A relaxed, confident Gov. Kathleen Sebelius offered her case to The Eagle editorial board last week for why she deserves re-election. (We’ll hear from GOP challenger Jim Barnett again next month.) She remains well-positioned to win, but the meeting left the editorial board wanting more from the popular incumbent in the way of big ideas for a second term, along with more substance in the race generally.
Surely one of Time magazine’s “five best governors” in 2005 should be laying out an agenda for something more bold and enduring, even considering the difficulty in seeing her proposals through a GOP-controlled Legislature.
That said, as we ask in our editorial on today’s opinion page, is it somehow too much to expect big ideas and detailed agendas in a Kansas gubernatorial race? Do Kansans prefer their governors to be competent caretakers rather than trailblazers?
FYI: Check out the video excerpts of our interview that are posted on our Opinion page.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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48 Comments
In a world that seems to be increasingly unstable, a competent caretaker seem even more desirable then ever. We are living in a world that is seeing far too many “trailblazers”, Bush, Bin Laden, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Phelps, Fox, etc.
Is there a need for some change, Yes and a competent caretaker does just that to sustain the common good.Kansas does have several problems that need attention and change, but at a control progression not a ripe apart and hope to see how better to put back together. Trailblazers go off in a direction never travel before, not knowing what is ahead and hoping to be able to handle what comes. The problem with trailblazing is that for everyone who find a trail to the stated goal, the cost is many that the trail leads to a disastrous outcome. Perry reached the North Pole only after many other expeditions fail and died frozen and failed.
Right now in Wichita we see such expeditions, the river walk is such as it is the hope that that trail will lead to a better city. But it does ignore the bones of previous attempts and what would seem like sound judgment. The Arena or as I called it “Albino Pachyderm VI” is an attempt at trailblazing, it ignores that fact that every venue before has had trouble filling seats. So the solution is to build a bigger venue?
In this world of increasing upheaval, an old saying comes to mind, “ To succeed, one must keep one’s head while others are losing theirs”. A competent care taker does just that.
Any big idea would rile the religious right. Best to spout platitudes. Ideas require rationality, and half of Kansas is irrational.
Why didn’t she talk about the largest tax increase in Kansas history that she proposed?
Why didn’t she talk about her initiatives to reward illegal behavior by giving driver licenses to illegal’s and instate tuition at our universities for illegal’s?
Why didn’t she tell you that harboring an illegal is against the law and by illegal’s living in our university dorms that is exactly what they are doing?
Why didn’t she tell you that the state budget is heading for a deficit?
Why didn’t she tell you that the state has bonded so many things that not only will we pay but our children, grand-children and great-grand-children will be paying for this budget?
Why didn’t she tell you that all of the new programs she wants to wave in front of people are not affordable?
Why? Because then she would have to speak the truth and expose herself for what she really is. This is a tax and spend liberal with no ideas let alone any big ideas. She has her sights on Washington DC not Kansas. So why would she have any big ideas for Kansas? She can spend the money and then leave town and not have to pay the debt.
YEP, SEBELIUS “AS BIG AS YOUR POCKET BOOK!”
Door King,
HALF? ;)
Good Moderate sized ideas are much more preferential than Big Bold Bad Ideas, we’ve had so much of from the Ruling Party.But I did catch the “they don’t have any ideas” Right wing propaganda.
That isn’t the Topeka Capital building in her eyes, it’s the Nation’s Capital in the District of Columbia.
She’s a seasoned politican, not an idea person.
I love it.
Sotheysaid is whining and moaning about the itty-bitty debt that Kansas has incurred for education and roads and fails to even mention the historical high 9 TRILLION dollar national debt that the country has racked up under this REPUBLICAN pResident and his rubber-stamp REPUBLICAN Congress.
Yup, Sotheysaid proves once again that there’s a cure for many things.
But there ain’t no cure for stupid.
