Kansas’ two popular senators do not rank among the nation’s 10 best, according to Time magazine. A native Wichitan did, though: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (in photo), R-Pa., is praised for his “principled contrarianism” while fighting Hodgkin’s disease. The other nine best: Thad Cochran, R-Miss.; Kent Conrad, D-N.D.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.; Jon Kyl and John McCain, R-Ariz.; Carl Levin, D-Mich.; Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. It also should be noted that neither of Kansas’ senators is among Time’s worst: Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii; Wayne Allard, R-Colo.; Jim Bunning, R-Ky.; Conrad Burns, R-Mont.; and Mark Dayton, D-Minn. Time also dubs five the “Up-And-Comers”: Barack Obama, D-Ill.; Lindsay Graham, R-S.C.; Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.; John E. Sununu, R-N.H.; and Mark Pryor, D-Ark.
Many would argue that such rankings mean little to voters. That’s a point soon to be tested in Kansas, where Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, one of Time’s five best governors last year, is up for re-election this year.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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