Daily Archives: Oct. 13, 2008

Good for McCain for standing up to crowds

Oct. 13, 200812:38 p.m.

It was good that John McCain finally intervened at increasingly hostile GOP political rallies. McCain corrected a woman at one rally last week who said that Barack Obama was an Arab. At another rally McCain told a man who said he was “scared” of Obama that Obama is “a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared” of “as president of the United States” (to which the crowd booed).
The McCain campaign has been inciting crowds to be afraid of and be angry at Obama, who, according to vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, pals around with terrorists. The campaign is unlikely to end these attacks, but at least McCain may be recognizing the danger and dishonor of playing with fire.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Presidential race | Comments (82)

Fannie and Freddie gave to Kansas lawmakers

Oct. 13, 200812:35 p.m.

To hear John McCain and other Republicans talk, you’d think that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were wholly owned subsidiaries of the Democratic Party. But the troubled mortgage lenders have shown bipartisanship in their political donations. The Kansas delegation’s haul from 1989 to 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics: Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Lenexa, $26,550; Republican Sens. Pat Roberts, $18,000, and Sam Brownback, $17,300; Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, $6,500; and Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, $2,000.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Kansas delegation | Comments (28)

Three trillion-dollar strikes and you’re out?

Oct. 13, 20086:02 a.m.

Never before in the history of Kansas has someone made three mistakes costing trillions of dollars and then asked the people to re-elect him, Democratic candidate Jim Slattery said about Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. (in photo). Those three mistakes, Slattery recently told The Eagle editorial board, are: Demonstrating “reckless mismanagement” of the nation’s finances, which resulted in $3 trillion being added to national debt since 2001. Showing “tragic misjudgment” in repealing Depression-era banking regulations, which led to $1 trillion in government bailouts. And helping lead the nation into the Iraq war, which will cost at least $1 trillion. “I think he should be held into account,” Slattery said.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Kansas delegation | Comments (44)

Open thread 10/13

Oct. 13, 20086:01 a.m.

By The Editors | Filed under Open thread | Comments (318)

Overheard from the 2nd District campaign

Oct. 13, 20086:00 a.m.

“At some point, I realized that God is not a Republican. He’s not a Democrat, either.” – Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka
“On the minimum wage, I don’t think that we need to mandate that. I’m a free-market girl. Let the free market decide.” – Boyda’s GOP challenger, state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins (in photo), who later said she had been talking about a wage increase, not the wage itself

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Kansas delegation | Comments (51)