Congressional races challenge state's Democrats
By John Hopgood
With one week until the election, it
appears that the Democratic candidates in
the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts
have their work cut out for them, while
polls indicate the 2nd District race is too
close to call.
In the 27-county 1st District, which in
cludes Lincoln, incumbent Douglas
Bereuter of Utica faces Democratic candi
date Rex Story of Lincoln.
Bereuter, 40, says his main concerns are
strengthening the military and developing
a comprehensive energy program.
An American Legion member, he said
he would vote for conscription of women
into the military as one means of shoring
up what he termed America's "inadequate
defense posture." He favors a military pay
hike and weapons development.
The first-term Congressman also sup
ports reduced bureaucracy and contain
ment of health care costs.
BEREUTER, A graduate of UNL and
Harvard University, won his seat in 1978
after one four-year term in the Nebraska
Legislature. He is on the House Interior
and Small Business Committees and a
member of the Rural Caucus and the
Veteran's Caucus.
The Nebraska Chapter of Veterans of
Foreign Wars and the Lincoln Journal have
endorsed Bereuter.
Challenger Rex S. Story, 26, has made
energy his priority issue, claiming that the
country's economic and security problems
stem from U.S. reliance on Middle East oil.
Story would like to see Am rica become
energy self-sufficient and wants a large
scale government project to develop alter
native sources of energy.
Story, a political newcomer, criticizes
Bereuter for opposing a mandatory
hospital-cost control bill if voluntary guide
lines don't work. Story noted liis opponent
is supported by healthcare political action
committees.
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A graduate of UNL, Story is personnel
director for Central States Distributors and
is single.
SIXTY-TWO percent of 200 persons
polled by the Omaha World-Herald on Oct.
1 said they would vote for Bereuter,
compared with 15 percent for Story.
Another 21 percent voiced no opinion and
two percent said they would vote for
neither candidate.
This year's most hotly contested Con
gressional race is occurring in the 2nd
District, a five-county district along the
Missouri River, which includes Omaha.
Rep. John Cavanaugh, 34, will not run
for re-election because, he said, he is choos
ing to concentrate on family obligations
instead. In 1976, Cavanaugh was the first
Democrat elected in the Omaha-dominated
district in 28 years.
Running in a close race for Cavanaugh 's
seat are Hal Daub and Richard Fellman,
both of Omaha. Susan Putney is also
campaigning on the Libertarian ticket.
Republican Hal Daub, 39, favors a con
stitutional amendment to balance the bud
get. Daub proposes to tie government
spending to the level of the Gross Nat
ional Product in a given year.
DAUB'S CAMPAIGN manager, Jeff
Jepsen, said inflation, taxes, and un
employment are the issues concerning
people in the 2nd District. Jepsen said his
candidate supports the KempRoth bill
which calls for an across the board 30 per
cent tax cut for businesses to stimulate
the economy and create more jobs. Daub
also supports a lower minimum wage to
decrease unemployment.
Daub wants a five to seven percent real
increase in defense spending, supports rais
ing both the military pay scales and the
educational requirements for enlistment,
and suggests offering alternative terms of
enlistment. He proposes three and five
year plans.
Daub would also target spending on
development of conventional forces.
AN EXECUTIVE with an Omaha feed
company, Daub has never held public
office. He ran unsuccessfully against
Cavanaugh in 1978. He has been endorsed
by 13 mayors in the district, and by the
VFW, the National Chamber of Commerce,
and Americans for Constitutional Action.
Douglas County Board of Commission
ers Chairman Richard Fellman, 44, is a
Democrat, who says inflation, taxes, and
defense arc the most important issues.
The Omaha attorney disagrees with his
opponent's support the the proposed
KempRoth tax cut bill calling it inflation
ary. He would rather see a decrease in the
capital gains tax and give an allowance for
tax-free savings accounts up to $2,000.
Unlike Daub, Fellman is against a con
stitutional amendment to balance the
budget. He points out that it "only takes
50 percent" of Congress to cut spending
while an amendment would require a two
thirds majority to pass.
FELLMAN AGREED with Daub that
America needs a stronger defense and
favors a larger defense budget.
Fellman is a former state senator and a
former farm editor for the Lincoln Star.
The Lincoln Journal, Nebraska State
Education Association, and the Nebraska
AFL-CIO endorse Fellman's candidacy.
Susan Putney, 29, of Omaha, is Ne
braska's only Libertarian candidate running
for Congress. Putney said inflation can be
curbed by cutting government spending by
97 to 98 percent and eventually eliminat
ing the Federal Reserve Board. Unemploy
ment is caused by excessive government
regulation, she said.
Putney differs from her opponents on
the military defense issue, favoring spend
ing cuts. She said the Libertarian platform
calls for defending American borders only
and not defending other countries or con
tributing foreign aid.
CALLING TAXATION "armed rob
bery," Putney said taxes should also be
lowered and favors an amendment to
balance the federal budget.
Putney has never held public office. She
once waged an unsuccessful campaign for
the Omaha Metropolitan Utilities Board.
A KMTV poll gives Daub a 43 per
cent edge over Fellman, who had 38 per
cent support.
The race appears to be a toss-up, accord
ing to the Omaha World-Herald poll, which
shows 39 percent favoring Daub and 38
percent for Fellman. Sixteen percent and
no opinion and four percent indicated they
would vote for Putney. Another four per
cent said they would not vote,
THE 3RD District covers the western
two-thirds of the state. Republican in
cumbent Virginia Smith of Chappell is
running for her fourth term against lawyer
and cattleman, Stan Ditus of McCook.
Both candidates target agricultural
issues as the main concern of the 61
county district, but the contest is consider
ed to be the dullest of the three Congres
sional races.
Ditus, 45 , criticizes his opponent for her
saying Congress spends too much and has
too much bureaucracy. Ditus said such
criticism makes Smith an ineffective repre
sentative. "She has not developed a significant
rapport with her colleagues in the House,"
he said.
Smith disagrees, pointing to her
appointment to the Appropriations Com
mittee, one of the most powerful com
mittees in Congress, after her first term.
Polls give Mrs. Smith, 69, a command
tig lead over Ditus, who is running for
elective office for the first time.
The Omaha World -Herald poll indicated
Smith would win 73 percent of the vote
while 12 percent would vote for Ditus. The
newpaper said 13 percent had no opinion
and two percent would not vote for either
candidate.
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page 8
perspectives
monday, October 27, 1980