Ben Nelson

Earl Benjamin Nelson (born May 17, 1941 in McCook, Nebraska) is an American politician from Nebraska, where he was born and has lived for most of his life. He was an attorney and insurance executive before being elected governor as a Democrat in 1990, and was easily reelected in 1994. During his first race for governor, he ran against Kay A. Orr, the first elected Republican woman in Nebraska.

Related Topics:
May 17 - 1941 - McCook, Nebraska - American - Nebraska - Insurance - Governor - Democrat - 1990 - 1994 - Kay A. Orr - Republican

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One of two election campaign attacks by Nelson was on Orr's record of tax increases and supporting a proposed low-level nuclear waste dump. Nelson, once becoming governor, would later reject the nuclear waste dump, prompting a law-suit and a settlement worth $145 million for a failed nuclear waste compact.

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He left the office in 1999 after two terms, not running for reelection and being succeeded by Republican Mike Johanns. He ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1996 but was defeated by Republican Chuck Hagel. However, he was again nominated by the Democrats for the Senate in 2000 after his fellow Democrat, incumbent Bob Kerrey, announced his retirement. Nelson won that election, and is now among the leading conservative Democrats in the Senate.

Related Topics:
Republican - Mike Johanns - U.S. Senate - 1996 - Chuck Hagel - 2000 - Bob Kerrey

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Nelson earned a BA (1963), MA (1965), and JD (1970) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Related Topics:
BA - MA - JD - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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On May 23, 2005, Nelson was one of fourteen Senators to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster, thus blocking the Republican leadership's attempt to implement the so-called "nuclear option". Under the agreement, the Democrats would retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance", and the three most conservative Bush appellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor) would receive a vote by the full Senate. Subsequently, he was the only Democratic senator to vote in favor of Brown. He also has voted twice, with three other Democrats, to end senate debate over President Bush's UN Ambassador nominee John Bolton. Votes such as these, as well as conservative votes on many cultural- and business-related matters, have often placed Nelson, perceived by most political observers as a moderate conservative, at odds with the leadership of his party. Democratic Party Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has said he's probably the most conservative Democrat in the entire senate caucus.

Related Topics:
Filibuster - Nuclear option - Appellate court - Janice Rogers Brown - Priscilla Owen - William Pryor - UN - John Bolton - Conservative - Harry Reid

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http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00129

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http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00142

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