Democrats likely wanted to humanize the importance of expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which President Bush misguidedly plans to veto. But using a 12-year-old Baltimore boy, Graeme Frost (in photo), to deliver their response to Bush’s radio address Saturday came across a manipulative. "I just hope the president will listen to my story and help other kids be as lucky as me," said Graeme, who was covered by SCHIP after suffering severe brain damage in a car accident.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Nobody in politics has more fresh ideas than Newt Gingrich, so the 2008 presidential race will be less rich for his decision against running for the GOP nomination. As for whether he could have won — that was always hard to imagine, given his political and personal baggage. Characteristically, the former House speaker blamed campaign-finance law, not questions about his viability, for keeping him out of the race. At least with fence-sitters Gingrich and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., having decided in September to take a pass, the ‘08 GOP field is set.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
“I’m an optimist because I believe that I’m right. I’m a person at peace with myself. It was our turn to face a serious threat to peace.”
President Bush spoke those sentences to then-Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar just two weeks before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Slate’s Fred Kaplan insightfully explains how those words confirm our worst fears about Bush’s character and provide a guide to the personality traits we don’t want in our next president: “Don’t pick anyone who utters, or seems capable of believing, those three sentences.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Some GOP lawmakers’ patience is fraying on Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s long-delayed state permit to expand its coal-fired plant near Holcomb. Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, wants the Legislative Coordinating Council to authorize a panel to look into the delay.
And 39 Kansas House Republicans sent a letter Wednesday to Rod Bremby, KDHE secretary in Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ administration, expressing confidence in the plant’s planned design and water use and touting the jobs it will bring. “Without your approval of the permit as proposed by Sunflower, our state and its citizens will lose access to the low-cost energy source and millions in economic development,” the lawmakers wrote. The Wichita-area lawmakers to sign the letter were Reps. Steve Brunk, Mario Goico and Joe McLeland of Wichita, Don Myers of Derby, John Grange of El Dorado, Dick Kelsey of Goddard and Ted Powers of Mulvane.
Meanwhile, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups are trying to flood the governor’s office with anti-plant postcards.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The world is getting even flatter. Rising wages, a stronger currency, demands for workers who speak languages other than English and competition from other countries are causing India to start outsourcing some of its jobs to other countries, including the United States, the New York Times reported. For example, Wipro, an Indian technology services company that has outsourcing offices in Canada, China, Portugal, Romania and Saudi Arabia, is opening a software development center in Atlanta.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
