Daily Archives: Dec. 2, 2006

Open thread

Dec. 2, 20061:05 a.m.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Open thread | Comments (68)

Hagel wants phased withdrawal

Dec. 2, 20061:03 a.m.

“The United States must begin planning for a phased troop withdrawal from Iraq,” Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., wrote in a Washington Post op-ed piece. “The cost of combat in Iraq in terms of American lives, dollars and world standing has been devastating.” Hagel agrees with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that “there will be no military victory or military solution for Iraq.” And as does many other politicians, Hagel hopes that the Iraq Study Group will provide the basis for a bipartisan consensus to get out of Iraq. “If the president fails to build a bipartisan foundation for an exit strategy,” Hagel wrote, “America will pay a high price for this blunder — one that we will have difficulty recovering from in the years ahead.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Iraq | Comments (30)

Kansas bans evolution!

Dec. 2, 20061:02 a.m.

Kansas’ evolution battles got spoofed this week by the satirical news source the Onion. It had an article purporting that Kansas lawmakers passed emergency legislation outlawing evolution. It explained: “The sweeping new law prohibits all living beings within state borders from being born with random genetic mutations that could make them better suited to evade predators, secure a mate, or adapt to a changing environment.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (147)

A Hutchinsonian for Wichita?

Dec. 2, 20061:01 a.m.

Rep. Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, assessing his chances to become speaker of the Kansas House, told the Hutchinson News that he is aligned with the members of the south-central Kansas delegation, and suggested that electing him as speaker would serve Wichita-area legislators’ wish to have a speaker from the vicinity. If he wins in Monday’s voting, O’Neal should expect that some will see such a suggestion as a promise.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Kansas government | Comments (13)

At least U.S. lawmakers don’t come to blows

Dec. 2, 20061:00 a.m.

As contentious as things get on Capitol Hill, it’s nice to be reminded sometimes that they could be worse. Mexico’s Congress experienced three days of fistfights and sit-ins leading up to Friday’s swearing-in of new President Felipe Calderon, whose July 2 election win is still being contested by opponent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his leftist supporters. Imagine Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner shoving, shouting and wrestling one another. The noisy dissent continued as Calderon quickly took the oath. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, among the observing dignitaries, quipped: “It’s good action.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Foreign affairs | Comments (16)