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Maybe they're reading a bit too much into the tea leaves but Wonkette noticed that the web address ObamaNelson.com redirects to Barack Obama's official website. The internet never lies. While similar combinations of Obama and suspected Veep's names lead to Go Daddy holding sites or other internet flotsam. Nelson who? Most likely democratic Florida Senator and former spaceman Bill Nelson. Maybe Obama has found the perfect running mate who can help him deliver Florida, but not secretly poison his coffee.

Obama calls for oil crackdown By: Mike Allen June 22, 2008 12:39 PM EST With the cost of gas a top issue in the presidential campaign, Barack Obama on Sunday will announce a plan to crack down on oil speculation by tightening regulations on energy traders. The announcement is further evidence that an Obama administration would take an activist, populist approach to regulating business. Obama wants to close a loophole in federal law that exempts some energy traders from regulations that govern other exchange-traded commodities. Democrats call this “the Enron loophole” because it benefited the Houston energy-speculation firm that collapsed...

Thank you for contacting me about drilling for oil off Florida and other coastal states. President Bush has proposed allowing drilling rigs off coastal States as a way, he says, to reduce gasoline prices. But he must know this won't happen. That's because a report from inside the Bush administration specifically shows that increasing offshore drilling won't have a significant impact on gas prices for decades. And we simply cannot wait that long on the hope of giving Americans some relief at the pump. To lower gas prices now by an estimated 25 to 50 percent, we must reign in...

Consider: The Brazilian government has a 58 percent controlling stake in Petrobras's voting shares and 32percent of its total shares, which means that some of the profits go straight to the government's bottom line, giving the politicians more money to spend on bribing their constituents. In the United States, American politicians do not benefit from a successful oil industry, since corporate profits go to shareholders, pensioners and employees; therefore Congress has a much greater incentive to respond to the concentrated power of the special interest group known as the "greens." There are plenty of other examples, says O'Grady: In Mexico,...

The U.S. would no longer use the Electoral College to choose its presidents under a proposal introduced Friday by Florida's Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. Instead, presidents would be picked by popular vote, a method that would have given former Vice President Al Gore the White House after the contested 2000 election. "It's time for Congress to really give Americans the power of one person, one vote," Nelson said in a statement. But changing the system requires a constitutional amendment and a meat grinder of legislative tests. First, Congress must approve the idea, and then 38 state legislatures must ratify...

WASHINGTON, June 7 (UPI) -- Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., citing the 2000 presidential election, has introduced an amendment to abolish the Electoral College. Nelson, in a release, pointed to the election of President George W. Bush, even though former Vice President Al Gore had more popular votes, The Hill reported. The election was decided in Florida after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a recount, giving Bush the state and a majority of the Electoral College. Nelson's bill includes the creation of a rotating primary system to avoid disputes like those this year over the Florida and Michigan votes. The Democratic...

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College on Friday, less than a week after the Democrats settled on how to handle delegates from Florida at their national convention. “It’s time for Congress to really give Americans the power of one-person, one-vote, instead of the political machinery selecting candidates and electing our president,” Nelson said in a release announcing the amendment. Nelson had announced he would offer the legislation in an address to his state’s senate in March. Nelson said his principal argument for making the change is that the Electoral College permits a candidate...

A couple of weeks ago I emailed the following to my FL congress crittters. How high must fuel and food costs go before you reverse your opposition to domestic oil drilling and support for Soviet style ethanol tariffs and subsidies? Here is what Sen Bill Nelson (Rat - Fl) had to say: "Dear (Jacquerie), Thank you for contacting me regarding drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I oppose drilling in the Arctic Refuge. As a native Floridian, I realize the importance of protecting our natural habitats and preserving environmentally sensitive lands. Just as I oppose drilling off Florida, I...

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...

Sen. Bill Nelson believes that the only practical way to settle the state's delegate mess is to hold a second Democratic presidential primary by mail, his chief of staff said Saturday. The state has three options to try to seat its delegates at the Democrats' national convention: Hold another primary at the polls, vote by mail or hold caucuses, said Nelson chief of staff Pete Mitchell. A primary would be too expensive and would require the Republican-led Legislature to approve it. Caucuses would be difficult to organize in a state as large as Florida, especially since the state isn't used...

Florida Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson today called on the Democratic National Committee to sanction and help pay for a new presidential primary or accept the results of the state's disqualified Jan. 29 contest. Florida's senior senator said it's crucial that his state's Democratic delegates be reinstated to avoid a "train wreck" for the party heading into the August national convention in Denver. "We'll explore this and see if there's some funding there [for another primary], but if there's not, we're heading into the biggest train wreck you've ever seen," said Mr. Nelson, who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for...

