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Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) told CNSNews.com that because he is not a constitutional scholar he was “not going to be able to answer that question” of where specifically the Constitution authorizes Congress to mandate that individuals purchase health insurance. “Specifically, where in the Constitution does Congress get its authority to mandate that individuals purchase health insurance?” CNSNews.com asked Nelson. “Well, you know, I don’t know that I’m a constitutional scholar,” said Nelson. So, I, I’m not going to be able to answer that question.” The senator then turned away to answer another reporter’s question.

Democrats in the Senate may have a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority when healthcare reform comes up for a vote, but at least one Democrat is telling party leaders not to count on him to be the 60th vote. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska told The Hill newspaper: "I'm not going to commit anything at this point in time on procedural votes, neither pro nor con, because it will depend on the circumstances. "I can't make those decisions in advance because it depends on what the bill is and what the circumstances are at the time. Otherwise you're just giving away your...

UPDATED: Hatch says there's only one moderate Dem @ 10:20 am by Eric Zimmermann There's only one moderate left in the Democratic caucus, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said today. Appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Hatch said that since the days he entered the Senate, the parties have become more polarized and less willing to work together. "You [used to have] at least 12 conservatives that you could call conservatives on the Democratic side," Hatch said. "We probably had about 12 liberals on our side, and it was much more balanced." "Today, there's only one moderate, as I see it, real...

When you're in the middle, they come at you from both sides. Ben Nelson probably is used to that by now. The health care reform TV ads directed at him in Nebraska by two progressive, or liberal, Democratic groups have attracted considerable national attention. Those groups want the Democratic senator to support legislation that includes a public option alternative to private health insurance. Nelson hasn't flatly ruled out any form of public option, but don't bet on him supporting a government alternative. The TV ad campaign in Nebraska stirred up considerable chatter on the Huffington Post, MSNBC, The Hill and...

Midlands lawmakers are back home listening to constituents this August, with health care expected to dominate the discussion. Here's a listing of scheduled events at which the public can tell hear from their elected representatives on the issue. NEBRASKA Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb. Saturday, Aug. 15, 8:30-10 a.m., Coffee with Lee, Homestyle Café, 8807 Maple Street Advertising Tuesday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m., Town Hall Meeting, Millard North High School Auditorium 144th and Pacific Streets Saturday, Aug. 29, 8-9:30 a.m., Coffee with Lee, Vidlacks Café, 156th and Bob Boozer Drive Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2:15 p.m. MDT, Meet...

Nelson, liberals escalate feudBy Alexander Bolton Posted: 08/02/09 02:23 PM [ET] Liberal activists have significantly ratcheted up their brewing fight with centrist Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who will be a pivotal vote in the Senate’s healthcare reform debate. A liberal activist working with an advocacy group founded by former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean has attacked Nelson as “bought and paid for by health and insurance interests” and suggested he is “corrupt” and “out of touch.” Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), made the charges in a scathing statement that said Nelson “feels...

Angered by TV ad campaigns being run against him by liberal Democrats pushing for government run health care reform, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) threatened that he and his fellow conservative Democrats would be forced to kill the health care reform deal reached by House Democrats if the ads continued. Nelson's office said the pro-health care reform attack ads "backfired," prompting "hundreds of Nebraskans to call our offices, with 9 to 1 urging Senator Nelson to do exactly the opposite of what the special interest group wanted." Continuing to keep up the pressure, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee responded in a...

Sen. Ben Nelson said Wednesday he has not decided whether he will vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Nelson said he'll delay his decision until next week's scheduled Senate vote. "I accept her judicial philosophy of fidelity to the law," Nelson said during a telephone conference call from Washington. Nelson said he also believes Sotomayor is committed to supporting settled judicial precedent. But, he said, he needs to "convince myself she won't be an activist" on the court. "I need an opportunity to review a few things," the Democratic senator said. Republican Sen. Mike Johanns...

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's health secretary on Sunday pushed for a new government-run healthcare program, an idea facing skepticism even in his own party, and a senior Senate Democrat flatly said votes are lacking in Congress for the proposal. In addition, Vice President Joe Biden opposed proposals being discussed by some lawmakers to tax health insurance benefits provided to people by employers as a way to pay for an overhaul of the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry. Obama, aiming to get healthcare costs under control and ensure that the 46 million Americans who are uninsured can...

