Gen. David Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee today that Iraq’s political situation was “too fragile and reversible” to draw down troops below 140,00 before September. Two presidential candidates on the committee saw vastly different ways forward. Sen. Hillary Clinton pointed to a lack of “promised results” and said it was time for an orderly withdrawal. Sen. John McCain saw reasons for “real hope and optimism about the future of Iraq.” He counseled staying the course. Will the American people go along? One thing seems clear: There will be upwards of 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq when President Bush leaves office in January. The next president will inherit the full measure of this foreign debacle.
Never mind that Hillary Clinton didn’t win Kansas’ Democratic primary. She saw herself in Kansas’ come-from-behind win of the NCAA Championship. “A few of you were up late watching that game last night,” she told a gathering of the Communications Workers of America in Washington, D.C. “Great comeback, right? My kind of outcome.” To the union members, she added: “You know what it’s like to be told to go away, to quit. I know a little something about that, too.” Meanwhile, Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback have introduced a Senate resolution hailing the Jayhawks’ win. “This is a great day for KU and the state of Kansas. Rock Chalk Jayhawk,” Roberts said on the Senate floor.
William Kristol wrote a column that highlighted the odd situation in which activists from both parties think that the other party’s candidate is going to win in November. He told how conservatives expect not only that Barack Obama will win the nomination but also the presidency. And Kristol dismissed the fear some Democrats have that the prolonged battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton will weaken Obama. Kristol wrote: “Clinton will probably concede by mid-May. She’ll be a gracious loser (they’ll hide Bill away somewhere). The weeks that follow will be a Democratic lovefest. And the money will keep pouring in to the Obama campaign, ensuring Democratic dominance of the airwaves in the summer.” Meanwhile, a number of Democrats have told Kristol that they think McCain will win, in part because of the war and Obama’s struggle to connect with blue collar white voters.
Although this will hardly be news to frequent flyers, a Wichita State University annual survey of airline quality found a continued deterioration of services, with an increasing number of lost bags, overbooked flights and consumer complaints. And the forecast doesn’t look good: “It’s just going to be more frustrating,” said study co-author Dean Headley of WSU.
It’s worth noting, though, that AirTran Airways, which operates at Mid-Continent Airport, scored tops in baggage-handling and came in second in on-time arrivals and departures.
Meanwhile, Congress heard testimony last week from a Federal Aviation Administration whistleblower who revealed the agency’s shockingly lax oversight of safety inspection standards that allowed planes with cracks in the fuselage to continue flying.
Train travel is looking better all the time.
The Wichita City Council members face their first test of the city’s new dangerous dog ordinance, in a case involving a pit bull that bit a 5-year-old girl in the face, inflicting wounds that required plastic surgery.
The owner is appealing the city’s animal control service recommendation that the dog be euthanized, saying the dog is a beloved family pet. But the dog has bitten someone before — the owner. And at an earlier appeal hearing, the city’s animal control supervisor, Dennis Graves, said he thought it likely the animal would bite someone again. That’s a potentally deadly situation, especially when a large, powerful dog breed is involved.
Gen. David Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee today that Iraq’s political situation was “too fragile and reversible” to draw down troops below 140,00 before September. Two presidential candidates on the committee saw vastly different ways forward. Sen. Hillary Clinton pointed to a lack of “promised results” and said it was time for an orderly withdrawal. Sen. John McCain saw reasons for “real hope and optimism about the future of Iraq.” He counseled staying the course. Will the American people go along? One thing seems clear: There will be upwards of 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq when President Bush leaves office in January. The next president will inherit the full measure of this foreign debacle.
