I first heard about it on Glenn Beck this morning: If Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson doesn't fall into lockstep on the ObamaCare fiasco, the White House will close the headquarters for the US Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, located in Nelson's state. That would come with a huge price in lost jobs and income for Nebraska, not to mention a blow to the entire nation's security.
As reported in the Weekly Standard blog [emphasis mine]:
While the Democrats appease Senator Lieberman, they still have to worry about other recalcitrant Democrats including Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson. Though Lieberman has been out front in the fight against the public option and the Medicare buy-in, Nelson was critical of both. Now that those provisions appear to have been stripped from the bill, Lieberman may get on board, but Nelson's demand that taxpayer money not be used to fund abortion has still not been met. According to a Senate aide, the White House is now threatening to put Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base on the BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] list if Nelson doesn't fall into line.
Offutt Air Force Base employs some 10,000 military and federal employees in Southeastern Nebraska. As our source put it, this is a "naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelson's vote." They are "threatening to close a base vital to national security for what?" asked the Senate staffer.
Indeed, Offutt is the headquarters for US Strategic Command, the successor to Strategic Air Command, and not by accident. STRATCOM was located in the middle of the country for strategic reasons. Its closure would be a massive blow to the economy of the state of Nebraska, but it would also be another example of this administration playing politics with our national security.Wow. Rahm Emanuel must be feeling really, really, really sorry for some poor folks who haven't yet been required to purchase expensive federally mandated health insurance.
Or something.
Hat tip: Sister Toldjah
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