Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline is bottom-feeding by dredging up a 15-year-old sexual harassment allegation against challenger Paul Morrison — a case that was dismissed twice for lack of evidence.
Kline slipped a mention of the allegation into a debate last week in Wichita. He then held a press conference about it Monday in Topeka.
But Kline was upstaged by Morrison’s wife, who showed up at the press conference and rebutted the charges.
“I don’t know when Phill lost his moral compass,” Joyce Morrison said. “I don’t understand how a person who claims family values can go out and attack another person’s family.”
Coming in the wake of new poll results that give Morrison a 13-point lead, Kline’s attack is likely to carry the whiff of desperation.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart acknowledged smuggling messages from an imprisoned terrorist to his followers on the outside, a crime for which she was sentenced Monday to 28 months in prison.
That was quite a bit less than the 30 years prosecutors wanted. But it also wasn’t the immediate elevation to sainthood she and her supporters seemed to favor, so she’s planning to appeal.
Stewart blames her conviction on the “hysteria” following Sept. 11. It might also have something to do with the overwhelming evidence of her guilt. In her zeal to aid Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind sheik who plotted to blow up New York landmarks and assassinate Egypt’s president, there’s every indication she crossed a line, from righteous defender to fellow traveler.
No doubt many genuine civil rights abuses have been committed in the name of fighting terrorism, but Stewart’s case is not among them. She should count herself lucky.
Posted by Dave Knadler
White House press secretary Tony Snow is not only reshaping President Bush’s message, he’s reinventing his own job. Snow is making fundraising appearances on behalf of Republican candidates, including one last weekend for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., the New York Times reported. That hasn’t happened before, as previous press secretaries at least pretended not to be overly partisan. But Snow’s TV background and conservative credentials put him in demand. “It’s like Mick Jagger at a rock concert,” said White House adviser Karl Rove, whose office arranged Snow’s fundraisers. But David Gergen, who served in the Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton administrations, warned that such politicking could undermine Snow’s credibility. “If he is seen as wearing two hats, reporters as well as the public will inevitably wonder: is he speaking to us now as the traditional press secretary, or is he speaking to us as a political partisan?”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
WuShock’s streamlined new look, unveiled last weekend, might disappoint some Shocker fans who liked the quirky — OK, downright weird and scary — appearance of the old Wumeister.
But face it: When the venerable Wichita State University mascot keeps falling down on the sidelines and can’t get up, it doesn’t exactly inspire fear. Something needed to be done.
The new design’s shorter head and lighter, more mobile suit should help Wu pull his weight as team mascot and cheerleader.
Still, WSU really should consider bringing back the hula skirt — that really messed with the minds of opposing teams.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
People in the Midwest give more than those in other areas of the United States, according to a recent study by the New Tithing Group. At 1.05 percent and 1.04 percent, respectively, residents of Oklahoma and Nebraska (without Warren Buffett’s recent donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) were outmatched only by Utah (1.63 percent) in their level of giving as a percentage of assets. Kansas ranked 16th with 0.76 percent, trailing North Dakota’s 0.81 percent and South Dakota’s 0.80 percent.
Midwesterners may never have the assets of folks in Florida or New York, but the coastal states could learn the practice of giving from the heartland.
Posted by Angie Holladay
As mrcontroversy noted in an earlier open thread, Wichita lost an important bridge builder and peacemaker last week when Nabil Seyam, a prominent leader of the local Muslim community, died in an auto accident. Seyam’s life mission was to promote better understanding of Islam and its followers — and his success was a testament to the power of faith to make a difference.
In the often emotional aftermath of Sept. 11, Seyam worked courageously and tirelessly to make Wichitans aware that most Muslims sought peace and dialogue, not conflict. He spoke to many local congregations of various faiths, reaching out with a message of tolerance and understanding.
Seyam’s leadership was key in building the Islamic Society of Wichita and the city’s impressive new mosque. But perhaps his most lasting legacy will be his personal example of quiet faith and interfaith dialogue.
There will be a public memorial service for Seyam at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Muslim Community Center, 6655 E. 34th St. North.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