As for Sebelius taking all this crap because she MIGHT want to run for national office . . . this from the same folks that worshipped Bob Dole for running for president in ‘96.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican.
And speaking of Governors running for President, I suppose all the CONservatives posting today opposed Governor George W. Bush for not staying in Texas and serving the people there.
Right?
Having immigrants who know how to drive and pay taxes is a bad thing? The anti-immigrant people are bitching about how they are a drain on the system but develop a plan where that drain is lessened and it too is criticized. What’s the difference between a foreign citizen living here with a green card and one without one when it comes to driving? As a driver I’d like the security to know that someone behind the wheel has some basic competence about the driving laws of Kansas.
I’m an American and lived in Kansas for six years now, I own a house, car and pay taxes here yet I don’t qualify for in state tuition. So it isn’t a bad idea if the state liberalizes it’s tuition policies to encourage more people to stay in the state to go to college rather than finding a cheaper university elsewhere.
Or does it just matter what the color of my skin is?
Some enter politics to “be” something.Some enter politics to “do” something.Kathleen is in the first category. She wants to be VP.She didnt really want to be Insurance Commissioner either, everything is a stepping stone.
I still think Barnett has a shot. But what does it prove if Kathleen wins?That you can act like a Republican and win?Pro Military commercials.Budget Cutting Commercials.Wow, next thing you know, she will bring in Hugo Chavez and Michael Moore huh? lolIf Kathleen makes it to the national stage, she will either turn on the moderates in KS that support her now, or her party will turn on HER like they turned on Lieberman.
Sebelius isn’t acting like a Republican because she balanced the budget. That’s something the Republicans haven’t been able to do.
DougEvery Governor in KS history has balanced the budget.It is required in our Constitution.By the way, Sebelius also thinks there are no Democrats worthy of being Lt. Gov.That is why she picked Parkinson!
Sebelius is anti-White, pro-wetback and anti gun. she is also in bed with the water wasters. she combines the worst aspects of anti_white, anti-gun leftism with repuke crony capitalism. You get the worst of both worlds with that hag!
Viva La Revolucion Blanco!!
You gotta admire Paul’s ability to repeat the Republican party’s talking points.
I heard Brenda Landweird saying the same thing at the Pachaderym Club . . . “Sebelius couldn’t find any Democrat good enough.”
That’s really lame, ya know.
Obviously, what it shows is that Sebelius is willing to work across the aisle, she’s willing to take a moderate, pragmatic view instead of dogmatic ideological one.
And given that voters are ranking her 20 points ahead of Barnett–who’s wisely KEEPING HIS DAY JOB, btw–looks like the people understand it too.
Keep up the spin, Mr. Roshill, it’s not working for you.
“Every Governor in KS history has balanced the budget.It is required in our Constitution.”
And who was the last PRESIDENT to balance the budget, Mr. Roshill?
Republican or Democrat?
With Bush in office for six years, it’s like shooting fish in barrel around here.
“Reality has a well-known liberal bias.” Stephen Colbert
Doug? You cannot qualify for in-state tution? I find that hard to believe.
If Time magazine listed Governor Sebelius as one of America’s five best governors, it doesn’t speak well for America’s governors.
Bob Dole stated when he lost his bid for president that if he lost, he would go home. I thought he meant Kansas.
The only time Bob Dole ever gave a thought to Kansas was when he needed votes and then, suddenly, he was a Kansas again.
No, when he lost he stayed in Washington, DC. That is where Bob Dole’s heart is – not Kansas. But yet Kansans still worship him.
CapnAmerica likes to point out bad behavior with other kinds of bad behavior.
So – he agrees that sebelius has been negligent – thanks for getting on board!
Paul, STS, why do you two hate Kansas so much?
Joe – those who claim she is running for VP also claimed that Hillary was running in 2004.
There’s good debt and bad debt, Poindexter.
Good debt is the kind that makes your city or your country better. Bad debt is the kind that makes it weaker.
