Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appeared via satellite Wednesday on “The Jay Leno Show.” Leno asked Sebelius 10 mostly oddball questions, including about her biggest junk food weakness (Dairy Queen Blizzards) and whether she would win a game of H-O-R-S-E with President Obama (“I actually made my college basketball team. . . . So bring it on.”). When asked whether the best way to keep teens from having sex was through sex education, promoting abstinence or throwing Roman Polanski in jail, Sebelius chose “all of the above.”
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger continues to advocate for a federal mandate that people have health insurance, in part because she sees it as the only way to stop companies from excluding coverage based on pre-existing conditions. “If we don’t require people to buy coverage, then they will just wait until they need it and then they can’t be excluded, and it will just drive up the cost for everybody,” Praeger said in Lawrence, adding that “you can’t buy homeowners’ insurance after your home is on fire.”
Speaking of polls . . . their days may be number — at least how they are conducted now. Jay Leve, founder of SurveyUSA, said that polling depends on a set of assumptions: “You’re at home; you have a phone; your phone has a hard-coded area code and exchange which means I know where you are; æ.æ.æ. you’re waiting for your phone to ring; when it rings you’ll answer it; it’s OK for me to interrupt you; you’re happy to talk to me; whatever you’re doing is less important than talking to me; and I won’t take no for an answer — I’m going to keep calling back until you talk to me.” But, of course, those assumptions are becoming more and more disconnected from reality in our busy, increasingly cell phone-oriented society.
“This is going to sound real corny, but God bless America.” — Wichita City Council member Sue Schlapp (in photo), as the council prepared to approve the site for a Vietnamese community memorial
“This bill is a wet dog that is not welcome in any farm or ranch house.” — Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., arguing that rural Kansas will be hurt if the House-passed energy bill prevails
“It’s not the magical yellow brick road to the governor’s office.” — Lt. Gov. Troy Findley, on the likelihood of his job leading to Cedar Crest
“What are you going to say? ‘I’m more against Obama than you are’?” — Republican strategist Rich Galen, on the GOP Senate primary between Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt
“You’re I think the first Cabinet member I’ve met from the Obama administration that seems alive.” — “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a week after Stewart interviewed HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
Robert McNamara, who died today at age 93, had a remarkable career as president of Ford Motor Co., president of the World Bank and as a long-serving secretary of defense. “But more than 40 years after the fact, he was remembered almost exclusively for his orchestration of U.S. prosecution of the war in Vietnam, a failed effort by the world’s greatest superpower to prevent a communist takeover of a weak and corrupt ally,” the Washington Post reported. “For his role in the war, McNamara was vilified by harsh and unforgiving critics, and his entire record was unalterably clouded. For the rest of his life, he would be haunted by the Vietnam ghosts.”
Sedgwick County Commissioner Dave Unruh was in line with his wife and two grandkids when the shooting occurred today at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Here is an interview with Unruh by a TV station.
Pringles are officially potato chips, at least in England. Britain’s Supreme Court of Judicature made that ruling, which was bad news for Pringles maker Procter & Gamble, because it means it owes $160 million in taxes. In Britain, most food is exempt from value-added taxes, but potato chips and “similar products” are taxable. Procter & Gamble argued that Pringles weren’t potato chips but were “savory snacks.”
Like the biblical account of the widow who gave “out of her poverty,” today’s poor are more generous than the rich. Americans in the lowest fifth of income levels gave 4.3 percent of their income to charity, compared with 2.1 percent for those in the highest fifth, according to a McClatchy analysis of 2007 data. Those with the second- and third-lowest income levels also gave a higher percent of their income to charities than the wealthiest Americans. The poor may be more generous because they are more likely than the wealthy to come in contact with and empathize with the needs of others. The poor also have a higher percentage of women and elderly and people who are religious, all of whom tend to be the most generous. It’s also noteworthy that, unlike the wealthy or middle class, the poor generally are unable to deduct their charitable contributions on their tax returns, because they don’t have enough itemized deductions. Yet as with the widow in the Bible, the poor rarely receive public praise or attention for their giving.
