Ben Nelson Thinks Rick Berman is an Idiot. Welcome to the Club.

UPDATE:  It turns out these ads can’t be traced clearly to Rick Berman, and might be the work of some other SBTBNL (Sleazebag To Be Named Later). Still, these are Berman-style tactics, and it is noteworthy to see such strong pushback from someone like Senator Ben Nelson. 

Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson knows a cow pie when he smells one:

Sometimes you see something so dumb you know the creators thought they had a brainstorm. But it really was just a drizzle. That’s how I reacted when I saw sleazy and intentionally confusing advertisements running in Nebraska media outlets that mention me.



The ads, paid for by a Washington special interest group that hides its donors, are an insult to Nebraskans who are interested in a proposed bill, the “Employee Free Choice Act,” and have shared their thoughts with me. While I have expressed concerns about the legislation and continue to weigh it, these ads are unfair to those who deserve an honest, fact-based debate if it is considered next year by Congress.



The good news is I know Nebraskans are smarter than this special interest group thinks they are. We Nebraskans certainly know a snow job from a snow storm.

The ad that Sen. Nelson refers to is likely the one concocted by “sleazy” Rick Berman—defender of greed, distorter of truth, hater of puppies, and advocate for such fine American traditions as big business and drunk driving.

The ads apparently address a provision that would eliminate the rights of employees to cast secret ballots on union organizing petitions. There are clear views for and against this idea. But the ads cook up a stew of innuendo linking Illinois’ embattled governor to political campaign contributions, to unpopular “bailouts” for the banking and auto industries, and to the bill somehow being a bailout. This has nothing to do with the “Employee Free Choice Act.”

Fortunately for America and anyone who believes in an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, Berman is living proof that you can’t buy your way out of stupidtown.

Americans voted for change last month for many reasons, but none more important than their complete disgust with these sorts of crass, demeaning, win-at-all-costs, guilt-by-association political tactics. After too many years of Rovian doo-dah, America can tell shit from shinola. Just ask the Senator from Nebraska:

If Americans for Job Security, which paid for the ads, is convinced that the legislation has enough support to pass, I can’t imagine how this demeaning and misleading media campaign would persuade any member of Congress to vote no. I can take debate and criticism on the merits of issues before Congress, and believe that Nebraskans deserve to know where I stand when I cast my vote.

But smear tactics that insult me and my fellow Nebraskans?

These folks shot themselves in the foot. While aiming.

Related posts:

1. Healthcare Reform: Ben Nelson Doesn’t Know If He Didn’t Support a Public Plan
2. Ben Nelson Unlikely to Block Motion to Proceed, Fears Reconciliation
3. Does Ben Nelson Have Four Friends?
4. Ben Nelson Calls House Health Care Bill “Class Warfare”
5. Bill Nelson Says No to the Public Option “Opt-Out”