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Development & Finance Director - Nebraska Democratic Party

Requirements
• Experience with all aspects of political fundraising
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Comprehensive management skills
• Outgoing, confident, positive personality
• Superb communication skills
• Commitment to the Democratic Party
• Motivated self-starter who is a quick learner with follow-through ability

Duties include but not limited to:
• Working with Executive and Finance committees to develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan
• Identifying donors
• Maintaining donor records
• Developing individual donor strategies
• Overseeing event planning and implementation
• Organize call time for Executive and Finance committee members
• Arrange, organize, and direct meetings with prospective donors.
• Manage all aspects of communications with donors, including solicitations, donor outreach and engagement, follow-up meetings and calls, and creation of promotional materials
• Training and supervision of interns and volunteers
• Knowledge of VAN & NGP, or willingness to learn
• Although the majority of time will be spent in Omaha and Lincoln, some statewide travel will be involved
• Must maintain confidentiality

Salary & benefits negotiable based on experience and expertise

Application deadline: March 29, 2013

Please send resume, cover letter, salary requirements, and references to:

Vince Powers
Chair, Nebraska Democratic Party
411 South 13th Street, #300
Lincoln, NE 68508

info@nebraskademocrats.org

The Nebraska Democratic Party is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The writer, a Republican, is Nebraska's junior U.S. senator.

The decision to oppose a president's nominee is not one I take lightly.

I acknowledge that the president will nominate individuals with policy views distinct from my own; indeed, such differences do not automatically disqualify nominees. While Sen. John Kerry and I do not agree on much, I nonetheless supported his nomination for secretary of state because his positions are within the mainstream of American foreign policy.

Read the rest of Sen. Deb Fischer's reasons on why she will not support fmr. Sen. Hage for Sec. of Defense here:

OWH: Deb Fischer: Why I can't support Hagel nomination

WASHINGTON - Sen. Deb Fischer will oppose Chuck Hagel's nomination to be secretary of defense.

The Nebraska Republican is announcing her decision today in an exclusive World-Herald opinion piece.

Fischer wrote that she did not make her decision lightly and that she appreciates Hagel's service - both as an infantryman in Vietnam, where he was wounded twice, and as a two-term U.S. senator representing Nebraska.

"However, after meeting with him privately and witnessing his confusing and contradictory testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, I cannot support his nomination," Fischer wrote.

Fischer is a member of that committee, which announced Wednesday that it would delay a vote on the nomination until at least next week.

Read the full story here:

OWH: Deb Fischer: Hagel refuses to disavow previous votes

Norm Otto is going home.

After funeral services in Walton on Thursday, his sons Steve and Jim will take the longtime Democratic activist back to his Wyoming roots in his 1992 Ford pickup to be buried next to his wife, Vera, in Torrington, Wyo.

Otto carried her casket back to Wyoming in the same pickup for her burial 10 years ago.

"It now has 225,000 miles on it, several rust spots and dents, but it still runs great," Jim Otto said Tuesday.

Norman Otto, a former state senator from Kearney who was chief of staff for Gov. Frank Morrison and Gov. Jim Exon and active in Democratic politics in Nebraska even into this year, died Sunday at home in Lincoln at the age of 94.

"He was active to the end," son Jim said.

Read the rest of the story:

LJS: Norman Otto hailed as political legend

Norman A. (Norm) Otto, 94, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 30, 2012 at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was born in Gering, Nebraska on July 5, 1918 to J. Arthur and Pauline Otto. He grew up in the Yoder, Wyoming area and graduated from Torrington, Wyoming High School in 1936. After attending the University of Wyoming in Laramie and receiving his teaching credentials, he taught country school in the Yoder, Wyoming area where he met Vera Eklund, who had come to Wyoming to teach from Kearney, Nebraska. They were married in Kearney, Nebraska on May 25, 1941.

Norm flew bombing missions over Germany as a B-17 navigator in World War II. After the war he returned to Kearney and obtained his Bachelors Degree from Kearney State Teachers College (now UNK) on the GI Bill. He taught and served as Superintendent of Schools at Amherst, Nebraska until 1952.

As a building contractor in the 50’s and early 60’s, he built many homes in the Kearney area. In 1954, he was elected to the Nebraska Legislature from the 34th Legislative district. He represented Buffalo and Sherman Counties in the Unicameral from 1955 to 1961 when newly elected Governor Frank Morrison selected Norm as his Chief of Staff. In 1964, he was named Nebraska Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration. He also was elected to the State Board of Education, and served as its president during this period. In 1971, newly elected Governor Jim Exon named Norm as his Chief of Staff.

