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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1999)
Senators cross party lines for collaboration By JqshKnaub Staff writer When Republican Chuck Hagel introduced campaign finance reform legislation, he had an important ally from the outset: Democrat Bob Kerrey. While many in the state may be surprised that Nebraska Sens. Kerrey and Hagel would collaborate on an national issue like campaign finance reform, sources close to them say cooperation defines the relationship between the two senators. Jody Ryan, Kerrey’s press secre tary, said the two are natural allies on some issues. “They work together on issues that affect the state,” Ryan said. The relationship between Kerrey and Hagel goes deeper than Nebraska issues, though. Ryan said Hagel and Kerrey were friends before either was elected to the Senate. Kerrey and Hagel first met and worked'together in a setting where par tisan politics meant little. Both were serving on a board appointed to help Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange, a hazardous chemical used to clear foliage during the Vietnam War. Now colleagues in a body where partisan politics often overshadow action, Hagel and Kerrey are once againworkiBg together on an issue • In ■ a telephone intervi^L' Wednesday, Kerrey said he hoped the bill introduced by Hagel would be a step in the right direction. “We are looking for the right solu tion,” Kerrey said. “And the right solu tion now is one that will attract 60 votes.” It takes 60 votes to override a fili buster in the Senate. A recent cam paign finance reform bill introduced by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) failed because of a filibuster. Kerrey was optimistic about the passage of Hagel’s bill, which he signed as an initial co-sponsor. “Chuck may have the vehicle for campaign finance reform to pass,” Kerrey said. In a statement introducing his cam paign finance reform bill, Hagel said the bill was in the best interest of Americans. “Changing the way federal cam paigns are financed is inevitable. The American people will demand it,” Hagel said. He said he was disappointed the Senate had been prevented from debat ing campaign finance reform. The reforms proposed in Hagel’s campaign finance reform bill are more modest than those in the McCain Feingold bill defeated this year. Hagel’s bill would require'more reporting of campaign fund raising and campaign spending. It also puts a $60,000 cap on “soft 2 money” donations are currently unlim ited. The bill raises the amount of money individuals and political action committees can give in “hard money,” money given to candidates and politi cal parties for election spending. The dollar limits now in place have not changed since they were instituted in 1974. Although it is too early to tell if the bill will pass, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the chief nemesis of the McCain-Feingold bill, has given the bill modest praise. Kerrey said he and Hagel had worked together on issues such as crop insurance, trade sanctions and main taining Omaha’s Offutt Air Force Base. “We are good friends,” Kerrey said. “I like (Hagel). I admire him.” Although the two share a friend ship and a mutual admiration, they are not afraid to disagree. Deb Fiddelke, Hagel’s press secre tary, said the pair took a different approach to a number of issues. “They have a philosophically dif ferent approach to the role of govern ment,” she said. “Bob Kerrey is a liber al Democrat, and Chuck Hagel is a Republican.” But for Kerrey, disagreement about issues does not impede friendship. “Disagreement is not unpleasant,” Kerrey said. Ann Boyle, chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said both She said both were alsdi t unconventional, sometimes taking a H Changing the way federal campaigns are financed is inevitable. The American people will demand it.” Sen. Chuck Hagel R-Nebraska different stand than leaders within their parties. “Both have taken party leaders to task,” Boyle said. “Hagel has criticized the Republican leadership, and Kerrey has taken stands against President Clinton.” Boyle said she had been impressed by the cooperation of Nebraska’s sena tors and with how they handled their differences. She said the two maintained a rela tionship while remaining loyal to their parties. Kerrey supported fellow Democrat Ben Nelson during Hagel’s 1996 Senate campaign. “It would be an incredible news story if Chuck Hagel endorsed Bob Kerrey for Senate,” Boyle said. UNL Political Science Professor John Hibbing said the relationship between Kerrey and Hagel, while impressive, was not unheard of. He said many, states elected a sena Democrat and one kepubfecim. He said both Hagel and Kerrey Omtuedt will leave a legacy after retirement OMTVEDT from page 1 and I suppose that is why I enjoy administration now.” Omtvedt’s days as vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural-Resources are numbered. After announcing his retirementiast Julyr Omtvedt is preparing to give up his position in June 2000. But even though he is leaving the campus he has been a fixture of for 25 years, Omtvedt knows he won’t be able to leave for good. “I plan to be very active,” Omtvedt said. “I might pick up a few assign ments here and there.” In his blood It’s no wonder Omtvedt’s dedica tion to agriculture runs so deep. When you ask his wife, Wanda, for an explanation, she tells it to you sim ply. “He was raised on a farm,” she said. “He knew from the beginning he wanted to work in agriculture.” Growing up in Rice Lake, Wis., Omtvedt used die earnings he gained from his flock of sheep and other live stock to pay his way through college. “After four years I had more money in the bank than I started with because" of the livestock operation,” Omtvedt said. Omtvedt brags about being the grand champion winner at the Eau Claire Livestock market show He talks about how his livestock sold for $1.30 a pound - which was good “back then.” Of course, Omtvedt remembers the bad times along with the good. He was born in 1935 during the Great Depression. The first house his parents bought cost $2,000. It was repossessed from the original owners, stood vacant for a number of years and eventually sold to his family a i a sheriff’s sale. Even after die family bought the house, there were no guarantees it would remain theirs, Omtvedt said. “It was only $2,000, but it was bor rowed,” he said. “My folks didn’t talk about it much, but we could certainly sense there was always concern about where the next dollar would come from.” .