Should it surprise us that most of the would-be London terrorists were doctors? Not according to Princeton University economist Alan Krueger, whose research has found little correlation between poverty or lack of education and terrorism, despite the persistent conventional wisdom that they are linked. The Sept. 11 bombers, for instance, were educated and well-off citizens of Saudi Arabia.
What does seem to spawn terrorism is political oppression, he told the Wall Street Journal. “When nonviolent means of protest are curtailed,” he said, “malcontents appear to be more likely to turn to terrorist tactics.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield
One by one, the GOP lions in the Senate are pulling away from the White House on Iraq. The latest is Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who said Thursday that he wants to see combat operations end and U.S. troops heading home by spring. His change of heart represents another vote of confidence in the Iraq Study Group (he supports a bipartisan bill based on its findings). It also suggests the president cannot count on GOP lawmakers to have his back come September, if the much-touted reports on the troop surge include calls for more time. For now, all eyes are on Sen. John Warner, R-Va.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Hillary Clinton has gotten much better as a public speaker and campaigner, but she still can’t compete with her husband, who sometimes upstages her “simply by breathing,” the New York Times reported. It’s a tricky balance for the Clintons. The former president draws big crowds to his wife’s campaign events. But when he speaks he has to try “not to out-express or out-charm her,” the Times said. No easy task.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The $1.5 million that Sam Brownback raised in the second quarter looks pretty good when you consider former GOP front-runner John McCain reportedly only has $2 million left. Still, Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen speculated Thursday that Brownback, Mike Huckabee or Tommy Thompson “might not be on the field come Aug. 12” — the day after the party’s Iowa straw poll. And as Brownback signed books earlier this week at an Ames, Iowa, store, he answered concern about his prospects this way: “Keep me in your prayers. You can get down about it some days, but prayer will keep you going.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
While the media have been covering the foiled bombings in Great Britain and the al-Qaida gang that couldn’t shoot straight, far more ominous events are unfolding in Pakistan, where the increasingly shaky-looking government of Pervez Musharraf is attempting to quell a growing Taliban militancy that some warn is on the verge of spilling out of the border tribal areas.
Musharraf’s hold looks increasingly uncertain, and Pakistan remains the closest thing al-Qaida has to a sanctuary.
The standoff between students and security forces at an Islamabad mosque furthers concerns about Pakistan’s stability.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Our editorial Thursday noted that City Hall is making good progress toward better managing the proliferation of high-profile LED billboards. As soon as next month, the Wichita City Council could pass an ordinance that would set maximum nighttime brightness levels, limit the LED signs near historic buildings and more. Those who don’t think these signs are at least an issue of aesthetics must not get out much. As we argue, “although there are no definitive studies on whether LED signs are a driving hazard, many motorists find the brightest of these pulsating, strobelike signs almost impossible to ignore.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman