Sen. Ben Nelson, the Nebraska Democrat who played a pivotal role in helping the Senate pass its version of health care reform right before Christmas, said this week that the Obama administration should have delayed taking up the issue to spend more time tackling economic problems.

"I think it was a mistake to take health care on as opposed to continuing to spend the time on the economy," Nelson told the Fremont Tribune.

"I would have preferred not to be dealing with health care in the midst of everything else, and I think working on the economy would have been a wiser move," he told the newspaper.

Ever since Nelson provided Democrats with the crucial 60th vote to advance the Senate bill toward passage last month, he has been trying to explain his actions to his constituents -- a move that underscores the challenge Nelson faces in maintaining public support in a conservative state...