Former Congressman Brad Ashford

Former Congressman Brad Ashford wants his old job back.

Ashford, a Democrat, says the shooting of Republican lawmakers at a practice for a charity baseball game moved him to go public with his decision to run again.

“These people are dedicated public servants and I think what we need to do is we need to bring more civility to Congress, more bipartisanship, so that we can show the country that we can do this,” Ashford tells Nebraska Radio Network.

Ashford says he had been leaning toward an announcement, but the shooting in Alexandria prompted him to make the decision this past weekend.

Last week, an unemployed home inspector from Illinois, 66-year-old James Hodgkinson, reported to be angry with President Trump and Republicans, opened fire at a baseball park just outside the District of Columbia in which Congressional Republicans were practicing for an annual charity game against Democrats. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise suffered serious wounds. Four others were wounded before Hodgkinson was shot and killed.

Ashford says the shootings moved him quite a bit.

Ashford, a former state senator, won election to Congress in 2014, defeating veteran incumbent Republican Lee Terry.

Ashford lost the Second Congressional District seat two years later in a close race with Republican Don Bacon, former commander of Offutt Air Force Base.

It was a close race. Ashford won Douglas County, but lost big in Sarpy County. Bacon won by fewer than 3,500 votes out of 288,000 votes cast.

Americans deserve to get action on pressing issues, according to Ashford.

“We’re not getting it not because there aren’t answers. We’re not getting it, because the institutional partisanship, seemingly institutional partisanship of the day, is getting in the way,” Ashford says, adding that political parties and big money get in the way of reaching consensus in Congress.

Before he gets a chance at a rematch, Ashford will have to secure the Democratic Party nomination.

Does he expect a Democratic primary?

“Oh yeah,” Ashford says with a chuckle, “sure.”

AUDIO:  Brent Martin reports [1 min.]

Nebraska 1st District Congressman Jeff Fortenberry is still processing the events of yesterday morning when gunfire erupted in Alexandria, Virginia during baseball practice for a congressional charity game.

Congressman Fortenberry says, “Today is a day of trying to unpack the fullness of what this meant that this is targeted political violence. It has gone beyond just the harsh words and the rhetoric that has affected all of us – some you would be aghast to see.  It has gone beyond just mental illness I think and this is real political violence that rips at the soul of the country.”

Congressman Fortenberry says the mood was much different in the U.S. House yesterday. He says there was a real appeal for all members to think responsibly about their own actions and how that is projected to society.  Congressman Fortenberry says there will always be differences between the two parties but address them in a constructive manner and not to send a message that violence is justified.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip and remains in critical condition. Those with leadership positions like Scalise have Capitol police with them.  Congressman Fortenberry says because of their actions more people weren’t hurt.  With targeted political violence becoming more commonplace, Congressman Fortenberry says he wouldn’t be surprised to see more Capitol police during events where a number of members of Congress appear.  He says that was the case last night during a dinner off Capitol Hill at a hotel.

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse continues to deal with the fallout from his appearance on the HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher in which the host used the “n-word.”

Sasse appeared on the show to promote his book The Vanishing American Adult.

Maher had remarked he needed to get out to Nebraska and Sasse responded he would love to have Maher work in the fields with him.

“Work in the fields? Senator, I’m a house n—-r,” Maher responded.

Sasse has been criticized for not reacting more forcefully to the use of the racial slur.

Sasse tells Nebraska Radio Network affiliate KFAB the comment took him totally by surprise.

“You are way out on a stage, sort of in the middle of a crowd,” Sasse says. “It is loud and you don’t have an earpiece so for a minute, or I don’t know three beats, I’m just trying to figure out did he really say that.  Then I was just stunned.  I expected that he was going to jump on me with a bunch of stuff but obviously I hadn’t expected anything like that and so by the time I was able to reflect on it the moment had passed and he was hitting me on climate change.”

Sasse says it wasn’t until he was back on a plane that he thought about what he should of said.

“The historian in me feels like part of my job is to teach civics and that is a reprehensible word for a whole bunch of particular historical reasons because it is saying we don’t have universal human dignity so I wish I would have pushed back in that moment but I missed that moment,” according to Sasse.

Nebraska voters will not be required to display photo identification to cast ballots anytime soon.

Sen. John Murante of Gretna has given up on his constitutional amendment, which would have had Nebraska voters decide whether they needed identification to vote.

Murante called for a so-called “cloture” vote after giving an opening statement on LR 1CA, though he knew he didn’t have the votes to cut off debate and go to a vote on his measure.

“It was clear to me that minds weren’t changing,” Murante told reporters afterward. “So, rather than talking about it for an extended period of time, we decided to take action, take a vote, and move on.”

Murante got only 26 votes on his cloture motion, far short of the 33 needed to end debate and go to a vote on the measure.

Opponents used a parliamentary maneuver to take the floor before Murante even got a chance to open on his measure. The main objection to the voter identification requirement is the allegation that it would suppress voting among minorities.

Murante strongly objected to that line of argument.

“I believe that we can demonstrate that elections can be administered showing photo identification without suppressing anyone who’s legally entitled to vote,” Murante said. “The onus is on me to come up with the evidence to convince my colleagues that that is the case.”

Murante said he plans to tour the state, speaking to Nebraskans and election authorities on the issue. He said he has worked to do to create a bill which could pass the legislature.

Another criticism voiced during the brief legislative floor debate on the issue was that Murante sought to solve a problem which simply doesn’t exist in Nebraska.

“We know voter fraud does exist,” Murante responded when asked by reporters about the charge. “We have a case this year in Dawson County where fraud is being prosecuted. And I believe that there is no such thing as an insignificant amount of voter fraud.”

Two men face felony charges in Dawson County, accused of voting a number of times during the November election.

Jean Stothert wins re-election as Omaha mayor. She says she is ready to be done with the campaign and get back to business.

Stothert says, “All together, we will continue the important work of making Omaha safe, vibrant, financially strong and inclusive.” She says there are many projects yet to be done that include better streets, public safety, enhance transportation projects and greater neighborhood support.  She is also looking forward to getting to work on the riverfront as a signature area and making Omaha more welcoming to all.

Challenger, former State Senator Heath Mello called Stothert around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday to concede the race. Mello took to the stage and thanked all of his supporters saying, “Because of your support we were able to start some very difficult conversations and we were able, I believe, to bring more people into the political process who were looking for hope.  Looking for a different direction.  Looking to find a way to provide change – not just here in Omaha but around the country.”   Mello also said he would continue to work in the months and years ahead to help make Omaha a more innovative city.

The unofficial results from the Douglas County Election Commission showed Stothert received 53% of the vote and Mello 46%. In the race for city council, incumbents won in five districts and two newcomers elected to office.

Photo:  KFAB