Blog CCP Scores a Coup

I've been wanting to post something about the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), probably based on the superb column done by Paul Krugman showing that Bush is actually harming children to prevent government from demonstrating that it can help the situation.

Over at Blog CCP, a post on the subject is already up - posted by someone who's closer to the issue than I am, or Paul Krugman is. Missouri's Democratic Senator has posted on the site, providing an informed, inside perspective on how Republican partisanship may harm children.

That's pretty cool. A Senator publishing on a local blog. Blog CCP is distinguishing itself as the new gathering spot for political types.

Do You REALLY Want to Know Beer?

Rumor has it that the Kansas City Bier Meisters homebrewing club is testing the waters for a special class on beer judging. The focus of the class will be preparation for the intensive Beer Judge Certification Program examination, but it will also serve as a world-class education about beer and all its variations.

It looks like the class will be divided into 5 sessions on Sunday afternoons, probably around I-35 and Lamar, and will cost $30 per session. While $150 will buy a whole bunch of Natty Light, I think I'm going to make the investment . . .

The exam will be a three hour, closed book exam divided into two portions (Written & Tasting):

Written Portion

- Ten essay questions, worth 70% of your total score

**One question on BJCP and basic brewing skills
**Four technical questions
**Five beer style questions

Tasting Portion

- Four exam beers, worth 30% of total score

**Judge beers as in competition, but no references
**Beers may be homebrew, commercial, blended, doctored, or mis-categorized.

Alright, who's in? Les? Jim?

If anyone is interested in being a certified beer snob, email me at dan@gonemild.com, and I'll get you in touch with the right people.

PS: Note the addition of the KC Beer Blog in the blogroll. It's definitely worth a visit!

One Trick Tony? A Voice Becomes a Single Note.

A commenter on Tony's Kansas City today called him "One Trick Tony" and speculated "What will Monday morning's baseless attack on Funkhouser be about?". While the comment seems a little harsh, it did raise an interesting question. While Tony used to be a site that was notable for its varying content, it has evolved into a one-stop shop for reliably negative commentary on one pet subject - Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

I did a little quick tallying, and it appears that Tony has posted 26 separate posts attacking Mayor Funkhouser in 24 days he has posted so far this month. That's more than one a day. He's also attacked Mark's wife 7 times, and even attacked his child.

There's nothing inherently wrong with Tony's obsession. Blogs exist with all sorts of single-minded purposes. I used to contribute to one devoted to Matt Blunt, but I think we all grew bored with the constant negativity. But there are blogs devoted to knitting, to cats, to roses, and, now, one devoted to hatred of our Mayor.

One of the funniest notes in the month by Tony was his claim that he was "every bit as rough with [Kay Barnes'] administration". Out of curiosity, I checked out what he was writing during this month of last year. Oddly enough, Kay Barnes received only 7 mentions in July of '06. And none of them rose to the level of bile that Tony has been dishing day in and day out toward Mayor Funkhouser.

It can be difficult, as a blogger, to come up with something to write about. Tony has apparently found his subject, just as Boswell found Johnson. He might not be as interesting or unpredictable as he once was, but he certainly is reliable. What will Tony's Funkhouser attack be about tomorrow, and which member of the family will he go after?

Update on Save the Mango Room and Other Independent Restaurants! - Mexican Fast Food Edition

The Mango Room and other fine dining experiences are only part of the issue. Kansas Citians ought to also be aware - perhaps even more aware - of their local options when they're just looking for something quick, tasty and cheap. Every drive through customer at McDonald's or Taco Bell is casting an economic vote for homogeneity and corporate control of our food supply. They're supporting a minimum-wage based, anti-entrepreneurial economy. They're also getting crappy, chemically-altered products designed by food chemists instead of chefs.