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) warned the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Thursday that it is facing the “biggest train wreck you’ve ever seen” if a standoff is not resolved over his state’s pledged delegates to the party’s presidential nominating convention. Nelson sent a letter to DNC Chairman Howard Dean Thursday asking the committee to either accept the Jan. 29 results of the primary election or pay for a redo of the elections, which could cost in the range of $20 million. He sent the letter after Dean did not return his telephone call Wednesday. “If they go to the Democratic Convention...

(AP) -- A jury on Wednesday convicted the son of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on charges of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest stemming from an incident that occurred after a reelection party in November. Charles William Nelson, 31, faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison but could also get no jail time. Sentencing was scheduled for July 31 by Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland. ''While we are disappointed with the verdict, we respect our system of justice,'' Sen. Nelson and his wife, Grace, said in a statement issued in Washington. ``And we love our...

I suppose certain puffed-up congressmen are feeling their oats since the election, but that's no excuse for their unauthorized trips overseas to meet with leaders of foreign nations. This destructive practice must be stopped. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson traveled to Syria and met with its president, Bashar Assad, without the authority and contrary to the wishes of the Bush administration, including the State Department. The well-known policy of the Bush administration is that the United States has limited diplomatic ties with the Syrian government because of its support for terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas, its support of terrorism and ethnic...

Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida), on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, chose to ignore this reality – and the advice of the White House and the State Department – by meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad.... ...While Senator Nelson has demonstrated a willingness to work with our enemies abroad, another Senator has chosen to do so a little closer to home. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) likes to give out what her staff calls “Certificates of Accomplishment.” These are presented to community leaders who have exhibited qualities worthy of receiving such praise as comes from this recognition. Unfortunately, this month, one of these...

Contact Bill: office locations Senator Nelson has eight offices throughout Florida and one in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. United States Senate 716 Senate Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-5274 Fax: 202-228-2183Orlando Landmark Two 225 East Robinson Street, Ste 410 Orlando, Florida 32801 Phone: 407-872-7161 Toll Free in Florida: 1-888-671-4091 Fax: 407-872-7165Miami-Dade 2925 Salzedo Street Coral Gables, FL 33134 Phone: 305-536-5999 Telephone Fax: 305-536-5991Tampa Sam Gibbons Federal Court House 801 N. Florida Ave., 4th Floor Tampa, Florida 33602 Phone: 813-225-7040 Fax: 813-225-7050West Palm Beach 500 Australian Avenue Suite 125 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 Phone: 561-514-0189 Fax: 561-514-4078Tallahassee...

In a direct affront to the Bush administration, a Democratic senator spent an hour Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, emerging from the meeting to say Assad was willing to help control the Iraq-Syrian border. Sen. Bill Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Florida, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, met with Assad after the State Department said that it disapproved of his trip. The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which the U.S. deems terrorist organizations, and President Bush has expressed reluctance to...

US Senator Bill Nelson met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, a week after a US bipartisan panel recommended the Bush administration engage Syria to help stabilize Iraq. Nelson, a Democrat, was named to the Senate Intelligence Committee this week and said he was on a fact-finding mission to the region. He left later for Amman, Jordan.

Fla. senator defies Bush, visits Syria By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 14 minutes ago In a direct affront to the Bush administration, a Democratic senator spent an hour Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, asking him to do more to stabilize Iraq. Sen. Bill Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Florida, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, met with Assad after the State Department said that it disapproved of his trip. The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which the U.S. deems...

ORLANDO, Fla. - Republican Katherine Harris and Democrat Bill Nelson clashed on taxes, the Iraq war and the future of Social Security in their final debate before next week's U.S. Senate election. Harris, a Longboat Key congresswoman, again attacked Nelson as a liberal who would raise taxes. Nelson, the incumbent senator, said he voted against President Bush's initial tax cut bill because it was flawed but has voted 81 times to cut taxes or extend tax cuts."I'm not going to let her get away with this," Nelson said, sitting at a table with Harris and moderator Tim Russert in the...

Anyone who wants to help kick MoveOn.org's backside this election can help by blogging about how MoveOn.org knowingly and willfully welcomed anti-Semitic, racist, and anti-Catholic hate speech at its Action Forum until the widening scandal forced the scandal to shut down on September 24. Please circulate this information as widely as possible, especially in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Connecticut where MoveOn.org is backing candidates. Here is a list of MoveOn.org candidates: Ned Lamont (D-CT) Patrick Murphy for U.S. Congress (D-PA-08) Diane Farrell for U.S. Congress (D-CT-04) Robert Byrd for U.S. Senate (KKK-WV) Bob Casey for U.S. Senate (D-PA) Nick...