President Obama told University of Notre Dame graduates Sunday that he was inspired by their maturity and responsibility in dealing with the controversy surrounding his giving the school’s commencement address. Too bad more national groups and commentators — both pro-choice and pro-life — don’t always model the same behaviors.
Obama, who was welcomed by the students with loud cheers and respectful applause, spoke about the need to find common ground and to extend the presumption of good faith to others. He called for open hearts, open minds and fair-minded words. And though he acknowledged that some viewpoints about abortion are irreconcilable, differing sides should be able to make their cases with passion and conviction but without “reducing those with differing views to caricature.” As Obama told the students — and everyone should heed — “religion and conviction can co-exist with friendship, civility, hospitality, and especially love.”
“Yes, I was pleased with my time — runners love flat courses!” — Wichita City Manager Robert Layton (in photo), on his division-winning 38:39 finish in the River Run 10K
“I went into the public trails and got lost. . . . I listened for the interstate and found my way back to I-70.” — Gov. Mark Parkinson, on his recent maiden jog near Cedar Crest, the governor’s mansion
“Health didn’t fare well at all. I learned a long time ago that there are two things you can’t argue with: no money and a closed mind. We had both this year.” — Rep. Bob Bethell, R-Alden, on the 2009 legislative session
“Moderate rhetoric, hard-left policies.” — Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., summing up President Obama’s approach to abortion in the New York Times
“How about that swine flu? The government is saying forget about nonessential air travel, an example of which would be flying Air Force One really low over New York City.” — David Letterman
“It was all because they wanted to get a picture of the president’s plane next to the Statue of Liberty. We have the first president ever who can use Facebook, but his staff does not know how to use Photoshop.” — Jimmy Kimmel
“What’s the government’s next big idea? ‘Hey, let’s send a guy in a pirate costume to Capt. Richard Phillips’ house.’” — Jay Leno
“President Obama’s been reaching out to Iran, reaching out to Cuba, reaching out to Latin America. The only place he can’t seem to be able to reach out to? Texas.” — Jay Leno
“Barack Obama will appear shirtless in a magazine this month. I think many Americans will identify with him — most have lost their shirts.” — Craig Ferguson
“Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will appear together on stage in Toronto for a two-hour friendly debate. Each side gets to pick a topic, so the first hour will be centered on the international banking crisis. The second hour will be dedicated to NASCAR trivia.” — Jimmy Fallon
“The Justice Department says they want to make an example of this Somali pirate guy. And I thought, really? In terms of making an example, I don’t think you can do much better than shooting the other three guys in the head.” — David Letterman
“Even Dick Cheney was into Earth Day. Did you see what he said today? He called for the use of only recycled water when waterboarding prisoners.” — Leno
The Los Angeles Times’ travel staff included Kansas’ Flint Hills in a feature highlighting “underrated places of the world,” paying tribute to their “undulating carpets of green” and advising readers to find a safe place to stop along U.S. 56: “It is here, on a perfect spring day or a crisp autumn afternoon, that you know you have found the heart and soul of bluestem grass country. You will hear nothing but the pure strain of a meadowlark’s song or the sweep of the wind through the grass. You are alone in the quiet. It’s such a non-L.A. moment that you may wish it could last forever.” Fortunately, Kansans get to enjoy that bliss whenever they like.
“Barack Obama’s daughters are very smart. They told him they will take the same responsibility for the dog that he is taking for the economy. That way, if the dog leaves a mess in the White House, it’ll be cleaned up by future generations.” — Jay Leno
“Bo arrived just in time, because Sasha and Malia were getting tired of throwing Frisbees at Joe Biden.” — Jimmy Fallon
“How about those Navy SEALs? They rescued Captain Stubing, Gopher, Doc and guest star Charo.” — David Letterman
“Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Somali pirates were all untrained teenagers with heavy weapons — which we call rap stars in this country.” — Leno
You might check out our Twitter page. It has links to We Blog and Opinion page content, plus additional comments and updates. And let us know if you have a page we should follow.