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)--who's been giving Barack Obama a tough time of late--has released a statement on the Sotomayor nomination. "President Obama is to be commended for selecting a nominee with a significant breadth and depth of legal experience to replace retiring Justice David Souter," Nelson says, "I look forward to learning more about Judge Sonia Sotomayor's background, record and qualifications -- and to meeting with her to discuss her judicial philosophy -- as this important United States Supreme Court nomination moves forward." Nelson supported both of George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominees, and gave the previous President wide latitude...

WASHINGTON – A leading Democratic senator warned Sunday his party could support a potentially polarizing obstruction of President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court if he names an "activist" to the bench. Parties in opposition to a sitting president traditionally call for moderation in a pick to the country's highest court, but moderate Democrat Ben Nelson issued a blunt warning from Obama's own party that the president should not choose someone seen as out of the mainstream. "I don't care whether they're liberal or conservative," Nelson told Fox News Sunday in an interview. "I just want to make sure...

Except for the arguments over whether to create a public insurance option, the health care debate is still in what one prominent expert has called the “kumbaya” phase. Traditional opponents of reform are not yet attacking. Supporters of reform are stressing their common beliefs. Things will change once actual legislation emerges and inevitable differences over the details emerge. But, for now, everybody is playing nice. Everybody, that is, except for Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson. Nelson, a Democrat, distinguished himself a few weeks ago by voting against his fellow Democrats on the budget. Now, it seems, he’s prepared to do the...

Radio and TV talk show personalities are distorting the public debate on critical issues with bias and misinformation, Sen. Ben Nelson said Friday. Too many Americans “get their news from entertainers (who) tell them what to be angry about today,” Nelson said. Nelson pointed the finger at personalities on both the right and the left during a speech to the Nebraska Public Policy Center on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. Both Jon Stewart on Comedy Central and conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh “slant the news to fit their agenda,” Nelson said. Then he added Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck and Sean...

Some Senate Democrats are joining the Republican chorus in opposition to the $900 billion economic stimulus package. President Obama is stressing bipartisanship when it comes to the $900 billion economic stimulus plan being considered in the Senate, and he may get it -- in unity of opposition. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he "can't believe that the president isn't embarrassed about" the stimulus packages that have passed the House and the Senate appropriations and finance committees. "It'll need to change if it'll do any good. I mean, things like $150 million honey bee insurance and $650 million to...

An influential Senate Democrat said Friday that it's unclear whether President Obama's $819 economic stimulus bill will win enough support to pass in the Senate. "I don't even know how many Democrats will vote for it, as it stands today," Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., told FOX News. Lawmakers are unhappy that the bill, passed by the House on Wednesday, contains billions of dollars for programs that arguably won't spark much job growth. "What I'm hoping to do is bring together a bipartisan group of Republicans and Democrats and offer changes that will attract others and improve the bill," he told...

In the Senate, it nowadays apparently takes a self-appointed, biparitsan "gang" of senators to get past the partisan gridlock. For instance, there was the Gang of 14 group of senators who helped the Senate get beyond an impasse on judicial appointments a few years ago. Today, a new group of senators calling itself the Gang of Ten, announced that it had arrived at a compromise energy proposal meant to break the partisan logjam that exists on the issue. The group's members are: Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu...

In a state that has seen its share of electoral problems this decade, Florida’s senior Sen. Bill Nelson made a rare appearance before the state Senate Thursday to unveil sweeping federal election reform legislation that would eliminate the Electoral College. As the state now wrestles with the national Democratic Party to find a solution to seat its 210 delegates at this year’s presidential nominating convention, Nelson noted that “the solution is very elusive,” but that, “If nothing else, this election has provided further evidence that our system is broken.” The Democratic senator, who sued the Democratic National Committee and Chairman...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In an ironic vote, Senate Democrats led a fight against an amendment to the SCHIP bill on Thursday night that would have helped poor pregnant women and their unborn children obtain prenatal care. They voted against restoring a program that allows states to provide help for pregnant women in difficult financial circumstances. The reasons for the vote likely had more to do with the politics of abortion. In 2002, President Bush authorized a change in the SCHIP program that allowed states to cover pregnant women and their babies -- and many states such as California, Rhode...

WASHINGTON -- Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has teamed up with a Democratic colleague in drafting legislation to force a halt to U.S. combat missions in Iraq. Collins and Ben Nelson of Nebraska said their binding amendment to the defense policy bill would order the U.S. mission to focus on training the Iraqi security forces, targeting al-Qaida members and protecting Iraq's borders. The Maine senator said her goal is "to redefine the mission and set the stage for a significant but gradual drawdown of our troops next year."

