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.
By Abby Brownback
Daughter of Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas,
Teach for America participant
The Millennials are a generation of doers and believers.
It’s a wired cohort with a change-the-world mentality, young people who see what is wrong — and right — with our world on the individual level. Then they fix it.
U.S. House, Kansas 2nd District
-- Party: Republican
-- Contenders: Kansas Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, former U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun
-- Twist: For two years Ryun has wanted a rematch with Democrat Nancy Boyda, who took this congressional seat away from him in the last general election. But the energetic Jenkins, currently the Kansas treasurer, offers Republicans another option.
Republican voters have seasoned candidates in the primary for Missouri governor. Two top officeholders jumped into the race for the Republican nomination after Gov. Matt Blunt surprised many by deciding against seeking re-election.
Kansas legislative races in Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties feature a mix of veteran lawmakers and fresh faces. Here are The Star editorial board’s recommendations for contested Aug. 5 primaries in selected Senate and House races. (Many seats are uncontested in the primaries.)
Northeast Johnson County voters have the opportunity to help ensure a responsible state Board of Education by casting ballots in the Aug. 5 primary.
It’s a particularly important vote because control of the state board has fluctuated for several years between opponents and proponents of evolution and sex education in public schools.
By Nick Mangiaracina, Kansas City Star Contributing Writer
I regret to inform you that from this point on no one else will be able to type anything in a black font on a white background without first paying me a royalty fee. As of this point forward, I proclaim that this is my trademark. Have you no respect for copyright law? Cease and desist with your typing! I can’t have people confusing something I wrote with something someone else wrote because I used a black font on a white background. Confusion must be avoided at any cost. It could harm my reputation. Even though my name is on the piece, this doesn’t mean that someone wouldn’t just ignore the byline.
Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices 2008
My 16 year old daughter is pacing up and down waiting for her driver's ed teacher to pull in for her first behind the wheel lesson with him. She's logged 40 hours since March so she should be fine, but I'm so happy to have another adult to nag her about checking her blind spot and mirrors when she changes lanes.
Christian G. Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party announces the birth of a new little elephant:
Log onto: http://kansastrunkline.blogspot.com/
By Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices Panelist 2008
Last night, I attended a hearing of the Johnson County commissioners about the incorporation of Stilwell. It was democracy in action...except for the fact there is no democracy involved. Stilwell residents have no vote in their future.
Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices Columnist 2008
I'm having a hard time understanding why we need $62 million, five-mile stretch of road in southern Johnson County that goes nowhere. The "South Metro Connector" only connects to Holmes Road, and I just don't see the point.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial board
See below for the Wall Street Journal editorial on Kathleen Sebelius and the coal-fired power plant.
Opinion is opinion, and we all love it, but there's a couple of things to take issue with here:
By Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices Columnist 2008
I've been enjoying the John Adams mini-series and I feel we were blessed to have men like Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin. The story of the birth of our nation is amazing.
It's been a tough week for women.
St. Mary's School refused to let a woman referee call a boy's basketball game because she would exercise control over boys. Evidently, they didn't get the memo that this is the 21st century. Women can be anything they want, including President of the United States. Unless these boys live in caves, they'll have to interact with women who have more power than they do. I'm for freedom of religion, but religious practices have to conform to the laws and rules of our country. I found this story particularly sad because sports are supposed to be a celebration. Athletic endeavors should transcend matters of race, gender, or culture. Look at Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Buck O'Neil, and Billie Jean King.
It's time for the tightwads in Topeka to give citizens of Kansas the opportunity to vote in a real primary.
I wanted to attend the Democratic caucus tonight but someone had to pick up our youngest daughter from the last rehearsal for her high school's musical at 7:00 tonight. My husband took off from work early to grab some food on the way to our designated meeting place at Johnson County Community College. He arrived at 6:00 and didn't get out until 10:15.
A total of 1,246 people from Southern Johnson County showed up--in comparison to 37 at the last election. About half of them registered as Democrats when they arrived, including my husband. Since they had only planned for 500 people, chaos ensued. From the news reports on TV, the situation was even worse in KCK and northern Johnson County. In Western Kansas, some people had to drive hours to their designated site.
Kansas politics hit a new low on Sunday night about 7:20. We were just relaxing when the phone rang. I answered and an irrate male (recorded) voice raged, "Paul Morrison should be arrested."
I hung up. I learned last election cycle that the most nasty, negative calls were anonymous.
Frankly, I don't care who should or shouldn't be arrested. If someone has evidence a crime has been committed, take it to the authorities, not me. If they don't have evidence, don't bother me about it.
I'm all for free speech, but it doesn't mean anyone is obligated to listen. I don't think the founding fathers envisioned our homes and privacy being invaded by obnoxious calls. There are plenty of opportunities for politicans to reach voters, they don't need my phone so a computer can send me a recorded message.
TOPEKA_Once we got past the question of whether disgraced Attorney General Paul Morrison would show up (he didn't), the governor's annual State of the State Address Monday night was notably short on drama.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius played it safe this year. No mention of "universal coverage," the buzzword that turned heads in last year's address. Sebelius didn't even mention a statewide smoking ban or a tax on cigarettes. Instead, she simply called on the Legislature adopt the entire package proposed by the Kansas Health Policy Authority.
Another thing the governor didn't mention: The twin coal-burning plants her administration nixed for western Kansas. She talked at some length about energy, without ever mentioning the words "Holcomb," or "Sunflower Electric."
I was getting in touch with my domestic side over the weekend, dusting upstairs, and idly thinking about Gov. Sebelius's upcoming State of the State Address.
Mentally I was reliving the pageantry of previous years. The entrance of the governor, the introduction of state office holders...
Whoa.
Talk about a dust-up. What's going to happen when it comes time to introduce Paul Morrison?
Last year the newly elected attorney general was resoundingly cheered. That's not going to happen this year.
I thought from the start it was a mistake for Morrison to make his resignation Jan. 31, after his nemesis Phill Kline outed him for having a long-term affair with a former staffer. He should have resigned immediately. Now, unless he steps down this week, he'll have to decide between public humiliation at the State-of-the-State or the oddity of an empty chair.
At least Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison didn't get his wife to stand by his side when he admitted to an extramarital affair at a news conference.
Other philanderers of late haven't been so restrained.
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter summoned a strong defense from his wife, Wendy, when his name showed up on the phone records of the D.C. Madam.
Ex-New Jersey Governor Frank McGreevey's wife Dina was at his side as he admitted to a homosexual affair.
And U.S. Sen. Larry Craig's wife Suzanne stood by her man when he resigned (later rescinded) because of the notorious bathroom solicitation incident to which he pleaded guilty, but later denied.
Paul Morrison campaigned for Kansas attorney general on the platform that he was the candidate of experience and good judgment.
Not all that good, as it turns out.
What kind of guy puts himself in the limelight, promotes himself as a bastion of integrity, and thinks he can get away with an extramarital affair with a staffer? Morrison even let us know while he was campaigning that he and his wife counseled couples at their church about forging strong marriages.
What makes this such a sad development is that Morrison, as the Johnson County prosecuting attorney, made courageous decisions at considerable political risk. Not seeking the death penalty in the Ali Kemp murder case is one that comes to mind.
Some Kansas Democrats are thinking that the GOP's newfound interest in the state's wine industry tastes a little bit like sour grapes.
As reported in a post below, House Speaker Melvin Neufeld announced last week that Republicans would be touring wineries. In an invitation to GOP lawmakers Neufeld said, Recently, this multi-million dollar Kansas industry was mocked by the Governor in an out-of-state speech. As Republicans, I hope that we can once again show we are united to support industry in Kansas--We are the Pro-Business Party.
It's true that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius made a crack about the quality of Kansas wines during an appearance in Washington state.
Michael Mukasey appears to be on his way to Senate confirmation as President Bush's third attorney general.
Despite the waterboarding hangup, his confirmation would be a good thing.
As Sen. Charles Schumer, the Democrat from New York, said in an oped piece in today's New York Times, the Justice Department can't afford to languish under interim leadership for the remainder of Bush's term.
Mukasey, a long-time judge in Manhattan's federal court, has a reputation for integrity, fairness and a respect for law. He should make headway restoring the reputation and morale of a department decimated by the political maneuverings of Alberto Gonzales.
Plenty of heat is steaming out of the Kansas Legislature as a result of the decision by Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby to deny permits for two coal-fired energy plants.
Two top legislative leaders are circulating a letter criticizing the decision and accusing Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of pressuring Bremby.
"These actions have a considerable negative impact on our state budget, other Kansas industries, economic development and the security of our state's energy future," House Speaker Melvin Neufeld and Senate President Stephen R. Morris wrote.
