Operation Rescue isn’t just against abortion; it’s also against Wichita. The group has two billboards south of Oklahoma City on I-35 declaring that Wichita is the “abortion capital of the world.” The signs are meant to steer those who oppose abortion rights away from visiting Wichita and to change the minds of out-of-state women who are coming to Wichita to get abortions. “We’re hoping to establish these billboards on all the major routes leading into Wichita,” Operation Rescue West’s Troy Newman of Wichita told The Eagle. What isn’t clear is why the group is blaming Wichita for having a legal business that performs a legal medical procedure.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Out of respect for our state’s diverse population and to not misuse a public forum, most pastors who pray during the legislative session in Topeka try to be nonsectarian and avoid political subjects. Not the Rev. Richard Edds, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in El Dorado. Edds, who was the guest of Rep. John Grange, R-El Dorado, opened Friday’s House session by praying that God would give lawmakers “courage not to sacrifice the budget at the altar of education, not fund the budget from gambling or other vices.” He also prayed that lawmakers would protect traditional marriage, the family and the unborn and that God would “turn America back to her biblical heritage as a God-fearing nation.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Oh, well. By the time today’s winning caption contest entry hit the printed page, it was out of date. The Kansas Legislature seems to have deep-sixed the dog track-slot machines plan as of last Thursday. Still, in the Statehouse Wonderland all things are possible and perhaps dog tracks can have nine lives. We’ll go on that assumption and act as if our reader-submitted captions are as relevant as ever. Click on the image at right to see the winner, sent in by Teresa Arthur of Wichita. Mark Wurfel of Wichita came in a close second place with "Now this is my idea of ‘Ruffin’ it!" From Richard Julius of Belle Plaine came another knock to Mr. Ruffin: "Phil’s next big coup will be a takeover of the nation’s ports!" Then for good measure Mr. Julius also submitted "Phil Ruffin’s favorite biblical passage is ‘Give and ye shall receive!’" Bel Aire’s Bernie Lantz sent in "This ol’ dog won’t be Ruffin it anymore if Phil gets his way!" Roger Neugent of Haysville weighed in with "There’s nothing like Ruffin’s Kibbles ‘n Bucks to make me a top dog on the circuit!" Bruce Cole was his usual prolific self with the following captions: "This is fantastic! And what falls on the ground can go to Kansas schools!" and "I knew if I kept hounding the legislature…" and "I haven’t salivated this much since Pavlov!" and "I’m really enjoying this new kind of Gravy Train!" A nice concise caption came from Michael Rogers of Wichita: "Tally-Ho!!!" Turns out the Rogers actually have a greyhound named Tally. Larry Newell of Belle Plaine got puny with "What a bone-us!" Michael Unruh of Hesston gave us "I wonder if they’ll let me add a cat house?" And finally, without further comment, here’s one from Sue McWhorter of Wichita: "Yea! I don’t have to eat my poop anymore…the state can pay for clean-up!"
There is too much smut on TV, which is why the Federal Communications Commission is trying harder to punish those who cross the line in presenting indecency as entertainment. But some of the latest cases in which the FCC has levied a total $3.9 million in fines demonstrate how subjective this is. A simulated orgy in the CBS drama “Without a Trace” drew a whopping $3.6 million fine against 111 stations, in part because in cities such as Wichita it aired before 10 p.m. But one Washington station was fined $27,500 for airing an episode of WB’s “The Surreal Life 2,” and one California station was fined $15,000 for some expletives in the Martin Scorsese-produced PBS documentary “The Blues.” Why punish single stations for shows produced by a network and aired nationwide? About the only thing sure about the FCC’s enforcement in post-wardrobe malfunction America is that it’s chilling some TV producers and confusing everybody.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
We’ve noted before that there are much bigger concerns about our nation’s ports than the Dubai fiasco. And a $75 million, three-year study by the Homeland Security Department is uncovering how bad those problems really are. The study, which is expected to be completed by this fall, has already found lapses by private port operators, shipping lines and truck drivers that could allow terrorists to smuggle weapons of mass destruction into the United States, the Associated Press reported. This is inexcusable. It’s been 4½ years since Sept. 11; these security lapses shouldn’t still exist.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Not surprisingly, both of Kansas’ senators were among the 51 votes for a $2.8 trillion spending plan and the 52 votes to raise the national debt ceiling to nearly $9 trillion. These were pragmatic votes, to be sure — necessary to keep the government operating and the war going. But Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, like all congressional Republicans and the GOP White House, have to realize at some point that their stated commitment to fiscal responsibility is seriously at odds with their actions.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
President Bush nominated Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach last week to serve as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, but the nomination likely won’t go anywhere. That’s because Democrats vow to block the appointment until the FDA finally makes a new decision on the “morning after” pill. Meanwhile, Bush — not wanting to upset his socially conservative base, given his weak poll numbers — is unlikely to push the FDA for that decision. Also, The New York Times has an interesting recap of the politics behind Plan B — including how the administration reneged on its promise last year to make a decision on Plan B in exchange for Democrats not blocking Bush’s previous nominee to the FDA.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee