U.S. Senator Ben Nelson said he wasn't on any inside track with the White House over the nomination of Nebraska businessman Tony Raimondo.

That's despite last week's hullabaloo over Nebraska's Democratic senator allegedly getting first word of the Republican businessman receiving an appointment in the Bush administration.

Nelson said Monday that his office found out Raimondo was the expected appointee to a new federal position only when reporters began calling.

Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel has said he learned of the appointment from a news release issued Wednesday by Nelson's office.

Raimondo withdre his name from consideration for the job Thursday. Later, Raimondo said he did not believe his nomination would be approved in the Senate.

Problems began for the potential appointment after Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry noted that Behlen is setting up a manufacturing operation in China.