Etc., etc., etc. …...

Coming in future issues…..

Progress Report on Fontenelle Trees

Nebraska Byways:
Stories about
Nebraskans

WESTERN ARCTIC
GETS REPRIEVE

NRDC and our partners have scored a major courtroom victory for Arctic wildlife. In late September, a federal judge blocked the Bush administration from proceeding with oil and gas development in more than 1 million acres in the Western Arctic Reserve, including a pristine nesting area for migratory birds and the calving grounds for the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd.

The court ruled that the Interior Department failed to consider the cumulative environmental impacts of oil and gas drilling on this sensitive ecosystem. In tandem with our courtroom campaign, BioGems Defenders have sent more than 100,000 messages urging the Bush administration and Congress to uphold protections for important habitat areas within the reserve.

COURT UPHOLDS STRICT LIMITS ON DEADLY SONAR

A federal appeals court has rejected the Bush administration's attempt to turn back a landmark NRDC courtroom win that limits the peacetime deployment of a powerful low-frequency active sonar system. According to the Navy's own studies, the LFA sonar system generates noise so intense that dangerous levels of sound travel more than 300 miles -- posing a deadly threat to whole populations of whales and other marine mammals that depend on their hearing to survive.

Three years ago, a lower federal court sided with NRDC and our partners and ruled that the Navy's plan to deploy this powerful new sonar system across 75 percent of the world's oceans violated a host of federal laws. In the wake of the appeal court's decision, the Navy must continue to adhere to an agreement with NRDC, which limits LFA testing and training to an area in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

More WPA stories about Nebraska by Nebraskans

GOP House and Senate members have described recent strategy sessions as "Depressing" and "boring", underscoring their growing apprehension of an even bigger set of losses than in 2006….Vicente Fox, who finished his term as Mexico's president last year, pokes fun at the cowboy credentials of Bush in a new autobiography, recalling the time Mr. Bush turned down an offer to ride Mr. Fox's beloved horse. "He demurred, backing away from the big palomino," Mr. Fox said…..To offset what now appears to be a near certain nomination of Sen. Hillary Clinton by the Democrats, Republicans are looking to their thin crop of women to slide into a Veep slot on their ticket. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) is known to covet the second slot. Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle is being suggested along with Connecticut Gov. Jody Rell…..President Bush, not exactly known for his command of the English language, had his speech at the United Nations spelled out phonetically even when it came to such names as his friend, French President Nicolas Sarkozy…. Is Ralph Nader serious? He is running ads for volunteers in Iowa and New Hampshire, presumably for yet another White House bid. He may yet surpass Harold Stassen in that regard….Minneapolis has upgraded their airport stalls in the men's room where GOP Sen. Larry Craig was arrested for sexual solicitation. The new stalls in the men's room have walls that go nearly to the floor making sexual advances such as described in the Craig story nearly impossible now…..GOP woes continue as polling in Texas shows Sen. John Cornyn in trouble. Only 35% say he deserves to be re-elected but 40% say they want someone else…..Nebraska's Bob Kerrey, former governor and two-term US Senator, says he will decide very soon on whether or not to run for the Senate again...speaking of the Nebraska Senate race, Hal Daub wasted no time doing the bidding of the

Washington party powers who forced him out of the Senate race to clear the way for Mike Johanns. Just days after Daub's 10-day campaign for the nomination he announced his support for Johanns in an effort to help force out current Attorney General Jon Bruning from the race….A new Newsweek poll in Iowa gives Sen. Barack Obama the lead in the Democratic presidential race with 28% support among likely caucus goers, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 24%, John Edwards at 22% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 10%.On the GOP side, Mitt Romney leads with 24%, followed by Fred Thompson at 16%, Rudy Giuliani at 13%, Mike Huckabee at 12% and Sen. John McCain at 9%. …The Politico: "A federal grand jury has issued document subpoenas to six aides to embattled GOP Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), who is under investigation by the Justice Dept. over his ties to imprisoned former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff." ...Embattled Senator Larry Craig of Idaho looks as if he will break his promise of resigning Sept. 30 over his arrest for sexual misconduct in an airport in Minneapolis...

U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson: Phone: (202) 224-6551  Fax: (202) 228-001240, Suite 5 Dirksen Basement (Temp)
Washington, DC 20510
senator@bennelson.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel: Phone: (202) 224-4224  Fax: (202) 224-5213
346 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
chuck_hagel@hagel.senate.gov
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry: Phone: (202) 225-4806, Fax (202) 225-5686   1517 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington,DC 20515
Rep. Lee Terry:Phone: (202) 225-4155  Fax: (202) 226-5452  1513 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
talk2lee@mail.house.gov
Rep. Adrian Smith 503 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Phone:(202) 225-6435
Fax:(202) 225-0207

SEC. B, p2
Senate Moments

SEC. B, p3
HISTORY
SCRAMBLE