“I think when we get Michelle’s Boathouse. . . . That was a joke.” — Wichita City Manager Robert Layton (in photo), when asked by The Eagle editorial board about WaterWalk’s pace
“If their attitude is all or nothing, they may end up with nothing.” — Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, on the state senators negotiating with the House toward a statewide smoking ban (which she opposes)
“It’s kind of embarrassing.” — State Treasurer Dennis McKinney, acknowledging that the state of Kansas is listed in his office as having more than $200 million in unclaimed property
Check out Neil Young’s music video about Wichitan Jonathan Goodwin, who has been converting Young’s 1959 Lincoln Continental into a electric biodiesel hybrid that he expects to get 100 miles per gallon. The song is called “Johnny Magic,” and its lyrics talk about “disappearing down Douglas” and refer to Goodwin as the “motorhead messiah.”
Vice President Joe Biden did the comedy honors at the Gridiron Club dinner last weekend. Among the highlights:
– “I know these evenings run long, so I’m going to be brief. Talk about the audacity of hope. President Obama does send his greetings, though. He can’t be here tonight, because he’s busy getting ready for Easter. He thinks it’s about him.”
– “You know, I never realized just how much power Dick Cheney had until my first day on the job. I walked into my office, and you know how the outgoing president always leaves the incoming president a note in his desk? I opened my drawer and Dick Cheney had left me Barack Obama’s birth certificate.”
– “I understand these are dark days for the newspaper business, but I hate it when people say that newspapers are obsolete. That’s totally untrue. I know from firsthand experience. I recently got a puppy, and you can’t housebreak a puppy on the Internet.”
Obama “picked 14 of the Sweet 16 right. That’s pretty good. That’s better than he did with his Cabinet positions.” — Jay Leno
“President Obama also announced another faith-based program: his budget.” — Leno
“Very strange incident at JFK Airport in New York City today. An AIG executive going through security had to empty out all his pockets. You know what fell out? Senator Chris Dodd.” — Leno
“The only way Obama could get more TV time is if he had eight babies.” — Craig Ferguson
“Michelle Obama is planting a vegetable garden on the White House lawn. You know the economy’s bad when the Obamas are afraid of running out of food.” — Jimmy Fallon
“When the Republicans are fighting with each other, when they’re shooting within, Democrats do better.” — Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (in photo), D-Topeka, on Kansas Democrats’ 2010 political prospects
“It’s a little bit like drinking from a fire hose.” — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, on learning about her future job as secretary of Health and Human Services
“Obama job hunting ad. Looking for community organizer w/communist views. No experience necessary. Smokers OK. Ask for Nancy.” — Sign held by one of the 100 demonstrators at a Johnson County tea party protesting the president’s policies
“I have been getting so much encouragement. In fact, just before I went on, Rush Limbaugh called me up and said he wants me to fail.” — Jimmy Fallon, on the new “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
“It was this week in 1854 that the Republican Party was founded with only a handful of true believers. Just like today.” — Jay Leno
“Barack Obama announced he’s bringing home troops from Iraq. That’s right. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get them direct flights home. They have a two-year layover in Afghanistan.” — Fallon
“Cold in New York City today, where it was 24 degrees outside. Wait a minute. I’m sorry. That was the Dow Jones Average.” — David Letterman
“And the jobless rate has jumped to 7.6 percent, the worst since 1974, and economists are now worried this could lead to a resurgence of disco.” — Jay Leno
“The economy is so bad, President Barack Obama’s new slogan is ‘Spare Change You Can Believe In.’” — Leno
“Anybody here in New York for the Westminster Kennel Club dog show? Some unfortunate news. A Jack Russell terrier had to drop out because of tax problems.” — David Letterman
“The economy stinks. It’s so bad, today as I was walking through Central Park, I saw a pigeon feeding an old lady.” — Letterman
Today’s 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln has sparked an Abe-mania of sorts. U.S. News & World Report rounded up “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Abraham Lincoln,” including that he held a patent (on a device to keep boats afloat in shallow water) and kept two pet goats at the White House, and that he and actor Tom Hanks are fourth cousins, four times removed.
