Daily Archives: June 3, 2006

Open thread

June 3, 200612:09 a.m.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (60)

Now Swift Boaters are under fire

June 3, 200612:07 a.m.

It’s been nearly two years since he lost his presidential bid, but Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is on the offensive against the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who accused him of making up his war heroism. He has signed forms authorizing the Navy to release his records and hired a researcher to comb the naval archives, and he has a former crew member interviewing veterans to reconstruct every incident in question, The New York Times reported. Kerry insists that he has moved on from his election loss but feels compelled to right a wrong. “They lied and lied and lied about everything,” he said.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (109)

Nuss fuss grows curiouser and curiouser

June 3, 200612:03 a.m.

Our editorial on Saturday’s Opinion page ponders the increasingly strange inquiries into what Kansas Supreme Court Justice Lawton Nuss and two state senators talked about at lunch on March 1. Last week, we found out that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and her chief of staff could be called to testify before a special House panel. This week, we learned that Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (in photo) had been tapped to assist Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline by assisting the House committee, meaning Nebraska’s attorney general could end up quizzing Kansas’ governor. Meanwhile, there is understandable discomfort with the idea of House members investigating Senate members, which a Washburn University law professor and others say is at odds with the constitutional separation of powers.
We wonder: “If all the House probe will produce is a report, what purpose will that serve, other than to influence the fall election? With every development, this looks like an awfully big fuss to make over a few-minute lunch conversation, however inappropriate it was.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (22)

Put spotlight on predatory lenders

June 3, 200612:01 a.m.

Good for Sunflower Community Action for planning to protest today against payday lenders that prey on the poor and uninformed. These businesses have mushroomed during the past year, and so have their TV advertisements, which show smiling people getting what seems to be free cash. What these commercials don’t disclose, of course, is that the effective annual borrowing rate on these loans can be 400 percent. Lawmakers need to take action to limit these rates and fees. In the meantime, Sunflower is doing an important service by warning citizens not to get duped.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (73)