Daily Archives: July 24, 2009

‘Birthers’ need to get a life

July 24, 200912:29 p.m.

birthcertificateShame on CNN’s Lou Dobbs and some GOP members of Congress for fanning the conspiracy theory that President Obama was born in Kenya and therefore isn’t eligible to be president. This canard has been thoroughly debunked, and they know it. Talk-show host Rush Limbaugh has done his part by joking that Obama and God have something in common — the lack of a birth certificate. Kansas attorney general candidate Kris Kobach repeated that joke at a GOP gathering this month. But as smart Republicans are realizing, nutty conspiracies don’t help the GOP; they only make it look nutty.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under President Obama, U.S. politics | Comments (111)

F-22 fight shows power of parochialism

July 24, 20096:02 a.m.

f-22Kansas Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts voted Tuesday for an amendment to continue production of F-22 fighter planes. That put them at odds not only with the Democratic president but also Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is a Republican. The vote was a perfect demonstration of how, when it comes to defense spending, parochialism trumps partisanship and deficit concerns. The nation already has 187 F-22s, which haven’t been used in any recent wars. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and top Air Force leaders support Gates on the F-22. But the plane’s contracts extend to companies in 46 states. In successfully arguing against building more jets, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., suggested President Eisenhower’s warning of the “military-industrial complex” be updated to “military-industrial-congressional complex.” Still, the Senate position must be reconciled with a House bill with $369 million toward building 12 more F-22s.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Aviation, Congress, Kansas delegation | Comments (22)

Open thread 7/24

July 24, 20096:01 a.m.

thread-comm70

By The Editors | Filed under Open thread | Comments (351)

Obama boosting U.S. image

July 24, 20096:00 a.m.

obamahandsup7President Obama’s approval ratings have dropped in the United States, but internationally he is significantly boosting America’s image. A survey by Pew Global Attitudes Project found that the image of the United States has improved markedly in most parts of the world in large part because of global confidence in Obama. For example, 86 percent of people surveyed in Great Britain said they trust Obama to do the “right thing” in world affairs, compared with 16 percent last year who said they trusted President Bush.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Foreign affairs, President Obama | Comments (41)