Republican says Nelson should back Alito, or else

Nebraska Senate candidate Don Stenberg (R) warned Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) yesterday that he can expect to get hammered if he votes against Judge Samuel Alito’s Supreme Court nomination.

“It’s a very important issue,” said Stenberg, who is running against Ameritrade executive Pete Ricketts and former Nebraska Republican Party Chairman David Kramer in May’s GOP primary.

“I think if Senator Nelson is not supportive of putting judges on the bench who will not legislate from the bench it will be very important,” said Stenberg, who served as Nebraska’s attorney general from 1991 to 2003 and has argued cases before the Supreme Court three times.

Kramer, referring to Nelson, added, “I don’t think he can afford for political reasons to oppose a nominee like Judge Alito.”