It’s shameful that the United States has become, under the Bush administration, a country that tortures prisoners, we argue in today’s editorial.
This is a dark stain on our country’s honor and ideals.And it’s disturbing, although not surprising, to learn this week that top White House officials, from Vice President Dick Cheney on down, were deeply involved in shaping and approving a torture policy — including giving assent to specific harsh techniques such as waterboarding, according to Associated Press.
John McCain has closed the gap with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, benefiting from current division among Democrats. Associated Press reported: “An AP-Ipsos poll taken in late February had Obama leading McCain 51-41 percent. The current survey, conducted April 7-9, had them at 45 percent each. McCain leads Obama among men, whites, Southerners, married women and independents.
“Clinton led McCain, 48-43 percent, in February. The latest survey showed the New York senator with 48 percent support to McCain’s 45 percent. Factoring in the poll’s margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, Clinton and McCain are statistically tied.”
The state has a big stake in the long-delayed farm bill, so it needed to be ably represented on the huge 60-member conference committee assigned to reconcile the farm bill passed by the Senate in December with the one passed by the House last July. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., was named to the panel in February. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, got the nod Thursday. Both have said they want to protect direct payments to farmers and the crop insurance program. The unenviable process will involve avoiding a presidential veto threat.
Monday was a big night for Kansans, and especially Lawrence residents — so big that the University of Kansas gave its students the next day off. But Lawrence public schools didn’t cancel classes, and 2,134 of the district’s 10,000 students missed school that day, compared with 790 absences on average on recent Tuesdays.
Here’s the photo that has had cable and the Internet buzzing because of the image reflected in Vice President Dick Cheney’s sunglasses. It only looks like a naked lady. Turns out it’s Cheney’s hand and fishing rod.
