Although Democrats this week failed to muster the required 60 votes to move forward a resolution of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a majority of senators did express their support for the measure, including Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Said Specter: “I think the attorney general has not done the job, and the Department of Justice would be much better off without him. . . . There is no doubt that the department at the present time is in shambles.”
That’s a pretty remarkable vote of no confidence from a leading member of the president’s party. And the almost total absence of any defense of Gonzales by GOP senators also spoke loudly.
In the Kansas delegation, Sen. Pat Roberts voted against the resolution; Sen. Sam Brownback was missing in action (again).
The vote is certainly “political,” as President Bush charged, but it also accurately reflects how little credibility Gonzales has left in Congress. The Justice Department deserves a stronger leader.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Fortunately, it’s not every day that a manhunt for an escaped prisoner ends not only with his capture but the rescue of three small children suffering from apparent neglect. Unfortunately, Monday’s arrests in Oaklawn are a reminder that when kids are at risk in Wichita, it’s usually because of abusive and neglectful relatives or acquaintances rather than strangers.
It’s good to know that these innocent children in our community are out of that situation. But their discovery, on the heels of Friday’s sentencing of Jennifer Wood to 44 months in prison for “systematically” starving her stepdaughters last year, underscore again how vital the state and local child-protection systems are. They only work well, however, when the community is vigilant about watching out for kids in trouble.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
To his credit, President Bush plans to lobby Capitol Hill today on behalf of the compromise immigration plan, which he hopes to salvage despite its collapse last week in the Senate. As he said, “securing the border and upholding family values are not partisan concerns. They must be addressed, and this bill is the best way to do it.” Well, perhaps not the best way — the bill drew criticism from both right and left. But it’s notable that few among the critics have offered realistic alternatives. By endorsing nothing, they are endorsing the status quo and its “silent amnesty” for those millions here illegally.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The Wichita City Council has had numerous African-American members and women members over the past few decades, dating back to its Wichita City Commission days. But hard as it is to believe, the council apparently has never had two African-American members at once or three women members at once. At least that’s the recollection of Eagle editorial board members (with help from our archives) and some longtime City Hall watchers we spoke with Monday. So no matter which candidate the council chooses today to replace Mayor Carl Brewer, it will make history. All five of the candidates to take Brewer’s 1st District seat are African-American and well-practiced in either elective office or community activism — Eugene Anderson, Treatha Brown-Foster, Michael Kinard, Lavonta Williams and former council member George Rogers.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
State Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, a former local school board president, has seen good and bad come from the No Child Left Behind law. Here’s one of his observations about the latter category, as reported by the Emporia Gazette: The law “caused us to focus on mediocrity. We’ll never excel as a nation or as a state if our plan is to advance the average.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Few among us would rush to defend the rights of a sexual predator, even one who has done his prison time. That’s why it is so important for Shawnee County Judge Frank J. Yeoman to do so in the case of patients in Larned State Hospital’s sexual predator treatment program. He recently ordered the hospital to restore the treatment levels and privileges two patients had earned before they began filing complaints about conditions in the program. Lawmakers need to continue to monitor the hospital, too. “My concern all along has been that the complaints are indicative of a much larger and much broader problem,” state Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita (left), told The Eagle. “There seem to be serious problems within the management of that facility, and I think there needs to be some accountability.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Paris Hilton told Barbara Walters on a jailhouse collect call that she will no longer act dumb. ABC quoted her as saying, “I used to act dumb. . . . That act is no longer cute.” She went on to say that her recent experiences and time in jail have changed her and that “God has given me this new chance.”
Here is a prime example of what a child will turn out like when given no limits and nothing to live up to. This young woman was made a fool of and actually thrived on “acting” dumb. It cannot be stressed enough as to how poor Paris and other young starlets are as role models. But it’s our own hypocritical fault. Our disapproving hunger for their continuous drama feeds their need for attention. Sure, Paris has made some mistakes. But shame on us for encouraging them.
Posted by Andie Clum
