A civilian-led group in the Pentagon that tried to find links between Iraq and al-Qaida didn’t violate any laws, a new report by the Pentagon’s acting inspector general concludes. But the report criticized the group for producing and disseminating "alternative intelligence assessments" about supposed links that were "inconsistent with the consensus of the intelligence community." Said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee: "They made it clear they wanted any kind of possible connections, no matter how skimpy, and they got it."
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
I have had trouble caring much about the fuss over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s use of a Pentagon plane. I didn’t realize before all this that it has been standard security procedure for House speakers, who are second in line to the presidency, to use a military plane when they fly back to their home districts. Seems a bit much to me, but OK. The uproar — incited by the GOP — is over Pelosi’s request for a bigger plane that wouldn’t have to stop for fuel when flying between Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Pelosi has now said that she will fly commercial if she can’t get a bigger plane. But given all the serious problems facing our country, I agree with White House spokesman Tony Snow, who said the controversy was "silly" and "much ado about not a whole lot."
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Officially, his presidency has almost two more years to run. But is George W. Bush already irrelevant?
That’s the question posed by Howard Kurtz in his Washington Post column — and answered in the affirmative with a litany of media voices proclaiming “the Decider” down for the count.
Tom Friedman of the New York Times, for example: “The American people basically fired George Bush in the last election. We’re now just watching him clean out his desk.”
Well, maybe. How will Bush’s last days in office compare with those of other unpopular war presidents, such as Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson?
Posted by Dave Knadler
Fortunes have reversed so much at the state’s horse and dog tracks that the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission may need to get a $700,000 bailout from Kansas Lottery funds, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. The problem is that gambling at the tracks has dropped so much that the taxes collected no longer cover the cost of regulating the gambling. In 1990 the amount wagered at races was $273.4 million. Last year it was $79.7 million. Attendance has also declined in recent years — from 172,209 in 2004 to 157,644 in 2005 at Wichita Greyhound Park, and from 361,611 in 2004 to 328,109 in 2005 at the Woodlands in Kansas City, Kan. Adding slot machines at the tracks would more than make up any shortfall, but odds of lawmakers allowing expanded gaming still remain long.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
It’s wonderful how Wichitans will help those less fortunate when they become aware of a compelling need. Case in point — all those who have contributed to help homeless children attending Wichita public schools. After reading about the students in the Sunday Eagle, citizens began donating money and clothing. Their generosity is greatly appreciated by the students, their families and the district. To make a donation to help these children, send “Homeless Gifts” to Sue Steele at the Wichita Children’s Home, 810 N. Holyoke, Wichita, KS 67208.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Funny how in turning a famous lyric about New York City on its head, a turn of phrase in Thursday’s front-page homeless story managed to encapsulate Wichita’s low self-esteem. A 48-year-old homeless man who’d passed up a ride to California to work on his problems in Wichita said, “If I can’t make it here, I can’t make it anywhere.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
