When Kansas Republicans effectively took control of the State Board of Education away from conservatives in the Aug. 1 primary, the rest of the country took notice. Thomas Frank (in photo), the Mission Hills native who wrote "What’s the Matter With Kansas?" — a best-selling condemnation of conservatism’s unfulfilled promises — asked in The New York Times last week: "Could the conservative uprising in my home state finally have run its course?" With regret, Frank concluded that hasn’t, in part because "Seen from the streets of Wichita, the rightist rebellion of Kansas seems to fulfill that most romantic of American political traditions: the uprising of the little guy." Our editorial on today’s Opinion pages suggests that as big as the election was for Kansas, it seems more like a pendulum swing for one governmental body than a political sea change for the Kansas GOP.
Today’s pages also include a roundup of excerpts of national commentary written about the state board change, from Chuck Colson to The Washington Post.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Democrat Paul Morrison is taking the fight to Attorney General Phill Kline on his own turf, announcing last week his own proposals for getting tough on sexual predators, including expanded powers to lock up violators and make it more difficult for them to lure children into relationships.
In fact, he charges Kline with not doing enough on the issue.
Kline calls it an "election year conversion," but give Morrison credit for a smart campaign strategy. The longtime prosecutor hopes to show voters that he’s just as tough as Kline on bad guys — and has more courtroom experience to boot.
If it works, he could neutralize some of Kline’s perceived strengths.
That said, some of Morrison’s other recent comments on the campaign trail — implying Kline is a "doofus" and saying people who get to know Kline don’t like him — go overboard and could backfire with voters.
Morrison doesn’t need to attack Kline personally to make his case about who would be the better attorney general.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
More signs that a smoking ban is on the way to Wichita, sooner or later: Garden City in western Kansas last week approved a smoking ban in bars, restaurants and most other public places starting Jan. 8.
Lawrence, Salina, Hutchinson, Abilene and Concordia have also passed laws that either ban or restrict public smoking. Derby’s city council will discuss a ban later this month. More than 100 Wichita-area hospitals and clinics recently announced plans to go smoke-free. And Wichita’s anti-tobacco coalition is promising to fire up the issue again in coming months.
The trend is clear. The documented health hazards of secondhand smoke are giving new momentum to these efforts nationwide.
It’s just a matter of time before Wichita clears the air.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Sept. 11 commission leaders Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton write in their book, "Without Precedent," that it was mind-boggling that authorities had asserted their air defenses reacted quickly and were prepared to shoot down United Airlines Flight 93, Associated Press reported. In reality, the shoot-down order did not reach North American Aerospace Command pilots until after all the hijacked planes had crashed.
"Fog of war could explain why some people were confused on the day of 9/11, but it could not explain why all of the after-action reports, accident investigations and public testimony by FAA and NORAD officials advanced an account of 9/11 that was untrue," the chairmen wrote.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
There is a disturbing difference between the global responses to two conflicts, New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof noted. Israel’s monthlong bombardment of Lebanon has killed hundreds and could lead to 20,000 international peacekeepers. But "three years ago," he wrote, "Sudan began a genocide against African tribes in its Darfur region. That war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, and it is now spreading. There is talk of U.N. peacekeepers someday, but none are anywhere in sight. The moral of the story? Never, ever be born to a tribe that is victim to genocide in Africa."
As for the Arab world, Kristof wrote, "I sympathize with their horror at what is happening in Lebanon, but I wish they were just as outraged when Muslims slaughter Muslims in Darfur."
Posted by Rhonda Holman
To our "solutions looking for a problem" department comes digital artwork that reflects your demeanor.
As reported byCNN, British and American computer scientists have developed a way to create "empathic paintings" that change according to how the viewer feels. Special software deciphers facial cues and adapts the color and brushstrokes of the digital image.
Imagine Edvard Munch’s "The Scream" becoming "The Chuckle" on days he was feeling particularly chipper.
A new path to narcissism? I can’t wait.
But until it hits the market, there’s always the mirror.
Posted by Dave Knadler
