Their anti-war base doesn’t like it, but Democratic leaders faced political reality in dropping from the Iraq war-funding bill their demand for a timetable for removing troops. President Bush won’t accept a timetable. They don’t have enough votes to override him. And unless lawmakers are willing to withhold funding — which most are not — they needed a new approach. That new approach includes progress benchmarks for the Iraqi government and new reporting requirements for the Bush administration. Critics complain that the benchmarks aren’t enforceable. But the governmental and military results will be key to debate when this funding bill expires on Sept. 30. And if there isn’t much progress between now and then, Bush and GOP lawmakers will be hard-pressed to keep asking for more time.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Former White House liaison Monica Goodling finally testified today about the firing of U.S. attorneys — after she was granted immunity. But she didn’t deliver the smoking gun that many Democrats had hoped for. She said she had little role in the firings and mostly pointed the finger at Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty. She said that she didn’t talk about the firings to former White House counsel Harriet Miers or with political adviser Karl Rove.
Goodling did admit that she improperly considered the political loyalties of job applicants for career prosecutors. But she claimed that the violation of federal law was not intended. Huh? Shouldn’t the person helping hire federal prosecutors know what is allowable?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
As if President Bush’s standing with his own party wasn’t shaky enough, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and another Republican governor, Jodi Rell of Connecticut, this week accused the federal government of “inaction and denial” on climate change, blaming the Environmental Protection Agency for blocking states from approving higher emission standards for automobiles.
“It’s bad enough that the federal government has yet to take the threat of global warming seriously,” the governors wrote in the Washington Post, “but it borders on malfeasance for it to block the efforts of states such as California and Connecticut that are trying to protect the public’s health and welfare.”
The same day, Schwarzenegger met with another Republican governor, Jon Huntsman of Utah, who signed on to a coalition of Western states working toward greenhouse gas reduction.
The governator’s message to the Bush administration is clear: Lead, or get out of the way.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Hillary Clinton is asking supporters to suggest theme songs for her presidential campaign. Among the many (tongue in cheek) suggestions we’ve heard so far:
“Stand by Your Man” by Tammy Wynette, “Devil With the Blue Dress” by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” by R.E.M. Other ideas?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
When Wichita saw its 16th homicide of the year early Tuesday in a west-side home invasion, it exceeded its total murders for 2005. And with the summer yet to begin, Wichita’s homicide tally for last year, 26, already seems too close for comfort. For purposes of further comparison, Wichita saw 24 average annual murders between 2000 and 2005, far fewer than the average 38 between 1989 and 1995. Year to year crime numbers can lead to faulty conclusions, but it’s not too early for city leaders to be asking questions about the murder rate. As Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams has said, “One is too many.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Does the city of Wichita know what it’s getting into with plans for citywide wireless Internet access? More than 170 towns and cities nationwide have launched wireless systems, and an equal number have plans to go wireless. But some second thoughts are in order, according to this Associated Press article.
It seems that many city wireless projects are costing more than expected and falling short of their subscription goals, meaning taxpayers might have to foot the bill. And in some towns, private wireless providers have moved to undercut city services.
“I will be surprised if the majority of these are successful and they do not prove to be drains on taxpayers’ money,” said Michael Balhoff, a telecommunications analyst. “The government is getting into hotly contested services.”
Wichita needs to take a hard look at its wireless business plan before going too far down this road.
Posted by Randy Scholfield