National Politics

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

While Sarah enjoys fantastic sales of [Going] Rogue today, Hillary Clinton appears in the December edition of Vogue Magazine. Have a look. Balance your reading if you dare.

By Miriam Pepper, Kansas City Star editorial page editor

The "patient-centered medical home" concept (despite its unfortunately jargony name) deserves more respect. In a nutshell: Everyone should have a primary care doctor who keeps tabs on treatments and prescriptions in a more coordinated way than exists today for most of us.

by Grant Martin, Midwest Voices Columnist, '09

Sure, Major Hasan seems like a terrorist- but does that really help us, and if so- how?

By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

Free speech can be a messy thing. Somebody needs to tell that to Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

The justice, usually a defender of the First Amendment, wasn't exactly free and easy when it came to coverage of a talk he gave at Dalton, a private high school in Manhattan.

By Arturo Mora, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009

There’s absolutely no evidence that the Fort Hood case is one of organized home-grown Islamic terrorism. But, even if it was just one crazed man, if his main motivation was Islamic resentment, then it is a form of home-grown terrorism, and an issue we have to deal with. It’s a volatile question, but a natural one to ask.

George Harris Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel 2008

The U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday passed a health insurance reform bill by a vote of 220 to 215. One Republican, Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana voted in favor, while 39 Democrats joined the Republicans.

2012 contest?By Arturo Mora, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009

Any judgment of Barack Obama’s presidency based on a handful of off-year races is overstating the case. Trying to decipher the real meaning is something like reading tea leaves, and just as reliable. Still, they are clues and warnings, at least, for the national parties. My reading of the leaves: independents flexed their muscle and gave Obama a warning, passing health care reform is going to be a little harder but still in the cards, and New York voters deepened the Republican identity crisis. You could say this was in a part the opening blow of Obama vs. Sarah Palin 2012, and I’d have to call it an even match.

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

Since Barack Obama departed Grant Park in Chicago, a year ago, we’ve come to know a President who has traded his moral and spiritual message of change for a utilitarian process of bureaucratic maintenance, business preservation, public investment, and attempted change to an overpriced but thriving business sector.

By Miriam Pepper
Kansas City Star editorial page editor

Don't discount the now almost-quaint notion that voters choose candidates, not parties.

Following Tuesday's national election outcomes, much chatter focused on the Democrats' loss of two state gubernatorial races, with many pronouncing a Republican comeback.

George Harris Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel 2008

There may be a tendency to over analyze Tuesday’s election results or to extrapolate too far from any given outcome. But what the heck.

By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

I don't think either Republican or Democratic stalwarts should be greatly cheered by Tuesday's election returns. But maybe Americans should be, as the results showed voters pretty much holding to the political center.

Virginia went Republican, big time, but that's pretty much a return to politics as usual.

By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

"Deficits are wrong, high taxes are wrong, federal stimulus is wrong."

By Arturo Mora, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009

Just because President Obama is our first African-American commander-in-chief, that’s no reason to walk on eggshells. Anyone who’s made it that far has developed a thick skin, so have at it. That said, it’s interesting that most of the noise about racism and criticizing Obama is coming not from supporters, but from his critics.

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

A visit to the two notable “councils”, the venerated “dot oh are gees” along the partisan policy DMZ reveals that the Council on Foreign Relations (west side) expounds vast quantities of thought and publications.

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

We didn’t elect Rahm Emanuel, but he runs the White House. He runs it well. He’s cunning, savvy, focused and presently seems to be distracted by a fox, network that is… It’s not like Rahm to be so rattled. Rahm is cool.

By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

Proving that the third time isn't always the charm, President Bush's No. 3 attorney general Michel B. Mukasey has a piece in today's Wall Street Journal arguing that U.S. civilian courts aren't capable of handling terror suspects.

Dean Hubbard, Kansas City Star Editorial Advisory Board Columnist

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

Afghanistan is a cake walk compared to the war being waged by the United States and the government of Mexico against the drug cartels. Consider a surge here at home. Start some serious war councils to develop a strategy, and begin work to support our ally; Mexico.

What will it take to get the attention of the White House?

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

1. Go to zero
2. Jobs Jobs Jobs
3. Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks

By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

You win some, you lose some. Even Rush Limbaugh.

So he won't be part of the team that may or may not purchase the woeful St. Louis Rams (and we in Kansas City understand woeful when it comes to sports teams.)

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's reaction to the announcement that President Barack Obama was been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

McCaskill is an admitted admirer of Obama, and was an early and important supporter of his presidential campaign.

Her comments:

"Today is an interesting moment for America to reflect on how the world view of our country has changed because of this president.

By Arturo Mora, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009

As astounding as it is for President Obama to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this early in his presidency, even more astounding is the knee-jerk Republcan reaction to a sitting American president winning an international honor.

By Miriam Pepper
Kansas City Star Editorial Page Editor

President Barack Obama's selection as the Nobel Peace Prize winner recognizes the tremendous hope he represents to many nations across the world.

By Matthew Schofield, Kansas City Star editorial board columnist

So, Barack Obama, nine months into his presidency, has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Does he deserve it?

The obvious answer is yes.

By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on the basis of a vision and his ability to convey it.

By Arturo Mora, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009

It's pretty clear, even to his most ardent supporters, that giving the Peace Prize to President Obama, this early in his presidency, was meant as nothing more than a slap at previous US foreign policy. It's ridiculous to suggest he's earned it this soon.

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

Mohandas Gandhi’s boyhood friend and neighbor, Mehtab, introduced the young Mohan, as he was called as boy, to the dietary delights of meat. Forbidden by his family, meat became Gandhi’s secret passion for over a year when he was a teenager. His diet dilemma is linked to his political philosophy.

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

Our Vice President may seem rough around the edges, gruff, blunt, and sometimes grumpy, but one has to admit he works. He’s working to solidify the Democratic party and today he’ll be advising the President on policy in Afghanistan. Obama’s lucky to have him on the team.

Republicans have their “Joe”…John McCain.

By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

Manuel Zelaya’s real opposition is in Washington DC, not far from his greatest supporters at Honduras’ American Embassy at 3007 Tilden St NW. The interim government has hired the public relations firm CLS located at 1850 M Street NW, Suite 800, to polish their interim image.

By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

While Joe "You Lie" Wilson was helping U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt raise money during a fundraiser in Springfield this weekend, a Washington watchdog group was finalizing a report on another way Blunt raises money.