Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship
While insisting that the President-elect had not expressed a favorite to replace him, and his inclination was to avoid being a "kingmaker," Axelrod said, "I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them."

The Seven Questions Obama Needs to Answer
The stinging criminal complaint against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris raises lots of questions for President-elect Barack Obama – questions he’ll have a chance to answer Thursday when he does his first news conference since Blagojevich was charged.

Jesse Jackson Jr. is confirmed as Senate Candidate #5
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said Wednesday he openly sought appointment to Barack Obama's Senate seat but denied offering favors in return to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. A lawyer for Jackson acknowledged that the Illinois Democrat is "Senate Candidate 5" in the 76-page federal complaint filed against Blagojevich, who was arrested Tuesday. Wiretapped conversations suggest Blagojevich felt the candidate would raise campaign money for him in exchange for being appointed to the Senate seat vacated by the president-elect. Jackson is a Congressman and the son of civil rights activist Jesse Jackson.

Grand Jury Subpoenas go out on Obama-Rezko Land Deal
Critics of Mr. Obama's dealings with Rezko charge that the senator may have gotten a deal on his property purchase, noting that Mrs. Rezko paid the full asking price for her property on an adjacent lot. Both of which were sold by a single seller. Mr. Obama bought his house for $1.65 million - $300,000 below the asking price.

Obama Senior Official: “What’s wrong with trading job for political favors”
Patrick Fitzgerald’s charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have drawn a chorus of shock and outrage. ??But Barack Obama’s message man David Axelrod once staked out a much more nuanced position on Fitzgerald’s anti-corruption crusade. ??In a 2005 op-ed, Axelrod argued, in effect, that trading political favors – including jobs – is part of the grease that makes government work.

Ban lifted on loaded guns in national parks
The Bush administration has officially lifted a 25-year ban on licensed possession of loaded concealed weapons in national parks and wildlife refuges – and the new rule is set to be published in the Federal Register Wednesday. The U.S. Department of the Interior issued a Dec. 5 statement announcing it has updated its regulations to allow individuals with concealed weapons permits to carry their loaded guns into parks if allowed to do so under their state law.

UAW Cost Automakers $70 an Hour
The United Auto Workers (UAW) wants Congress to bail out General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler to prevent their undergoing restructuring in bankruptcy proceedings. In bankruptcy, a judge could order union contracts to be renegotiated to reflect competitive realities. Many analysts have objected that hourly autoworkers at the Big Three are some of the most highly paid workers in America, costing the Big Three over $70 an hour in wages and current and future benefits. All taxpayers should not be taxed to preserve the affluence of a few.

Natural law defends us from abuses of power
A commission of theologians is wrapping up a five-year study on the ability of natural law to serve as a set of universal ethics for mankind. With relativism gaining prominence in the modern world, Pope Benedict asserted that natural law is "the authentic guarantee" of freedom and the defense against "any form of ideological manipulation."

Archbishop Blasts the United Nations
The Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Cardinal Rodriguez, expressed his disbelief this week that the U.N., which proclaimed life to be a “solemn right,” is promoting immorality—such as abortion—throughout the world. “For this reason the Church fights in all parts of the world, because there are so many irresponsible people, beginning with the U.N., which was founded in 1948 and proclaimed a solemn, first right: life. Sixty years later a woman has the right to kill her child. What have we come to? That was either a trick or this is just a comedy,” the cardinal said. The cardinal warned that “killing children or promoting marriages between all kinds of people, men with men, women with women,” leads to nowhere. The countries that choose to experiment with these things “will sink morally,” he added. “I don’t thank the U.N. for anything, nothing, since today it is making such a great effort to spread this immorality throughout the entire world,” Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez continued.

