News opinion 2008-04-26 Andanh.com

Petraeus a good choice for top post Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:56:51 -0500
Gen. David Petraeus has shown that he is an excellent military commander and is largely responsible for progress on the ground in Iraq. He is a good choice to become the next commander of U.S. Central Command. If confirmed by the Senate, Petraeus would oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made the announcement Wednesday. Gates said he expected Petraeus to make the shift in late summer or early fall. “I don’t know anybody in the U.S. military better qualified to lead that effort,” Gates said. We concur. This is an excellent choice, considering Petraeus has vast knowledge on how counterinsurgency works and how to fight it. No one can be surprised if left-wing groups such as MoveOn.org and some liberal politicians try to make his nomination an issue, which is sad. Most fair-minded Americans recoiled in horror at the “General Betrayus” ads, which were a disgusting effort to stain the reputation of a distinguished soldier who has devoted his career to serving his country. Petraeus truly understands the nature of the enemy we are fighting in Iraq and will apply that knowledge to the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. Some have expressed concerns that removing Petraeus is not a good idea because it could interrupt momentum currently being made in Iraq. We believe that the man nominated to become his replacement, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, is also an excellent choice. Odierno, currently commander of the Army’s 3rd Corps based at Ford Hood, Texas, finished in February a 15-month tour as the top deputy to Petraeus in Baghdad. It is likely that after working side-by-side with Petraeus over the past year, Odierno will put that knowledge to effective use against the insurgents. At a time when we are fighting terrorism on two fronts, it is vital that we have a man like David Petraeus leading the charge. He is an excellent choice for this top command and will not let us down.

Pennsylvania results Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:57:21 -0500
Hillary Clinton’s solid Pennsylvania primary victory may stem more from Democratic demographics than anything that happened in the bitter six-week campaign leading up to it. After all, the New York senator’s 9-point winning margin and showing with most major constituencies were almost identical to her performance seven weeks ago in neighboring Ohio. The initial reaction from pundits and the media is that she did more to keep her candidacy alive than to reduce the likelihood that Barack Obama ultimately will be the Democratic nominee to face Republican John McCain. But Obama’s failure to make more than modest inroads into groups that form the Democratic core only will encourage the questions about his patriotism and ties to controversial associates that marked the campaign. McCain made that quite clear Sunday when he was asked on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” if he believed that Obama “shares” his sense of patriotism. “I’m sure he’s very patriotic,” the Arizona senator began. Then, without prompting, he raised the question of Obama’s relationship with onetime radical leader William Ayers, denouncing the Illinois senator for his closeness to “an unrepentant terrorist.” Another sign that the GOP sees political mileage in this approach is Wednesday’s unveiling by the North Carolina Republican Party - over McCain’s objections - of an ad that questions the “judgment” of the two top Democratic gubernatorial candidates for backing Obama and shows a clip of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Still, despite their prevalence in last week’s televised debate and in day-to-day campaign coverage, there remains doubt how much these issues affected the outcome. Obama did marginally better in Pennsylvania than in Ohio among white voters and men, his final deficit was less than in early polls, voters saw Clinton’s campaign as the more negative, and most Democrats said race was not a factor in their votes. Besides, when exit pollsters asked if voters felt the two were interested in “people like you,” they rated them the same. Still, about a quarter of the Clinton voters said they would vote for McCain if she weren’t the nominee, and 18 percent said they would stay home in November. That would be disastrous for Obama, but the likelihood is that those numbers would fall in the general election, when contrasts between the nominees’ key positions became evident. Even as Clinton remains stronger among basic groups that the party needs in order to win such key states as Ohio and Pennsylvania, Obama continues to show that his appeal extends beyond those groups in a way that is also necessary for victory, since core Democrats are not enough to win an election. That was evident in Pennsylvania in his strong support among the 300,000 new Democrats who have joined the party since January. In a broader context, he continues to show almost daily an appeal beyond liberal Democrats that Clinton can’t match. Wednesday, Gov. Brad Henry of Oklahoma, the conservative Democratic governor of a “red” state, announced his support for Obama. He joins, from the last week, two respected conservative Democrats - former Sens. Sam Nunn of Georgia and David Boren of Oklahoma - and two notable Republicans - William Ruckelshaus, a key figure in past Republican administrations; and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, the daughter of former President Richard Nixon and the sister-in-law of another Obama backer, Susan Eisenhower. None has the political clout that Gov. Edward Rendell gave Clinton in Pennsylvania or Sen. Evan Bayh hopes to provide May 6 in Indiana. But they suggest the kind of coalition that remains possible for Obama, assuming he can survive the fierce challenge of the former first lady and legitimate questions about who he is and what he believes.

