When the New York Times chased down Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., in the halls of Congress, he didn’t answer their questions. He couldn’t talk about the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, the Florida Democrat whispered, because he was losing his voice. His answer might have less to do with his vocal cords and more to do with the fact that he is facing a tough challenge in Gov. Rick Scott.
Nelson says different things at different times about how he will vote on the Supreme Court nominee. One day he said he wouldn’t vote for Kavanaugh. The next, he said he would make his decision after meeting one-on-one with the justice.
It is an even-handed approach to advising and consenting. It also falls apart in light of his political rhetoric. To get a sense of what Nelson really thinks about the nominee, look at what he tells potential donors.
“If you want to stop McConnell’s plans to put another right-wing extremist on the Supreme Court, gut affordable health care and dismantle Medicare,” Nelson wrote in a July 16 fundraising email, “you need to give right now to make sure Democrats take back the Senate by winning in Florida.”
And that is fair enough. If Nelson wants to oppose Kavanaugh, he has every right to do so. But don’t dodge questions from reporters before tipping your hand when talking to donors.
