Ben Nelson Explains ATM Issue, Says He Does Know The Difference Between 'A Hologram And A Barcode'

Why can't Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) get a vote on his amendment to limit what he calls the "legal thievery" of ATM fees? Is it because members of the Senate, who are in the midst of reforming the entire financial system, have no idea what an ATM machine is?

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) told the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday that he's unfamiliar with ATM fees because he's never used an ATM.

"I've never used an ATM, so I don't know what the fees are," Nelson told reporter Joe Morton. "It's true, I don't know how to use one." Nelson added: "But I could learn how to do it just like I've... I swipe to get my own gas, buy groceries. I know about the holograms."

Nebraska Republican Mike Johanns said he had little experience with ATMs, as did Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley.

Cue the commentariat pile-on: The geezers in the Senate are out of touch with modern society. "Ye olde Senate," quipped Washington Post whippersnapper Ezra Klein. "Only in the U.S. Senate," wrote the Atlantic. "Ben Nelson is old school," said the Hill. And the Sunlight Foundation pointed out that Nelson has taken a fortune in campaign contributions from the very industry propagating the fees.

HuffPost caught up with Nelson on Thursday. Really, no ATM? "I haven't used an ATM but that's because I have not had a need to use it. Other people have used it because they apparently feel they have a need to," he said.

"One thing I want to correct in that World-Herald story is the suggestion that I didn't know the difference between a hologram and a barcode."

HuffPost is launching an effort to gauge the ATM usage of members of the Senate. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), for one, said he does withdraw cash from time to time.

"I use an ATM," he said.

How recently?

"I don't use it much now because everybody takes credit cards, but I'm sure in the last month and a half," he said. "Just go to get cash."

This story will be updated

Comments

[Pete Webb]

11:01 PM on 05/25/2010

This is an example of people being out of touch with America. Our leaders need to be in touch with the modern day world…not stuck in the 1950’s

[saintjule]

09:13 AM on 05/21/2010

Old Ben doesn't need to know nothin'. I know, I know, double negative. All he has to do is sit around a listen to ol' Warren play his ukelele.

[okami]

08:07 AM on 05/21/2010

. . .he must have endless fun bashing his brain out against the wall. . .

[From the Raft]

08:02 AM on 05/21/2010

Ben Nelson of Nebraska still wearing training pants!

[Clevelandinwi]

07:48 AM on 05/21/2010

bennienelsen also doesn't know the difference between Democrat and Regressive.

[Marie Gilreath]

11:28 PM on 05/20/2010

Intransigent, tired, useless, hide bound, trapped in the mid 20th Century old men, inflicting their resistance to change will be the death of us. Power really does corrupt. It is past time for these dodo's to go the way of the original dodo. It was supposed to be public service, now it is anything but public service. It is self serving and opportunistic. Whatever is good for them is what they will do. It is the only job many of them have done for most of their adult lives. If they aren't doing this, where will they go and what will they do?

[From the Raft]

08:04 AM on 05/21/2010

Good question since Sun City is beneath their dignity.

[okami]

08:07 AM on 05/21/2010

I SAY I AIN'T GONNA PLAY SUN CITY!

[DustinTime]

10:51 PM on 05/20/2010

Feingold says no. Why?

Because this is a toothless con-job. A total sell-out outrageously sold as reform.

Where's the White House? Where's Obama? This is unbelievable.

People want real, solid, course re-setting reform--they've possibly never been wanted it more in our history--and the White House is, at best, standing down, at worst, pushing back.

Sickening.

[Thabor]

10:09 PM on 05/20/2010

So to sum it up, we have a bunch of people who still use paper money trying to mock someone who doesn't for being primitive..

[Eric Penner]

08:19 PM on 05/20/2010

In their defense, I probably use an ATM once or twice per year and I'm 24 years old. No sense in going to the cash machine when most places accept debit and CVS, grocery stores, and 711 all offer cash back.

I do, however, think ATM fees are absurd. My credit union is a member of the co-op network, so I can almost always find an ATM that I can use for free (and that dispenses 20s, 5s, and 1s)!

[Lefty Pockets]

07:46 PM on 05/20/2010

The Holograms hold many powers mister Senator. They are the key to unlocking your money from the servo-machine that dispenses currency!

[jjsardo]

06:51 PM on 05/20/2010

Ben Nelson, who occupies the Warren Buffett seat in the Senate, is one of the most regressive members of that fabled body.

Nelson is so conservative the political spectrum had to be expanded to keep him from falling off.

If he were a Republican he could become minority leader. On the other hand, he smiles too much to occupy that august position. I hear tell it that somebody once caught him grinning. He denied it of course.

If he and Mitch McConnell engaged in a frowning contest, it would be a toss-up. And McConnell is pure American Gothic. Maybe Ben could pose as the wife in a whole new take on that classic. Now there’s a thought that’s better left alone.

So Ben never used an ATM, huh. Well, I declare. Ben, just vote nay and hurry home cuz company’s a comin’ and the cistern’s gone empty.

[Gould123]

07:04 PM on 05/20/2010

Both Nelsen an Johanne of Nebr. are out of touch with their voters! Were a farming/Insurance state an both Repub johanne an Dem. Nelsen has lined their pockets with Insurance money. Both are from well to do families. They do what sound good for low income people, but don't keep watch over the Ne. Counties to make sure the programs or money gets were it belongs. If u write to them, their office will respond an tell u about the programs available for low income people, than turn around a solisite u for money and do a campagne letter against the other party. It is so degradeing I will never ask for help from them again unless I have to.

[clearthinker16]

06:44 PM on 05/20/2010

This is like the Pope telling people how to conduct their sex lives.

[From the Raft]

08:08 AM on 05/21/2010

At least HE had some experience!

[MattoutinAZ]

06:03 PM on 05/20/2010

Price limits will lead to rationing. Why should someone care if once a year they pay 3 bucks to use an ATM in an Emergency.

[GeekAaron]

07:43 PM on 05/20/2010

Exactly! If people plan ahead, or use banks who have ATMs conveniently located near places they frequent, the fees should not be a big deal. I think I have paid ATM fees three times in the past five years.

[morganaM]

05:53 PM on 05/20/2010

Ummm, Ben Nelson? Isn't he the guy with his hands out during the Health Care Reform fiasco holding out his vote until he got his wish for money to cover his state's medicare at 100%? Lemme know on that because all I saw was The Ben Nelson.."Gimme Gimme" and now he talks ATM fees, Hahahahahahah.......

[Gould123]

07:09 PM on 05/20/2010

Don't only kick Dem Nelsen on that! Repubican Johanne has done nothing for Nebr. either, except complain about the health care bill. He too doesn't know how to use a ATM, like us down to earth people, an that is whats wrong with Nebraska! We have leaders who are out of touch. u write their office an they have a staff send u a information letter, an never follow through with u, but quick to ask for donations an a letter to complain about the other party senator in the state! Both Senators from Both parties here are to out of touch with what we need!

[Silverfloss]

05:44 PM on 05/20/2010

If the politicos aren't using ATM's, maybe we should follow their example and not use them either? I've used ATM's hundreds of times and finally figured out they were more trouble than they were worth.