Hillary Clinton’s Bosnia story and her all-out effort to catch up to Barack Obama appear to be costing her: A majority of Americans now view her as dishonest. Nearly 6 in 10 people surveyed said that she is not honest and trustworthy, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. She is still viewed as honest by 63 percent of Democrats, though that is down 18 points from 2006.
The U.S. military finally released Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein after holding him for more than two years, AP reported. About time. Hussein was part of AP’s team that won a Pulitzer Prize for photography in 2005. The military detained him and claimed that he had ties to insurgents but never filed any specific charges. AP denied any improper contacts and said Hussein was doing the normal work of a photographer in a war zone. “I have spent two years in prison even though I was innocent,” Hussein said after being freed.
Several bloggers have had trouble posting comments after they registered. Here are instructions our online people have given for a common problem:
If you will log out, then log in again, this will reset your user cookie and the comment form should then work correctly. Once you’re logged back in, the grayed-out boxes should be prefilled with your user name and e-mail address.
If you have continued problems, contact Nick Jungman at njungman@wichitaeagle.com.
Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson resigned because of a criminal investigation into whether the Department of Housing and Urban Development directed contracts to his friends and political allies. But that may be just the start, the Washington Post reported. Critics say Jackson played a key role in the housing crisis by ignoring the warnings of HUD staff and helping make it easier for federally backed lenders to make risky loans. At the same time, Jackson had his own chef at HUD and a full-time security detail.
The latest pro-coal energy bill has reached Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ desk, where it must be signed or vetoed by April 24. But for all the legislative hours devoted to trying to overturn Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby’s air-permit denial — and the nearly $800,000 spent by groups lobbying the public and lawmakers on the issue — Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s coal-plant expansion remains in limbo. State Rep. Josh Svaty, D-Ellsworth, observed that most legislators have made up their minds and that, at this point, the issue would be best settled through talks between the governor, state regulators and Sunflower officials. “I think we’ve shown just how messy the legislative process can be and how little regulatory certainty the Legislature can provide,†Svaty said. He’s right.
It’s good that the city of Wichita plans to change its new ordinance requiring a license if you breed dogs. The stated aim of the ordinance is worthy — reduce the number of puppy mills and pit bulls. But the wording is so vague that it can apply to anyone whose dog has puppies. Members of the Wichita Kennel Club also complained that they didn’t know anything about the ordinance until it went into effect in December — which is probably why the ordinance has problems. And did you bloggers see whose picture was included on Tuesday’s front-page story about the ordinance? Fellow blogger Hank Price.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius spent some time campaigning for Barack Obama in North Carolina in recent days, sporting a “Rock Chalk Barack†pin in Raleigh and mentioning the Kansas Jayhawks’ NCAA triumphs over Davidson and UNC. “People have been very kind to me despite the fact that our team has defeated two very impressive North Carolina teams in order to cut down the nets at the Alamodome,†she said.
