Sen. Ben Nelson believes his moderate voice and ability to reach across party lines can be helpful to Barack Obama in accomplishing the new president's legislative goals.

"I think the president-elect will consider me one of his partners because it's clear with everything he's done since being elected he's not interested in tilting to the left,” Nelson said in a telephone interview last week.

Nelson said he hopes to nudge the new heavily Democratic Senate more to the center and build consensus support for Obama's agenda.

If congressional Democrats move too far to the left in shaping legislation, he said, it could be difficult to gather the 60 votes required to break Senate filibusters and achieve results.

It might even be hard to get the 51 votes required to enact vital legislation, Nelson said.

The goal, he said, really ought to be reaching for the kind of consensus that can attract 65 or 75 votes to address the major issues confronting the nation.

"I think there'll be more than a handful of us who can make a difference in bringing people together and shaping legislation,” Nelson said.

"Where the role of building consensus is important is at the time legislation is being designed.

"It's safe to say a number of individuals clearly to the left of center (will want) to shape that legislation,” he said.

"I think we can get it more center-oriented.”

Nelson said he begins the process on the same page with Obama on an economic stimulus package, energy reform and phased withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

But the details of the new president's legislative initiatives still need to be determined, he said.  And then Obama's proposals will be subject to congressional action.

"I will try to help build consensus to get legislation passed and stop obstructionism,” Nelson said.

Nelson enters the 2009 congressional session this week as Nebraska's new senior senator.  He assumed that role Saturday when Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel's term ended and Republican Mike Johanns officially became his new Nebraska partner.

Although he's a senator who often votes independent of his party, Nelson was out front as a  political ally of the president-elect in 2008.

Last January, with the Democratic presidential race in doubt, Nelson endorsed Obama over Sen. Hillary Clinton. That helped pave the way to Obama's victory in Nebraska's presidential caucuses the following month.

Even though Democrats eventually may be able to claim as many as 59 senators in their Senate caucus once seats in Illinois and Minnesota are filled, Nelson said, "it's pretty clear the Democratic caucus is not monolithic.

"You can't count on automatic votes,” he said. "We will need a moderating bloc.”

Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana already plans to form a new caucus of moderate Democrats to fill that role.

Nelson is a likely participant.

Other targets listed in a report  in The Huffington Post are Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, both of Arkansas; Jim Webb and Mark Warner, both of Virginia; and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

Maine's two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, are natural allies on some issues, Nelson said.

Nelson's role in responding to Obama's agenda has been a hot topic of discussion among Nebraska Democrats. After serving eight years in the Senate during the Bush administration, Nelson will be paired with a Democratic president for the first time.

"Can we count on Nelson in the next Congress?” Kyle Michaelis asked last week on his New Nebraska Network progressive blog.

"Nelson may prove too cautious and conservative, selling the people of Nebraska short by failing to support the change America needs,” Michaelis wrote.

"Nelson is an independent voice, and the people of Nebraska embrace his independent votes.  But, as Democrats and progressives, we absolutely cannot afford to take Nelson's votes for granted.”

However, Michaelis wrote, the moderating voice of a more conservative caucus "might also protect Democrats' recent gains while paving the way for a style of progress that truly unites the American people.”

In 2008, Nelson voted with his party 72 percent of the time in the Senate, according to a study by Congressional Quarterly.

Nelson supported Bush's legislative positions 48 percent of the time. Landrieu was the only Democratic senator to support Bush's positions more often.

Looking ahead, Nelson said he's prepared to support an extensive economic stimulus package that centers on infrastructure development.

And, he said, he wants to make sure it's big enough to be effective while "scrubbing it for pork.”

Republican leaders in the House and Senate appear to be "gearing up to frustrate efforts to get the stimulus package” by adopting delaying tactics under the guise of guarding against pork, Nelson said.

"Obstructionism can be defined in many ways,” he said.

Nelson said his views are "very, very close” to Obama's approach on an energy package that includes development of alternative energy sources and construction of a modernized electric grid.

The latter would create the opportunity for Nebraska to market wind and solar power to both coasts, he said.

As the state's senior senator and a member of the new president's party, Nelson will be the go-to guy in seeking federal appointments by the Obama administration in Nebraska.

Chief among them will be U.S. attorney, marshal and U.S. Department of Agriculture state director.

"People are getting in line,” Nelson said.

Nelson also would play the leading role in making recommendations for federal judicial appointments in Nebraska.  There are no current vacancies.

Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.