You have to hate the credit card industry. Its lax security allowed identity thieves to steal private information. It spent millions lobbying Congress to tighten bankruptcy laws when it hands out credit as if it was candy. And according to Blair Drazic, author of the new book “Forgive Us Our Debts,” the industry has a nickname for people who pay their bills on time: “deadbeats.” Well, we have our own choice names for the credit card industry, but this is family-friendly blog.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
President Bush’s credibility is on the line Tuesday night when he addresses the American people about the war in Iraq.
Administration officials have recently offered conflicting reports about military progress against the Iraqi insurgents, with Vice President Dick Cheney saying the insurgency is in its “last throes,” an assessment flatly contradicted by top Pentagon officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who said Sunday that it could take up to 12 years to defeat the insurgency, and that Iraqi troops, not Americans, would have to finish the job.
In his speech, President Bush should avoid rosy rhetoric and give the American people an honest, blunt assessment about what U.S. troops are up against and what it will take to defeat the insurgency.
posted by Randy Scholfield
It’s good that the statues in the Great Hall of the U.S. Justice Department are once again living large. After two years of being covered up by drapes — which department officials insist were not ordered by prudish former Attorney General John Ashcroft — the Art Deco-era statues are once again fully exposed, so to speak.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The Rev. Billy Graham may have delivered his last crusade sermon Sunday in New York. But don’t be surprised if it wasn’t. Despite his age and failing health, Graham remains faithful to his calling. He has shown that while you may retire from a work-a-day job, there should be no retiring from service to God and others.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The Kansas House needs to give up its misguided attempt to amend the state’s constitution. It doesn’t have the two-thirds votes required, and besides, it’s a bad idea to rush through a constitutional change based on emotion. Stop wasting time and money. Approve the extra spending on schools. And if lawmakers really want to duke it out with the Supreme Court, do so next legislative session.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Here’s hoping that Saturday’s vote — in which Machinists union members overwhelmingly accepted a contract offer from Mid-Western Aircraft Systems — marks the beginning of a profitable partnership. This community needs the former Boeing Wichita plant to succeed and grow.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
It was a relief to hear Dennis Rader admit in court today that he killed 10 people. Now the citizens of the Wichita area and the victims’ families know for certain that the monster who committed these crimes has been caught and will be punished.
But it was chilling to hear him describe without emotion how he "trolled and stalked" his victims. How he falsely comforted several of them before strangling them. How he assigned code names, such as "project green" and had a "hit kit" and "hit clothes." And how there apparently were many other Wichitans whom he considered as "potential hits."
We still don’t know why he committed these crimes, other than he said he had a "sexual fantasy." We also don’t know why he resurfaced. Did he want to get caught? Had he begun "trolling" for his next victim? More details will come out during the sentencing phase of the case, which begins Aug. 17.
But what we heard from his own mouth today was enough to decide that there is no punishment that the state can impose that will be too harsh.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
