I don’t know all the legal wrangling behind the Judith Miller case. But it’s puzzling why The New York Times reporter went to jail in the first place. The source she allegedly was protecting — Scooter Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff — reportedly had his attorney tell Miller’s attorney more than a year ago that she was free to talk. And he told other reporters that he didn’t need protecting. So was Miller really taking a stand on principle? Or was she, as some have suggested, attempting to boost her image after her lame reporting on Iraq and WMDs? And why was Miller’s testimony so important to special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald’s investigation that he sent her to jail?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
It’s difficult to have much of an initial reaction to President Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court, because not that much is known about her — though that fact raises concerns about her qualifications. Miers is Bush’s White House counsel and was an accomplished corporate attorney in Texas. However, she has never served as a judge and, for a Supreme Court nominee, has a relatively thin resume. That doesn’t necessarily make her unqualified for the high court, but it raises the question: Why her?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Bill Maher, as part of his “New Rules” for his HBO show, recently suggested that New Orleans should be moved to Kansas in an effort to loosen our state up.
He said, “You can’t tell me that the giant swath of red America that Kansas sits in the middle of wouldn’t benefit from thousands of insane Creoles who understand that hangovers only happen to people foolish enough to stop drinking. . . . It could use some jazz, some blues . . . some blacks.
“Yes, I see a shining city on a plain. New Orleans, Kansas. Where people are learning. They’re learning that a gay pride parade isn’t something to fear; it’s something to laugh at. So what do you say, Kansas?”
What do you readers say to that?
Posted by Melissa Cooley
The Libertarian Party is hoping that public frustration with government and our political leaders may be a good recruiting opportunity. “Republicans are fed up with Bush’s big-government, big-spending mentality, while Democrats are continually disappointed with their party’s lack of a spine when it comes to Iraq and civil liberties,” said Shane Cory, chief of staff of the Libertarian Party.
He also said: “While we all hate to see our nation go down the wrong path under the two-party system, the good news is that Americans are starting to wake up and look for alternatives.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
In Iraq, more bad news: Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told Congress Thursday that at present, only one Iraqi battalion is prepared to fight the insurgency without U.S. help — down from three battalions reported to be ready just a few months ago.
That’s bad news, considering that any significant U.S. troop withdrawal in 2006 has been linked to Iraqi troops’ ability to stand on their own. A political solution to the insurgency is looking equally remote, because the new draft constitution has failed to win over the Sunnis. Even if, as expected, Iraqis approve the constitution in the upcoming vote, a full-blown civil war could still erupt.
Meanwhile, the devastating bombings continue.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tried to put a positive spin on the Iraqi troop news, but not many in Congress were buying it. At some point, results speak louder than words. Where are the results in Iraq? Where is the plan for either victory or a credible exit?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Katrina’s effects on New Orleans may have been a preview of what will happen to many more coastal cities if we continue to ignore global warming. This New York Times article points out that the floating cap of sea ice on the Arctic Ocean shrank this summer to what is probably its smallest size in a century.
And the Times editorial board argues what that could mean for coastal cities in the United States: “According to one government study, a 20-inch rise in sea level by 2100 could put 3,500 square miles of the southern coast of the United States underwater — rendering efforts to restore the Everglades and the Louisiana coastline essentially pointless. A large-scale breakup of the polar ice sheets would, of course, make matters much worse. Dikes could protect some regions, like Manhattan and the Netherlands, but most coastlines would be inundated.”
Posted by Melissa Cooley
Wichitan Kathy Deane created this satirical opposition to the north site for a downtown arena, which could require tearing down the Old Mill Tasty Shop on Douglas.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
