Three years ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency drew widespread scorn for its disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina. But agency seems to have learned from that debacle. In recent days, Midwestern flood victims along the Mississippi have been praising FEMA workers for their quick response time and on-the-spot assistance.
This time around, FEMA really does seem to be doing a heckuva job — proof that government can work and benefit citizens when it’s led with competence and accountability.
Kansas isn’t among the 18 states where Barack Obama’s warm and fuzzy ad “Country I Love†is running, but the state plays a role. Obama talks of being raised by a single mom and his Butler County-bred grandparents, who “taught me values straight from the Kansas heartland where they grew up — accountability and self-reliance, love of country, working hard without making excuses, treating your neighbor as you’d like to be treated.â€
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 today that it is unconstitutional to sentence someone to death for raping a child if the victim was not killed. The majority said that imposing the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, because the death penalty is disproportional punishment for the crime, as heinous as child rape is. The majority also cited “the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society,†which drives constitutional originalists nuts. In 2002, the court blocked the execution of mentally retarded defendants, and in 2005 it banned the execution of people for crimes they committed before they were 18.
Give John McCain credit for not speaking only to friendly audiences. On Tuesday, he touted his energy plan, which includes offshore drilling, to an audience in Santa Barbara, site in 1969 of a major oil spill.
“When people are hurting, and struggling to afford gasoline, food, and other necessities, common sense requires that we draw upon America’s own vast reserves of oil and natural gas,†McCain said. Despite a few protesters, he received a polite reception in Santa Barbara, and in fact, polls show that Americans have shifted on offshore drilling; a majority now support it. (McCain is still against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.)
McCain has also recently advocated building 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 and awarding $300 million to the inventor of a next-generation car battery.
Obama says all of these policies are ineffective or gimmicks, but McCain is driving the energy debate with bold-sounding ideas.
Four years later, the battle over the specious Swift-boat campaign ads rages on. Last week, a group of veterans who served with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., sent a 12-page letter with a 42-page attachment of military records to T. Boone Pickens, the Texas oilman who helped finance the 2004 ads attacking Kerry’s Vietnam War record. Pickens pledged last November that he would give $1 million to anyone who could disprove a single charge the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth made against Kerry. The Kerry group rebuts several of the accusations and demands apologies.
“If we want to honor Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, the best possible way to do that is to support Barack Obama,†Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said in an interview in conjunction with Saturday’s keynote address to the Ohio Democratic Party’s annual dinner.
She added: “It strikes me as ludicrous that the way to honor her candidacy is to support John McCain.â€
With the Intrust Bank Arena taking dramatic shape in Old Town, it was time for the arena’s management to do likewise. And it’s encouraging that rather than bring in an outsider, Philadelphia-based management company SMG tapped Chris Presson, formerly president of the Wichita Thunder and Wichita Wingnuts and a two-time Central Hockey League executive of the year. Known for being organized and hardworking, Presson started his job Monday at the Kansas Coliseum, which he also will manage. The expectations for general manager Presson and his staff will be as great as the Intrust Bank Arena’s potential to enliven downtown.
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.
Some Republicans are worried about Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr, and perhaps with good reason. Though Barr won’t get a lot of support, he could attract enough GOP voters to tip some swing states to Barack Obama. Ron Paul’s candidacy certainly highlighted the significant number of GOP voters who really believe in limited government. Other disaffected Republicans might vote for Barr in protest.
Are any of you fans of George Carlin, who died Sunday of heart problems? I didn’t follow his career or act much. He is best known for his “Seven words you can never say on television” bit, which led to a 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government’s authority to sanction stations. But he also won four Grammy Awards for his comedy albums, was nominated for five Emmys, was a best-selling author and was to receive the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this fall. Actor Ben Stiller said of Carlin: “He had an amazing mind, and his humor was brave, and always challenging us to look at ourselves and question our belief systems, while being incredibly entertaining.”
Here are two interesting blog articles making the case for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Barack Obama’s VP pick.
The Fix’s Chris Cillizza points to Sebelius’ willingness to make tough decisions, as state insurance commissioner and governor, as well as her post-partisan and gender appeal. (In the next day’s blog, he makes the case against her, citing, among other things, her lack of foreign policy experience.)
The Huffington Post’s Sam Stein thinks Sebelius offers “a heap of electoral promise but with small but significant question marks.†He approves of her bold challenge of President Bush on relief response time in the aftermath of the Greensburg disaster.
But he quotes Kansas Republican Party director Christian Morgan on her weaknesses:
“She can’t deliver her own state. Moreover, she has never dealt with the national issues that a vice president has to talk about. She has no idea how military budgets work, or what it is like to be a commander in chief.â€
First-term Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka — widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress — looks to be much stronger and more popular than previously thought, judging by surprising new poll results.
The survey by Anzalone Liszt Research found Boyda with a comfortable lead over her two current Republican challengers, leading ex-Rep. Jim Ryun by 17 points, 54 to 37 percent, and up 30 points over state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, 57 to 27 percent. Moreover, 68 percent of respondents thought she was doing a good or excellent job.
If these numbers are accurate, then Boyda could be a shoo-in for re-election.
Democratic Senate candidate Jim Slattery isn’t the only one impressed by polls showing him only 9 percentage points behind Sen. Pat Roberts. The Evans-Novak Political Report recently said such polling suggests Slattery could give Roberts “a run for his money. If Roberts runs a smart race, he’ll win, but a misstep of ‘macaca’ proportions could put this one in play.â€
A Bloomberg article by former Eagle reporter Alan Bjerga examined the low regard for John McCain among many farmers and agricultural interests, and how that might help Barack Obama (who represents Illinois, No. 3 among ag states). McCain voted against the farm bill in 2002 and also opposed the latest one, calling it “corporate welfare†(neither he nor Obama were present for the original vote). McCain champion Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said McCain can attract rural voters by other means. “It’s problematic, but it’s something he can well overcome,†Brownback said. “You overcome it on values.â€
Democrats are trying to label Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., as a lapdog for the Bush administration, especially on the war in Iraq and intelligence issues. But Roberts’ latest campaign commercial highlights one disagreement he had with President Bush — though the ad doesn’t point this out or explain the context. The ad spotlights how Roberts “voted to cover 34,000 more Kansas kids.†That vote was part of a bipartisan effort to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which Bush vetoed. To his credit, Roberts was a vocal supporter of the expansion and critic of the myths and misinformation that the Bush administration and some Republican opponents, including Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, spread about the expansion.
Did humans have a hand in the recent flooding in Iowa and the Midwest? Yes, according to some land-use experts, who say practices such as plowing under prairies and buffer strips, channelizing creeks and streams, and installing drainage tiles in fields have enhanced runoff and made rivers more susceptible to flooding.
“We’ve done numerous things to the landscape that took away these water-absorbing functions,†said Kamyar Enshayan, director of an environmental center at the University of Northern Iowa. “Agriculture must respect the limits of nature.â€
Not everyone agrees that the transformation of the landscape played that much of a role in the recent flooding. Mother Nature dumped a whole lot of rain on Iowa.
But it’s also clear that a lot of rain wasn’t absorbed or diverted and went straight into the rivers.
Three years ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency drew widespread scorn for its disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina. But agency seems to have learned from that debacle. In recent days, Midwestern flood victims along the Mississippi have been praising FEMA workers for their quick response time and on-the-spot assistance.
