WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., criticized the chairman of his state's political party on Tuesday, coming to the defense of his Democratic colleague, Sen. Ben Nelson.
Johanns told The World-Herald that Nebraska GOP Chairman Mark Fahleson was “wrong and unfair” in his comments Monday about a published report on Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway's effort to exempt existing derivatives deals from proposed requirements on collateral.
The Wall Street Journal article highlighted Nelson's advocacy for the exemption and his ties to the company. Fahleson said about the article: “Yet another backroom deal being orchestrated by Sen. Ben Nelson.”
The chairman didn't comment about Republican Johanns, who also pushed for the exemption.
“Senator Nelson is right on the policy here. He just flat is,” Johanns reiterated Tuesday in a hallway at the Capitol. “ ... If you don't fix this, I think you've got an unconstitutional bill.”
Johanns, who has disagreed sharply with Nelson in the past including over health care legislation said Fahleson “should understand the policy before he makes comments.”
Given the opportunity to respond, Fahleson declined.
More generally, he said, “Only one of our senators was the focus of the Wall Street Journal story about who was doing Warren Buffett's bidding, so that was the point of my comment.”
Contact the writer:
202-662-7270, joe.morton@owh.com
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