President Bush went on the offensive about Iraq during a Veterans Day speech in Pennsylvania, but it didn’t hold up. He argued that "it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began." And he noted that most members of Congress and foreign intelligence agencies thought that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. True, but that’s not the issue. The question is: Did the Bush administration deliberately misuse or overplay highly suspect intelligence information in order to sell a pre-emptive war, as some CIA reports and other information now seem to suggest? That’s what phase two of Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts’ intelligence committee report needs to answer.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
If terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi thought his fellow Jordanians would respond to this week’s suicide bombings in that country with sympathy for al-Qaida’s cause, he was sorely mistaken. In the wake of the three attacks killing 57 people, the backlash of street protests, official condemnations and 100-plus arrests is the most encouraging sign in a while that al-Qaida cannot win friends in the Arab world by slaughtering innocents in the twisted name of Islam. Whatever end al-Zarqawi has in mind, this means increasingly seems likely to foster only resistance to all terrorism.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young is co-chairman of a new group called “Why Tuesday? Let’s Move the Vote,” Washington Post columnist David Broder noted. The group wants to switch Election Day to the weekend in an attempt to increase participation. The Tuesday date was established by Congress 160 years ago when it took some farmers more than a day to travel by horse and buggy to the county seat. I’m open to changing the date and modernizing voting methods, such as Internet or mail-in voting. But I also think that most people who really want to vote can do so now.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
California voters, in rejecting four ballot initiatives backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, may have been saying “no” to Arnold instead of the proposed policies, Christ Thompson suggests in this article for Salon. The irony, he says, is that some of the measures were actually needed.
“But Schwarzenegger could never make a serious case for his proposals,” Thompson writes. “He was too overwhelmed by the arrogant, swaggering public image he so studiously crafted, and irritated voters just stopped listening. But that’s hubris for you. Schwarzenegger has led such a charmed life that he never considered that someday, someone would tell him no.”
As an Opinion Line Extra contributor said, “It’s interesting that we haven’t heard anything lately about amending the Constitution so Arnold Schwarzenegger could become president. After Tuesday’s election results, maybe a ‘total recall’ would be a better idea.”
Posted by Melissa Cooley
We know Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., is positioning himself for a run for president. But does he really need to renew the push to amend the federal Constitution to ban gay marriage? Marriage is and always has been a state issue, not a federal one. And if states want to amend their constitutions to ban gay marriages, they can — as Kansas did earlier this year. Besides, there is not enough political support in Congress to pass the amendment. A Senate panel headed by Brownback narrowly approved the measure Wednesday, but it couldn’t even get a simple majority during a full Senate vote last year, far short of the two-thirds majority required. That makes this new push look like what it probably is — pandering to social conservatives.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Reader Joe Renfro sent in this cartoon take on the Kansas State Board of Education’s evolution vote this week.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The east site is a great location for the new downtown arena. But the current footprint plan making the rounds shows a couple of buildings removed that should remain standing, if possible: the Eagle Hall Building at 200 S. Emporia and, next door to the south, Ray’s Sales.
The 1916 Eagle Hall Building, especially, has historic interest and architectural charm. Sure, the two-story structure (also known as the “Dancer building”) looks a little rough right now, but with its brick facade and graceful arched windows, it’s a diamond in the rough.
Even better, a development group has announced plans to restore it to its full glory. Why not let it? After all, that was one of the reasons for the arena — to encourage redevelopment of worthy downtown buildings.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