Debt for roads and education is good debt (within reasonable limits of course) because it makes it possible for the state with its better infrastructure to be more productive and generate more wealth.
Debt for the military and tax breaks for billionaires is bad debt, because that does not strengthen society and generate revenue.
Years of Reagan and Bush 41 doing this has proven it.
Bush 43’s record also shows it, except for last year’s tax revenue increase. Hey, one year out of 16 is a really crappy record, but I’m sure Joe Williams will come shilling in for Worst President Ever . . .
Besides, you can’t look at the speck in Sebelius’s eye and say it’s terrible and ignore the LOG in Bush’s eye and say nothing.
I would agree with Joe’s question about Doug’s eligibility for state-resident tuition. As I understand this matter, if you’re a declared dependent of out-of-state parents, and under 24, you may be out of luck. But it’s legal to establish trust funds for college-age children, and then if they are over 18, they can declare independence, even though the trust-fund money came from their parents. Alternatively, if one has had an instate job for more than 6 months and files an instate tax return, it’s pretty straightforward to get instate resident tuition.
If you’re in the military, it’s smart to change state of residence from your parents, if you’re posted at a certain base for a year or more, and you want instate tuition.
Gotta agree heartlander – 6 years seems like a long time to not be a resident.
Unlike her predecessors, at least Sebelius hasn’t done any harm.
I actually liked Sebelius until her series of false ads started running. Trying to claim credit for solving school financing when it was the result of a lawsuit is just a flat out lie.
And proudly standing at the end of a commercial with her arms crossed as the voiceover says, “and all this with no new taxes” when she proposed substantial tax increases just smells of total hypocrisy.
She had my support…and lost it with those blatant lies.
Something I always winder about is the advisors campaigns get. I agree raptor that her ads suck. I also remember how poor a campaign Senator Dole had – I have to blame advisors a lot for that. In Dole’s case I think that if he had been allowed to show his dry wit it would have served him well. Instead of coming across as the plain-spoken “tell it like it is” gut that he is he came across as being mean-spirited.
Locally I saw that with the Nolla campaign – outside advisors had too much control and did not know Kansas well. They did a lousy job IMO.
Oh, bullsh*t, raptor.
You wouldn’t vote for a Democrat if it were Jesus Christ.
The ads are working. That’s what has the Repukes so hopping mad.
They’re not aimed at me. I’m voting for her. They’re not aimed at Raptor; he wouldn’t vote for her if she were his own mother.
They’re aimed at the swing voter. And the swing voters are swinger her way.
Sucks to be you . . .
Joe, when I tried to qualify for in-state tuition after living in Kansas for three years I didn’t qualify because I couldn’t truthfully answer yes to the following question, “Are you going to spend the rest of your life in Kansas.” Since I said “I don’t know” because I can’t fortell the future I was rejected. Today I still can’t answer yes to that question so I can’t qualify.
Heartlander, I was 24, worked the same job for a year and paid Kansas taxes. I’m sure if I go back to school and just mark that I’m a resident there probably won’t be an inquiry but I was changing from being an Alaskan resident to a Kansas resident. You know, living in Kansas would have been easier if you guys would hand out oil royalty checks, do away with your sales and income tax and get a decent Blues bar in town. I’ve sacrificed so much already. :)
The ads make Sebelius look conservative.Pro military.Pro cutting wasteful spending (unless you count those lifesize cutouts of her at the fair.)The ads are also dishonest.She did try to raise taxes. If she had been successful, our economy would be doing worse and revenues would have been hurt.Also, she did virtually nothing on school finance.Again, where is the victory if you win with a women that acts like a female Lieberman?
Cutting wasteful spending, that something that Clinton set Gore out to do. Someone had to clean up the 12 years of Republican pork barrel spending and Gore brought some improvment. However with the Republicans in charge of all branches of the government the wasteful spending went out of control. Yup, Sebelius acting like one of those Democrats that the Republicans only wish they could be.
