LINCOLN, Neb. - Mark Fahleson wants to learn how to tweet.
The new head of the state GOP is learning how to use Twitter, a service that allows people to post short updates _ called "tweets" _ from the Internet and cell phones. The tweets can be read by people who sign up for automatic text or e-mail messages, or check your personal profile page online.
Fahleson envisions using the service to communicate with fellow Republicans and reach out to those outside the party.
"Frankly, our communication efforts, both locally and on a national level, have suffered in recent years, and I want to improve those," Fahleson said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "Republicans missed the ball on understanding what benefits there are with new technology."
Democratic President Barack Obama _ who poached an electoral vote from Nebraska on his way to the White House _ built an extensive electronic following through e-mail, text messaging, Twitter and social networks such as MySpace and Facebook.
Fahleson said his party needs to do the same. He turns 42 on Monday, and he said, "I don't want to be the 65-year-old person that doesn't know how to turn on his VCR."
Fahleson was elected to a two-year term as chairman earlier this month with no competition. He replaces Mark Quandahl, who didn't seek another term.
Fahleson said he's been involved in Republican Party politics since high school. He worked in the Washington office of U.S. Rep. Jon Christensen from 1994 to '97, first as legislative director, later as chief of staff.
He now practices law in Lincoln and is an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He's married with three young daughters.
Fahleson isn't wasting time getting started.
He predicts that after the 2012 election, Republicans will hold both of Nebraska's U.S. Senate seats.
U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation, "will be showing his stripes," Fahleson said.
Nelson, a self-styled moderate, has been able to attract Republicans by challenging his own party. But Nelson came out strongly for Obama and will see more pressure to stick with Democrats, Fahleson said.
Right now, though, Fahleson said he's focused on 2010. All the statewide offices _ including Gov. Dave Heineman's _ will be on the ballot. They're all held by Republicans.
And the three Republican congressmen will also be up for re-election in 2010.
U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, who has faced tough battles in his latest two re-election bids, is likely safe, Fahleson said.
"They had their chance this cycle to knock him off," Fahleson said. "I think he's there as long as he wants to be."
Terry edged Democrat Jim Esch in November, after defeating him by a larger margin two years earlier.
Fahleson has challenges to overcome in the new job; the first is raising money. The party spent significantly on legislative races, Fahleson said, which resulted in $70,000 debt at the end of the election cycle.
He's said he'd have made the same choice.
"We won races we weren't supposed to win," Fahleson said. Thirty-two of the state's 49 senators are Republicans, although the body is officially nonpartisan.
"There is no reason that all 49 legislative seats should not be held by a Republican," he said.
But the party will likely raise money without the help of former Sen. Chuck Hagel, who didn't seek re-election and left office this year.
Hagel was very helpful in the past, raising money and campaigning for others, Fahleson said.
But since being elected, Fahleson said, he hadn't heard from Hagel and didn't expect him to be involved.
Instead, his Republican replacement, Mike Johanns, is expected to fill that role.
Hagel spent the past few years at odds with many Republicans over his opposition to the war in Iraq and outspoken criticism of President George W. Bush's administration.
Fahleson said it didn't create a rift in the party, "but I would say a significant portion of Nebraska's voters were disappointed in Senator Hagel."
Fahleson said the party's open to those who don't agree on every issue. He said a good example is new Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln, who disagrees with the party platform on capital punishment: He opposes it.
That's OK, Fahleson said.
"Colby will be with us 80 percent of the time, and we're OK with that," he said.
On the Net:
Nebraska Republicans: http://www.negop.org