NATO leaders have acknowledged that Afghanistan is an important test case for the 26-member alliance as it seeks to re-define itself in a post-Cold-War, post 9/11 era.
The NATO-led force in Afghanistan currently comprises some 47,000 troops, but there have been dire reports recently that more forces and greater political efforts are needed if that [...]
At the opening of the North Atlantic Council Summit meeting in Bucharest, NATO Heads of State and Government paid tribute to the more than sixty thousand men and women from Allied and other nations who are involved in NATO’s missions and operations.
NATO leaders rose to honor the professionalism and dedication of 26 veterans with [...]
COLUMBUS: Overtime for state employees increased 16 percent during the first year of Gov. Ted Strickland's administration, topping $100 million for the first time, a newspaper reported Sunday.
State troopers protecting the governor, firefighters at Air National Guard bases, medical personnel at state hospitals and prisons, and computer experts were among those receiving big overtime payments, according [...]
Warning: Reporter Doing Math
For weeks Democrats have been doing math and coming up with one answer. Hillary Clinton can't beat Barack Obama.
But now its time for some new math.
Depending on the [...]
The 8th Deadly Sin, Bad PR?
He didn't commit a crime, he's not accused of any official wrongdoing, his mistake: mostly bad public relations. Now Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey will wait and see.
The Douglas County Election Commissioner is [...]
King For A Day
Congressman Steve King is a Republican, a conservative, and little known outside of Iowa.
Until now. Western Iowa's representative, has claimed that if Barack Obama is [...]
"Death By A Thousand Cuts"
Elected in 2001, and re-elected in 2005 Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey (who has not said he'll run for a third term, and is already the longest serving Mayor in the last 50 plus years in [...]
Bidenitis
Joe Biden once call it the, "white hot heat"; otherwise known as the pressure of presidential politics. And you don't have to be a candidate to feel it.
Just ask Steve Achepohl, the [...]
75 Days
For the first time in 30 years, Nebraska Democrats have a Senate fight on their hands, [...]
Reloading
With apologies to the Sean Connery character in the "Untouchables": "Leave it to a politician to bring a blue ribbon committee to a gun fight."
But that's exactly what Senator Brad Ashford, the Chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, has done.
In [...]
Trading Votes for Cash?
This investigation begins at the State Capitol where top state officials looking for more office space and parking, set out to buy a building right across the street.
A building owned by the Assurity Life Insurance Company, [...]
Red State Gets Blue Battle
This just in.....
Several sources now tell me Scott Kleeb is running for the Senate, and will make his announcement soon (maybe Monday).
That will set up a primary fight between [...]
In the last few days I asked two of the most successful Democrats in Nebraska history to play strategist for their presidential candidate.
JORDAN: What does Barack Obama need to do to win [...]
Some Horserace
If you're a jockey get a good horse, just ask Ben Nelson.
In the Nebraska Democratic Party's first ever statewide caucus, Ben Nelson had jumped on the Obama bandwagon and rode to an [...]
Robo Ben
If you didn't get a call from Ben Nelson tonight, the question is why?
Nelson (in an automated phone message) is urging Democrats, Independents, and yes Republicans to vote for Barack Obama at Saturday's first ever statewide [...]
No you weren't seeing things.
Yes that was a crowd of 10,000 jammed into the Omaha Civic Auditorium watching a rare sight in Nebraska: Presidential politics.
Barack Obama made a major campaign stop here two days before the state's first [...]
What's in the Water?
For days now the Obama campaign has been on radio and TV in Nebraska urging voters to turn out at this Saturday's first ever Democratic Presidential Caucus.
At the same time the Clinton campaign has been [...]
Obama, Nebraska
Barack Obama is coming to Omaha.
An Obama spokesman tells me Obama will make a late afternoon campaign stop at the Civic Auditorium on Thursday.
Obama will be in Omaha two days before Saturday's first ever Democratic Party Caucus, [...]
HERESY
Nebraska's Second Congressional District
Congressman Lee Terry (R)
Conventional Wisdom:
In a Presidential election year the Republican vote turnout will overwhelm any Democrat trying to win the Congressional seat.
Hello, this is Chelsea
In nine days Nebraska Democrats hold their first ever presidential caucus, and it's already making noise across the country.
Sources tell me that among other things the Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, has made a least one phone [...]
"State" of City or "State" of Fahey?
