KTIV NewsChannel 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsNelson: Public health care option could be a 'fallback' position

Nelson: Public health care option could be a 'fallback' position

NORFOLK, Neb. (KTIV) - 500 people packed the Lifelong Learning center in Norfolk, Nebraska, to ask Senator Ben Nelson questions about proposed changes to health care.

Nelson fielded about 20 questions from the audience but few of them had anything to do with health care reform. Most of them had to do with presidential czars, distrust of congress and it's committee's and the fear that Washington will take away citizens choices. Following the meeting Nelson met with reporters where he was asked about the tone of the questions and where he felt the anger created by the divisive issue was coming from. "Trying to play on fears, trying to provoke anger, frustration and I think people are being tormented by all the questions now I thing the watchful of the citizens is extremely important to our democracy so I'm not going to complain about it but as an observation if you are told day in and day out that you can't trust Washington that sets in and pretty soon you begin to believe it," Nelson said.

Nelson who was warmly received by the audience which was well behaved in comparison to some other town hall meetings across the country, has said he does not support any of the current health care reform proposals however he did say he would support some type of public option if it came in a reasonable package. "A public option as a fallback position is a concept I think that could be acceptable," Nelson said. "If it's a cooperative under certain circumstances that might be acceptable."

Nelson reiterated several times that he can only support a proposal which does not increase the deficit is good for small business and does have cost controls.