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Kansas delegates pack medical supplies for impoverished nations

DENVER - Approximately 20 Kansas delegates went to a massive warehouse outside Denver to help prepare medical supplies to be shipped to impoverished areas of the world.

As part of the Democratic National Convention, all state delegations were assigned a public service project.

The Kansas delegates worked for about an hour, sorting medical supplies, loading trucks and moving boxes around the Project C.U.R.E. facility.

Project C.U.R.E. gets unused medical supplies from hospitals, doctor's offices, and manufacturers.

It sends these supplies to more than 120 countries

Doug Jackson, president and chief executive officer of Project C.U.R.E., said many poor countries have such inadequate medical supplies that they re-use needles and have used cut-up tin cans to perform surgery.

Jackson is trying to get more collection and distribution centers set up across the country. The group's website is projectcure.org.

Now that we know Gov. Kathleen Sebelius won't be the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee, speculation has started about what her plans are.

After working at a community service project with other Kansas delegates, Sebelius was asked if she might run for the U.S. Senate in 2010. U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has said in the past that he won't seek re-election.

"I love the job I have right now," Sebelius said, adding that she is giving no thought currently to seeking a Senate seat.

Sebelius said she expects former President Clinton, who will speak to the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night, will talk about the accomplishments of his eight years in office.

When Clinton left office, the nation was at peace, the treasury had a surplus and the economy was in good shape, she said. "He was both business friendly but also took good care of the needs of the middle class, which right now have been neglected in this administration, and I think that is a critical message," Sebelius said.

By Scott Rothschild

August 27, 2008

Live from the Democratic Convention