• Omtvedt still remembers clearly^ Walking into the house for the first time. Snow leaked from die roof inside the house onto fee wood floors causing them to buckle. “I can still see that buckle through ^et^i|ilf 1 uncertainty his family felt when he was young didn’t discourage Omtvedt. Instead, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin at Madison as an animal science major and became the first in his family to get a college degree. Spreading knowledge Growing up during hard times for farm families has given Omtvedt the inspiration to do the job he has had at fee University of Nebraska for fee last 25 years. He’s seen other farmers suffer fee same trials his family did. Omtvedt recalls fee 1980s as a time when many students graduated from fee university and immediately went home and expanded then farming operations. “It was fee wrong time to do feat,” Omtvedt said. “They ended up losing a great deal. “We want to prevent that from hap pening.” Omtvedt set out to look ior ways to help farmers stay afloat in an ever changing industry - an industry that one in four families in Nebraska relies on for its main source of income. One of the chief means of keeping farmers moving forward is having an extensive research base at the universi ty level, Omtvedt said. With research, it is possible for fanners to find ways to diversify their operations. With corporations rapidly becoming a presence in farming, diver sification is essential, Omtvedt said. “Our goal is to have a diverse eco nomic base,” he said. “But we can’t move Otit of agriculture and into other areas without a high degree of proba bility that it is going to work.” his tenure, Omtvedt has relied on deans and people in departments to look for ways to bring in extensive amounts of funding/ So far, Omtvedt feels his team has been successful. / ~ . “I’m proud of the fact it’s bringing in external dollars into programs that are important to Nebraska,” he said. “And it has meaning — we’re not just doing research for the sake of doing research.” Darrell Nelson, the dean and direc tor of the agricultural research divi sion* said Onatvedt’s dedication tc research shd^ws his dedication ft Nebraskans. “He’s got a broad vision for doin£ what we need to do to provide new knowledge for Nebraskans,” Nelsor said. “He’s very thoughtful about how we can enhance our resources to do a better job for Nebraskans.” Omtvedt and others have also rec ognized that skills students need to lx successful in agriculture professions have changed. During his time at UNL. professors have started putting empha sis on the importance of business, management and communication skills “When students leave here today they are much more society-ready than they were when the institute was first formed,” he said. Lasting Legacies Omtvedt knows you don’t spend 25 years at a place without leaving some kind of legacy. As for what he will be remembered for, Omtvedt hopes it is uniting the two campuses - a goal he has worked steadily for during his time at UNLT To fulfill his vision, Omtvedt became a key player in the building ol the George W. Beadle Center for Genetics and Biomaterials Research. Then he convinced everyone il should be on the edge of City Campus. The center required many faculty members and die biochemistry depart ment to move from East Campus to City Campus. Alan Moeller, assistant vice chan cellor to Omtvedt, said the center was Omtvedt’s biggest contribution to unit ing the university. “He insisted it be located on City Campus,” Moeller said. ‘Tie wanted it to serve as a bridge between the two campuSes.” T'"' -f Omtvedt took other steps to unite the campuses. UNL’s nationally known agribusiness program is a result of the College of Business Administration and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources work ing together.' a result of a partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences and CASNR. “There’s a much smaller gap between the people in the institute and people in other components ift the uni-' versity,” Omtvedt said. “But it is some ; thing we need to continue to put a lot of emphasis on.” Distance education is another area Omtvedt has influenced. His efforts led to the founding of a distance-edu cation consortium of 57 universities that will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. Omtvedt also served as vice chan cellor for extended education for two years. Chancellor James Moeser said Omtvedt’s other legacy was his worio with distance education. Moeser said his dedication to it shows where his commitment lies. , v “He has a strong engagement with Nebraska and its community,” he said. Nearing the end Omtvedt fs spending his last months in his office in Agriculture Hall. But if looming retirement is sup posed to change how hard you work, Omtvedt doesn’t know that. “He sees it as a long way off,” Moeller said. “He’s not going to coast” But come June 2000, the year he has been planning on retiring much of his working life, Omtvedt feels he will be ready to pass on the job. After being in the position through five chancellors and long enough to hire every dean and director in the institute, Omtvedt knows he’s leaving behind the best people. “You get to a point where you feel you’ve made the best contribution you can in terms of people,” Omtvedt said. “Now it’s time to bring in some new people with new ideas and new blood.” Omtvedt plans on traveling, spend ing time with his children, who live in Kearney and Kansas City, volunteering and participating in civic activities: Omtvedt will do alfof that while being a university outsider for the first time since college. : * ■ : ~ It's something Omtvedt can f^el at-, peaceabout. ^ * “I have no rigrets, and I’m Very optimistic about the university and the direction we are headed.” would gain political standing by sup porting Hagel’s bill. “It’s good for them both.” Hibbing said. “Both are trying to do some thing.” Hibbing said partial cooperation by same-state senators from opposing parties was often a reality but that bitter disagreements could also develop. “Feuds are common, especially on judicial appointments,” he said. Kerrey said such a feud would not split himself and Hagel. “It’s like when you have a good friend you don’t discuss politics with,” Kerrey said. “That friendship will weather any political storm.” || Earn $8.00 to $12.00 Per Hour Take Home Cash Every Night Flexible Hours Vacation Insurance Available Apply in Person At Any ; Papa John’s Pizza k >QrCalk4f6-6262 > l'r __ • V $ 3