New York Times columnist David Brooks gives Hillary Clinton only a 5 percent chance of being able to win the nomination, now that there won’t be revotes in the Florida and Michigan primaries and she is steadily losing superdelegates. Yet for that 5 percent chance, here’s what Brooks says Clinton is going to put her party through:
“For three more months (maybe more!) the campaign will proceed along in its Verdun-like pattern,†he wrote. “There will be a steady rifle fire of character assassination from the underlings, interrupted by the occasional firestorm of artillery when the contest touches upon race, gender or patriotism.â€
This all benefits John McCain. Brooks wrote: “McCain’s approval ratings have soared 11 points. He is now viewed positively by 67 percent of Americans. A month ago, McCain was losing to Obama among independents by double digits in a general election matchup. Now McCain has a lead among this group.
“For three more months, Clinton is likely to hurt Obama even more against McCain, without hurting him against herself. And all this is happening so she can preserve that 5 percent chance.â€
Well, at least the Legislature isn’t spending all its time on the Holcomb coal-plant issue. This week, the House debated a bill to encourage the Kansas State High School Activities Association to use KU’s Memorial Stadium and K-State’s Bill Snyder Family Stadium for state championship high school football games, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. Fortunately, the measure failed on its second vote, though only by 55-68. Supporter state Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, said that playing at the stadiums would “create a wonderful lifetime experience for young people.†But the association noted that it’s less expensive and more convenient to play at smaller venues across the state. The main questions are: How is this the Legislature’s business? Doesn’t it have real problems to resolve?
Painful as it is to see the squabbling over the Sumner County casino, starting all over would be worse. So it came as a relief to learn that an effort Wednesday night by state Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, to repeal the gambling law was futile. He tried to do so as an amendment to a pensions bill, of all things, but his amendment was ruled as not germane. “It was important to at least send the message that many people don’t view this as a settled issue,†Kinzer said afterwards.
A new Wichita State University study confirms what Fair Fares supporters have long argued: that public subsidies to lure low-cost carrier AirTran Airways to Wichita have paid for themselves many times over in economic benefits.
The study by WSU’s Janet Harrah found that landing AirTran has brought about 9,700 new jobs to Wichita with a payroll of $238 million.
Moreover, local and state governments, which have contributed $22.3 million to AirTran in the past six years, have received about $70 million in taxes.
And passengers and businesses have benefited from the lower fares. In 2002 alone, Wichita airport passengers saved an average of $84 per ticket — almost $84 million total that year alone.
Not a bad return for the investment. This is a good example of the kind of smart economic development effort that can pay big dividends for a community.
New York Times columnist David Brooks gives Hillary Clinton only a 5 percent chance of being able to win the nomination, now that there won’t be revotes in the Florida and Michigan primaries and she is steadily losing superdelegates. Yet for that 5 percent chance, here’s what Brooks says Clinton is going to put her party through:
