Crossposted at Nebraska Netroots:
Part 1 -- The Prodigal Son Returns
Thanks for taking a few moments to talk with me.
Absolutely.
You are very well known nationally, but I'd venture a guess that not too many people know you're from Nebraska. Why don't we start by having you tell us about your time in the state?
Well, I brag about it all the time.
Ha, I bet!
I was born and raised in Lincoln. My dad taught at UNL in the Education Department and served on the Lincoln School Board for many years. My mom was a stay at home mom. I left to go to college at Oberlan College in Ohio but then came back to do vista work in Southeast Nebraska where I worked with low income family farmers to organize farmers markets and help them with energy conservation.
More below the fold...
I was involved in Nebraska politics for a very long time before I left.
I got involved in Mary Helen Boosalis' elections while in high school and various City Council or State Senate races. When I was 18, I worked on John Wesley and Dave Landis' first legislative campaigns.
Chris Buetlur is an old friend.
Wesley and Colleen Seng are all old friends from those days.
That's my Nebraska history.
Alright, so what have you been up to since leaving Nebraska? Anything exciting?
It's been about 26 years since I left...so quite a bit!
I was in Iowa for most of the 80's and early 90's. I first was the Field Director and then Executive Director of Iowa Citizen Action Network which is the biggest statewide progressive organization in the state. I also worked three years for the Iowa AFL-CIO as their chief lobbyist and policy person.
I was also very involved in President politics. Got very involved in the Mondale campaign in '84 and Joe Biden's campaign in '88 before he got out over the controversy about his alleged plagiarism. Then I worked for Paul Simon.
That made a lot of friends for me throughout the years and in '92 I stayed out of the Presidential race because I was close with many people in the race like Sen. Harkin from Iowa and Sen. Kerrey from Nebraska. After the smoke cleared in the primary I was asked to come down to Little Rock and serve as the National Constituency Director for the Clinton campaign where I was in the infamous War Room with Carville, Stephanopoulos, and all those guys
I then worked in the White House for about two and half years. Since then I've mostly been a consultant. I worked for a little while with the People for a American Way as their political director but I mostly consult. Working for all kinds of progressive causes like voter registration, GOTV projects, internet projects, and a whole range of things.
Check Nebraska Netroots tomorrow and read part 2 of my interview with Mike Lux. We talk about his new book, "The Progressive Revolution," the Obama Administration, and the future of the movement.
Mike is also going to be in Lincoln tonight for a book signing:
University of Nebraska-Lincoln welcomes Mike Lux
Tuesday, March 24th
7 PM // 1400 R Street (student union) // Lincoln