthy of the highest court of the land.

Unless, it’s something else.  The article continues:

On another topic, Nelson said he wants to “wait and see what the president proposes” before determining his position on a number of legislative health care reform proposals.

In seeking agreement on a comprehensive plan, he said, it’s important to “stop establishing deadlines and time frames.”

TA DA!  It’s BLACKMAIL!

This is the issue he cares about.  Killing a public option in Health care.  Because it was only a few months ago there was this:

At the beginning of May, Senator Nelson was reported to have said that including a “public option” (giving Americans a choice to opt into a public system) in a national health care proposal was a “deal breaker,” and that he would “form a coalition of like-minded centrists opposed to the creation of a public plan, as a counterweight to Democrats pushing for it.”

On May 7, our friends at Public Campaign produced a report that showed that Senator Nelson has received more than “$2 million from insurance and health care interests in his three campaigns for federal office.”

I know, I know.  It’s a lot to take in.  So, let’s break it down.

A guy who gets a lot of money from the health care industry is basically holding off his vote on a Supreme Court justice because he wants to push the president to protect the people who toss him money to get re-elected.

Look, I am not going to pretend, for one minute, I get the intricacies of this.  I believe that we need health care reform, and I believe that the republicans know if Obama gives health care to the masses, they become as relevant as the whig party.

It has nothing to do with whether it’s good or bad, helpful or not – this is their “waterloo,” as our southern friend DeMint said – and it’s far more important to break Obama than it is to you know, governor.  Or do stuff.

So here he is, Nebraska, your Senator… representing… Aetna.  And willing to side with Republicans on things like Reproductive rights (Ladies?  Are you listening?) to coddle the people who line his wallet.

Pay attention, Nebraska.  If youre a republican, this is your democrat.  But if you’re a democrat, you should be pushing this guy to DO BETTER.