Blackwater security personnel were not justified in shooting and killing 14 Iraqi civilians, according to an FBI investigation. Blackwater had said that the shootings were in self-defense, but the FBI determined that no one fired on the personnel and that civilians were shot as they tried to flee, the New York Times reported. The investigation did conclude that the killing of three additional Iraqis might have been justified because the personnel thought they posed an imminent threat (though at least two of them didn’t). Still, there’s a good chance that no Blackwater employees will be charged because of inadequate criminal laws.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., called for a withdrawal of a report estimating that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost more than $1.5 trillion. Brownback and Rep. James Saxton, R-N.J., issued a joint statement calling the report by staffers on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee “another thinly veiled exercise in political hyperbole masquerading as academic research.†Though it is certainly true that some of the hidden costs included are difficult to quantify — such as the impact of the war on oil prices — it also is undeniable that the estimates released by the White House don’t include major costs — such as the interest expense of paying for a war with borrowed money.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Another sign that the religious conservative Republican base is all over the place: Fred Thompson has won the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee. This is despite his past work as a lobbyist for a family planning group and his stated lack of support for a federal constitutional amendment against abortion. “I was pro-life on every, every vote,†Thompson said of his Senate voting record. This also follows endorsements of Rudy Giuliani by Pat Robertson, of Mitt Romney by Paul Weyrich, of Mike Huckabee by Donald Wildmon and of John McCain by Sam Brownback.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
In the wake of lobbyist scandals, the six members of the Kansas congressional delegation are taking fewer trips paid for by private groups. So far this year, only Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, and Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka, have taken any such trips, Associated Press reported. Tiahrt had one privately funded trip this year to deliver a speech at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., that cost $1,091. Boyda took one trip to Kansas City, Kan., costing $881 that was paid for by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Good for officials for acting promptly to fortify fencing and reassign staff in response to the recent prison break at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. The decisions to add $200,000 worth of razor wire and better supervise an outdoor exercise yard should offer neighbors and other Kansans some peace of mind after the daring escape, which apparently was aided by a former prison officer. It’s also reassuring that the escape will be further reviewed by the Kansas Department of Corrections. Kansans need to trust that high-security inmates are in fact secured at the facility.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
If you’ve ever thought you could do a better job of designing the state license plate than the Kansas Department of Revenue does — and who hasn’t? — it’s your turn. The state is having a competition through Dec. 31 to pick the next design for the personalized license plate, to replace the current buffalo plate in 2010. “The plate should reflect and promote a positive reflection of all that Kansas has to offer its residents and visitors,†according to the department Web site. Wichitan Jill Docking will be among the judges picking three finalists; Kansans will pick the winner in February.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
