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
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41 Comments
Such claims by Right-wing radio bloviators are typical. I still remember one of their number blaming Ruby Ridge on Clinton … never mind that Bush 1 was president when that took place.
Or the Waco incident where Reno and Clinton came at gov. Bush’s request.
I visited the World’s Deepest Hand-Dug Well in 2005. It was a surreal experience. 6 AM. Nobody there. Went inside the building. Suddenly major sirens went off. Busted. Crap.
Oops, I was just paranoid. It was their weekly tornado siren testing.
What I realized in seeing it was, th well was a monument to poor people showing how limited their low-tech but hand-labor-intensive capabilities were, but doing the best they could. Reportedly (I didn’t realize it at the time) for railroad capitalists’ benefit, which Greensburgians viewed as vital to their own town’s survival, according to a WEBlog poster. Like the railroad could have used a mechanical oil-drilling company to sink pipes down 200 feet, but, local humans were cheaper.
Today, I think that moving the town northward or southward would save a lot of money, because new construction on open ground is far cheaper than deconstruction costs with new construction. Make old Greensburg a tourism-attracting monument to the forces of nature, like Hawaii’s volcano-remodeled south Big Island.
With a Visitor’s Center showing “before” and “after” photos. Turn this disaster into “Tornado National Park” or “Kansas State Tornado Park”. People would pay to see this. Give 80% of the proceeds to Greensburgians for the next 30 years.
The growth of a run-away virus of false reports via the web can be an impressive sight to behold. Another example of one, it appears.
In a week or so, conservatives will be posting this as fact.
XXX – I have already seen it claimed as fact.
In fact … just a few days ago on ‘local’ open thread …
oops….seems Sebelius was contacted early in the morning by DNC leadership – Howard Dean and told how to blame this on Bush and Iraq…looks like word got out. It seemed a bit to pat from the git go. Made it to the radio now…Posted by: mrbill | May 12, 2007 at 09:44 PM
My libertarian Rush-Limbaugh-loving dad called me ranting about this last week. Now, regardless of the rebuttal from the Governor, the statement from Sen. Brownback, and the cease-and-disist order from the DNC, he will still claim that all of these allegations are the gospel truth. You know why? Because the only people crazier than these right-wing radio personalities are the whack-jobs who believe them.
No offense, pop. I love you no matter what ya nut! At least we’ll have something interesting to talk about at dinner… :)
I confess. I started it all.
The Dems have undoubtedly been waiting on a disaster to be able to play the National Guard card. Can’t you just imagine the call the guv got from DNC telling her not to forget to mention it.
Using a disaster like this is politics at its worse.
Posted by: outlander | May 09, 2007 at 01:14 PM
Maybe Sebelius CAN speak for herself – but what the hell was she doing when she made up that crap about the Guard and Greensburg?
Since there were more Guards than needed, and having more in the State would not necessarily have increased their response time – Sebelius either fabricated the story – or someone told her to say it.
Either way – she lost a lot of credibility and respect that day. Even from former supporters.
Sad.
Did you talk to Howard or Dick or anyone from the DNC the morning after the tornado, Governor?
Show us the records and logs. Until then we’ll just have to believe your stupid, opportunistic comments were of your own doing.
And now GS thinks she is the authority on who loses credibility and respect.
Sebelius has been raising the issue of the federal government replacing the National Guard equipment now for the past 2 years. But yet every Republican has jumped on Sebelius for even daring to question the littler emperor George.
A better question is: why hasn’t George W. Bush responded to Sebelius and other 49 governors about their concerns regarding the needed replacements of National Guard. Why doesn’t our president care about the Americans in the US?
No, rather Bush loyalists like GS will throw mud at Sebelius for even daring to question the little emperor.
That is what is sad.
California Gov Schartzenegger has said much the same thing. Is he ALSO getting his marching orders from John Dean and the DNC?
You know what amuses me most? That you all missed the POINT of Gov. Sebelius’ comments. They were about the EQUIPMENT – not the number of people… or did you miss that GS?
right on anon!
Of course she didn’t talk to Dean, she can say stupid things all by herself. And my oh my, hasn’t the cleanup been terribly slow.
Also, anon, she stated that we can handle this one disaster. However, if we got hit with multiples as has happened before we would be in trouble.
People like GS who repeat over and over again that there are no shortages of equipment, people, money, etc convince me that the Bush admin is completely and totally taking care of the people of Greensburg.
I think we need an investigation into the Red Cross and other charities that claim that money and help is needed for the residents of Greensburg. They are obviously committing fraud because Bushco is taking care of everything.
Not quite happy…
Red Cross provides meals in the thousands, temporary lodging, loans, first aid and other needs. You need to check them out before speaking.
Do you think that Hannity and the rest of the right wingers will apologize for slandering our Governor like this? The story was obvious made up out of thin air, as Brownback attested, so at the very least, there are some apologies in order.
Don’t hold your breath.
cat and anon are busy throwing up roadblocks designed to defend Sebelius’ stupid statement.
I got news for you guys – that dog won’t hunt.
No matter HOW you try to spin it – there was NO SHORTAGE of either manpower OR machinery.
They didn’t need a bunch of Humvees – they needed loaders, skid steers, and cranes.
