The Plame affair flames on: White House spinmeisters are out in full force to redirect the press and public by trashing former Ambassador Joseph Wilson (hmm, where have we seen this tactic before?), but even if (for the sake of argument) Wilson was partisan, inaccurate or misleading in his intelligence assessments, there’s still the little matter of the law: Bush adviser Karl Rove either broke the law against revealing a CIA operative’s name, in which case he should be fired and perhaps jailed, or he didn’t, technically, in which case he might still be guilty of serious ethical violations that could warrant his dismissal.
(By the way, Rove apparently has been dismissed before, from the Bush-Quayle campaign in 1992, for leaking inside stuff to — surprise! — columnist Robert Novak. Rove denied then, too, that he was the source.)
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Some critics of the Kansas Supreme Court and its “unelected judges” are thinking of making the school-finance case an issue for the two justices who’ll be up for retention elections next year, Justice Robert Davis and the to-be-named justice. No Kansas justice has ever failed in a retention election, and efforts to inform those up-or-down votes could have value. But the prospect of seeing justices’ retention elections politicized makes it more imperative that legislators next year fill the campaign finance disclosure loopholes exploited by certain groups in 2004.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
It’s relatively minor-league stuff, but former University of Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams needs to give a full accounting of NCAA violations that happened under his watch. Seems Coach Roy approved cash payments, totaling $400, from boosters to players who had graduated or were no longer eligible. Williams always got credit for running an above-board program. Let’s hope this doesn’t tarnish his squeaky-clean image.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
The Wichita City Council did the right thing to protect its investment in approving another $25,000 last week to keep Ice Sports Wichita operating. If the 9-year-old rink is to get back on its feet, it needs to remain open and serving its dedicated constituency, as it seeks skilled management and aggressive promotion. The city got into the ice rink business in response to public demand and the belief that a first-class rink would be a boon for downtown and quality of life. It still can be, but the community needs to step forward and say it will support the rink long term.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
My column last week (read it here) explored what I think many Kansans would agree is a weird situation: Margie Phelps, daughter of Fred and a sometime spokeswoman for her father’s anti-gay hate group, is also a high-ranking official for the Kansas Department of Corrections. She’s been appearing with the “church” as they picket the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and praise the bombs that killed them.
Yes, she has her First Amendment rights, but are her wildly inflammatory and hurtful words appropriate for a public official whose salary is being paid by taxpayers? Just wondering.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Sure enough, that groundbreaking Park City Council voted 5-3 last week to allow Sunday liquor sales. Mayor Dee Stuart expects opponents to force the issue onto the local ballot, but this is a landmark vote for the region all the same. How long before Wichita relents, too? Funny how the free-market philosophy so prevalent around here gets squishy on this issue.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
