bob_kerry.jpgOMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ Two days after losing Nebraska's U.S. Senate race, Democrat Bob Kerrey is opening up about what he sees as growing political hatred in America.

Meanwhile, Republican Sen.-elect Deb Fischer is preparing to join a U.S. Senate mired in partisan gridlock.

Kerrey blames his loss on outside groups spending millions on political ads painting his as a liberal from New York, where he lived for more than a decade before returning to Nebraska to run for the U.S. Senate.

He also warns that political vitriol has turned to political hatred that will keep the country from uniting on tough issues.

Fischer says she ready to take on the challenge of breaking partisan gridlock, but warned that she won't compromise on some issues, like her pledge to oppose any tax increases.