It was his seventh State of the City Address, but it also sounded a lot like a re-election speech.
After talking up the city from cuts in crime "for the sixth consecutive year" to a bottom [...]
Ready to Run
It looks like Nebraska Democrats will have a serious Senate candidate.
Tony Raimondo, the head of Behlen Manufacturing in Columbus told me today he's "moving forward" with his Senate plans, which [...]
With a Bullet?
Less than two months since Omaha's Von Maur massacre, a plan for more gun control in Nebraska is being targeted by the National Rifle Association.
The NRA (which is convinced this latest gun control plan would [...]
Playing Ball
Omaha's legendary Rosenblatt Stadium is back in the game.
Two Omaha Senators are pushing a deal that would find up to 20 million dollars in state taxes going to "fix up or rebuild" Rosenblatt, and keep the College World Series there.
Republican vs. Republican
The fight over illegal immigration finds Governor Dave Heineman denying charges of racism and bigotry.
The Governor is considering a move that would find police in Nebraska working to enforce federal immigration laws. But [...]
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong" - Voltaire
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has always insisted that public safety is a major priority.
But he won't be putting in two million dollars to shore up Nebraska's war on drugs. Last month Congress slashed funding to an anti-drug [...]
Red State Seeing Blue
While there are two hundred thousand more registered Republican voters in Nebraska than Democrats, when it comes to putting your money where your mouth is, the state's Democrats have a big lead.
According to the latest available figures Barack Obama has [...]
Ben Wants Peace
As I first reported Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson is endorsing Barack Obama.
Today Nelson, a leading moderate, said he believes Obama has "the greatest potential to ending the bitterness and poisonous atmosphere in Washington."
According [...]
Anybody?
The head of the Nebraska Democrats is no Chicken Little.....
While Democrats across the country can't wait to take on Republicans this November, it's a different story in Nebraska.
There are four major races in the state this year and [...]
Bruning and Heineman at Odds....Again
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and Attorney General Jon Bruning can't agree
on who the Republican Presidential nominee should be.
Heineman and Bruning have been on different sides of Senator Chuck Hagel (Heineman wanted [...]
I-O-WHAT?
Voters in New Hampshire are thumbing their noses tonight at the voters in Iowa.
In Last week's Iowa Caucus Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike [...]
More Exclusive Obama
If Barack Obama makes it to the White House he'll never be able to thank Iowa enough.
Obama is convinced that if Iowa, which is 93 per cent white, can vote for a black man [...]
One on One With the Iowa Winner
In an exclusive interview Barack Obama, now the winner of the Iowa Caucus, tells me the country is ready to make history.
Jordan: Is America ready in the long run for a black man to be President?
Obama: I [...]
Turnout is Key, Duh.....
Let's keep this simple, it's too cold here in Des Moines to get complicated.
DEMOCRATS:
If new voters show up in big numbers, it should be a big night for Barack Obama. If they [...]
Last Minute Man
Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan(D) expects to walk into his caucus Thursday night not knowing who he'll vote for; and that has never happened before.
Hanafan, the longest serving Mayor in Iowa, tells me he is usually one of [...]
"I've Never Walked Away from a Fight"
Democrat John Edwards may sound angry, but he insists he's not.
Slipping in the polls in Iowa recently, Edwards is making a last minute push with a new strategy.
Be Careful What You Wish For
As former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey (D-Nebraska 1989-2001) puts his political imprimatur on Senator Hillary Clinton, it's important to note that a Kerrey endorsement does not guarantee a win.
Strange Bedfellows?
A few days ago Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) quietly made a move that could indicate a much louder event down the road.
Hagel recently joined the American Security Project, a Washington think tank started earlier this year by Senator [...]
Another One Bites the Dust
Nebraska Democrats are now looking for Republicans to run against Congressman Lee Terry (R-Nebraska).
But Omaha State Senator Brad Ashford said no.
The calling tree went like this.
The Executive Director [...]
Deadly but Legal
Investigators tell me the rapid fire inside Westroads Mall last week came from a weapon 
(an AK-47 military style assault rifle) that was bought legally, and did not have to be registered in Nebraska.
It's also magnifying the state's [...]
When Red Turns Blue
Tony Raimondo beat the clock, can he really beat Mike Johanns?
Raimondo had until Friday December 7th to switch parties (becoming a Democrat after being a lifelong Republican) if he wanted to put himself in position to run for [...]
