Half of the Kansas delegation cast votes last week favoring the $14 billion emergency bailout for the Big Three automakers – Republican Sen. Sam Brownback and Democratic Reps. Dennis Moore of Lenexa and Nancy Boyda of Topeka. If Republicans Sen. Pat Roberts and Reps. Todd Tiahrt of Goddard and Jerry Moran of Hays had voted for the legislation, it still would have fallen short of the majority needed in the Senate. Tiahrt at least made the worthy objection to the bill’s silly provision barring automakers from using corporate jets. And the White House may end up giving the automakers a bridge loan on its own. But the congressional debate on the bailout was discouraging, with some Republicans treating the issue as an free-market ideological exercise rather than a national emergency. The “nay” voters, including the Kansans, may feel secure in their principles. But are they sure Americans won’t look back on this week as the time Congress told U.S. manufacturing to drop dead?
It wasn’t just a few bad apples acting on their own who were to blame for torturing and abusing prisoners in U.S. custody. Top Bush administration officials, including former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, bear direct responsibility, a Senate Arms Service Committee panel determined. Much of the information in the panel’s report was already known. But its conclusion is significant because the review was the most comprehensive so far and the report was bipartisan and unanimous – none of the 12 Republicans on the panel dissented. “These policies are wrong and must never be repeated,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
In addition to violating U.S. and international law, torturing prisoners made America less safe. Such actions, the report stated, “damaged our ability to collect accurate intelligence that could save lives, strengthened the hand of our enemies, and compromised our moral authority.”
It’s a national disgrace.
Liberal bloggers have Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ future all figured out.
Scout Finch wrote on the Daily Kos: “Now that she has formally withdrawn herself for consideration of a Cabinet position, let’s hope it is a signal she does intend to run for Senate in 2010. She has the best opportunity to win in generations, and it sure would be nice to finally see some Jayhawk blue representation in Washington.”
Jonathan Singer wrote on MyDD: “Having her on the outside, potentially running for the Senate two years from now, could actually do more to help Obama and the Democratic Party in the long run.”
The Booman Tribune said: “I’m happy to hear it, not because I don’t think Sebelius deserves to be in the Cabinet, but because she is the only Democrat capable of winning Sam Brownback’s Senate seat in 2010.”
“I hope there will always be that clash at times. I don’t think we’re doing our job if everybody agrees on everything.” – Carol Rupe of Wichita, on the Kansas State Board of Education’s future and sometimes stormy past, as she and Steve Abrams, Bill Wagnon and Sue Gamble finished out their time as board members last week
Half of the Kansas delegation cast votes last week favoring the $14 billion emergency bailout for the Big Three automakers – Republican Sen. Sam Brownback and Democratic Reps. Dennis Moore of Lenexa and Nancy Boyda of Topeka. If Republicans Sen. Pat Roberts and Reps. Todd Tiahrt of Goddard and Jerry Moran of Hays had voted for the legislation, it still would have fallen short of the majority needed in the Senate. Tiahrt at least made the worthy objection to the bill’s silly provision barring automakers from using corporate jets. And the White House may end up giving the automakers a bridge loan on its own. But the congressional debate on the bailout was discouraging, with some Republicans treating the issue as an free-market ideological exercise rather than a national emergency. The “nay” voters, including the Kansans, may feel secure in their principles. But are they sure Americans won’t look back on this week as the time Congress told U.S. manufacturing to drop dead?
