Friends, foes find much to admire in Sen. Ben Nelson

Say what you will about Sen. Ben Nelson; he never forgot his home town.

Nelson, 70, announced Tuesday that he has decided "it is time to move on."

We believe him when he says he plans to "look for new ways to serve our state and nation."

As it turned out, Nelson, the Senate's most conservative Democrat, may have sealed his decision back in 2009, when he cast the deciding vote to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, now usually derided as "Obamacare." In doing so, he drew the ire of pro-life forces such as Nebraska Right to Life, which had held out for specific language not included in the final version. That organization was "expressing relief" at Nelson's retirement after "betrayal" by "abandonment of abortion language in the final hours of the healthcare debate in 2009."

But opponents and supporters alike find much to admire in Nelson, a self-made millionaire who made his name and fortune in the insurance industry, serving as state insurance director and being elected governor in 1990 by the fourth-closest gubernatorial race in Nebraska history.

Mayor Dennis Berry is one example:

"Although I was county chair for Sen. Chuck Hagel when he ran against then-Gov. Nelson, I appreciate all Sen. Nelson has done to help Southwest Nebraska -- the Work Camp, [Essential Air Service] funding, Valmont, the Guard/ Reserve building, MCC Activity Center Funding, Community Hospital funding and more. He was a Democrat who voted more often with the Republicans than nearly every other Democratic Senator. I did not like his vote on health care but I am proud that Sen. Nelson calls McCook his home. This area may never see another stronger supporter in the Senate."

Hospital President Jim Ulrich is another:

"Ben Nelson has been a tremendous advocate, over the years, for access to healthcare services in Southwest Nebraska as well as across our state and nation. For years he has worked hard to preserve and even enhance the Critical Access Hospital program that enables small rural communities like McCook to have access to quality hospital services. We are grateful for his community minded efforts and his leadership will certainly be missed."

We don't know what means Sen. Nelson will find to serve in the future, but judging from the past, he will be very effective at whatever it is.