With three weeks until Election Day, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris has less than $1 million in the bank, an amount that leaves her Senate campaign all but dead in the water, according to political analysts. Unless Harris dumps millions of her own money into the campaign, there is little chance she'll dent the double-digit lead of Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. "The outcome is all but preordained at this point," said Robert Jackson, a professor of political science at Florida State University. University of Central Florida professor Aubrey Jewett agreed. "That is anemic," said Jewett. "She'd need a heck of a...

The E-mail records prove that MoveOn.org has, for the past two years, knowingly and willfully allowed its Action Forum to be used as a gathering place for vicious anti-Semites and other bigots.

TAMPA, FL— This morning, Congresswoman Katherine Harris, the Republican candidate for United States Senate continued a targeted effort to inform Florida voters of how Bill Nelson supports amnesty at great peril to our economy and security. Standing in front of the Tampa Sub Office for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Katherine Harris reminded voters that she is the only candidate in this race who will strongly oppose efforts to grant special rights and privileges to millions of illegal immigrants. Congresswoman Harris commented, “Unlike my opponent, I will fight for our hard-working families who struggle to afford our Florida lifestyle...

FLORIDA NEEDS TAX RELIEF TAMPA, FL— Congresswoman Katherine Harris, the Republican candidate for United States Senate launched a targeted effort this morning to inform Florida voters of how Bill Nelson has worked against tax relief for our families and businesses. Standing in front of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, Katherine Harris reminds voters that she is the only candidate in this race who will fight to reduce taxes and government spending so that people can keep more of their hard-earned money. “My opponent has voted against tax cuts time and time again, opting to funnel more of our wages...

As we did in 2004, we've suspended ActionForum for the final push to the election to conserve technology bandwidth. ActionForum will be back after the election.

Bill Nelson unveils new Florida Senatorial Elections Commercials Florida Senator Bill Nelson, seeking reelection against Congresswoman Katherine Harris, unveiled his new TV commercials this morning. In doing so, he has set his initial tone for his campaign. Nelson’s :30 spot was very soft. Tone was not combative at all. Message was “I get things done for all Floridians.” He specifically says that he does not see his job as one where he is supposed to be combative, but rather to work, along with Republicans and Democrats, for everyone in Florida. Yada yada yada. Ad scrolls many newspaper headlines saying what...

But he [Buchanan] never called them "Media owning Jewish pigs" or "sneaky Jewish sympathizers!" Both can be found repeatedly on the Moveon.org Action Forum. Moveon is not the only leftist Web site filled with anti-Semitism. But compared to the Dailykos and the slanderous Huffington Post nothing compares to Moveon in terms of quantity or viciousness. After Sen. Joe Lieberman lost the Democratic primary in Connecticut, one Moveon member stated: "Jew Lieberman first step. Corporate Clinton will be next. Impeachment of BushCo will be third." This one came in with 95 percent of Moveon members responding approving the "Jew Lieberman" post....

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Katherine Harris won the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat.

NRA Endorses Harris Unified Sportsmen of Florida Concur Tampa, FL -- Congresswoman Katherine Harris, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Unified Sportsmen of Florida. Katherine Harris has an "A" rating from the NRA, in stark contrast to Bill Nelson's "F" rating. In a letter to Congresswoman Harris, Marion Hammer, NRA Past President and current Executive Director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida states "You [have] been consistently strong in support of Second Amendment and self-defense issues and we sincerely appreciate your solid pro-sportsmen, pro-Second Amendment, pro-freedom record. Your outstanding and...

Congresswoman Katherine Harris has a new campaign commercial on the air! Please take a moment to go to this link and be one of the first to watch the ad online. The ad highlights Congresswoman Harris' proven record of leadership and results while serving the Florida voters, in stark contrast to Bill Nelson's complete lack of meaningful accomplishment as Insurance Commissioner and U.S. Senator. Florida deserves better than Bill Nelson! Go here to see the new ad by clicking on her photo: http://www.electharris.org/

By ANITA KUMAR, Times Staff Writer Published August 18, 2006 ORLANDO - U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris came to Sen. Bill Nelson's hometown Thursday to try to prove she could unseat him in the fall, but the help she hoped for didn't come. It was expected to be one of Harris' biggest events leading up to the Republican Senate primary next month, with a host of prominent public officials standing by her side. But no elected official showed up at Orlando Executive Airport for Harris' fly-in - just 30 to 40 people, in a hangar that could hold hundreds. Those who...