By 8 am Saturday morning, less than 12 hours after the tornado hit – they had MORE machinery than they could use – and they had more manpower, too.
It’s nice that the Guard showed up late on Sat and on Sun to assist – but by then, things were well underway.
Perhaps the Guard would have been there sooner – had Sebelius toured the area and CALLED them sooner.
What planet do you guys live on?
The Red Cross, local response teams, and churches fed and helped the citizens. We sent two loaders over the first weekend and were part of a team that helped with demolition and clearing debris also last week.
I helped one day with the gals at the Mennonite church two miles out of Greensburg last week. We fed 500 breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Guard, as much as they were appreciated didn’t show up too late, nor did they show up with too little equipment.
The equipment that was needed was already there.
Sebelius was an idiot to make the comment. Did she really think all the folks IN Greensburg and those helping wouldn’t know she lied?
If any dog won’t hunt, it is yours who is tied to your idealogy that Bush and the Republicans are so great. But the majority of Americans have caught on to Bush’s deceitful ways and if the Republicans don’t start to tape Georgie’s mouth shut, there is no chance any Republican will see the White House in 2008.
And all Sebelius was saying was that the federal government needs to replace the National Guard equipment. She has been on Bush’s butt for 2 years about this and Bush has not seen fit to fulfill what the federal government should do to replace the National Guard’s equipment when he has chosen to send the National Guard to fight his war.
Go ahead and support Bush all you want and try to spin everything in a positive light; but the truth has come and with each passing day more of the truth will come out. Again, Republicans are not in a good position with the average American. Wasn’t the ass kicking you got in 2006 enough?
Apparently, GSheridan, you are okay with the slander piece that Quinn and Rose, and Sean Hannity did on our Governor?
If Sebelius had been a Republican, you would have been screaming for Hannity’s head.
Right?
WS – I don’t think it’s a good thing to slander her, certainly, but no matter WHICH way this goes down – it’s bad.
I would have PREFERRED that she had been told by someone else – that way she could have maintained some integrity – at least to me.
But for her to make that statement – all by herself (which is what I believe she did) she now bears the brunt of the criticism for doing so when it wasn’t true.
To me – that’s a loss of integrity.
Others may think it’s all fine and dandy.
“But the majority of Americans have caught on to Bush’s deceitful ways and if the Republicans don’t start to tape Georgie’s mouth shut, there is no chance any Republican will see the White House in 2008.”————-
Uh – ok.
Is that why the recent polls show the approval rating of the now Democrat-led Congress to be identical to the low rating of GWB?
She has been pursuing the Bush Administration, along with 49 other governors, to get the NG equipment levels back up to standard.
She was responding to a direct question from the media – she did not bring up the issue.
Before anyone says anything else about Sebelius, I would expect them to condemn Quinn, Rose and Hannity for there slander.
There…..Their…….. whatever…..
You know something, WS? She, and all the other govs, are welcome to ask for our Guard equip back. That’s great.
But she didn’t need to lie and say there was an inadequate response.
That’s just wrong.
Sorry about the grammar slip.
That was my gramatical error, G, but I believe that the Hon. Guv said that we would be okay for this disaster, but could not handle multiple situations.
Oh – thought you were calling me on it – and I’ve been known to fall into that one, occasionally.
Dang – I slapped myself for nothing?
“Dang – I slapped myself for nothing?”
We’ll allow you to carry a credit forward….. You get one free grammatical error without challenge!
LOL – okay. I’ll watch my step.
So – do you think the DNC is really going to sue FreeRep?
Or is it just a smokescreen?
Because how can they sue, if it is Sebelius that suffers the damages?
“But she didn’t need to lie and say there was an inadequate response.”
I think what she said was that the KNG was streatched and that if we had simultaneous disasters we would then have to pick and choose which ones to respond to.
“Because how can they sue, if it is Sebelius that suffers the damages?”
Because they have been accused of strong-arm tactics against her.
Perhaps the DNC and Sebelius should BOTH sue.
Perhaps Sebelius and the DNC can retain the services of the Deputy Attorney General who has just resigned. Another Bushie is jumping the burning ship?
Sebelius must be doing something right because she sure has these Bushies panties in a bunch.
None of them are real, they are all sock puppets of the great innovator, Alfred E. Newman.
sam – Amen
;^)
Sebelius showed much disrespect to all Kansans when she whined about the National Guard deployment. This isn’t New Orleans Gov. Kansans don’t sit on their butts waiting for the government to act. Just like when the Tornados struck Andover and Haysville Kansans were ready to help. So much that they were being turned away because of too much help. So much has been given for relief aid that there is not room to store it. For the most part Kansans from all walks of life are ready to pitch in to help their own. Yes I am a Bush supporter but I agree with those who state that the money spent on his trip last week would have been better spent elsewhere. However It Is refreshing when a National politician does not just cater to the East and West Coast and actually recognizes the Value of Kansans. We may be called “Fly Over” country but we “Fly” to the aid of our neighbors when they are in need.
She may be able to speak for herself but she sure sounds like she impersonating Ray Nagin when she does.
Her lips move and sound comes out but the thoughts are those of someone trying to impress the DNC in the hope advancing their political career after being the Govenor of Kansas.