width=”100″ height=”154″ border=”0″ title=”Klinesmiling_3″ alt=”Klinesmiling_3″ src=”http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/files/images/klinesmiling_3.jpg” /> It’s a surreal aside to an amazing race: If Democratic challenger Paul Morrison succeeds in unseating Attorney General Phill Kline, they could end up switching jobs. The Kansas City Star reported that possibility over the weekend. It could happen because Morrison was a Republican before switching parties to challenge Kline, meaning the Johnson County Republican Committee would pick Morrison’s replacement as district attorney until the 2008 election. And Kline, a former Johnson County legislator, might be the GOP’s guy. "Absolutely. I would not rule him out," said Doug Patterson, the county GOP chairman.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
It’s understandable that a jury sympathized with Roger Valadez. Two years ago, KSN-TV, Channel 3, named Valadez as a suspect in the BTK investigation. But it’s likely that an appeals court will overturn the jury’s decision on Friday that KSN should pay Valadez $1.1 million for outrageous conduct and defamation. The fact is that KSN reported the truth: Valadez was a suspect in the case.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The number of liberal professors is decreasing, but only slightly, while the number of centrists is increasing. A study reported in the journal Public Opinion Quarterly looked at the political affiliations of professors and how they stood on different opinions based on surveys conducted in 1989 and 1997. In that time, the liberal persuasion dropped from 24.6 percent to 23.3 percent. "Middle of the road" professors increased from 16.5 percent to 19.6 percent of professors. The remaining professors in 1997 were listed as 32.6 percent moderately liberal, 17.7 percent moderately conservative, and 6.7 percent conservative. So conservatives are still far outnumbered.
Posted by Angie Holladay
It’s a little disconcerting that arena officials still haven’t started looking for a major headliner for the downtown arena grand opening scheduled for early 2009. Big acts like the Stones or the Boss often have to be secured years in advance. The same goes for scheduling marquee basketball games.
Sedgwick County Commissioner Dave Unruh allowed in a recent meeting with The Eagle editorial board that maybe an opening act should have been booked by now. But he said that the county first wanted to decide on management for the facility — a decision is expected in mid-December — before beginning the search for an opening act.
Let’s hope somebody is making a list and some preliminary calls soon. It would be nice to have an opening act bigger than REO Speedwagon.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
First it was dodgeball, and now tag, flag football and other "chase" games are off the list of approved schoolyard games for some school districts. In spite of the number of obese kids lumbering around the school at recess, a school district in Massachusetts reportedly has banned the games during unsupervised times.
According to principal Gaylene Heppe, recess is "a time when accidents can happen." That may be true, but restraining kids from releasing some pent-up energy with a good, spirited game of tag could cause more behavior problems in the classroom.
Posted by Angie Holladay
The national focus on decreasing fat, sugar and calories among children is not lost on the "happiest place on Earth." Disney, once proudly licensing Buzz Lightyear to products such as chocolate Pop Tarts and sugary cereals, will prudently check the nutritional labels before a product can bear the company’s characters. The change will begin when licensing expires in 2008.
Good for Disney.
Disney’s corporate responsibility will include pulling its toys out of McDonald’s Happy Meals — a relationship in place for more than 10 years. At Disney property dining locations, meals will include more side orders of carrots or applesauce instead of french fries.
Posted by Angie Holladay
