Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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Years ago, when the candidate I was working for rejected my advice, I made the mistake of going back to the headquarters and telling my loyal staff (who together had formulated the rejected proposal) that our recommendation had been declined. I did my best, I told them, but I just couldn’t make the sale. One of my closest pals, and one of the smartest politicos I’ve ever known, took me aside to tell me I had made a monstrous mistake. I thought he meant my failure to sell our plan. No, he said, that was clearly impossible. The mistake was tel...
On January 3, I had the privilege of taking the oath of office and becoming Nebraska’s 39th United States Senator. I am grateful that members of my family and so many friends traveled from Nebraska to share this special day, and I am honored by the trust placed in me by Nebraskans. I am also thankful to have such an excellent partner in Senator Mike Johanns, who has proudly served our state and nation for many years. Senator Johanns has been gracious and welcoming as I transition to W...
Most mornings I am stirred awake by the loudest, most annoying alarm clock one could possibly imagine. I made it as annoying as possible for the fear that anything less would result in my inability to open my eyes and start the day, sleeping through the beginning of my workday. Regardless of the method I use to wake up, my feelings toward removing myself from my bed stay pretty constant. I don’t want to leave, ever. I usually roll over, look at the clock, turn off the alarm and my to-do list for the day races through my mind. The whole p...
Just a few days after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the New York Times’ Paul Krugman crowed triumphantly about the federal government’s response to the disaster. “[A]fter Katrina the government seemed to have no idea what it was doing; this time it did. And that’s no accident: the federal government’s ability to respond effectively to disaster always collapses when antigovernment Republicans hold the White House, and always recovers when Democrats take it back.” What a fairy tale. Mature adults unde...
This new year brings to Washington a fresh start. Last week, we welcomed to the 113th Congress many new faces, including my colleague Senator Deb Fischer. I am proud to be joined by such a competent and capable leader who has aptly served Nebraska for years. I am confident Deb will bring the same passion to Capitol Hill, and I look forward to working with her to address the issues facing our state and country. Although it’s a new year and a new session, many of the important issues we must tackle are far from novel. Our country’s debt has gro...
We are nearing the end of these weekly columns as my Senate offices are nearly closed and computers as well as equipment are being returned to the Senate. December 31st is the last day for my staff. I will officially leave office January 13, 2013. After 20 years of public service, 8 as governor and 12 as senator, it is during these final weeks that I have a growing concern about the ability of Congress to work together, put aside partisanship, and address our country’s problems. I’ve found that President Lincoln’s admonishment more than 150 y...
When we sell our house, I will tell the realtor to advertise the house as having six bedrooms and two and a quarter baths. That’s because a full bath is one with a bathtub, a sink, and a completely working toilet. A half bath is one with a sink and a completely working toilet. A quarter bath is what we have off our kitchen. The first two bathrooms came with the house when it was built in 1917. The powder room off our kitchen came a couple years later and is attached the sewer line via 35 feet of horizontal sewer pipe. The pipe has developed c...
The 25th Annual Governor’s Ag Conference will be held February 12-13 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney. I invite all Nebraskans to attend this event and participate in discussions that focus on the future of the state’s number one industry. The theme for this year’s conference is “A Platform for Nebraska Agriculture’s Future.” The conference will challenge the farmers and ranchers, agribusiness representatives, and policy and business leaders in attendance to think about some of the key policies and practices that will drive agric...
I never will forget the first time I met a Russian orphan who had just been adopted by American parents. It was 2003, and I was on a flight out of Moscow. A little boy with big brown eyes sat in the seat next to me. A man sat on the other side of the boy, and it was clear from their clenched hands that they were traveling together. I was scribbling in a notebook when I noticed that the child was leaning over, trying to read. I smiled and asked his name. “He doesn’t speak much English,” the man said, smiling. “My wife and I just adopted him and...
One of the hardest things to do is to stick to a workout program, or even working out as often as you know you should. For the past four years now I have alternated between P90X, Slim in 6 and Insanity, keeping a fairly steady workout plan. Of course prior to this past year the work out plan was easy; work out more times a week than not or pull a double. Well, since starting a 40 hour a weeker I have had the pleasure – pleasure only because I can now identify and have true empathy – to understand how tough it is to keep to any workout schedule...
Every year since 1976, a college in Michigan, Lake Superior State University, publishes late in the year its List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English. Examples from past years include “first time ever,” and “dot.com.” Among the recently-announced winners for 2012 are: “amazing,” “shared sacrifice,” “occupy,” “man cave,” “the new normal,” “ginormous,” and “thank you in advance,” a phrase that “is a condescending way to say, ‘Since I already thanked you, you have to do this.’” The A...
This past year has been filled with many important policy debates, legislative accomplishments, and exciting new developments for Nebraska. I want to take a moment to highlight some of these events and reflect upon the year. By far the most pressing issue facing our nation is the economy. We must continue to find ways to help businesses grow so they can create jobs. We also cannot address our economic challenges without addressing the nation’s runaway debt. Our current $16 trillion debt has ballooned to such a serious situation where each t...
Before reading any further, be forewarned: this is not a story for the weak of heart. It is filled with snakes, destruction, filth, war and loss. But every word is true. I know. I lived it. The other day my 8-year-old called me into the bathroom. With a frown, he pointed downward. My eyes followed his path to the toilet bowl, which was filled with yellow water and a bright red Matchbox car. When I asked how the car got in the toilet, he motioned toward his sweatshirt pocket – bulging with little metal cars – and I gave silent thanks that onl...
