Daily Archives: March 2, 2009

Romney still the conservative favorite

March 2, 200911:54 a.m.

Romney Religion 2008Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney finished first in the Conservative Political Action Conference presidential-preference straw poll last weekend — his third-straight CPAC victory. Romney received 30 percent support, while Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was second with 14 percent and Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tied for third with 13 percent. However, 44 percent of those who took the poll said they wished the Republican Party had better choices in candidates.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under U.S. politics | Comments (36)

Dean wanted Sebelius’ new job

March 2, 200911:52 a.m.

deanhowardFormer Democratic National Committee chairman and Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has confirmed that he wanted the Cabinet nomination that went to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. “I was pretty clear that I would have liked to have been secretary of HHS, but it is the president’s choice and he decided to go in a different direction,” Dean told the Huffington Post. On the subject of Sebelius, Dean was hardly effusive: “I think she will be very good. She is a very nice person, and I think she will be fine.”

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under President Obama | Comments (11)

Is deficit reduction realistic?

March 2, 20096:02 a.m.

budgetcut1Many economists are skeptical whether President Obama can reduce the deficit from $1.75 trillion this year to less than a third that much by 2013, but New York Times columnist Paul Krugman isn’t one of them. He wrote: “Right now the deficit is huge thanks to temporary factors (at least we hope they’re temporary): a severe economic slump is depressing revenues and large sums have to be allocated both to fiscal stimulus and to financial rescues. . . . If Mr. Obama gets us out of Iraq (without bogging us down in an equally expensive Afghan quagmire) and manages to engineer a solid economic recovery — two big ifs, to be sure — getting the deficit down to around $500 billion by 2013 shouldn’t be at all difficult.”

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under President Obama | Comments (85)

Open thread 3/2

March 2, 20096:01 a.m.

screamthe12

By The Editors | Filed under Open thread | Comments (439)

Can 1st District congressman live east of I-135?

March 2, 20096:00 a.m.

wasingerEven as Kansas’ “Big First” sprawled eastward in the most recent congressional redistricting, it continued to belong as much to western Kansas as to Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays. But that could change next year, if Republican Rob Wasinger (in photo) finds success in his bid to succeed Moran. Wasinger, former chief of staff for Sen. Sam Brownback, registered to vote in Hays last year but is moving his family from Virginia to Cottonwood Falls in Chase County, which is 300 miles from the Kansas-Colorado border. Other Republicans planning to seek the seat are state Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, and Pratt businessman Tim Barker.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Kansas delegation | Comments (25)