Mr. Nelson's support was crucial for helping Democrats secure 60 votes for the bill, preventing a Republican filibuster.
Almost immediately, Mr. Nelson drew fire. Republicans have derided the bill as the "Nebraska Windfall." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) called it "sleazy." Even the state's governor, Republican Dave Heineman, has been critical of the deal.
In Nebraska, a Dec. 28 Rasmussen poll showed Mr. Heineman, who opposes the health-care bill, trouncing Mr. Nelson in a theoretical 2012 match-up, 61% to 30%. Mr. Nelson, who is 68 years old, was last re-elected in 2006 with 64% of the vote.
The reaction underscores possible political peril for Democrats as the battle over the health-care bill, which both parties now expect will pass, morphs into a battle of perceptions. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in December found that by a slight margin, 44% to 41%, Americans prefer the health system as it is to the Democrats' health overhaul. |