“As you know, 2010 will be election Armageddon in Kansas.” — Outgoing state Republican Party chairman Kris Kobach, referring to the GOP primary battles expected in the gubernatorial and Senate races
“This message . . . in this office, and I’m sure it’s been true for everyone else, is ‘don’t,’ then fill in the blank.” — Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt (in photo), R-Independence, on the constituent e-mail onslaught as the Senate worked on a budget-cutting bill
“The imposter groups need to yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, bum, bum, bum, get a job.” — Jon “Bowzer” Bauman of Sha Na Na fame, testifying to a Kansas House committee in favor of a bill to fight music acts posing as classic groups
“I know that many (of) you are aware that this dinner began almost 100 years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee. If he were here with us tonight, the general would be 202 years old. And very confused.” — President Barack Obama, at the recent black tie Alfalfa Club dinner in Washington
“Watching him give a speech really was like watching a drunk man crossing the street. You are never sure if he’ll get to the other side of the sentence.” — MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson, reflecting on George W. Bush in a speech to the Kansas Chamber of Commerce
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appeared via satellite Wednesday on “The Jay Leno Show.” Leno asked Sebelius 10 mostly oddball questions, including about her biggest junk food weakness (Dairy Queen Blizzards) and whether she would win a game of H-O-R-S-E with President Obama (“I actually made my college basketball team. . . . So bring it on.”). When asked whether the best way to keep teens from having sex was through sex education, promoting abstinence or throwing Roman Polanski in jail, Sebelius chose “all of the above.”
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger continues to advocate for a federal mandate that people have health insurance, in part because she sees it as the only way to stop companies from excluding coverage based on pre-existing conditions. “If we don’t require people to buy coverage, then they will just wait until they need it and then they can’t be excluded, and it will just drive up the cost for everybody,” Praeger 
“This is going to sound real corny, but God bless America.” — Wichita City Council member Sue Schlapp (in photo), as the council prepared to approve the site for a Vietnamese community memorial
Robert McNamara, who died today at age 93, had a remarkable career as president of Ford Motor Co., president of the World Bank and as a long-serving secretary of defense. “But more than 40 years after the fact, he was remembered almost exclusively for his orchestration of U.S. prosecution of the war in Vietnam, a failed effort by the world’s greatest superpower to prevent a communist takeover of a weak and corrupt ally,” the Washington Post 
Sedgwick County Commissioner Dave Unruh was in line with his wife and two grandkids when the 
Pringles are officially potato chips, at least in England. Britain’s Supreme Court of Judicature made that 
President Obama 
“Yes, I was pleased with my time — runners love flat courses!” — Wichita City Manager Robert Layton (in photo), on his division-winning 38:39 finish in the River Run 10K
“How about that swine flu? The government is saying forget about nonessential air travel, an example of which would be flying Air Force One really low over New York City.” — David Letterman
The Los Angeles Times’ travel staff included Kansas’ Flint Hills in a 
You might check out our 
“I think when we get Michelle’s Boathouse. . . . That was a joke.” — Wichita City Manager Robert Layton (in photo), when asked by The Eagle editorial board about WaterWalk’s pace
Vice President Joe Biden did the 
“When the Republicans are fighting with each other, when they’re shooting within, Democrats do better.” — Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (in photo), D-Topeka, on Kansas Democrats’ 2010 political prospects
Today’s 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln has sparked an Abe-mania of sorts. U.S. News & World Report 
“As you know, 2010 will be election Armageddon in Kansas.” — Outgoing state Republican Party chairman Kris Kobach, referring to the GOP primary battles expected in the gubernatorial and Senate races