As Nebraska tries to work out its gun laws, Senator Ben Nelson is trying to ensure your concealed weapon permit is good in all other states. Nelson is calling for a national standard for the right to carry a concealed weapon. Nelson is one of the sponsors of a bill requiring states to recognize each others concealed weapons permits the same way driver's licenses are recognized. Under the bill, the laws of each state restricting where concealed firearms can be carried would still apply. According to the National Rifle Association, 48 states have laws allowing some form of concealed carry.

WASHINGTON - Congressional Republicans pushed back Monday against President Bush's decision to deploy additional troops in Iraq, some voicing opposition while others called for the administration and Iraqi government to be held accountable. In the Senate, three GOP lawmakers joined one Democrat in unveiling nonbinding legislation expressing disagreement with Bush's plan and urging him to "consider all options and alternatives" to the planned increase of 21,500 troops. In the House, members of the leadership drafted a series of what they called "strategic benchmarks," and said the White House should submit monthly reports to Congress measuring progress toward meeting them. The...

Nelson wants to fence off Mexico BY HENRY J. CORDES WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER There's a growing consensus in Washington that before Congress can address comprehensive immigration reform, it must first crack down at the nation's borders, U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson said Friday. Sen. Ben Nelson Nelson this week introduced a new border security bill, one that would go even further than the proposal he first outlined in September. Among the provisions added since September is the construction of a $5 billion, two-layer reinforced fence that would stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico along the 1,900-mile U.S.-Mexico...

See for example this thread first. Ben Nelson wants to build a wall Mexican illegals to stallIndia did it first But that's not the worst Chuck Hagel don't want it at ALL!

Today: January 18, 2006 at 5:26:11 PST Democrat Nelson Says He'll Back Alito ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska on Tuesday became the first Democrat to announce he will vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Nelson, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, said in a statement that he had made up his mind to support Alito "because of his impeccable judicial credentials, the American Bar Association's strong recommendation and his pledge that he would not bring a political agenda to the court." The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote next Tuesday...

Ben Nelson of Nebraska on Tuesday became the first Senate Democrat to announce his support of conservative Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, who is expected to be confirmed later this month by the full Republican-led Senate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to serve as the 110th Justice of the United States Supreme Court now completed, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson issued the following statement: “I have decided to vote in favor of Judge Samuel Alito to serve as the 110th Justice of the United States Supreme Court. I came to this decision after careful consideration of his impeccable judicial credentials, the American Bar Association's strong recommendation and his pledge that he would not bring a political agenda to the Court.”

Tribal Clients And Associates Of Jack Abramoff Have Contributed Over $3.1 Million To Democrat Party Interests Between 1997 And 2004. (Campaign Finance Analysis Project Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed December 2005; Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed December 2005) National Democrat Party Affiliated Committees Received Over $1.2 Million From Indian Tribe Clients And Lobbying Associates Of Jack Abramoff. (Campaign Finance Analysis Project Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Internal Revenue Service Website, www.irs.gov, Accessed April 21, 2005) The Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Received Over – $430,000 The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)...

would seem that few in Florida politics suffered through a more miserable 2005 than Katherine Harris. The Longboat Key congresswoman's attempt to replace incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in the 2006 election was impeded by her own Republican Party leaders, who engaged in a public attempt to find another candidate. Polls show her trailing Nelson badly. She failed to meet her own fundraising targets, and the caricatures from her role in the 2000 presidential election were resurrected. Worried? Not her. "It's been a great year," she said, rattling off a list of accomplishments in Congress and praising a re-energized...

The writer, of Omaha, is Nebraska's junior U.S. senator.During his confirmation hearings, John Roberts said that judges should judge each case on its own merits. They need to weigh matters, not approach their work as ideological automatons.Those words were recounted in a Oct. 28 World-Herald editorial that recommended U.S. senators keep Roberts' considerations "firmly in mind" as they consider the next nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court and fulfill their obligation in considering appointees.With one successful and one unsuccessful Supreme Court nomination behind us, the Senate now is considering the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to replace retiring Associate Justice...

WASHINGTON - A centrist Democratic senator complimented Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito Wednesday as a moderate jurist who won't "hammer away and chisel away" existing law.While Sen. Ben Nelson did not endorse President Bush's latest nominee for the high court, he did say he was impressed by what he heard from Alito during his introductory visit.The Nebraska Democrat, who was Alito's first senatorial host Wednesday, told reporters that he got assurances that Alito would not be "judicial activist" or "take an agenda to the bench" if confirmed to succeed Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is retiring."He assured me that...

