By Dave Andrusko
A poll released Wednesday by a prominent Democratic polling firm shows former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey trailing three Republicans– State Attorney General Jon Bruning, State Treasurer Don Stenberg, and State Senator Deb Fischer–by double digit margins in head-to-head matchups.
Public Policy Polling (PPP) found Kerrey, who jumped in the raced February 29 after incumbent Democrat Ben Nelson announced he would not run, trailing Bruning, 54% to 37%. He lagged behind Stenberg almost as badly, 52% to 38%. Matched up against Fischer, Kerrey trailed by a dozen points–46% to 34%. The poll was conducted last Thursday through Sunday.
In a release PPP said, “Further complicating matter for Kerrey is the fact that his Republican challengers are less well-known than him, suggesting they have room to grow.” Kerrey’s favorability rating stands at 36%.
Kerrey was governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987, and served in the United States Senate from 1989 to 2001. From 2001 to 2010 served as president of The New School, a New York City-based University.
When Kerrey announced his candidacy. Nebraska Right to Life and National Right to Life issued statements clarifying Kerrey’s record.
“If Bob Kerrey had his way, partial-birth abortion would still be legal, given that he voted against banning it five times while in the Senate,” said Julie Schmit-Albin, Nebraska Right to Life Executive Director. “Pro-life Nebraskans rejected Ben Nelson after his abandonment of pro-life language in health care reform. Kerrey’s voting record on this issue is more abysmal than Ben Nelson’s ever was.”
The following is a compilation from National Right to Life (NRLC) of Kerrey’s voting record in the Senate from 1989 to 2000 on NRLC scored votes.
- During his two terms in the U.S. Senate (1989-2000), Kerrey cast three votes in accord with NRLC’s positions, while he voted against NRLC 70 times, for a career Senate score of 4% (four percent).
- Kerrey voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act five times, and for NRLC-scored pro-abortion amendments to the PBABA twice.
- In 1999, he voted for the Harkin Amendment to endorse Roe v. Wade (10/21/99).
Kerrey consistently voted against limitations on the use of federal funds for elective abortions (for example, in the S-CHIP program and the federal employees’ health program). He also consistently voted against measures to protect a parent’s right to be notified before an abortion is performed on a minor daughter.
In 1995 Kerrey voted with NRLC on the “Teen Mother’s Child Exclusion” issue, where NRLC opposed an amendment to a welfare bill that would have resulted in “state policies skewed toward pressuring pregnant teenagers to obtain abortions…” In 1997 Kerrey voted with NRLC on two issues — the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act, and on a Medicare-related vote on the right to purchase unrationed insurance.
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