Term limits win big;
Chambers will fight
By Kara CL Morrison
Senior Editor
Nebraskans for Term Limits got
its wish on Tuesday.
For the second time in two years,
Nebraska voters overwhelmingly
voted in favor of a constitutional
amendment limiting the number of
congressional and state terms Ne
braska politicians could serve.
With 96 percent of the precincts
reporting, 68 percent of Nebraskans
had voted in favor of term limits.
Thirty-two percent of voters opposed
limiting terms.
Maine, Nevada and the District of
Columbia also voted Tuesday for
congressional term limits. These
states and Nebraska will join the 16
other states that already have term
limit laws.
Meanwhile, Nebraskans returned
two multiple-term Republican incum
bents—3rd District Rep. Bill Barrett
and 1st District Rep. Doug Bereuter
— to Washington. Barrett will serve
his third term in the House, while
Bereuter will return for his ninth.
Ally Milder of Nebraskans for
Term Limits received the victory with
joy but little surprise.
“We feel really good about it,”
Milder said of the 67 percent margin.
“It’s the first step toward political
reform in the state.”
Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, a
leading opponent of term limits, also
wasn’t surprised that the term limit
amendment passed.
Chambers said he predicted all
along that term limits would pass
“overwhelmingly.” He said the ac
tual percentage voting in favor of the
amendment was lower than the 82
percent he had expected.
Yet, he said the vote didn’t guar
antee the amendment’s enactment.
Nebraskans’ first vote to adopt term
limits was thrown out when the num
ber of petition signatures needed was
miscalculated in 1992.
“This vote doesn’t really mean
anything, because I believe it will
ultimately be overturned,” Chambers
said.
Chambers said he would file an
appeal on the amendment with the
Nebraska Supreme Court in the next
30 days to challenge a decision made
Monday by Lancaster County Dis
trict Judge Paul Merritt.
Merritt on Monday rejected 12
challenges of the petition filed by
Chambers, Tim Duggan, John
Hasenaur and Lincoln City Council
man Ken Haar. Merritt ruled the ini
tiative petition complied with state
law.
Chambers said the draft of the
provision was filled with flaws, which
violated the standards required to
produce the ballot amendment.
Though Chambers said he thought
the amendment would be struck down,
Milder said she was confident Ne
braskans for Term Limits would win
any appeals.
“We feel it was a strong opinion
issued by (Judge Merritt),” Milder
said. She said the strong voter ap
proval also would help their cause.
Milder maintains that term limits
will even the playing field in politics
by eliminating career politicians and
giving citizens a greater role in gov
ernment.
Chambers said the argument was
nonsense.
“Serious people who understand it
takes time to become effective in an
office will not waste their time run
ning,” he said. He said the term limits
would encourage only those inter
ested in personal gain and those eas
ily swayed by special interests to run
for office.
Chambers said the vote reflected
the average citizen’s misunderstand
ing of government and inability to
think deeply about public issues.
Stoney
Continued from Page 1
and volunteers gathered at her post
election party that it was time to move
to other battles. She said voters had
spoken with a voice that carried across
the state.
“We must not think this campaign
was in vain,” Stoney said.
She said the campaign showed
Kerrey what Nebraskans thought
about health care and tax increases.
If she persuaded one person who
normally would not vote to make a
statement about what kind of govern
ment represents Nebraskans, then her
campaign was successful, Stoney said.
Stoney asked her faithful backers
to support Kerrey and said America
couldn't move forward with the poli
tics of division.
America should be a beacon of
democracy for the world, Stoney said.
She said citizens should be able to
live here without the burden of gov
ernment intervention and unsafe
streets.
Stoney also thanked all the Ne
braskans who voted.
“That’s what makes this the best
country in the world,” Stoney said. “I
believe individuals do count.”
She said the campaign did the best
it amid with the resources it had.
“We knew that in the beginning it
was going to be a challenge,” Stoney
said. uAn incumbent is a tough thing
to overcome.”
Andy Abboud, Stoney’s campaign
manager, said he was disappointed
with the results of the election but
proud the campaign began and fin
ished with dignity.
“There are not goi ng to be any sour
grapes from the Stoney campaign,”
he said.
Kerrey was a tough opponent,
Abboud said. Campaigners did ev
erything thesy could.
Delores Dunn said she and her
husband, Bob, both of Lincoln, had
volunteered to campaign from the
beginning. She said Stoney’s loss was
a disappointment.
Kerrey
Continued from Page 1
“The difficulty in being in politics
today is the fear of telling the truth.
Not that there’s a disagreement... but
others are trying to gain a political
advantage. The most difficult part is
not reaching an ideological agree
ment ... it’s political.”
Kerrey said he saw his role in the
Senate as a responsibility and an op
portunity. Having two Nebraska sena
tors with seniority gives the state a
greater opportunity to shape the di
rection of the nation in the coming
years.
Kerrey said the race was tougher
than he expected. He said he wished
the campaign had not taken the tone
it did during the final weeks, but it
was unavoidable.
Mike Fahey, chairman of Kerrey's
campaign, said he would remember
this race for a long time. Unfortu
nately, he said, that’s because it was
one of the most negative he has been
involved with.
Kerrey said the campaign adver
tisements that ran during past weeks
cast the race in a negative light. But
Kerrey said the resulting 10-percent
age-point win was a big one.
The senator said he would focus
on entitlement spending in his up
coming term, along with health care
and welfare reform and education.
“This evening I say to you that
Nebraska must accept responsibility
to lead in Washington, D.C.,” Kerrey
said. “And 1 i oin you with great sin
cerity to lead that charge.’’
Travis Heying/DN
Dev. Ban Nelson, center, It congratulated by a supporter while Me wife Mane, left,
watches. Nelson defeated Republican challenger Bene Spence Tuesday night.
Nelson
Continued from Page 1
He also said Nelson tried to run
a positive campaign.
“We ’re very proud we were able
to win without running one single
negative advertisement,” Foster
said.
Scott Holthus, Nelson’s cam
paign coordinator for the state’s
3rd District, said the governor made
a strong showing in western Ne
braska. He said Nelson’s campaign
in the Republican-dominated dis
trict focused on his strengths as
governor.
“He’s done such a good job in
the last four years,” Holthus said.
“It’s easy to focus on his accom
plishments. We were up strong
early on, and we just kept the pres
sure on. There was no way his
opponent could overcome that.”
Nebraska Sen. James Exon also
spoke at Nelson’s victory party.
“What a great, big, wonderful
victory for a great, big, wonderful
governor,” Excn said.
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