Pro-military is Democratic too. It was Clinton who upgraded the military and didn’t use the military like cannon fodder like Bush does. It’s no wonder so many Iraqi veterans are running under the Democratic ticket for 2006.
Funny how Republicans are always eager to raise taxes when it benefits them but when it benefits everyone in education spending it’s drastic to the economy. The Republicans wanted to increase the sales tax to pay for another arena which people don’t need, and they are going to raise property taxes to provide a corporate welfare program for the airline industry and an unnecessary addition to the prison. Let’s not forget Mayans that spent millions of dollars in corporate welfare for Airtran and wanted to spend millions more for a football team. At least we can feel confident that if Sebelius raises taxes it was actually go towards the common good rather than some wasteful program that Republicans advocate because it puts money in their pocket.
Funny, you criticize Sebelius for wanting to increase taxes for education then complain that she did nothing for school finance. So in your mind either way she loses. Or should it just be pointed out that you really don’t know what you are talking about, yet again.
Rhonda Holman: So, you think the Kansas gubernatorial race lacks bold ideas and initiatives? Perhaps that’s because the race lacks bold candidates.
I am arriving at the opinion that the best voting scenerio is “VOTE NO INCUMBENTS.”
I used to believe it was best to retain experience if all other factors checked out. But I’m coming to the conclusion that people who now hold political jobs are doing it purely for the pay check.
I don’t know what rock you crawled out from under, Capn, but you obviously have been hiding under one. Your false attacks on me are baseless and immature.
I have voted for and worked on campaigns for Democrats–raising funds, going door to door, making calls, etc. I have never been blinded by a party affiliation when going to the polls.
Most recently, I have worked for the Democratic incumbent representative in my district. I have one of his yard signs proudly displayed in my yard.
Take your tiny minded insults elsewhere, Capn. You are wrong, you are insulting, and you are making accusations where you have no basis in fact–as usual.
You sure have a lot of faith in government and politicians, Doug. Where does that come from?
Raptor–
Who is it?
Dee–
Social security cut poverty among the elderly, which had been over 40 percent, to less than 10 percent.
That’s a gov’t program that created a better society for us all.
It is a right-wing myth that gov’t can’t do anything right.
Dee, are you Vietnamese, or did you marry one?
Why does it matter who it is? Other than some intent to tear into whoever I am supporting, claiming he is not a ‘real’ Democrat or some other such nonsense.
Unlike you, Capn, I do not let party affiliations determine my vote. I do support some of the tenets of the Republican Party but that does not mean I blindly vote for one party based on that.
And your insults, based on nothing but your own prejudice, are way off base. Once again, you are wrong, but will you admit it?
“Unlike her predecessors, at least Sebelius hasn’t done any harm.”
BULLSHIT!!!!!!!
Take a look at Kansas water policy and it’s implementation under her administration.
Then ask ANYONE who has ever visted Cedar Bluff. Or Russell.
Governor “leadership” has led us into disaster with water going to the highest political bidder. Water is now the political currency in Kansas.
People in Russell cant water their little tomato plants because the ethanol plant is using all the water.
People at Cedar Bluff cant spend their tourism dollars to fish or boat because Hays and Russell need the water for ethanol.
And now Russell wants to drain Kanopolis for it’s ethanol plant?
Exactly where do PEOPLE fit into governor leadership’s water policy?
Behind ethanol and irrigated corn, that’s for sure.
I think I’d call that harm…..
Girl, come to SEK.We still have water because it’s the lowest place in the state.In more than one way.
Festus:I am curious as to why that is relevant.
hehehehe Tracy.
What? And give up all the wonderful things in western kansas? (heavy sarcasm)
heheheheh
Making a list right now.
Ok, done.
Short list…..
Rap–
Look out your window to your front yard.
What name do you see “proudly displayed” there?
I think Rap doesn’t see anything, because there is no Democratic yard sign in his yard.