Daily Archives: Oct. 27, 2006

Expanded Kline video is even worse

Oct. 27, 200612:43 p.m.

The Eagle editorial board is back in the news again. Kansas City Star columnist Mike Hendricks has a column today that links to our editorial board video excerpt from our interview with Attorney General Phill Kline. And the Topeka Capital-Journal did a news article about it. Associated Press also reported about the video today.
During the interview, I asked Kline if he was going to use the 15-year-old sexual harassment allegation against his opponent, Paul Morrison, in his campaign. He said, “I’m not.” But less than a week later, Kline held a press conference about the unproven allegations.
Hendricks writes: “Character does matter. But isn’t it interesting that the only thing Kline could find on Morrison was so long ago, whereas Kline showed his true character this very month?”
Sherriene Jones, communication director for Kline, contacted The Eagle today and wanted the full clip, because she said she and Kline remembered that there was more to his answer than was included in the posted excerpt. They’re correct — though in a way that makes it worse for them.
My next question during the interview, which wasn’t included in the original video excerpt, was whether there would be a campaign commercial about this. Kline said “no,” then talked at length about other issues that he might do campaign commercials about. As we know, Kline quickly changed his mind about that, too.
We’ve now posted the full clip, which is about three minutes long, on our Web page.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Kansas government | Comments (193)

Open thread

Oct. 27, 20061:05 a.m.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Open thread | Comments (81)

What’s in the GOP’s DNA?

Oct. 27, 20061:03 a.m.

President Bush’s suggestion Tuesday that Democrats are “genetically disposed” to raise taxes naturally leads to thoughts of what Republicans are “genetically disposed” to do. Any suggestions?
To get the ideas flowing, here’s the snappy comeback of Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., who is in charge of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: “George Bush sure has a lot to say for a guy who added $3 trillion to the nation’s debt.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under U.S. politics | Comments (50)

Gaming Google: a new way to go negative

Oct. 27, 20061:02 a.m.

Google puts a world of information at your fingertips, but when it’s election season, let the searcher beware.
The New York Times reports on the new phenomenon of “Google bombing,” whereby activists manipulate the search engine by flooding the Web with negative references to candidates and repeatedly cross-linking to specific articles and sites.
The liberal blog group MyDD.com (Direct Democracy) has targeted about 50 Republican candidates this way. Thus, a search on Arizona Sen. John Kyl will return, high on the page, a highly critical piece by an alternative weekly in Phoenix.
Very clever — but it’s a two-edged sword. No doubt Republicans are crafting a suitable response.
Posted by Dave Knadler

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under U.S. politics | Comments (32)

Never miss a good chance to shut up

Oct. 27, 20061:01 a.m.

Humorist Will Rogers died 71 years ago, but some of his one liners still ring true today, especially in these waning days leading up to elections. ChronWatch posted a few of his insightful musings:
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
There are three kinds of men: ones that learn by reading, few who learn by observation, and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.
After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
Posted by Angie Holladay

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under American life | Comments (3)

WE Blog wouldn’t fly in China

Oct. 27, 20061:00 a.m.

As blogging enters the world’s most populous country, the Internet Society of China has recommended to the government that people use their real names when they register blogs. The current blog system does allow Internet chatter not permitted under the traditional state-run media. The proposal would require bloggers to register their real names, but they would still be allowed to write under a pseudonym.
The society reported that bloggers anonymously spreading false information had brought a negative influence.
Posted by Angie Holladay

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Foreign affairs | Comments (4)