Earlier this month, my wife Sue and I embarked on a 2-day 12-city tour across Nebraska to formally announce my candidacy for the United States Senate. Prior to this month’s tour, I spent the past 5 months traveling the state listening to Nebraskans. The overwhelming message I heard was it is time for change in Washington – and I couldn’t agree more. The leadership of the national Democratic Party has been captured by the “blame America first” crowd who want to take America in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, at the same time, many Republicans in Washington have abandoned basic Republican...

Don Stenberg lit a fire under his Senate campaign last week. First came a declaration of conservative principles that disassociated him from the Republican record in Washington and effectively erased any image of him as a rubber stamp for President Bush. Next, Stenberg sent letters to 525 Republican leaders and activists throughout the state addressing the question of “electability” that has been used against him. Stenberg lost an earlier challenge to Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson in 2000. However, it was “the closest U.S. Senate race in Nebraska history,” Stenberg wrote members of the GOP’s governing state central committee, delegates to...

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Stenberg blamed Democrats Tuesday for liberal judges, gay marriages, abortion and other social ills, but he reserved his harshest criticism for fellow Republicans in Washington. Former Nebraska attorney general and now an official Senata candidate Don Stenberg Stenberg blamed Republicans in the nation's capital - including President Bush - for the growing federal budget deficit, for "confused" border policies and for increasing federal control over local education. "Republicans in Washington need to be reminded why they were sent there in the first place," Stenberg said as he kicked off a 12-city tour of the state....

All 55 Senate Republicans are expected to vote for John Roberts' confirmation as Supreme Court chief justice next week. The 44 Democrats are less unified. Democrats who have announced their support for Roberts (8): Bill Nelson of Florida, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Max Baucus of Montana, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Kent Conrad of North Dakota. Democrats who voted for Roberts on the Judiciary Committee (3): Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin.

OMAHA, Neb. — Ameritrade executive Pete Ricketts (search), describing himself as anti-abortion conservative, launched an election campaign Saturday to unseat U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson (search), the only Democrat in Nebraska's congressional delegation. "I grew up with great values and tremendous opportunities," said Ricketts, Ameritrade's chief operating officer and son of its founder. "I want my three kids and other's people's children to have the same opportunities that I had." Ricketts, 40, faces two other candidates in the Republican primary: former Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg (search) and former state GOP chairman David Kramer (search). Nelson is up for re-election to...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Calling himself a conservative, pro-life Republican, Ameritrade Chief Operating Officer Pete Ricketts Saturday joined the Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate. He said he grew up with great values and tremendous opportunities, and he wants his three children and other people's children to have the same opportunities he had. Ricketts said issues important to him include tax reform, national defense, international trade and modernization of Social Security. Ricketts, 40, faces two other Republicans: former Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg and former state GOP Chair David Kramer. The primary winner likely would face Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben...

If J. Peter Ricketts runs for the U.S. Senate, he and the wealth he acquired through Ameritrade could shake up the race. Ricketts, son of the founder of Ameritrade and worth at least $218 million, could become the third Republican to enter the 2006 race in hopes of unseating Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said several people active in the Republican Party.

Many argue that communism will never be possible because of "human nature". The essence of this false argument is the belief that a communist society would consist of an all-powerful central government that would tell everybody what to do--and would therefore undermine the creative initiative of individuals and the search for happiness. • This argument is based on two false assumptions: (1) It assumes that a communist society will look like the former Soviet Union, or the current China, North Korea, etc (ie: corrupt police states with a feudal-style ruling class) (2) It assumes that people will only work in...

Senator Tommy Franks? Trails by 2 points! By: Trupolitik · Section: Diaries I have been urging General Franks to run for the US senate for months now. It appears I am not alone. According to the latest poll he is behind Democratic incumbent, Ben Nelson, by 2 points and he has not even announced his candidacy! His Admin continues to tell me that Gen. Franks is not seeking an elected office. I think we should convice him otherwise. What Red Stater would prefer Ben Nelson or Katherine Harris over America's General? Please let him know America needs him. [b]Email:[/b] http://www.tommyfranks.com/Contact.asp...