This past week, I tried out two cheap, quick Mexican places for fast food. First I tried Midtown Burritos and More, in a hut connected to the old Lamar's building on Linwood. A commenter on the original posting in this series had inquired about the place, and I had never noticed it. I'm glad I stopped by. The place had bounteous specials. It had a charming hostess. It had a special vegetarian menu. It had coziness. What it didn't have was electricity - the cell phone shop next door had blown a fuse or something. Undeterred by the lack of refrigeration, I selected one of the combo specials, which came with a ground beef taco, a ground beef enchilada, and a tamale. I'm not really a ground beef fan when it comes to Mexican food, but that's what they were offering that day, and somehow under-refrigerated chicken and pork didn't sound quite as good.

I was pleasantly impressed with the portions, the flavor and the tamale. I LOVE tamales, and this was up there with Pancho's version. I don't feel like I got to taste the full potential of Midtown Burrito's (sic) and More, but I was satisfied enough that I will return and see what they can do when they have power.

My second new Mexican experience was Cancun Fiesta, in Westport. I went in search of the appetizing fish tacos described by DLC in the comments in the original post, but they were not on the menu. Instead, I got one of their specials - 4 "street" tacos for $6. (Street tacos are simply soft tacos, so named because they are sold from carts on the street in many cities.) I had two pork, one beef and one chicken. The beef had great flavor, and was my favorite. Spicy, but not too hot, and finely chopped.

Both Mexican places were vastly superior to Taco Bell. Both provided tasty food at great prices, quickly. Both were run by local families, and were grateful for the business.

If it weren't for the fact that one of the best restaurants in the world is Pancho's on Main, both of these restaurants would get ringing endorsements. As it is, I will recommend them both to those who don't make it to Pancho's.

(PS: I messed up in my original post by failing to include links to other blogs featuring food, either regularly or in response to my challenge to make August "local food month". I'll correct that oversight in a posting very soon. In the meantime, please email me your suggestions, or post them in the comments here.)

If You Can't Say Something Nice, Don't Say Anything at All

As longtime readers know, I'm not a huge fan of Jay Nixon. Indeed, the titles of my prior writings on him do a pretty good job of conveying my feelings on the subject. But, like it or not, he's the guy running against Matt Blunt to be Missouri's governor, and it is absolutely beyond dispute that he would be a better governor than Matt Blunt.

This is the part of politics I don't like - being faced with a candidate I don't like running against a candidate I despise. It's the flipside of how I felt about the recent KC Mayor's race - I had a strong favorite running against a man I admire.

But, I'm a 95% loyal Democrat, and I definitely want Nixon in the Governor's Mansion. But I still have trouble saying nice things about him without taking a shower soon after.

That's why this news is so gratifying. Nixon is whipping up on the incumbent by a margin of 57-38, winning every part of the state. Even the Ozarks region is supporting Nixon by an astonishing 9 point margin.

This is good news for me. Not only are we likely to get Blunt evicted from the Governor's Mansion, but it looks like it won't even be much of a race. I'll be able to remain silent about it, and not feel obligated to write much about Nixon. Since I have trouble saying anything nice about him, it will be nice not to say anything at all.

If You're a Kansas City Lawyer . . .

You should have received a corrected ballot for the Missouri Bar Board of Governors race. You get three votes, and there are four candidates. Cumulative voting is not permitted, but you are allowed to cast less than three votes.

I strongly encourage you to cast one vote for Dana Tippin Cutler. Here is her bio. I know her and each of the other candidates, and she is simply the best person for the Board of Governors. She is a smart can-do person who avoids getting stuck in the "student council" nature of politics on that body. Please cast one of your votes for her.

KC Fringe Fest & Blogger Meet-up

While it won't feature any works by my favorite artist, it's well worth noting that the 2007 KC Fringe Festival kicks off today. Go here to find a show or performance that stretches your world just a little.

The concept of the Fringe Festival - that good and interesting work can be put out by non-professionals - is obviously one with some resonance for bloggers. Even better, though, the Fringe Festival participants get to keep the admission fees.

