Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., may have been hoping to rally the liberal base and give a boost to his possible presidential bid, but his proposal to censure President Bush over the eavesdropping program is a godsend to the right wing, The New York Times reported. Conservatives have been worried that their base, which has been demoralized on several issues, lacked motivation to turn out in the fall election. But now they are using the threat of censure and a possible impeachment as reason why conservatives need to go to the polls. “Impeachment, coming your way if there are changes in who controls the House eight months from now,” conservative organizer Paul Weyrich is warning. Nothing like manufactured fear to motivate people.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
In its zeal to denounce Fred Phelps’ funeral picketing, the Kansas Senate made a declaration on behalf of Kansans this week that might rub a few atheists — we know you’re out there — the wrong way. As the resolution, which passed 39-0, “condemns in the strongest manner possible the hateful activities of Mr. Phelps and his followers,” it declares that “the people of Kansas largely embrace a true religious message of love for one’s neighbors.” An attempt by Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, to delete the word “religious” failed, and she ended up abstaining.
By the way, the Westboro Baptist Church released a statement Tuesday explaining that the storm deaths in Missouri were God’s punishment for that state’s new law aimed at restricting church members’ funeral picketing.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Back on his optimistic second Inauguration Day, President Bush might have predicted that his two terms would be remembered for fighting terrorism, reforming Social Security, cutting taxes and aiding economic growth. More than a year later, the American people are ordering things quite differently, according to a new USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll: 64 percent said Bush will be most remembered for Iraq, and not in a good way — 60 percent said it’s going badly.
On the legacy question, Iraq bested the war on terror (18 percent), the Katrina response (10 percent), his U.S. Supreme Court appointments (5 percent) and tax cuts (2 percent). But who knows? The second term isn’t even half over. Maybe once we’re out of Iraq, that war will be weigh less on American minds, and move lower on the legacy scale.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The Kansas State Board of Education’s conservative majority just couldn’t leave well enough alone, deciding on a 6-4 vote Wednesday to meddle in Kansas school districts’ sex education classes by requiring that parents “opt in” their children by signing permission slips. Most districts, including Wichita’s, now have “opt-out” policies.
The latest state board blunder tramples the concept of local control of schools and, due to the inherent difficulties of getting parental consent, will result in fewer students learning basic reproductive facts, including the dangers of unprotected sex, according to health experts who testified to the board.
The Eagle editorial board didn’t like the idea of the state Legislature meddling in this matter, but in light of the state board’s disastrous mandate, a Senate bill requiring opt-out sex ed (or better: letting local school boards decide between the two options) now looks like a necessary corrective.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Even the business community is no longer ignoring global warming, author Eugene Linden points out in an op-ed piece for the Los Angeles Times. Defenders of Bush’s foot-dragging approach to the problem are disappearing. Linden writes:
“Two things happened to change corporate attitudes. The destructive power of extreme weather events has become impossible to ignore (for instance, Hurricane Katrina and the 2003 heat wave in Europe that killed nearly 35,000 people). Even to the casual observer, the climate system seems to be popping rivets. And multinational corporations couldn’t afford to be too out of step with their customers and stakeholders, particularly in the many countries where global warming is viewed as a clear and present danger. . . .
“So, President Bush, if the scientific, evangelical and business communities can’t sway you, what will it take to persuade you to help halt our lunatic meddling with Earth’s atmosphere?”
Posted by Melissa Cooley
There are important issues on today’s blog. But let’s face it; March Madness is beginning, and it’s difficult to think very long about anything else. Wichita State University tips off this morning at 11:20 against Seton Hall. And the University of Kansas takes on Bradley Friday night at about 8:30. It won’t be easy to get much work done the rest of the week, but who cares?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee