Full story: Kleebs balance politics, family life

[Omaha Steve]

ROBERT NELSON/ THE WORLD-HERALD
Scott Kleeb with his wife, Jane Fleming Kleeb, and daughter Maya at home in Hastings, Neb. Scott is considering a bid for the U.S. Senate, and Jane is executive director of the Young Voter PAC.

HASTINGS, Neb. — The rooms of this charming little turn-of-the-century home scream of both young ho m e o w n er pride and young parent mania.

The cool an­tiques from Grand Island. The rugged heirlo oms from the old family ranch. All calm wood tones to clash with the garish plastics of strewn bouncy chairs, squeeze toys, binkees and diaper bags.
The house is run by 21⁄ 2 month-old Maya. Hernewlywed parents, Jane Fleming Kleeb and Scott Kleeb, find creative ways to do their jobs in the gaps between Maya’s demands.

Scott has it easier than Jane, but things could get a lot more complicated very quickly. Right now, Scott, who received his Ph.D. from Yale for his disserta­tion on American cattle ranch­ing, is teaching history just down the street at Hastings College.

But, with Bob Kerrey’s an­nouncement that he won’t be the Democratic candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat from Ne­braska, the top potential Demo­cratic candidates are now Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Kleeb, who burst onto the national politi­cal scene with his spirited near-win last year in Nebraska’s ultra-Republican 3rd Congressional District.

“It’s up to Mike (Fahey) right now to run,” Scott said. “If he de­cides not to, I’ll definitely con­sider it. But we still need to think about what’s right for the family.

“Right now, to be honest, we’re very happy with the way things are,” he said.

While Scott considers another grueling campaign, Jane already knows she’s in for one.

Jane, former executive direc­tor of the Young Democrats of America, is now executive direc­tor of the Young Voter PAC, which works to increase voter turnout for Democratic candi­dates nationwide.
Jane moved from Washington, D.C., last year with her young daughter, Kora, to marry Scott and set up life in Hastings, a town “a lot like the town I went to col­lege in and absolutely loved.
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Now, she does most of her work on her computer at home with Maya on her knee.

But as the elections near, she will have to travel more to key races around the country.

Also, her duties playing the Democratic foil to Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity on Fox News will increase as the elections near.

So the trips to the Grand Island airport will increase. Trips to television studios in the state to send live feeds to Fox will in­crease
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And very often, Jane said, if Scott or Jane’s sister can’t watch her baby, Maya will be along for the ride.

“We’ll find out how soundproof those studios are,” she joked.

It’s an exciting time for the couple.

That Scott and Jane Kleeb can both be national political players while enjoying small-town life on a quiet, tree-lined street in Has­tings should be exciting for those living in rural Nebraska.

Thanks primarily to the In­ternet, thanks to companies and organizations allowing more flexible schedules for their em­ployees, thanks to a commitment to keeping pace with technology in cities throughout the state, it’s now much more possible to keep good brains from draining from the state’s communities.

For Jane and Scott Kleeb, it means being able to do meaning­ful work while having the home life they want for themselves and their children.

“We love it here,” Jane said. “Kora can run over to her friends, Scott loves his teaching, and I have access to the things to do my job while still being the mom I want to be.

“It’s a little crazy sometimes, sure,” she said. “But in a lot of other ways, it’s absolutely ideal.”


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