The Rev. Jesse Jackson may be unhappy that Barack Obama is taking the spotlight off some old-guard African-American leaders. But there is no excuse for Jackson having said that he wanted to cut Obama’s “nuts out” for supporting faith-based initiatives and for talking about the responsibilities of African-American men. Is Jackson nuts? Jackson apologized for his “regretfully crude” comment, but his son, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., who is national co-chairman of Obama’s campaign, was outraged, calling his dad’s comments reckless and demeaning. “I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric,” he said.
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., accused Democrats of playing political games with Medicare and said that the bill preventing funding cuts that passed the Senate Wednesday was “controversial.” If this was such a partisan, controversial bill, why did it pass the Senate 69-30 and the House 355-59? And why was Brownback the only member of the Kansas delegation to vote against it?
He was mocked at the time, but presidential candidate John Kerry was right in 2004 when he said the most effective way to fight terrorism was with enhanced international police work, intelligence sharing and special operations.
A Washington Post article this week pointed to the remarkable success of U.S. efforts to fingerprint hundreds of suspected terrorists detained in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries. The compiling and cross-checking of data with Interpol and other agencies have paid off by identifying and linking suspects in new ways, keeping hundreds of potentially dangerous suspects from traveling to this country.
“That’s the beauty of this whole data-sharing effort. We’re pushing our borders back,” said Thomas Bush, an FBI assistant director.
Movie-house mogul Bill Warren, buffeted by public backlash to the city’s $6 million loan to his struggling Old Town theater, is asking his audience members for feedback on what they want and how to make the theater succeed. You’d think he and his partners in the Old Town Warren might have a revival plan worked out already, as a condition of the loan, right? Still, it’s smart to try to get Wichitans on his side by asking them what they want to see. And he might actually get some good ideas.
Some think an art film house could be the ticket for the upscale, condo/urban adult audience that lives and plays downtown. Others think showing classic or offbeat movies would draw a crowd. At any rate, Warren might do well to consider something along these niche lines that stands out as a departure from the usual moviegoing fare.
Wichita City Council members Tuesday went out of their way to offer effusive praise for Assistant City Manager Scott Moore, who will take over next week as the city’s interim city manager. In the past three years, Moore, the former city manager of Ellsworth, has overseen eight of the city’s 17 major departments and is said to be widely respected throughout City Hall.
Vice Mayor Sue Schlapp called Moore “an up-and-coming guy” who has “so much potential.” Other members used words such as “steady” and “responsible” to describe him.
So why didn’t Moore, who applied for the city manager position, rate an interview as a finalist? Is City Hall neglecting its up-and-coming talent?
A federal judge overseeing Guantanamo Bay lawsuits said this week that after nearly seven years of detention, the detainees must have their day in court, Associated Press reported.
“The time has come to move these forward,” said Judge Thomas F. Hogan. He ordered the Justice Department to “set aside every other case that’s pending in the division and address this case first.”
The Rev. Jesse Jackson may be unhappy that Barack Obama is taking the spotlight off some old-guard African-American leaders. But there is no excuse for Jackson having said that he wanted to cut Obama’s “nuts out” for supporting faith-based initiatives and for talking about the responsibilities of African-American men. Is Jackson nuts? Jackson apologized for his “regretfully crude” comment, but his son, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., who is national co-chairman of Obama’s campaign, was outraged, calling his dad’s comments reckless and demeaning. “I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric,” he said.
