Morning buzz

In The Star:

   David Klepper has a full report on the Kansas Board of Education rescinding science standards that cast doubt on evolution.

   Matt Stearns details the infighting between Sen. Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney for the GOP conservative base.

   Kit Wagar reports that a Missouri state senator is trying to revive six projects stripped from a higher-ed bill because research in the buildings could somehow involve early stem cells.

   Lynn Horsley looks at the KC mayoral candidates' stands on smoking bans.

   Tim Hoover reports that safety advocates say this could be the year that a proposal passes allowing police to ticket Missouri motorists just for not wearing seat belts.

   Glenn Rice reports that a wall that has come to symbolize renewed political bickering between two Clay County officials may soon be coming down.

   Rice also reports that a Claycomo official offered some insight into why village leaders terminated three top officials late last year.

Elsewhere: Selections from The Hotline's "Wake-Up Call," ABC's The Note and others.

   President Bush held his first news conference today since Dec. 20.

The Note lists Bush's press conferences by the year:

2001 — 4

2002 — 3

2003 — 4

2004 — 4

2005 — 7

2006 — 12

2007 — 1

   The Politico's John Bresnahan reports that top House Democrats, working with anti-war groups, have decided to pursue a "slow-bleed strategy" designed to gradually limit the administration's options. "Led by Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., and supported by several well-funded anti-war groups, the coalition's goal is to limit or sharply reduce the number of U.S. troops available for the Iraq conflict, rather than to openly cut off funding for the war itself." 'There's a D-Day coming in here, and it's going to start with the supplemental and finish with the '08 [defense] budget,' said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, who chairs the Air and Land Forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee."

   Under a "Clinton Camp Chides Obama for Distorting Her Iraq Position," ABC News' Teddy Davis explains that Sen. Hillary Clinton is in favor in favor of beginning a phased U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq — even though she does not share Sen. Barack Obama's support for specifying a date by which that withdrawal should be complete. But "the Obama campaign did not back down," writes the Chicago Sun Times' Lynn Sweet.

   Former first lady Nancy Reagan is inviting the leading GOP candidates to the first-ever debate at her husband's library in Simi Valley, Calif. "Ronnie always hoped the library would be a place where policymakers will debate the future," she said. "This presidential debate provides the opportunity to fulfill his wishes."

   The second controversial Edwards blogger, Melissa McEwan, has also decided to quit. 

   Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's daughter was arrested for DUI and "child endangerment," New York Daily News reports.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski

Comments

Looks like Sam's starting out with a tactical error, believing it's the "social conservatives" he must court. They just lost the evolution battle in his state.

[Ed Friedemann]

Reading between the lines, Bush's daddy { GHWB } seems very upset being smart enough to understand where his son is taking America. Little Bush's comments about his dad 'watching too much news' is a strong indicator that Sr. is trying to talk some sense into his rouge son.

It also indicates how closed minded Jr. is being { the disconnect between his fantasies and the realities of the real world }.

Jr. must be stopped before we reach an all-out war and those 'signing statements' so carefully crafted give him the power to invoke Martial law, thus suspending elections.

That may seem a bit far fetched, but given the circumstances up until now, I wouldn't be all surprised.

On immigration:

http://alamoalliance.org/truth.html

This is important. Please pass it on.

[working girl]

I feel like a stepchild over here on this "old" blog site. C'est la vie.

Anyway, in response to the Riederer topics all over the new site, I have some observations.

I have felt from the beginning that Riederer was re-directed to enter this race for a couple (or more) reasons. Probably the main one being that the mayor wants to scuttle Funkhouser at any expense.
I find it very troublesome that Mrs. Riederer, the judge, is made note of. Whether or not that plays into the minds of the legal community in KC is questionable in my mind. I hope to heck NOT. But there is no denying that she is a heavy hammer in Albert's court, so to speak.

I personally believe that the current administration at city hall, not to mention the 5 council candidates, want to see Funkhouser beat. I believe that they believe that Mr. Riederer is the strongest candidate to do that. I do not believe that they necessarily want Riederer to be the mayor, but are hoping that he will take Funkhouser out in the process. Naturally that would then leave the field clear for Al or Chuck who would continue business as usual at city hall, in other words, Cauthen would continue to lead the city.

In looking at some of Riederer's biggest contributors, there are the old standby state contributions from local people. I hope that with Albert's state connections that we wouldn't be turning KC into a city run out of the capitol. But some may not be threatened by a state controlled city.

[hurrypotter]

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