Nelson Suggests Obama Should Have Finished Work on Economy before Health Reform

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) “continued the long Washington tradition Tuesday of lawmakers returning to their home states for recess and making unusually blunt statements,” POLITICO reports.

In an interview with the Fremont Tribune, Nelson took a shot at President Barack Obama’s priorities, saying the White House should not have put health care ahead of dealing more directly with jobs and the economy.

“I think it was a mistake to take health care on as opposed to continuing to spend the time on the economy,” Nelson said.

Then, he defended the so-called Cornhusker Kickback, which was the special Medicaid funding deal in which the federal government would forever pick up Nebraska’s share of the Medicaid expansion. Nelson said it really was an attempt to provide the same treatment for other states down the road.

But Nelson also said it was not among the issues he considered a deal breaker, suggesting the loss of it in the conference report might not mean he will oppose the final bill.

(credit image – getty)

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