JACKSONVILLE -- U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris rolled out a new attack on Sen. Bill Nelson on Friday, saying decisions he made as the state's insurance commissioner in the mid-1990s are responsible for the rise in homeowners' insurance rates in Florida. Harris told more than 400 people at the Florida League of Cities forum that Nelson allowed insurance companies "to cut and run" from Florida on a national level -- a charge Nelson's campaign called "insane" and "wrong." "The reason insurance rates have gone up dramatically since he left office is not because of any policy. It's because Florida got...

For U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and his campaign staff, this political season is the gift that keeps on giving. He has no primary opposition. His key Republican opponent is ducking one crisis after another. His campaign war chest is overflowing with nearly $16 million, and polls show him so far ahead that he hasn't needed to spend much of it. But Nelson is not taking anything for granted -- even as he watches the Republican Party's wounded front-runner, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, try to gain some footing amid Justice Department inquiries and staff defections.

Amid bad press, four more staff members have left Katherine Harris' U.S. Senate campaign, for various reasons. Four more staffers have left Katherine Harris' troubled U.S. Senate campaign, which is putting an upbeat face on the reams of bad publicity that have rolled in with renewed force this week. ''We're excited,'' said spokeswoman Jennifer Marks, touting the endorsement of Florida Right to Life on Wednesday. ''We have new management, a new staff and we're energized to see the congresswoman through the election,'' she said. Over the past week, some of the staffers left without explanation, but at least one confessed...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Marks July 26, 2006 (813) 288-8400 Nelson aligning with far left-again Harris supports Bolton nomination (TAMPA, FL) – Leading Republican Candidate for the United States Senate, Katherine Harris, in sharp contrast to her Democratic opponent Bill Nelson, strongly encourages the permanent appointment of John Bolton as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the vote that is expected to occur in the United States Senate this week. To better enable the United States to successfully wage the war on terror, Representative Harris calls on the U.S. Senate to appoint a U.N. Ambassador who will...

July 26, 2006 Sen. Bill Nelson: A Lesson in Civics 101 Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), longtime foe of tapping US resources off of the Florida coast (even though it's way past the sight line and you can't "spill" natural gas), now sees the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act inching slowly toward passage. He appeared at first to be on board with the bill, but has now tossed up a new roadblock, one that should mystify anyone who has taken a basics civics course. Sen. Nelson's latest gambit is his effort to seek assurances (not sure from whom) that the...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Marks Bill Nelson Thwarting Progress (TAMPA, FL) -- Bill Nelson’s belligerent maneuverings in the Senate could ultimately endanger Florida’s coastal interests. Last night, Bill Nelson filed an amendment that would exclude the Senate from negotiating in any form with the House of Representatives on oil and gas drilling. Since the federal moratorium on oil and gas drilling is set to expire in 2007, compromise legislation that protects Florida’s interests must be forged this year. “Stubbornly refusing to negotiate with the U.S. House of Representatives is counterproductive and not senatorial,” stated Congresswoman Harris in response to...

— On the campaign trail and in her literature, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris boasts that, as a freshman member of Congress, she passed the American Dream Downpayment Act, "enabling 4.5 million low-income workers to own their first home while growing the U.S. economy by $256 billion." Federal reports indicate Harris' claims are grossly exaggerated. A Government Accountability Office report issued June 30 found that, through 2005, only $98.5 million of the $211 million Congress appropriated had been used by local governments to help more than 13,000 low-income families buy new homes — far below her claim of 4.5 million. Harris...

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and other senators yesterday announced an agreement on legislation to open more federal waters to oil and natural-gas exploration. With lawmakers under pressure to help ease fuel prices, the agreement was presented as a breakthrough on stalled energy legislation. It would allow drilling in an area of the eastern Gulf of Mexico that is rich in natural gas, and open the way for coastal states to share in royalty revenue that otherwise would go to the federal government. Addressing Florida lawmakers' concerns, the agreement includes a ban on energy development within 125 miles...

TALLAHASSEE - Even among Republicans, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris's U.S. Senate bid is in trouble: A poll today shows her getting only 35 percent of the vote in the GOP primary in September -- enough to beat her no-name opponents, but not even close to dominating the field. And matched up against incumbent Bill Nelson, Harris remains far behind if the election were held today. Nelson gets 59 percent to Harris' 26 percent in the latest Quinnipiac University poll of Florida voters. ''She's stuck where she's stuck,'' said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Connecticut-based polling institute. ``There are a...