After serving 8 years as Governor Exon’s Chief of Staff, Norm joined Austin Realty (now Home Real Estate). He was intent on proving his worth to himself by making more money in the private sector than he earned in the public sector. In doing so, he made many friends in the real estate business. Satisfied in his ability to succeed in the private sector, he returned to his love of public service when U.S. Senator Jim Exon asked him to join the Exon Senate staff as State Director. Norm retired from that position in January of 1991. Later in 1991, Governor Ben Nelson appointed him to the newly formed Coordinating Commission for Post Secondary Education. In 1992 he was recognized as one of UNK’s Distinguished Alumni.

Survivors include son, Steve Otto of Lincoln; son & daughter-in-law Jim and Beth Otto of Lincoln, grandson Rich Otto of Lincoln, granddaughter and grandson-in-law Lori (Otto) Olson and Seth Olson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, grandson Michael Otto of Chicago, Illinois, great grandson and great granddaughter C.J. Olson and Josie Olson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and great granddaughters Vera Otto and La-Isha Otto of Chicago, Illinois, sisters, Ellen (Otto) Smith of Yoder, Wyoming and Martha (Otto) Greene of Lincoln, Nebraska, brother Paul Otto of Kearney, Nebraska. Proceeded in death by his wife Vera Otto, brother Carl Otto, sisters Lorraine (Otto) Clawson, and Nellie (Otto) Jackson.

Services will be 11 AM CST, Thursday, October 4 at Grace Lutheran Church in Walton, NE. There will an opportunity for viewing prior to the service but no visitation at the funeral home. Burial will be 11 AM MST, Friday, October 5 at Valley View Cemetery in Torrington, WY. Memorials to the Center for People in Need in Lincoln and Grace Lutheran Church.

With the drought being the over-riding theme, Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Nelson took to the Senate floor Tuesday to speak on the future of the 2012 Farm Bill and what he says needs to be done.

Read the full story and watch the video:

KHAS: Senator Nelson pushes for Farm Bill passage

Will Nebraska's two U.S. Senate candidates compete to sell financial pain to voters?

Maybe.

Democrat Bob Kerrey has rolled out a rescue plan for Social Security that he says will thrill no one. But its double-whammy approach - both raising taxes and reducing benefits - is the only realistic way to save the popular program from insolvency, he said at a press conference Monday in Omaha.

"Any solution that draws a round of applause is the wrong one," he said.

Read the full story:

OWH: Bob Kerrey unveils plan to shore up Social Security

The State Republican Party says it wants to see more transparency when it comes to voting for those running for state legislature. That's why they say they're pushing to change what you see behind a candidate's name.

Read more:

KOLN: Nebraska GOP Wants to Add Party Affiliation to Ballot

Kerrey's Public Schedule for Thursday

OMAHA - Senator Bob Kerrey will be touring areas of Nebraska today that have been ravaged by wildfires and stricken by drought. Stops will include Ainsworth, Springview and Valentine.

Kerrey said he wants to see the damage firsthand, talk to landowners that have been affected and thank our first responders and volunteers. Kerrey will talk about the importance of passing a farm bill soon so disaster assistance will be available to help those affected. Kerrey has been critical of Republicans and Democrats for playing politics with the farm bill.

Part of Kerrey's schedule is below:

11:45 AM-1:00 PM Tour Command Center in Ainsworth
Ainsworth Command Center, Ainsworth City Offices
606 East 4th Street, Ainsworth

1:15-2:15 PM Tour Staging Area, Ainsworth Fire Department
148 West 4th St, Ainsworth

3:30-4:30 PM Tour Staging Area, Springview
126 Ash Street, Springview

6:00-7:00 PM Valentine Meet and Greet
Cedar Canyon Steakhouse
112 North Main Street, Valentine

Sen. Ben Nelson said Wednesday that Gov. Dave Heineman's "obstruct and delay strategy" is preventing timely state implementation of the health care reform law and suggested the Legislature should move ahead without him.

Nelson, a Democrat, said the Republican governor has "thwarted efforts to move forward every step of the way" and the result could be that Nebraska loses its opportunity to establish a state-based health insurance exchange and hands that authority to the federal government.

Read the full story:

Nelson says Heineman obstructs state's health care role