The Quinn & Rose Show, a right-wing radio program, claimed last week that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius had been ordered by Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean to criticize the readiness of National Guard units to score political points against President Bush. It also claimed that Sebelius called Sen. Sam Brownback and apologized for having to do this dirty work for the party. The allegation was then repeated by other conservative radio programs.
The story doesn’t make much sense, since Sebelius herself has been raising the issue of Guard readiness for two years — she doesn’t need Dean to tell her what to say.
Sebelius issued a statement saying that allegation was "100 percent false" and that she is "outraged" at the suggestion that she made Greensburg comments based on anything other than "my responsibilities as commander in chief of the Kansas National Guard."
Moreover, Brownback’s office reportedly said the call "never happened" and was "fabricated out of thin air." And a DNC attorney wrote in a cease-and-desist letter to Quinn & Rose and to an Internet site that "Dean had no such conversation with Gov. Sebelius, ever."
Of course, that won’t stop the conspiracy theorists from issuing more hot air. What a perfect storm of rubbish.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Between 100,000 and 300,000 barrels a day of Iraq’s declared oil production during the past four years is unaccounted for, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. At an average of $50 a barrel, that’s $5 million to $15 million a day in lost revenue. It’s not clear yet where the missing oil went, the New York Times reported. It could have been siphoned off and sold on the black market. It’s also possible that Iraq has been overstating its production. But what is clear is that Iraq’s oil isn’t paying for most of the country’s reconstruction costs.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback’s national profile is rising, at least among late-night comedians. The "Weekend Update" segment of "Saturday Night Live," which just last month characterized Brownback as "so conservative he thinks watching ‘Will & Grace’ gives you AIDS," offered this joke over the weekend: "During last week’s Republican debate, three of the 10 candidates said they did not believe in evolution, including Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who added that he would defend his conviction from one edge of the Earth to the other."
Here’s what Bill Maher said: "Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee and Tom Tancredo — those were the three guys who said they do not believe in evolution. The irony will be on them when their campaigns die off in favor of stronger, fitter campaigns."
And Jay Leno: "Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee and Tom Tancredo all raised their paw. . . . They said they do not believe in evolution. Then they said the biggest threat to America is religious radicals living in the Dark Ages."
And Jon Stewart: "In case you missed it, raising their hands were Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo and Mike Huckabee. They will be missed."
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The evolution question from the GOP presidential debate (in which Sen. Sam Brownback and two other candidates raised their hands when asked if anyone doesn’t believe in evolution) is still generating commentary. Tom Teepen had a column in Wednesday’s Opinion pages saying that it was embarrassing even to have to ask the question. Kathleen Parker had a column Sunday arguing that the issue is more complex than a simple yes/no question.
That could be true, as the evolution debate is extending beyond biology into political science. Some conservative intellectuals are arguing that “Darwin’s scientific theories about the evolution of species can be applied to today’s patterns of human behavior, and that natural selection can provide support for many bedrock conservative ideas, like traditional social roles for men and women, free-market capitalism and governmental checks and balances,” the New York Times reported.
Then again, Parker joked, the presidential debate presented Darwinists with a contradiction: “If Darwin was right, how did these knuckle-draggers make it to the presidential campaign podium?”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
It’s fun to see the answers presidential candidates give about their softer side, though even those can seem calibrated for maximum political impact.
The best answers to Associated Press’ “worst habit” question: Hillary Clinton’s “chocolate,” John Edwards’ “drinking soda” (he favors orange), Rudy Giuliani’s “talking too much” and Mike Huckabee’s “channel surfing on TV or radio.”
Best answers to the question about what counts as "sleeping in": Christopher Dodd’s “With a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old?” And Huckabee’s “Five a.m. is late for me.”
Kansas’ Sam Brownback said his worst habit is “being late,” and that a lazy day starts at 7:30 a.m.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
It’s good that the Wichita school district is recognizing the need for every kid to be noticed and appreciated by someone.
As Mark McCormick wrote in a recent column, the district plans to hire six educators to ensure that every high school student has a personal connection to a teacher.
“It’s about relationships,” said superintendent Winston Brooks. “We can no longer allow kids to just fade away in the hallways. There will be a caring adult assigned to every kid in that high school.”
We know how crucial mentors are in the life of a child, and in large schools especially, some kids can feel isolated and invisible.
This is a welcome effort to connect and care.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Not surprisingly, large American companies have shifted their campaign contributions away from Republican candidates in favor of Democrats, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some Democrats who were passed over by large corporations in the past are seeing substantial increases in their coffers.
Since those who raise the largest campaign funds generally win elections, corporations are casting votes for pro-business candidates with campaign dollars. Another of those “chicken and egg” questions: Does money generate power, or does power generate money?
Posted by Patrice Hein
