The native Nebraskan founded Ameritrade in Omaha in 1971 and began offering discount trades a few years later when commissions were deregulated.

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Nebraska's Republican governor Dave Heineman has approved the project, and Nebraskan congressman Lee Terry has called for the Keystone XL's construction in a Republican radio address.

CNN: Oil, money and politics; EPA snags Keystone XL pipeline

Upon returning from Vietnam, he took various jobs, including as a radio reporter, before landing a post on the staff of a Nebraskan lawmaker in Congress.

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Senator John McCain said he had "serious concerns" over the Nebraskan's positions on a "range of critical national security issues", which he would raise during the Senate confirmation process.

BBC: Obama names Hagel and Brennan to lead Pentagon and CIA

After 79 appearances in 2010, he'd pitched in only 49 games in the following two seasons, and the thrill that once surrounded the hard-throwing Nebraskan reliever, now 27, had settled into something lukewarm.

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