By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has grown accustomed to reading glowing comments about her abilities. The Star contained another such article over the weekend -- just after Barack Obama thankfully passed over Sebelius as his vice presidential pick.
But how does the myth that Sebelius is such a great politician survive?
Upfront, I concede she held firm on one of the most important issues in recent Kansas history, stopping the expansion of a coal-fired power plant in western Kansas.
She vetoed some ultra-conservative abortion bills, and -- with lots of others -- helped push through more funding for schools.
And, yes, Democrats love her. They were the ones who told The Star how great she was in the news article.
But this was buried in the story:
"Part of her appeal was her success in dealing with an often hostile Republican-led legislature, said Allan Cigler, political science professor at the University of Kansas. Although many Sebelius proposals have gone nowhere, she has managed to get her way a surprising number of times for a Kansas Democrat."
But the story didn't enumerate many of those ways, other than the ones mentioned above.
So, Sebelius fans, speak up.
Do you have a long list of what Kathleen Sebelius has done, in concrete terms, to improve the state of Kansas in her six years in office?
And do you think she will serve out her term if Obama wins?
If she doesn't, frankly I like the one suggested job mentioned in The Star story over the weekend: I think she would make a splendid bureaucratic leader for the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Delicious
Digg
Watch out Ross
You have ticked off Inter Flop again, I bet he is so mad he is stomping his high heels right now!
How many?
How many Democrats have served as Kansas' governor in the past, say, 25 years? So all this talk about a Dem Gov in a red state is pretty meaningless. Gosh, could it mean that people vote for the person and not necessarily the party? Can that happen? Even in 2008?
Balano: Full of crap
His columns are a joke. I mean, look at stuff like these quotes from the column he posts:
"I wonder what he paid. I wonder what he got in return."
and
"This is further proof that Sebelius is completely in the pocket of the abortion industry, let’s call them “big abortion.”"
There's no journalistic value or ethic in insinuating that Sebalius did anything other than host a dinner for the winner of the fundraiser.
This is irresponsible on behalf of both Balano and the Star, which allows him to post under its banner. He's treading periously close to a libel lawsuit from Sebelius -- and I'd think the Star would be more than a little leery of being named in such a suit as well.
Nothing good to say about her.
She didn't get picked for VP because she has way too much baggage.
I don’t know how she got her reputation as a middle of the road governor. She is beyond liberal and she associates with some of the worst that Kansas has to offer.
Obama has problems as it is; he surely couldn’t take the chance of really motivating the Evangelical Christians and that would have been the result if he had chosen Sebelius.
The Star will never mention it so I feel obliged to repost my posting from May as follows:
Photographs were released Wednesday showing Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius with Dr. George Tiller at what was called a “lavish secret party” for Tiller, his staff and other abortion doctors at the governor’s mansion.
The event was held on April 9, 2007 according to the Associated Press while Dr. Tiller was under investigation by the Attorney General’s office. As you know, Dr. Tiller is one of the few abortion doctors in the United States who will perform late term abortions.
The governor’s spokeswoman defended the event by saying that the reception that Tiller attended was a prize at a fundraiser for an organization that supports abortion rights. Apparently Tiller was the high bidder.
I wonder what he paid. I wonder what he got in return.
So are we to assume now that it is permissible to use the governor’s mansion for fundraising events? Will the next governor, and that can’t come soon enough, be able to host events for pro-life causes or maybe the NRA?
This is further proof that Sebelius is completely in the pocket of the abortion industry, let’s call them “big abortion.”
Sebelius has vetoed every bill that had even a hint of restriction on abortions including one that restricted partial birth abortions.
It has become obvious to me that Sebelius hopes that “big abortion” and the environmentalists will fuel her ambitions of national office.
This also is further justification for Bishop Naumann’s admonishment of Sebelius. She is not just an official upholding state law as her supporters would like us to believe. Rather, she is an active supporter and fund raiser. She socializes with the worst that “big abortion” has to offer in Tiller.
Submitted by Ross_Balano on May 28, 2008
Ross Balano Midwest Voices 2008