Mitch vs. Lilly Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:41:00 EST
Mitch McConnell's friend-of-the-little-guy rhetoric each election cycle doesn't comport with his votes in Washington. In the latest example of saying one thing and voting the other way, he led Senate Republicans in blocking passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007.

The soft landing Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:41:00 EST
Joseph E. Lambert is leaving his chief justice's seat for the featherbed that is the "senior status judge" system, thus assuring himself about $40,000 more a year in retirement pay for the rest of his life.

Forum Flashes: Good moves, bad moves Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:39:00 EST

A Jewish refugee remembers Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:41:00 EST
I am but one of nearly 1 million Jewish refugees from the Arab world who were compelled to leave their homes, separate from their families and emigrate to distant and unknown new lands.

Session accomplishments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:40:00 EST
While The C-J editorial board continues to call for raising taxes on working Kentuckians who are taxed enough already (a move opposed by our governor often during the fall campaign), even the Governor himself has acknowledged that the legislature's budget is better than his own plan which mandated 12 percent cuts on universities and no teacher raises. In contrast, by targeting our resources, this budget keeps Kentucky competitive by funding education and not increasing taxes.

Hillary's bull horn Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:51:00 EST

READERS' VIEWS Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:06 EDT
SAUDI RULERS SHOULD FUND WAR AGAINST EXTREMISTS

Let's say that my brother, based on his interpretation of the book we both hold sacred, is killing countless children and innocent civilians, even inside our own mosques and that there are suicide bombers around every corner. Yet, surfeited with dollars from oil reserves, I sit in my palace counting my billions from the Western world, feasting, but looking the other way.

Do I have an obligation to stop my brother, not only because of the harm he is doing but also because he misinterprets our sacred book? Should I stop him because of the wrong view of us and our holy book that he is giving the rest of the world?

We pay the Saudis billions for oil. What is the responsibility of the wealthy Saudi rulers to their extremist brothers?

Where is Muslim leadership in correcting the harmful abuses based on interpretations of the Koran? Why should not the very rich be leading the war on terrorism? Why should they not be paying for the war created by the renegades within their own faith community?

Excavate Town Branch, turn Vine St. into garden Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:06 EDT
Regarding the Herald-Leader's recent stories on structures proposed for Vine Street, I recall another plan for Vine Street reported by the Herald-Leader on Aug. 14, 2007, "Chandler wants water attraction."

It described U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler's plan to excavate and expose Lexington's Town Branch, which flows under Vine Street.

Lexington's horticulturalists -- commercial growers, community gardeners, garden clubs and farmers -- should reclaim local public policy, which for so long has served the interests of high-finance and gentrification.

They should insist that Town Branch, its valley and any contiguous vacant land be designated a horticulture resource. All future downtown planning, along with planning for the future of Lexington's various waterways, should include and promote riparian horticulture.

Although I live in Georgetown, I am concerned and knowledgeable about Lexington's waterways because I lived and gardened on high ground in Lexington for 10 years.

Inductees are special people
I am impressed each year by the inductees into the Glasgow-Barren County Athletic Hall of Fame.Yes, their athletic careers are impressive, or they wouldn’t be in the hall of fame.

Inez impresses those who visit
Perhaps this really is a forgotten place, too far off America’s main highways for the rest of the country to take notice. But John McCain’s forgotten places tour stopped here Wednesday, putting Inez in the national spotlight for a few hours.

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