Nelson says he leans toward approving Roberts for court BY JAKE THOMPSON WORLD-HERALD BUREAU WASHINGTON - Sen. Ben Nelson said Tuesday that he is edging toward voting for President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts, with whom he will meet Thursday. The Nebraska Democrat staked out a neutral stance last week when Bush announced Roberts' nomination. But Tuesday he said, "I'm not undecided. I am leaning toward him." Nelson repeated that he won't make a decision on Roberts' nomination until after meeting him and until the Senate Judiciary Committee holds its confirmation hearing, expected in early September. "At the present...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cmp/20050715/tc_cmp/165702500 UN Panel: No Single Nation Should Control Internet Addresses Aoife White Thu Jul 14, 9:38 PM ET BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)--A U.N. panel created to recommend how the Internet should be run in the future has failed to reach consensus but did agree that no single country should dominate. The United States stated two weeks ago that it intended to maintain control over the computers that serve as the Internet's principal traffic cops. In a report released Thursday, the U.N. panel outlined four possible options for the future of Internet governance for world leaders to consider at a November "Information...

Here is the list so far for sponcers to this hate America fest: ANSWER Code Pink UFPJ NION Al Awda World Workers Party Ruckas Revolutionary Communist party Moveon.org ACORN Campus Antiwar Network International Socialist Org Greens Party Muslim Student Association CPUSA

Senators from both sides of the aisle competed on Monday to extol the humane treatment of detainees whom they said they saw on a weekend trip to the military detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. All said they opposed closing the center. "I feel very good" about the detainees' treatment, Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said. That feeling was also expressed by another Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska. On Monday, Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, said he learned while visiting Guantánamo that some detainees "even have air-conditioning and semiprivate showers." Another Republican, Senator Michael D. Crapo of Idaho, said...

Yesterday the Senate reached a Compromise on confirmation hearings on certain judicial nominees. But “compromise” normally means an agreement between opposing parties where both make concessions and commit to keeping the bargain. By that standard, this is no compromise. It is, as Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth, “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Allow me to prove the point. The 14 signing Senators committed to vote to close debate on the nominations of Priscilla Owen, Janice Brown, and William Pryor for various Circuit Courts. They made no commitment on nominees William Myers and Henry...

Former Attorney General Don Stenberg appeared poised Wednesday to jump into the 2006 Republican Senate race and seek a rematch with Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson. Stenberg Stenberg, who served as attorney general for 12 years, will hold a news conference today at Republican state headquarters to make "an important announcement about his future political plans." All signs pointed to his third bid for a seat in the Senate. Stenberg, who left the attorney general's office in 2003 to enter private practice in Omaha, lost to Nelson in 2000 by 15,000 votes. But Stenberg supporters are quick to point out that...

Apr 20, 2005 DNC Chairman Howard Dean Statement On the Retirement of Senator Jim Jeffords Washington, DC – Democratic National Committee Chairman, Governor Howard Dean, issued the following statement regarding the retirement of Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords: "People all across America owe my good friend Jim Jeffords a debt of gratitude for dedicating his life to public service. An extraordinary man of great integrity, Jim's career exemplifies the very best in public life. From defending the environment and education, to his staunch support for the arts, to advocating for Americans with disabilities, Jim has distinguished himself as a courageous public...

Once the No. 1 target of Senate Republicans in 2006, Nebraska Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson has seen his political prospects brighten considerably since the start of the year.

"You're like Zell Miller without the crack," Jon Stewart once told Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson. Lately, though, it looks like Nelson may be taking hits from the pipe.Nelson, the Senate's most conservative Democrat, is drafting legislation to give bipartisan cover to Bill Frist's plan to outlaw the filibuster of judicial nominees, known as the "nuclear option." Nelson's proposal would bar the use of the filibuster and allow any Senator to call an up-or-down floor vote on any judicial nominee, even if the Senate Judiciary Committee blocks the nomination.Essentially, Nelson is doing Frist's controversial bidding for him, at a time when...

All Crystal Ball junkies know the drill. Every election year, most Senators skate by, especially the venerable elders who well fit their states. Meanwhile, a handful of Senators are vulnerable, and those are the contests we watch like hawks. In last week's Crystal Ball email ( http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=LJS2005032401), we examined seniority and the 109th Senate, as well as the seats that are currently open and those that might open between now and 2006. This week, we've brought you the 14 seats out of the 33 up for election that appear to be moderately to very vulnerable. In alphabetical order by state,...

Republican insiders say their fears have been realized that Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina would not be sufficiently aggressive as Senate Republican campaign chairman in recruiting candidates for 2006. Rep. Candice Miller, the strongest Republican to challenge Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in Michigan, has ruled out making the race. No strong candidate has been found to challenge Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson in overwhelmingly Republican Nebraska. Sen. Hillary Clinton appears uncontested in New York. The Republicans face potentially messy primary races in Florida and Tennessee, without a winner in sight. Dole's Democratic counterpart, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, has...