Republican lawmakers aren’t amused by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ new TV campaign commercial, which depicts them as unruly, misbehaving students. But like it or not, that’s how many Kansans see them. Lawmakers, particularly many of those from Sedgwick County, made little effort over the years to adequately fund urban school districts — even ignoring their own audits. And when the courts finally intervened, they threw a fit about judicial activism.
The bigger exaggeration in the ad is the claim that Sebelius “broke through years of legislative gridlock to pass a plan that strengthens our schools.” Sebelius did play a behind-the-scenes role, but the reason the Legislature finally acted was because the Kansas Supreme Court made it, not because of Sebelius’ leadership.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
“The cracking of Republican solidarity in support of Bush on Iraq has short-term implications for November’s elections and long-term implications for whether the administration can sustain its policies,” Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne wrote, noting how many GOP candidates who are in competitive elections, such as Rep. Chris Shays (in photo), R-Conn., are calling for a timetable for withdrawal or objecting to President Bush’s handling of the war. “With a growing number of Republicans now echoing Democratic criticisms of the war, Republican strategists will have a harder time making the election a referendum on whether the United States should ‘cut and run’ from Iraq, the administration’s typical characterization of the Democrats’ view.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The Washington Post noted a strange omission on Osama bin Laden’s “wanted” poster on the FBI’s Web site: any specific mention of Sept. 11. The notice says air industry groups have added $2 million to the offered reward of up to $25 million for information leading to his capture or conviction, but neglects to say why. Instead, it says bin Laden is wanted for the U.S. embassy bombings in Africa in 1998 and “is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world.” No kidding.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Mark Parkinson, former GOP state lawmaker and the current Democratic lieutenant governor candidate, had some explaining to do when he spoke to the Kansas AFL-CIO last week. “As a Republican, I had a pretty good voting record on labor issues, but I didn’t have a great one, and I certainly didn’t have one that would merit your support, and I didn’t have one that would match the governor’s record,” he told union members. “Had I known what I know now about business and labor in 1990 and 1992, some of those votes would have been different.” The votes certainly would have been different had he known he would switch political parties.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
A meeting on Old Cowtown Museum’s future drew a crowd of supporters Monday evening. But if Cowtown depends on the largesse of the Sedgwick County Commission, it’s in trouble.
Commissioner Dave Unruh told The Eagle editorial board that he doesn’t see many options for the struggling museum: Either “shut it down, or the city or county one ought to step up with a lot of support.”
And he made clear he doesn’t think it should be the county. Cowtown’s buildings and collections, he noted, legally belong to the city of Wichita. Cowtown “should be their project,” he said. “The city should take full responsibility for it.”
Unruh said the county has taken the lead on several major projects, including building the downtown arena and supporting Exploration Place. Cowtown is just one too many.
But the city, for its part, has shown little inclination to embrace Cowtown financially. Without significant support from local government, saving Cowtown looks like a long shot.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
The following satirical headlines come from borowitzreport.com:
BOULDER DISTRICT ATTORNEY PLEADS INSANITY; ‘Out of My Mind’ to Arrest John Mark Karr, Lacy Explains
VIDEO PIRACY RING DROPS TOM CRUISE FILMS; Chinese Bootleggers Call Star’s Behavior ‘Unacceptable’
PLUTO DEMOTED, BUT NOT RUMSFELD; Scientists Baffled by Defense Secretary’s Staying Power
SADDAM: I KILLED JONBENET; Stunning Confession Rocks Former Dictator’s Trial
FAA BANS PEOPLE FROM FLIGHTS; ‘Zero Tolerance for People,’ Chertoff Says
U.N. TO SEND PEACEKEEPERS; HEZBOLLAH TO SEND WARKEEPERS; ‘Roadmap to Chaos’ Still Intact, Says Hezbollah Leader
BUSH SEEKS EXIT STRATEGY AT MAPQUEST; Vows to Find Most Direct Route From Iraq to U.S.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
