A draft of the Government Accountability Office’s report on Iraq shows near complete failure in meeting the progress benchmarks set by Congress, the Washington Post reported. The GAO determined that Iraq failed to meet all but three of the 18 benchmarks. It also disagreed with the White House on how much military progress the surge has made. While there have been fewer attacks against U.S. forces, "the average number of daily attacks against civilians remained about the same over the last six months," the report stated. The GAO also said that the drop in military readiness by Iraqi security forces was more severe than the White House has indicated, stating that the number of Iraqi army units capable of operating independently declined from 10 in March to six last month, the Post reported.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
It was strange enough that the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce chose former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to be the star speaker at its Dec. 4 annual community meeting, given the bad management example he set in prosecuting the Iraq war. It is stranger still that the chamber has now canceled Rumsfeld’s appearance without explanation. You’d think an organization with 2,100-plus members and a high community profile would be more transparent, but for whatever reason, the change of heart is for the best. Let’s hope this lapse in judgment doesn’t end up costing the chamber a lot of cash, and that it will seek future speakers who are true leadership icons. (Alberto Gonzales need not apply.)
Posted by Rhonda Holman
No hemming and hawing from GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney about the arrest and guilty plea of his now-former Idaho campaign chairman, Sen. Larry Craig: “Frankly, it’s disgusting,” Romney said on CNBC’s “Kudlow & Company” of the restroom incident that Craig insists was just a misunderstanding. “I think it reminds us of Mark Foley and Bill Clinton,” Romney added. He also said Craig had “disappointed the American people.”
Fellow candidate John McCain didn’t mince words either, telling Jay Leno: “It’s disgraceful.”
Mike Huckabee drew attention with this reaction on CBN News: “Frankly, Americans will forgive us for being sinners. They won’t forgive us for being hypocrites.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
All the news about the scandal involving Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, made the return this week of Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., all the more uplifting (Bob Woodruff did a nice report on ABC’s “Nightline”). Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage eight months ago that left him unable to walk and barely able to speak. After months of rehabilitation, Johnson made his first public appearance Tuesday before supporters in Sioux Falls. He plans to be back at work in Washington, D.C., next week.
Though Johnson’s speech is still slow, his mind and sense of humor remain sharp. “I have an unfair edge over most of my colleagues right now,” he joked Tuesday. “My mind works faster than my mouth does.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Watch our latest satirical video about how the proposed coal power plant near Holcomb undermines Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ talk about “makin’ Kansas greener.” It was produced by The Eagle’s Opinion staff and stars Bucky Walters doing a scary impersonation of country singer Loretta Lynn.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Someone in Opinion Line, which is always on the cutting edge of public policy debates, wondered Wednesday when Sedgwick County is going to crack down on “sagging pants.” The city councils in Shreveport and Alexandria joined at least four other Louisiana towns Tuesday in voting to make the wearers of droopy drawers subject to fines and community service. Atlanta and other communities have considered such measures, which some argue are unconstitutional and racist.
In Sedgwick County or anywhere, though, it should be difficult to justify turning police into fashion police. As one man told the Shreveport leaders: “Are you going to have a ’sagging’ court? The police have more important things to do than chase young boys and girls and say ‘pull your pants up.’”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
