President Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed Monday that Congress approved the use of eavesdropping when it authorized the use of military force after Sept. 11. "Congress gave me authority," Bush said during a news conference. But most lawmakers likely have a different memory. As Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., said on NBC’s "Today" show: "Nobody, nobody, thought when we passed a resolution to invade Afghanistan and to fight the war on terror . . . that this was an authorization to allow a wiretapping against the law of the United States."
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
President Bush’s rhetorical offensive against his sagging poll numbers seems to be working. Of all the recent interviews, think tank addresses and news conferences, the best yet was his Sunday night speech from the Oval Office. It was the clearest, frankest statement of the challenge that U.S. forces face in Iraq, the gains made there and his resolve to follow through. Bush is no Ronald Reagan in such a direct forum, but it was invaluable to hear him better level with the American people about the mistakes made in Iraq and his responsibility for them. Those looking for a timetable for getting out will continue to be frustrated, but the nation would be well-served if the president made such candor a habit for the rest of his presidency.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Here are some of the best captions from Eagle readers in this week’s contest. Christmas spirit abounds out there in Wichita, USA, apparently. So does sarcasm and when it comes to cartoon captions, that’s a good thing. Click on the image to see Jan Nyberg’s winning caption, then see if you agree with our judgment by checking out these other good ones. Valerie Davis submitted "We won’t be able to attend any holiday programs since there’s inadequate parking near the Downtown Arena, so let’s head back home with our gifts." And Rae Lee Simmonds who hails from Wichita, was in the same mode with "I say Bethlehem…I hear Wichita has a camel parking problem." Wichita’s Kathy Deane was also thinking about transportation: "Hey, boys, looks like we don’t need to ride up to KC. We can fly direct out of Wichita." Songstress Gwendolyn Lewis of Wichita, did a little caroling: "Star so wondrous, star so bright, couldn’t we get a cheaper flight?" And from Hazel Hart: "If we’d flown Mid-Continent, we’d be there by now!" Wichitan Karen Wallace sent in several good ones. The best: "Save the Boathouse? We’re Magi, not magicians!" Eagle subscriber since 1979, Thomas Christiansen sent in "Let’s go to Bethlehem and avoid the $3,900,000.00 naming rights!" Ross Voorhees of Wichita had this to say: Even if we lost all the gold at the new casino, we could still give Him the Franckincense and Myrrh…"
Roger Neugent of Haysville’s entry: "THEY TORE DOWN THEIR ONLY STABLE AND BUILD A CORPORATE OFFICE?!!!" Here’s one of Bruce Cole’s best: "Glad we stopped in Wichita. Let’s come back in 2000 years and see what Kellogg Pathway looks like when it’s finished!" Pretty optimistic, there, Bruce. I really like Mandy Renae Leonhart’s take: "Has anyone warned Mary about the biology curriculum when He reaches high school???" Likewise for Mike Barlow of Wichita: "Hey, Bob Knight and Jack DeBoer, who voted for you guys to wise men of Wichita?" Kurt Holmes of Wichita said "We’re bringing gifts of tax money, subsidies and revenue guarantee agreements. Take a right!" Jeff Logan did a bit of singing: "We three kings of orient are, bringing gifts…but not enough to save the downtown arena." Several of you sent in variations on the "Wichita could really use some wise men" theme, and Larry England said "Check your map again. It’s Topeka that’s in short supply of wise men." Thanks to all you wisenheimers for the captions. And have a merry Christmas.
The debate over whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” seems unproductive and confusing. Perhaps we should just have multiple-choice greetings on our cards, such as
Happy (Choose One):
a) Christmas
b) Holiday
c) Hanukkah
d) Kwanzaa
e) Spangles Day (It’s all about the Ranch)
The confusion seems to be working through the culture. I was a bit taken aback by a sign I spotted on the way to work that seemed a jarring blend of secular and religious purposes. It read something like this:
Happy Holidays
Be Careful —
Hell is Real!
Does that seem like a mixed message to anyone else?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
A Democratic commission made a good proposal to allow more states — particularly ones more ethnically diverse than Iowa and New Hampshire — into the early presidential primary schedule. We’ve also supported a plan pushed in the past by Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh to establish a rotating, regional primary system. But such changes are tough, uphill fights, because the entrenched political interests don’t like change — even change that would make primaries fairer and more democratic.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
It’s discouraging that a journalist can out a CIA operative and still have a career. But that seems to be the case with Robert Novak. In fact, it was his cussing on air that finally prompted CNN to take him off the air — not his involvement in the Valerie Plame case. Now Fox News has hired Novak as a contributor. The fact that he is still considered employable by the major cable networks does not speak well of their journalistic standards.
Posted by Melissa Cooley
Another health care reality check: One-third of doctors nationwide say they’ll be forced to limit the number of new Medicare patients they accept if proposed 4.4 percent cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates take effect in January, as scheduled, according to a Dec. 11 Eagle article.
And many Kansas doctors and their patients would be affected. In Wichita, some 380 physicians could reduce their Medicare client list. The reason is simple economics: Medicare payment rates already fall short of the actual costs of treatment. Kevin Hoppock, a family doctor and president of Wichita Clinic, called the trend of Medicare cuts “unsustainable.”
Instead of applying Band-Aids, Congress must find a long-term fix for the Medicare reimbursement system. One motivating factor, say senior advocates: Medicare patients vote.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
