It’s official: Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., is moving from the Senate Intelligence Committee to the Finance Committee — the first Kansan on that influential committee since Sen. Bob Dole.
As intelligence chairman, Roberts leaves a mixed record. He presided over several stormy years of partisan squabbles over prewar intelligence, CIA interrogation techniques and other hot-button issues.
He was rightly criticized at times for being an administration apologist when tough oversight was called for.
But he also helped usher in a new era in intelligence gathering with the sweeping homeland security reforms.
To be fair, this chairmanship was an enormously difficult, important challenge, and it seemed at times to take its toll on Roberts’ good humor.
As a member of the Finance Committee, Roberts is poised to have a real impact for Kansans on issues such as Medicare, Social Security and tax policy. He says he wants to implement new saving accounts for farmers to help them ride out economic dowturns.
He’s got to be glad to be off the intelligence hot seat.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Of all the conclusions to be drawn about Attorney General Phill Kline’s bizarre job swap with Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison, the one that matters most to non-northeast Kansans is how it instantly resuscitates Kline’s political career — never mind Kline’s defeat at Morrison’s hands last month. “It sort of gives him a platform to keep his aspirations alive,” Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, told the Topeka Capital-Journal. That article also noted that “future campaigns by Kline for governor or Congress shouldn’t be dismissed as laughable. Imagine the possibilities of a rematch with Morrison in the 2010 race for attorney general. Both will have had years to comb through the files of their foe to identify opportunities of criticism. The second-guessing of each other on the campaign trail could be unprecedented.”
Shudder. We only thought the just-ended attorney general’s race was as ugly as it gets.
Kline, by the way, doesn’t seem to be looking back in anger. When his daughter’s English springer spaniel had puppies hours after he was picked for the Johnson County job, Kline named one “Snoop Dog” — inspired by those “Snoop Dog Kline” mailings from a group connected to the ProKanDo abortion rights political action committee.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
As great as it is for Wichita that Cirque du Soleil is coming to the Kansas Coliseum in March, it was even better how the public responded to the news — by making the March 14 performance of the acrobatic “live music concert” a sellout in only 90 minutes, prompting promoters to add a March 13 performance. That the sales went so well, despite ticket prices of $39.50 to $99.50, is another encouraging indicator of the improving local economy. This and October’s successful Rolling Stones concert should remind us that if you book big stuff, big Wichita crowds will come.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Kudos to the Wichita chapter of the NAACP for taking action to enhance core neighborhoods and public safety with its “Broken Windows” campaign, which works with area businesses to improve the image of central and northeast Wichita.
The campaign’s current focus is a store that sells real-looking replica weapons and drug paraphernalia. NAACP officials have asked the store owner to remove the items — or face a possible consumer boycott.
The program is another reminder that residents in crime- and blight-plagued areas don’t have to put up with declining standards — they can take the initiative to improve their neighborhood’s quality of life.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Recent legislative efforts to single out adult businesses for special taxation haven’t panned out, so expect a new approach next session: A bill to be introduced would set up a special occupation license for such businesses. The well-organized opposition can be expected to argue that it’s unconstitutional to single out adult businesses for special taxation, in part because smut shops and strip clubs are entitled to First Amendment protections of free speech. Proponents will say X-rated businesses merit higher taxes because of their link to the societal costs of sex crimes. One worthy question that never gets much attention in such debates: How do lawmakers who’ve sworn never to vote to raise taxes find it so easy to make an exception for sex businesses?
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Is famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking lost in space? He’s once again calling for human colonization of the universe as the only way to prevent extinction of our species.
He says it will take the development of “Star Trek”-like warp drives to get us there.
Right. And friendly Vulcans would help, too.
I’m all for space exploration. But his obsession with escaping Earth seems a bit out there and misdirected. Instead, why not use some of his brainpower to solve the more immediate problem of how to keep humans from destroying our home, the Earth, and ourselves through nuclear war or global warming?
True, space happens. A team of scientists claimed recently that the dinosaurs became extinct from the impact of a single huge asteroid 65 million years ago. (Ben Affleck apparently wasn’t there to divert it.)
But deep space travel and inhabitation are far into the future. The technology doesn’t exist, except on “Star Trek.” And I, for one, like my chances right here on Earth. It’s a beautiful place.
Beam me down, Stephen.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
