Washington Legal Foundation:

Some calls are tough. The bailout is not one of them. Essentially, it reallocates resources from taxpayers to individuals and businesses which incurred excessive risks and made bad decisions; it substitutes politicians for shareholders in running financial institutions; it prevents capitalism from performing its periodic restorative function, which is to purge inefficient businesses; and it plants the seeds for an inflation such as we’ve never experienced. That’s important stuff; and the Secretary’s discretion is nearly total. TARP is manifestly an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power.

Bottom Line Communications:

How bad are things at the Kansas City Star these days? So bad that the word from a variety of sources is that veteran Lewis Diuguid, who lost his long-time column in December after 21 years, will now give up his Vice President title and take a major pay cut.

The options offered him are still better than those given to many other folks at Kansas City’s largest paper during its most recent round of layoffs and cutbacks (see list).

Despite his change in status, Diuguid will be on the Star’s Editorial Board helping to shape the newspaper’s views on issues.

Diuguid, a lightning rod for criticism by conservatives for his often inflammatory views on race relations, is said to be losing his Vice President of Community Resources title along with a pay cut to now be a writer.

From Club for Growth:

Congress was entirely consumed this week with trying to punish the AIG executives who received $165 million in bonuses despite running the company into the ground. House Democrats decided a 90% tax (!!) would do the trick. This was a hotly contested proposal. People on both sides of the aisle rightly felt that those executives didn’t deserve the money. But there were also strong concerns about the constitutionality of the tax hike. In the end, it was a bad bill that should have been defeated. Unfortunately, it passed 328-93. All but six Democrats voted for it, while the Republicans were evenly split 85-87. Afterwards, we found a statement written by Club favorite Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) that we thought was a great explanation for why voting “no” was the correct choice. Here it is:

Taxing Bonuses
by John Campbell (more…)

From Operation Rescue:

There also now, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God…” (Joel 2:12-13)

In the summer of 1991 the eyes of the nation were focused on Wichita, Kansas as tens of thousands of committed Christians gathered there to passionately cry out for an end to abortion. The event became known as “The Summer of Mercy.” (more…)

From the Kansas Minutemen:

Minuteman Civil Defense Corps

Heart of America Chapter

PO Box 2314

Olathe, Kansas

66051

913 620 0771

mcdcofkansas@sbcglobal.net

There are a couple of things here the second of which has to do with the first which is notice of the rally in Topeka on the 4th of April, come one come all, open to public supporters and all groups, read on please.

Also a heads up on a rally on April 15th, we should go out and support our friends who organized the rallies at Dennis Moore and Claire McCaskel’s office.  That information is the last thing listed below.……………Ed (more…)

Just three months ago, by violating the Kansas Open Meetings Act, a majority of the JCCC Board of Trustees — including “experienced” college leaders Shirley Brown-VanArsdale and Lynn Mitchelson — made it clear to the entire Kansas City metro that they had absolutely no understanding of Kansas law.  This week, the majority of board members made it abundantly clear that they have absolutely no interest in ever learning the law.

And a week ago, board Chair Shirley Brown-VanArsdale and JCCC President Terry Calaway, in an article in The Gardner News, unintentionally yet clearly stated that they think that open meetings laws only apply to verbal comments, and not also written and electronic communication.  That is 100% incorrect.  Here is Calaway, in reference to typed budget information that he inappropriately distributed to the JCCC Board during a closed meeting:

“We’re very careful about it, which was why there wasn’t any discussion about this material.”

Read more of Benjamin Hodge’s update on situation at RedCounty.com/Johnson.

The AP:

Officials of a nonprofit group that serves the developmentally disabled told legislators Wednesday its perceived pull with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ administration isn’t the real issue in a dispute over its state funding.

Instead, they said, criticism of Community Living Opportunities’ increase in Medicaid payments is rooted in an ongoing turf battle involving some of its competitors. They also said their Lenexa-based group did nothing unusual in seeking help from the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

The decision, made in October 2008 by SRS Secretary Don Jordan, is worth almost $713,000 a year to Community Living Opportunities. The Kansas House budget subcommittee on social services held a hearing on the matter Wednesday as Sebelius awaits confirmation as U.S. secretary of health and human services, who oversees Medicaid for the federal government.

Community Living’s board members include Larry Gates, a Sebelius friend and chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party. Gates contacted Sebelius’ chief of staff about the group’s funding issues, but he has said he never talked to Sebelius directly.

Video here at The Star’s Web site.

Washington Times:

President Obama’s nominee to head the agency that guides federal abortion policy is the latest Roman Catholic politician to find herself torn between her political beliefs and her faith.

Already admonished against receiving Communion because of stands she has taken on abortion as governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius now faces even closer scrutiny from the church since she was nominated to serve as secretary of health and human services earlier this month.

What began as a local matter between Mrs. Sebelius and Archbishop Joseph Naumann, the archbishop of Kansas City, Kan., has taken on larger dimensions with the prospect that Mrs. Sebelius could reside in Washington.