Caption: The Ben Nelson statues, depicted in the drawing, honor “small-town life, the Boy Scouts and what you can accomplish,” said McCook City Councilman Jerry Calvin.
McCook's city fathers managed to avoid getting scorched by the political firestorm swirling around the community's favorite son.
It took some explaining to constituents who were upset about the way their hometown hero — Sen. Ben Nelson, a Democrat — voted Monday to cast the crucial 60th vote in the health care debate in the Senate.[..]
Life-size bronzes depicting a teenage Nelson receiving his Boy Scout Eagle rank from his parents will be erected on the grounds of Nelson's vacant boyhood home.[..]
The council faced similar opposition several months ago when it voted to rename the local airport “McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport'' to honor the U.S. senator for his support of federal air service funding and other local initiatives.
That was before Nelson became the deciding vote on moving the health overhaul legislation ahead.
“To a few people, if you have the wrong letter behind your name,” as a Democrat or a Republican, “you're bad,'' Berry said.[..]
The Nelson sculpture will be titled “On my honor.''
A more apt title would be "On the take from lobbyists", n'est ce pas?
