LJWorld.com

Posted by Joel Mathis November 22, 2005 at 9:30 a.m.

Roberts disagrees with McCain

Sen. Pat Roberts faces new calls for investigation into the Bush Administration's handling of prewar intelligence - this time from Sen. John McCain.And it might complicate the presidential ambitions of Kansas' other senator, Sam Brownback[The Hill][1] reports this morning: "McCain backed Democratic calls for interviews of top-level administration officials in an interview last week. But his position is at odds with many in his party, including Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. ..."Roberts said it is too early to decide whether or not to interview senior administration officials about their statements. He said that those decisions should be made after the committee completes its report on prewar intelligence, known as phase two of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's investigation into pre-war intelligence."'That would be premature until we get the report done,' he said."The Hill adds: "Lawmakers facing a difficult reelection in 2006 and have an eye on the 2008 presidential election seem torn between McCain and their party line. ... Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who is also expected to run for president in 2008, noted that Roberts is his home-state colleague and deferred comment until he learned more about the matter."Other news and commentary today:Sam Brownback links[(Mother Jones commentary) Death Row Conversion:][2] Senator Rick Santorum, a conservative Republican from Pennsylvania and a devout Catholic, leads a catechism class for his colleagues on the Hill (nearly 30 percent of all members of Congress are Roman Catholic). He is an outspoken defender of the death penalty but this spring qualified his support, saying there "probably should be some further limits on what we use it for." Santorum's comments were soon followed by those of Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a fellow conservative Catholic, who told U.S. News & World Report that "if we're trying to establish a culture of life, it's difficult to have the state sponsoring executions." He suggested eliminating taxpayer funding for abortions and executions.Pat Roberts links[(Lawrence Journal-World) KDOT studies ways to spend SLT money:][3] Don't expect bulldozers to begin rolling through the Baker Wetlands anytime soon, despite $1.5 million in new federal funding for the South Lawrence Trafficway. Sally Howard, chief counsel for the Kansas Department of Transportation, said the most likely use of the money - secured by U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts as part of a federal transportation bill approved Friday - would be to allow Baker University to begin transplanting vegetation from the wetlands to an area west of Louisiana Street and south of 31st Street.Dennis Moore links[(Lawrence Journal-World) City commissioners support 31st Street expansion:][4] Efforts by Rep. Dennis Moore to include $800,000 in federal funding for an eastward extension of 31st Street received strong support from city commissioners Monday. The federal funding was included in the same transportation bill approved Friday that earmarked $1.5 million for the uncompleted South Lawrence Trafficway.How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][5] [1]: http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/112205/news3.html [2]: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/12/death_row_conversion.html [3]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/22/kdot_studies_ways_spend_slt_money/?city_local [4]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/22/city_commissioners_support_31st_street_expansion/?city_local [5]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed