Nebraska's Sen. Ben Nelson, a retiring Democrat, sent out a news release last week condemning the "activist Supreme Court," for potentially dismantling a health care law. The senator said without the new law, health insurance premiums will be "skyrocketing," and endanger "health care for more than 100,000 Nebraska kids with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma or diabetes."

That protest comes from a conservative Democrat who held back his vote for the bill until the White House awarded his state a special Medicaid deal. The deal was rescinded but not before the GOP memorably labeled it an attempted bribe, "The Cornhusker Kickback."

Now even Nelson is climbing the political ramparts to defend Democrats.

This column originally appeared in The Hill newspaper and on TheHill.com.