On the same week that Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson learned he would be facing half a million in advertisements criticizing his record, the National Right to Life Committee and its Nebraska state affiliate announced they will oppose Nelson.
Formerly a celebrated pro-life Democrat who enjoyed support from Right to Life for his standing as a minority voice within the Democratic party speaking against abortion, Nelson lost his support within pro-life circles after he voted for the abortion-funding Obamacare health care reform bill even after his amendment to ensure abortion funding was removed from it failed in the Senate.
Now, the National Right to Life PAC (NRL PAC) has joined the Nebraska Right to Life Political Action Committee in announcing that both organizations will oppose Senator Ben Nelson (D) for re-election in November 2012 general election.
The two groups informed LifeNews that they both consider the vote on the so-called “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA) (“Obamacare”) to be an absolutely critical vote to the right-to-life movement. As enacted into law, the Obama health care law contained multiple provisions authorizing subsidies for abortion, and also provisions that opened the doors to abortion-expanding administrative actions. In addition, the law would lead to government-imposed rationing of lifesaving medical treatment.
“Ben Nelson was the deciding vote to make the Obama health care law the law of the land, and in the current Congress, Nelson has a 0% pro-life voting record,” said National Right to Life Executive Director David O’Steen. “Ben Nelson cannot win in Nebraska without pro-life support and he won’t have it. No pro-lifer should even consider supporting Ben Nelson for re-election.”
Julie Schmit-Albin, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, added, “Ben Nelson’s vote for the pro-abortion, pro-rationing Obama health care law was a total betrayal of pro-life principles and a total betrayal of pro-life voters who stood by him in the past. Nebraska is a pro-life state and deserves better.”
Nelson is surely already aware of the hostile Nebraska electorate he is slated to face in 2012 should he opt to run for a third term. Over the holiday season, Republicans will also seek to demonstrate the financial obstacles he will face in a reelection campaign.
Crossroads GPS, a group unaffiliated with the RNC, founded by top GOP strategist Karl Rove and former RNC chairman Mike Duncan, has reserved $519,000 in airtime on Nebraska’s largest media markets blasting Nelson’s vote for the pro-abortion Obama healthcare law.
LifeNews reporter Andrew Bair previous wrote, “Nelson has not yet confirmed whether he will seek a third term but with enormous pressure by groups like Crossroads, it is very possible he may just opt for retirement. Without Nelson, Democrats have a very weak bench in Nebraska and likely they will write off the race entirely. Republicans need just a few seats in order to retake control of the US Senate. Nebraska will be an absolutely necessary pick-up to achieve that goal. It’s hard to see Republicans losing Nebraska and somehow pulling off enough victories elsewhere to get the numbers.”
“While Democrats tout recent polling showing Nelson defeating each of his would-be Republican competitors, he remains incredibly vulnerable. Larry Sabato of the UVA Center for Politics has ranked the race a toss-up. Democrats are nervous about Nelson’s standing in Nebraska and the implications for their control of the Senate after 2012,” he said. “The Nebraska Democratic Party, funded by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has aired $1.25 million in advertising on behalf of Nelson. Last week the Democratic Senate Majority PAC spent another $100,000 on their own ads. Democrats are essentially conceding without Nelson in the race, they will have to give up hope in the Cornhusker State.”