A political reporter who was on the road with Gore during campaign 2000 takes a highly critical look at the post-election-day efforts by Gore and his team to, in the author's view, "steal the election." He chronicles the events as they unfolded day by day, and provides much behind-the-scenes reporting on the Gore team. Word from the Publisher AT ANY COST is the inside story of exactly how Al Gore dragged a one-day presidential election into a five-week ordeal and nearly pulled off the largest act of political larceny ever in American politics. Award-winning reporter Bill Sammon spent months on...

VENICE, Fla. — Undaunted by a run of horrific poll numbers, staff turmoil and public doubts from leaders of her party, Representative Katherine Harris is thinking confidently beyond November. Once Ms. Harris wins her race for a Senate seat, she says, she plans to travel everywhere with a guide dog. "Before I hire anyone to work for me in the Senate, I tell them I'm going to do this," said Ms. Harris, the former Florida secretary of state best — or worst — remembered for her role in the state's election recount of 2000. Ms. Harris explains that she intends...

Harris Campaign Calls on Nelson to Defend Sanctity of Marriage For Immediate Release June 6, 2006 Contact:  Chris Ingram   (813) 288-8400 (Tampa, Fla.) - The Katherine Harris for U.S. Senate campaign called on Senator Bill Nelson to support the Marriage Protection Amendment today. "I believe the majority of Americans strongly support the preservation of traditional marriage. We must never undermine the uniqueness of an institution that continues to serve as an essential thread in the fabric of our society. I support the passage of the Marriage Protection amendment being debated in the Senate," Congresswoman Harris said. Campaign spokesman Chris Ingram...

Both sides chide Nelson for his same-sex stance Both sides of the gay marriage ban issue have criticized Sen. Bill Nelson for his moderate approach to the issue. WASHINGTON - Sen. Bill Nelson, a moderate often panned for sidestepping controversial issues, has become a target in the red-meat debate over a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. Nelson, a Florida Democrat up for reelection, opposes gay marriage but disapproves of federal intervention and says he is inclined to vote against the likely-to-fail measure, which the Senate is to take up this week. ''He cannot support an amendment that basically puts the...

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris had weak support in a poll released Thursday that includes the three little-known entries in the Republican U.S. Senate primary. Only 37 percent of respondents said they favored Harris, compared to 13 percent for Will McBride, 4 percent for LeRoy Collins Jr. and 2 percent for Peter Monroe. Her three opponents all entered the race May 12, which was the last day to get on the Sept. 5 primary ballot. More respondents - 43 percent - didn't choose a candidate. In a head-to-head with Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, Harris trailed Nelson 58-25. The poll was conducted...

Senator Bill Nelson (D) from Florida has hit the 60% level of support in his bid for re-election. The latest Rasmussen Reports election poll shows Nelson leading likely GOP challenger Katherine Harris (R) by twenty-seven percentage points, 60% to 33%. This Senate seat was once considered a a pick-up opportunity for the GOP. However, as the Harris campaign imploded earlier this year, Florida Republicans were unable to recruit a top-tier candidate to challenge Harris in the primary. As a result, Nelson is now one of the nation's safest incumbents. Senator Nelson is viewed favorably by 66% of the state's voters...

SUN CITY CENTER, Fla., May 9 — President Bush and his brother continued their awkward dance today with Representative Katherine Harris of Florida, whose run for the Republican Senate nomination this year they have met with chilliness. Ms. Harris was on hand this morning to meet President Bush as he stopped in Tampa en route to a Medicare event in this nearby, senior-rich town — just one day after Governor Jeb Bush said publicly that he did not believe Ms. Harris could win against the Democratic incumbent Senator here, Bill Nelson. Jeb Bush was there, too, as Ms. Harris waited...

News that Porter Goss had resigned as director of the Central Intelligence Agency fueled speculation he'd make a bid for the U.S. Senate. Southwest Florida officials expressed their surprise Friday at his resignation as they lined up to praise the longtime former congressman from Southwest Florida for his decades of service. Some expressed the hope that he will run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Tallahassee. Soon after the announcement was made in Washington around 1:45 p.m. Friday, rumors began to swirl in the nation's capital and in Tallahassee that Goss resigned so he could...

WASHINGTON -- Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's nomination for interior secretary could run into trouble from Senate Democrats who want to use it as a bargaining chip to stop more oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, or at least assure their states get a cut. Ahead of Thursday's hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said he would try to block Kempthorne unless Republicans back off their plan to open 3.6 million acres of the central Gulf to oil and gas drilling. Nelson, citing the potential for environmental damage, said Wednesday he...