Christian radio broadcaster James Dobson is accusing Barack Obama of distorting the Bible and pushing a “fruitcake interpretation” of the Constitution, Associated Press reported. Dobson seems particularly irritated by the inroads Obama has made with evangelicals. But how much influence does Dobson still have in politics? Republican primary voters picked John McCain – whom Dobson condemned and vowed not to vote for.
A Rasmussen Reports poll earlier this month gauged how Kansans felt about Gov. Kathleen Sebelius having hosted a 2007 reception bought at auction by Wichita abortion provider George Tiller. The results should give Sebelius and the nonprofit group Friends of Cedar Crest something to talk about: 44 percent said Sebelius shouldn’t have allowed the event at the governor’s mansion, and 51 percent said receptions at Cedar Crest should not be offered as fundraisers for groups such as the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus.
It’s encouraging that a Sunday Eagle article on the experience of Tunica, Miss., with the Sumner County casino candidates found that all three — Harrah’s, Marvel and Penn National — run good operations. All hire locally. All contribute generously to local charities. All have minimal regulatory violations.
The positive record should reassure Kansans wondering which one of the casinos will win the bidding for a Sumner County casino.
Seems that in practice, they’re pretty much the same.
It’s still unclear whether a casino will provide a net gain to south-central Kansas, but the article should at least quiet critics still predicting that any casino will bring economic ruin and rampant corruption to the area.
That hasn’t been Mississippi’s experience with these companies.
Robert Gates has won bipartisan praise as defense secretary. Now there is buzz about whether the Wichita native might be persuaded to stay on, no matter which presidential candidate wins. “My personal position is Gates is a very good secretary of defense and would be an even better one in an Obama administration,†said Richard Danzig, a top national security adviser to Barack Obama and a former Navy secretary. John McCain’s campaign is making similar suggestions, though more quietly. What does Gates say? “The circumstances under which I would do that are inconceivable to me.â€
Good substitute teachers aren’t babysitters or chair warmers — they’re teachers, who have the weighty responsibility to carry out lesson plans and inspire learning in students.
That’s why it makes sense that USD 259 is requiring all 800-plus substitutes to take the same kind of teaching aptitude assessment that regular teachers take.
The Gallup TeacherInsight Assessment, which measures intangibles such as motivation and love of teaching, has been criticized by some as incomplete.
It’s a valid concern. For instance, the test doesn’t measure subject matter knowledge — that’s also vitally important to teaching success. And with good teachers at a premium, the district can’t afford to write off any promising candidate based on a single test.
But with substitutes often taking over in a classroom for days, weeks or even months, it’s also important to ensure that they’re up to the job.
The test should be seen as just one of several tools used to gauge a teacher’s classroom readiness.
Our Sunday editorial explored the fuss over a possible Obama-Sebelius ticket, looking at Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ weaknesses and strengths and acknowledging that “it would be exciting for Kansas voters to see their governor tapped for the already historic Democratic ticket.†Still, we said, “Count us among Kansans who’ll believe an Obama-Sebelius ticket when they see it.â€
Here is the statement Sebelius issued earlier this month about all the speculation: “There are 2½ months until the Democratic convention, and Sen. Obama is just beginning the process of making a selection of his vice president. The decision and timetable for the best person to help him lead the country is entirely up to him. I am supporting him because he is a great leader, and I am confident he will choose the best partner, from an array of talented individuals. I will do all I can in the upcoming months to help Barack Obama become the next president — he is the right leader to bring people together for real change desperately needed in our country.†She added that she and other “surrogates†have been asked to direct questions about the veep issue to Obama’s campaign.