For me the year 2012 ended in a different fashion then I am use to. I’m used to getting together with all my friends to enjoy the Seattle Space Needle fireworks show at midnight, and the fun of the town afterward. If you had asked me when I graduated from college last spring where I would be half a year from now, my ideas would have spanned from Seattle to New York City. In all of the destinations that came to my mind however, Nebraska hadn’t been one of them. It’s funny thinking back on it now, but a year ago this December I remember sitti...
If you are reading this column, I have good news for you: the world didn’t end Friday. In case you missed it, a lot of folks were worried it would. All of this is because of an old Mayan calendar. The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, created by Mayans in 3114 BC and carved into stone, contains entries for every single day from that time right up until December 21, 2012. Then it simply stops. The Mayans may have simply run out of symbols or stone, or broke their chisel at that point, or they may have been trying to give us a warning, but as a...
This being the season of giving, it’s worth looking back at some special gifts from November’s election that received little acknowledgement at the time. These victories came in campaigns that had no candidates – no Democrats, Republicans or other party designations. Rather, they were ballot initiatives – policy ideas put to a vote of people themselves. This is an exercise in direct democracy that was first proposed by the historic Populist movement of the 1870s. It’s presently available to citizens in 26 states and hundreds of cities ...
In December 2001, my father sent his first-ever Christmas card to me. He even signed it, “Love, Dad.” Unprecedented. Throw some tinsel on my head and watch me sparkle like a snow globe; that’s how happy I was. Dad came from the “show, don’t tell” school of parenting. He supported his family and shoveled the snow from the walkway before any of us were out of bed. His love was to be understood. His postscript on that 2001 card made clear that despite the arrival of his one-time-only Christmas greeting, nothing had changed. “I got a card from the...
The tree is down, no more stress of fitting time in to shop,the presents were a hit, the sweet tooth is under control and we are all alive and healthy waiting on a new year to begin. With the approaching New Year on the horizon and Christmas now done and over, this time of the year always brings out different aspects in people. For me it is a time of gathering, sorting, understanding, reflecting and renewing, a practice that is me for more years than I care to tell. It is a time for me to gather thoughts and ideas, lessons and failures, goals a...
There’s nothing like looking in the eyes of young people on Christmas morning. This year, while I didn’t get to be where my children and grandchildren were I did get the opportunity to watch Christmas package opening opportunities via Skype on the Internet. Skype for those who may now know allows use of a web-cam or video camera and can be seen by the other party wherever they may be. I had grandchildren in eastern Kentucky and in Nevada – and I was able to watch the proceedings. The beauty of it is getting to watch the faces of those young boy...
Happy holidays dear friends and family, It’s that time of year again! Time to take a break from gourmet cookie baking and ornate present wrapping to share the exploits of my perfect family. It is a joy to reveal a window of our world to you. It is a shining window indeed. Clean and streak free. The very perfection of my family makes this letter writing business a snap. Imagine my happiness at being able to share our outstanding talents, achievements and overall excellence with you, humble friend or family member. While we do regularly see d...
This year the world came together to survive a giant feat, the end of the Mayan calendar. While some shrugged off the idea of the world’s demise, others took it seriously. The build up of Dec. 21, 2012, will be noted in history. I’ve heard the end of the world defined in many different ways. I’ve heard some people say the world would go up in an instant ball of fire, like a nuclear explosion. Others say the world would be under attack by a force unknown, be it a plague or people, leaving few survivors. We fortunately did not find out the defin...
As we enjoy the traditional holiday season of food-centered celebrations, let’s not only consume, but also reflect on, discuss and consider, what we can do to shape our food future. We’re presented with two starkly different visions of that future: the industrialized, conglomeratized, globalized, monopolized, plasticized and heavily subsidized vision of Agri- business, and the localized, democratized vision of Agri- culture, in which sustainable farmers and food artisans practicing the art and science of cooperating with Mother Nature, rat...
Regular readers of this column (otherwise known as shut-ins) will know that for years, we had a scruffy, disgruntled West Highland Terrier named Harry. Harry and I did not get along, mostly because Harry loved my wife, and I loved my wife, and both of us wanted to spend time with her. Harry saw it as his mission to get there first, and because he was often faster than I was, he’d be snuggled up with her on the couch or bed when I came in the room, growling at me if I got too close. My wife thought this was hilarious, and spent many evenings c...
In June 1944, polio was sweeping across the country with devastating swiftness. Children would leap out of bed in the morning, and by nightfall, they were unable to feed themselves. It was only a matter of time before it swept through Hickory, N.C. “like a tidal wave.” “Youngsters with painful, useless limbs,” Life magazine reported at the time, “some unable to swallow or scarcely able to breathe, they came from mining villages up in the hills, mill towns in the valley, from outlying farms and urban centers.” Fear reigned, but it was no matc...
Many people stop and contemplate the various things they are blessed with during this time of the year, and of course I am no different. It never ceases to amaze me how very many things I have to count when I think about how many ways God has blessed me – with so many gifts, both seen and unseen. The seen is easy to understand, as I have been blessed with my husband and all three children. Even though our family has been hit with many blows over the past few years, the kind of emotional blows that knock people on their backside, we are all s...
