Beyond calling her nominated successor “first rate” and admitting to disappointment that the president didn’t pick a woman, retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor made a potent point this week about the upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the confirmation of John Roberts: They will be showtime for senators who want to look “erudite” by asking tough questions. (The stars will include Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., whose performance will be watched especially closely because of his presidential aspirations.) She added: “When you overlay that with the present concern of some members of Congress with judges who are being painted as activist, whatever that is, I think it is inevitable that there is going to be a lot of time spent on confirmation hearings.” Let’s hope it’s time well spent.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The latest bombings in London should lead to increased scrutiny of Great Britain’s militant Islamic communities, and of Pakistan.
Three of the July 7 bombers traveled to Pakistan last year, where at least one of them visited one of that country’s many extremist Islamic religious schools, or madrassas, that are known breeding grounds for terrorists.
Pakistan has pledged to crack down on these terrorist factories — any evidence they are doing so? Pakistan, of course, is a key “ally” in the war on terror . . .
Posted by Randy Scholfield
As far as Supreme Court nominees representing “mainstream values,” they do if they support upholding Roe v. Wade, the decision that established abortion rights.
According to a new USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll, a full 68 percent of Americans want the Supreme Court to uphold Roe v. Wade; only 29 percent say the decision should be overturned.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Americans are dropping $50 to fill ‘er up, and what is Congress doing to help? Advocating making daylight-saving time extend from early March through late November. Part of the energy bill debate, the daylight-saving time proposal is drawing unexpected criticism from airlines, schools, religious groups, bureaucrats and farmers. “Cows don’t pay attention to clocks,” said House Energy Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, on that last constituency. It’s great to see Congress debating energy conservation, but is making schoolkids wait for morning buses in the frigid dark the best means to that noble end?
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Testimony Wednesday in the Kansas City, Kan., federal trial of former Westar Energy executives David Wittig, pictured at left, and Douglas Lake indicated that neither reported any personal use of the company planes over a four-year period. None. This was as they reportedly were treating Westar-owned aircraft like their personal shuttles for travel between Topeka and Europe and the East Coast. How could people so smart do something so dumb?
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Keeping the Wichita City Council’s commitment to better fund the arts in 2006 by $719,000 will involve budget trade-offs. Keeping that support beyond 2006 could involve a car rental tax. In any case, the efforts that the mayor, council members and city staff have made in recent days to follow through on arts funding have emphatically restated the wonderful message the city sent in February — that the arts very much matter to Wichita. Well done.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
