Warning that a deep economic recession must be prevented from  “going into a depression,” Sen. Ben Nelson said Tuesday it’s urgent to stimulate job creation and protection.

“We can’t afford the old games of division and partisan politics,” the Democratic senator said.

What the country faces is “the most severe economic downturn in decades, and perhaps ever,” he warned.

Nelson is at work attempting to reshape the economic stimulus package to jettison nonstimulative spending provisions and increase spending on job-intensive infrastructure development.

On other matters raised during his weekly telephone news conference from Washington, Nelson said:

* Deb Gilg, an Omaha attorney with wide experience as a prosecutor, is his recommended choice for appointment as U.S. attorney for Nebraska.  The Obama administration will make the selection.

* Deciding whether he can vote for confirmation of Tom Daschle as secretary of health and human services “could be one of my hardest votes (as a senator) on a personal level.”  Daschle’s record of unpaid taxes is “troublesome,” Nelson said.

An hour later, Nelson was relieved of that burden when Daschle withdrew as the nominee.

The economic stimulus plan was most on Nelson’s mind during his conference with Nebraska news media.

When Nebraska begins to feel the full impact of the recession, it could experience the loss of more than 10,000 jobs, Nelson said, citing a recent economic forecast.

Nelson has been working with a bipartisan group of centrist senators to gather support for changes in the stimulus package to target “jobs, jobs, jobs.”

“We’re well into double-digits (in counting) people on my side who want to be involved,” he said.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has been lining up Republican colleagues to support bipartisan changes in the bill.

“It’s a tough vote,” Nelson acknowledged, because people are “worried about borrowing money to stimulate the economy.”

Nelson said he hopes to have gained some consensus on proposed changes by the end of the day.  Votes on amendments might come as early as Wednesday or Thursday, he said.

Gilg, he said, would be an ideal choice for U.S. attorney because of her prosecutorial experience.

Prior to moving to Omaha, she was Keith County attorney in Ogallala.

If Gilg is selected by Obama, she would succeed Joe Stecher, who was chosen by President George W. Bush to replace Mike Heavican when he was named chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court.

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