Every day for the last week I’ve expected to read or hear that Fox Sports has fired or suspended Jason Whitlock for the outrageous Twitter comment he made about women and New York Knicks’ sensation Jeremy Lin. I don’t know how he did it, but with one little tweet he managed to paint women as [...]
Archive for the ‘politics’ Category
Calling Fox Sports: Anybody home? Did you notice that Jason Whitlock is a misogynist, as well as a racist?
Posted in journalism, politics, sports, Uncategorized, tagged Anthony Federicorfox, ESPN, Fox Sports, Jason Whitlock, Jeremy Lin, Max Bretos on February 20, 2012 | 26 Comments »
Obama’s decision on the super PAC: Stand on principle or increase the risk of losing re-election?
Posted in politics, Uncategorized, tagged New York Times, Obama, super PAC on February 14, 2012 | 21 Comments »
Sometimes, my beloved New York Times tends to get too liberal and idealistic for my Democratic tastes. One of the things I love about The Times is that it holds politicians to extremely high standards — as it should, of course — and seldom lowers the bar. But in an editorial last Wednesday, The Times [...]
If you’re worth $250 million, maybe $374,000 in speaking fees really does qualify as “not very much”
Posted in politics, Uncategorized, tagged 15 percent, Callista Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich on January 19, 2012 | 19 Comments »
If Mitt Romney wasn’t finished as a viable presidential contender before Tuesday, he most certainly was, in my opinion, after his comments on taxes and income that day in Greenville, S.C. Asked directly what his effective tax rate was, Romney said: “It’s probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything. For the past 10 [...]
Rod Egojevich: Another self-obsessed politician brought to his knees
Posted in Uncategorized, journalism, politics, tagged Rod Blagojevich, Patrick Fitzgerald on December 8, 2011 | 9 Comments »
The braggadocio and downright impudence of some political crooks before they are convicted often amazes me. Take the case of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in federal prison for his conviction on 18 felony counts of corruption. As you’ll recall, Blagojevich was charged in April 2009 with, among [...]
Bob Lewellen: Dispensed information and held no grudges
Posted in politics, Uncategorized, tagged Bob Lewellen on May 16, 2011 | 11 Comments »
I was very saddened to read in Sunday’s paper about the death of former Kansas City Councilman Bob Lewellen. I’m proud to say he was a friend to me personally, and, from a professional standpoint, he was a reporter’s delight. He was always thinking, figuring out how to advance the causes that were important to [...]
Unified Government Mayor Joe Reardon pounds away; the GSA prepares to counterpunch
Posted in politics, Uncategorized, tagged EPA building, GSA, Joe Reardon, Unified Government on April 15, 2011 | 5 Comments »
Unified Government Mayor Joe Reardon has sounded the warning: He’s ready to fight long and hard over the GSA’s plan to pull the EPA regional headquarters out of downtown KCK and relocate it in Lenexa. But look out for the GSA: It’s shoring up its defenses. Oh, the government won’t engage in verbal battle with [...]
Candidates travel east, and most feel a cool breeze
Posted in politics, Uncategorized on January 30, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Kansas City’s mayoral candidates went eastward Saturday, and not all received a warm reception. In fact, two of the candidates, Mayor Mark Funkhouser and Councilwoman Deb Hermann, got a downright chilly response. The forum drew a crowd of about 100 people at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center on Blue Parkway. The candidates on hand, [...]
Money and pain
Posted in politics, Uncategorized on January 28, 2011 | Comments Off
One of my favorite movie lines comes from a 1971 classic, “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” in which Warren Beatty plays an enterprising but bumbling whore-house owner in the Wild West. He falls in love with the madam, Julie Christie, but runs into all manner of problems. At one point, speaking of women, he mumbles to himself, [...]
Should KC throw in the towel in its longstanding attempt to be a major convention city? The Funk: YES!
Posted in politics, Uncategorized on January 25, 2011 | Comments Off
The issues of conventions (can Kansas City be competitive?) and development (where’s it gone?) took center stage tonight at a mayoral forum sponsored by the American Institute of Architects of Kansas City. More than 100 people attended the forum at the AIA’s comfortable, cutting-edge space at 1801 McGee. Those in attendance sat in black, hard-back [...]
The mayoral field: Which candidates will establish themselves as pack leaders?
Posted in politics, Uncategorized on January 24, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Over the next few weeks, the campaign for mayor will get increasingly interesting, and probably more pointed. With the holidays in the rear view mirror and baseball season a long way off, the mayor’s race is about the only excitement on the immediate horizon. By default, if nothing else, people will begin taking a closer [...]
