For those who watched both the State of the Union address and the Democratic response, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius likely connected with more viewers than President Bush did. While Bush went through a list of issues he wants Congress to work on, several of which have no chance for progress before he leaves office, Sebelius appealed to a “new American majority†that is tired of leaders who ask nothing of us. Sebelius called for a focus on the common good and repeatedly urged everyone to “get to work.†Sebelius isn’t an exciting orator, but she did well this time.
Coming off his impressive South Carolina win, Sen. Barack Obama is keeping the momentum going by pulling in some headline-grabbing endorsements — most notably that of Sen. Ted Kennedy. The Democratic icon appeared with Obama today at a rally along with Caroline Kennedy, JFK’s daughter, who wrote a New York Times commentary over the weekend comparing Obama to her father.
Obama also got the endorsement of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison, who famously coined the idea that Bill Clinton was the “first black president.†She called Obama “the man for this time.â€
Do endorsements matter? Usually not that much. But arguably they are important for Obama, because they help him reassure voters that experienced party elders such as Kennedy think he’s up to the job.
Speaking of endorsements, the timing of Barack Obama’s Tuesday visit to El Dorado seems ready-made for one by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, as some are speculating. By Tuesday, the day after her delivery of the Democrats’ response to President Bush’s State of the Union address, she no longer will be bound by the agreement she made with congressional Democratic leaders not to endorse anyone until after Jan. 28.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius isn’t the only member of her family getting media attention; so is one of her sons — albeit in the “news of the weird†category. John Sebelius, 23, is selling “Don’t Drop the Soap,†a prison-themed board game he created as part of a class project at the Rhode Island School of Design, Associated Press reported. The description of the game on his Web site (which also lists the governor’s mansion in the contact address) says: “Escape prison riots in The Yard, slip glass into a mob boss’ lasagna in the Cafeteria, steal painkillers from the nurse’s desk in the Infirmary, avoid being cornered by the Aryans in the shower room, fight off Latin Kings in Gang War, and try not to smoke your entire stash in The Hole.â€
Nicole Corcoran, the governor’s spokeswoman, noted that the game — which sells for $34.99, plus packaging, shipping and handling — isn’t intended for children.
UPDATE: As of late Monday, John Sebelius’ Web site no longer listed the governor’s mansion as the contact address, using a Lawrence address instead.
After months of pandering to social conservatives, Mitt Romney is finally playing to his strength, emphasizing his business and chief executive experience. “I know how America works because I spent my life in the real economy,†Romney says in a new campaign commercial. Too bad the former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist didn’t focus on the economy from the start; he wouldn’t be viewed as such a flip-flopper.
Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback has a bit part in a campaign ad for John McCain, promising that McCain “will appoint strict constructionists to the United States Supreme Court.†Strangely, the cameo endorsements (seemingly) include one by rival Mike Huckabee, who calls McCain a “genuine conservative.â€
One incident in the recent work record of incoming Attorney General Stephen Six is reason for concern regarding Six’s respect for First Amendment rights and a free media. As a Douglas County District Court judge, he issued a broad search warrant last month meant to allow a University of Kansas police investigator to examine the online subscriber files of the Lawrence Journal-World. KU wanted to identify someone who had posted online comments about a story on the death of a KU student — the sort of information that the newspaper had twice provided, under subpoena, in other cases. The search did not occur (the newspaper’s attorney got involved), but it should give Kansans pause that their next attorney general saw no problem in giving law enforcement a license to go fishing through the electronic files of a newspaper. As the Journal-World editorialized, “if the newspaper is forced to open its servers and files to police through warrants, it becomes an investigative arm for government law enforcement. That’s hardly the proper role for a free and independent news media.â€
For those who watched both the State of the Union address and the Democratic response, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius likely connected with more viewers than President Bush did. While Bush went through a list of issues he wants Congress to work on, several of which have no chance for progress before he leaves office, Sebelius appealed to a “new American majority†that is tired of leaders who ask nothing of us. Sebelius called for a focus on the common good and repeatedly urged everyone to “get to work.†Sebelius isn’t an exciting orator, but she did well this time.