Jews get killed, but Muslims feel vulnerable
Spread a rumor that a Quran got flushed down the can at Gitmo, and there'll be rioting throughout the Muslim world. Publish some dull cartoons in a minor Danish newspaper, and there'll be protests around the planet. But slaughter the young pregnant wife of a rabbi in Mumbai in the name of Allah, and that's just business as usual. And, if it is somehow "understandable" that for the first time in history it's no longer safe for a Jew to live in India, then we are greasing the skids for a very slippery slope. Muslims, the AP headline informs us, "worry about image."

Pressure Mounts for Rangel to Resign
Another congressman has added his voice to those calling for Rep. Charles Rangel to resign as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee as he is investigated for possible ethics violations. Rep. Paul Broun said he hopes that mounting pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will convince her to force the New York Democrat out of his post. Rangel has also been accused of paying below-market rents on four Manhattan apartments, including one that was illegally used as a campaign office. He failed to pay tens of thousands of tax dollars on rental income on a vacation home in the Dominican Republic.

Constitutional Crisis Could Result in Loss of People’s Sovereignty
A new political party devoted to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution is needed to help restore representative government at a time when the people’s sovereignty, their title to rule, is in danger of being lost, Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, said Friday at the Heritage Foundation. Under the guise of education, academic elites have been engaged in social engineering that is at odds with the American principles of limited government and individual liberty, Arnn said at the conservative think tank.

Abortion is a Women’s Health Issue?
A study by a group of experts in Spain has revealed that 80% of women who have had an abortion suffer symptoms of depression, while 40% have considered suicide. The study, carried out by psychiatrist Carmen Gomez-Lavin of the University of Navarre, also uncovered other symptoms that affect women who suffer from Post-Abortion Syndrome. These include sexual dysfunction (40%), drug abuse, especially among adolescents (30%), behavioral changes (60%) or irritability (70%).

Newt: GOP 3 for 3
In this winter of Republican discontent, last week offered three welcome signs of spring. First, Republican Saxby Chambliss handily won reelection in the runoff for his U.S Senate seat in Georgia. Next, Republican John Fleming beat back Democratic attempts to capture the seat of retiring Rep. Jim McCrery in Louisiana. Then, in the most dramatic upset of all, Republican newcomer Joseph Cao beat a corrupt incumbent in a heavily Democratic Louisiana congressional district to become the first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress and the first Republican to hold that seat since 1891. In short, Republicans were three-for-three last week. These victories signal opportunity for Republicans. When Republicans have the creativity to be positive and solutions-oriented; When Republicans have the courage to stand by the center-right principles they share with most Americans; When Republicans work aggressively to listen to the American people and regain their trust.

A Little Smooth Jazz to Relax You!
Listen to my second favorite bass player (Norm Dahlor of the Elders is my first) playing live. Enjoy TKF Fans and let the Jazz of Wayne Jones let the way!

Obama ‘proud’ to have homosexual band march in inaugural parade
President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden have officially invited the Lesbian and Gay Band Association to march in the Inaugural Parade. One of the association’s web sites reports that the group will also march in September as part of the homosexual “Southern Decadence” festival infamous for its public lewd acts. Vice President-elect Biden and I are proud to have them join us in the parade."

Swearing in: 'Barack Hussein Obama'
President-elect Barack Obama says he plans to use all three of his names when he takes the oath of office in January, giving voice to a name that was was rarely used during the campaign except by critics.

Yet Another Tax Increase for JOCO Taxpayers
The latest government body to talk about increasing taxes is Johnson County Community College. The administration recently offered “the possibility” of phasing in large property tax increases over the next five years, and it is clear that a majority of the elected board members are willing to consider this option.

Kobach Considering Statewide Run for Office
Popular Conservative Republican Kris Kobach plans to step down as the Kansas Republican Party's chairman early next year and said Monday he is seriously considering a run for secretary of state in 2010. Kobach also said he hasn't ruled out running for attorney general.

