Kleebs (D-Ne) balance politics, family life (Will he run for Senate, will she keep beating up Fox?)

[Omaha Steve]

Later today the full story will be online. At this time is is by subscription only. I will post again when the full story can be accessed.

Kleebs balance politics, family life

HASTINGS, Neb. — The rooms of this charming little turn-of-the-century home scream of both young home owner pride and young parent mania.

The cool an­tiques from Grand Island. The rugged heirlo oms from the old family ranch. All calm wood tones to clash with the garish plastics of strewn bouncy chairs, squeeze toys, binkees and diaper bags.
The house is run by 21⁄ 2 month-old Maya. Hernewlywed parents, Jane Fleming Kleeb and Scott Kleeb, find creative ways to do their jobs in the gaps between Maya’s demands.

Scott has it easier than Jane, but things could get a lot more complicated very quickly. Right now, Scott, who received his Ph.D. from Yale for his disserta­tion on American cattle ranch­ing, is teaching history just down the street at Hastings College.

But, with Bob Kerrey’s an­nouncement that he won’t be the Democratic candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat from Ne­braska, the top potential Demo­cratic candidates are now Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Kleeb, who burst onto the national politi­cal scene with his spirited near-win last year in Nebraska’s ultra-Republican 3rd Congres­sional District.

“It’s up to Mike (Fahey) right now to run,” Scott said. “If he de­cides not to, I’ll definitely con­sider it. But we still need to think about what’s right for the family.

“Right now, to be honest, we’re very happy with the way things are,” he said.
While Scott considers another grueling campaign, Jane already knows she’s in for one.

FULL story later today.

[TwilightZone]

1. He did surprisingly well in the 3rd District.

Most people expected the race to be a blowout, but Scott did remarkably well. I'd definitely like to see him run for the Senate seat.

[rasputin1952]

2. Here in the 1st District, Maxine Moul did well against ...

Fortenberry(R). I worked on Moul's campaign as well as Nelson's, and if a little more effort was put into the Moul campaign, she might have taken Fortenberry out. He won by only 5-6% pts and his election was seen as a shoe-in.

Fortenberry's a real jerk, a bushtool...typically brainless moran thaty can't tie his shoes w/o an entorage to tell him what to do.

The people up here in Northeastern NE are pretty well sick of the GOP, or at least what it has become. Virtually no one is hanging on to bush as he flames out, and surprisingly, it is rolling over into the General Election equation.

I think Bob Kerrey would have been a damn good choice to run, but things just didn't pan out...:(

[TwilightZone]

4. I was hoping that Kerrey would run, as well.

Johanns is going to be a formidable opponent. I think Kerrey definitely would have made it a tough race.

I agree that Fortenberry is a moron. I can barely stand to hear the guy speak. He's certainly of the Bush mold.

Kleeb was a surprise, but Lee Terry's winning margin was also much smaller than expected. For a while, it looked as though he actually might lose.

[rasputin1952]

5. There was a "debate" at Northeast Comm Coll between

Moul and Fortenberry las t cycle, of course, I went, and not too many others did, which spoke volumes.

Anyway, Fortenberry was showed up in a $500 suit and hair coiffed perfectly. His staff were all wearing black, they looked like undertakers, (I'm not kidding, even the young woman looked like she just buried someone). One of them had an American Flag tie, to which I pointed out, that the Flag is not to be worn as a piece of clothing, and, if there was ever a flag that I might consider burning, it was the one he was wearing, while he was wearing it...:D

So here is Fortenberry, gushing on about how he has done essentially nothing but vote the GOP line for 2 years. He looked like he had rebar stuck up his butt, and became visibly nervous when real questions were asked. Moul did well, but she was nervous as well, made a few minimal gaffes, but gained her footing as time went by.

So here is fortneberry in his $500 suit, talking to people in windbreakers, jeans, denim shirts and coveralls. These are agricultural people, and it looked like Fortenberry never saw the working end of a shovel, talking about agricultural issues. It was pathetic, embarrassing actually. He lost a lot of support about 1/3 of the way through the event when he talked about the possibility of cutting Farm Subsidies, (he favored them, but it came off like he was trying to cut cash for farmers, there was actually an audible gasp from those of us in attendance).

Personally i don't know how he got re-elected, he has to be one of the dumbest Nebraskans ever to run for office. I can't wait till he comes around again, in the Town Hall meetings where we citizens get to hold him accountable, he'll be eaten alive. The previous Rep, Bereuter, was actually a pretty decent guy, and he came around twice a year, Fortenberry is afraid of his own shadow, and is terrified of being held accountable.

[TwilightZone]

6. Fortenberry seems to be of the John Thune/Norm Coleman mold.

They're all the same kind of bland, vapid, empty suits that the Bush Administration has plugged the past couple of election cycles. They get elected, then largely disappear.

[rasputin1952]

8. The thinsg I gathered from actually meeting him is that he is

about as dumb as a rock, and a "loyalist" to the hilt.

The man is incapable of thinking, it is as simple as that.

[TwilightZone]

9. Perfect for the Bush Administration!

They probably love him.

[TheFarseer]

3. Fahey is NOT going to run

you heard it here first. Kleeb's chances of running are better than 50-50, I say. If he doesn't run, I don't know who will. Senator Johanns is a horrifying prospect.

[jefferson_dem]

7. Great news!

Kleeb is an exciting "up and comer" and will be better in the long run than Kerrey anyway.