KCK & Wichita Top 100 Cities with High Crime
Wichita has jumped 31 places in a annual ranking of city crime rates that was published last month. The survey of 385 cities with 75,000 or more residents concluded that Wichita ranked 91st in the number of serious crimes per 100,000 residents. Of the six Kansas cities in the survey, only Kansas City, which ranked 42nd, was higher on the list.

Brownback Introduces Detainee Bill
Sen. Sam Brownback has introduced legislation to block the transfer of detainees housed at Guantanamo to the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth. Brownback announced the filing today, days after he held a news conference at Fort Leavenworth stating his opposition to moving some 250 detainees to Kansas.

Kline Supreme Court Case Hits National Media Outlets
While the mainstream media has widely, indeed almost exclusively, reported that Kansas’ pro-life Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline lost a major case before the state Supreme Court last week, the court decision reveals that, far from losing, Kline in fact came out victorious against Planned Parenthood on every major point.

Kansas district attorney not defeated in case against Planned Parenthood
Major news sources have misreported a Kansas Supreme Court decision in a case involving a county district attorney who is investigating allegations of malfeasance at Planned Parenthood. Reports have incorrectly claimed that the district attorney lost his case.

Lawrence to get rid of liberal panhandling policy
After years of encouraging panhandling and other liberal social laws the city of Lawrence, sometimes referred to the San Francisco of the Midwest, is concerning a crackdown on panhandling. Downtown merchants are supportive of the proposed regulations. They say the problem is that many panhandlers are not politely asking a brother for a dime, but rather are becoming belligerent in their solicitations. The ACLU supports the panhandlers. “The shoppers have rights,” said Bob Schumm, owner of Buffalo Bob’s Smokehouse. “They have rights to privacy without being pestered. Shop owners have rights to expect people on the street to sell their goods to.”

Leawood Council boosts budget by $1.5 million for new park
Leawood City Council members have increased the 2008 budget in order to pay for the next phase of Gezer Park. Council members voted Monday night to increase the city’s capital improvements fund by $1.5 million after bids for the second phase of Gezer Park came in significantly over original estimates. The park is expected to include landscaping, restrooms, a fountain, foot bridges, a pond and art.

Voting for change in the Kansas Senate

It’s often said that a legislator’s most important vote is the first one – the vote cast for leadership in the chamber in which the legislator was elected.

It’s so important because leadership sets and controls the agenda, picks committee chairs and committee assignments. Leadership has the bully pulpit when it comes to the press and opinion leaders across that state.

Because leadership is so important, that’s why it was disappointing the Senate decided to maintain the status quo by reelecting Steve Morris as Senate President, and John Vratil as Vice President when there were much better alternatives.

It should be noted that Majority Leader Derrick Schmidt was not challenged and was elected by acclamation, receiving support from the entire caucus.

A vote for the current team is essentially saying that everything is A-OK in Kansas. That the past four years, when a billion-dollar budget deficit was created, were just hunky-dory.

Yes, part of the vote was a simple reflection on the conservative-moderate split in the Kansas Republican Party. But does this split excuse a vote for a billion-dollar deficit? Does being a moderate Republican mean that you condone such large budget deficits? Though the vote is secret, it is fairly clear who voted for them. If anyone has contradictory information, please let us know.

Votes for the current team and for a billion dollar deficit:?Pat Apple, Jim Barnett, Pete Brungardt, Jay Emler, Julia Lynn, Carolyn McGinn, Bob Marshall, Steve Morris, Tim Owens, Roger Reitz, Derek Schmidt, Vicki Schmidt, Jean Schodorf, Mark Taddiken, Ruth Teichman, Dwayne Umbarger, John Vratil, and David Wysong.

Votes for change: Steve Abrams, Karin Brownlee, Terry Bruce, Jeff Colyer, Mary Pilcher-Cook, Les Donovan, Tim Huelskamp, Dick Kelsey, Ty Masterson, Ralph Ostmeyer, Mike Petersen, Dennis Pyle, and Susan Wagle.

To view the original commentary: Alan Cobb Commentary