Want to discuss this and other bloggish topics? My Spyderweb and General Blather have set up a blogger get-together at Governor Stumpy's. Even if you don't want to meet XO and other bloggers, who can turn down $2 beers at a locally owned restaurant?

Loyalty Pledges for Kansas Republicans??

(UPDATE: Invaluable commenter Travelingal smelled a rat, and tracked the source of this down to a kooky rightwing website that cannot fairly be said to represent the Johnson County Republican party. Sorry for spreading misinformation, and thank you, Travelingal, for the correction.)

Even I am shocked at this development. In an attempt to prevent further defections from the Republican Party as Johnson County lurches further and further to the unelectable right, Johnson County Republicans have drafted a loyalty pledge, in which they are asking Republicans to never, ever, no matter what, stray from the party line. Here's the text, which is posted on Blue Tide Rising:

GOP Unity Pledge

I, _______________, promise never to abandon my present Republican Party affiliation for the purpose of political gain. The Republican Party, both nationally and domestically, was founded on sound and principled ideals, that include but are not limited to, personal liberty, individual freedom, responsive and citizen-based Government, life-affirming values, economic growth, strong and cutting edge military, low taxes and a mutual respect for fellow Republicans. Because of that, I will, at no point in my political or personal future, find cause to transfer my Party loyalty to any other affiliated organization.

I will not, at any future moment, become a registered Democrat for the purpose of seeking any political office. Additionally, I will not change my Party affiliation to that of any peripheral political party, such as the Reform Party, the Green Party or the Libertarian Party. Such a move would be not only opportunistic, it would be an unjustified trampling of everything that I previously claimed to stand for.

I care far too deeply about the previously espoused Republican ideals as well as the thousands of hard-working Republican citizens all over the State of Kansas to ever consider changing my political Party affiliation. I look forward to a life of citizen-serving, Republican political involvement. I thank the Kansas Republican Party, including all of the registered Kansas Republicans, for their years of service, good will and friendship.

I solemnly pledge to always be a Republican, no matter what promises are made by external forces seeking only to undermine the Republican values I stand for. I can have reasonable disagreement with members of the Republican Party; however, at no point will ‘Party switching’ or quitting of the Party be tolerable.

Signed,

X __________________________________

There are dozens of ways to make fun of this, but I don't want to. If you are a Johnson County Republican, now is a time of crisis. You have three choices. Fight to regain your party. Leave the party and join the Democrats. Or pledge loyalty forever to a party that demands that you pledge loyalty.

Look at what they are trying to do to themselves. Now, think of what they would like to do to you, and your freedoms.

Anything further I could say would violate Godwin's Law.

Interesting Post on Religion and the Left

I was in the grocery store this weekend, and saw Andrea Bough adding a Time Magazine to her purchases at the check-out stand. "I don't normally read it," she explained, "but the cover story looks like it's worth reading."

Sunday evening, Steve Bough penned this post covering the same topic, observing that

The Time article quoted Howard Dean on the 700 Club as saying that Democrats "have an enormous amount in common with the Christian community." I would think so - BECAUSE I AM BOTH, you knucklehead. A political party should not hold God hostage; rather people of faith should work to achieve results focused on loving your neighbor.

It's good to see more and more Democrats and liberals being unafraid to acknowledge the role of their religion in their life. It's also good to see that Steve has such a wonderful muse . . .

UMKC Law Professor Engaging in Misleading Right-Wing Attack

With that headline, you'd expect to be reading about Kris "K" Kobach, but, this time, it's Bill Eckhardt. Bill's a gentlemanly, intelligent, rational person. That's why I was so surprised to see this article in the Southeast Missourian by Bill and a corporate lawyer/Republican donor from St. Louis. The article is illogical, misleading and a sneaky attempt by the right wing to give political hacks like Jeff Roe a major role in making our court system just as dysfunctional as our General Assembly.

First, a little background. Missouri has a system for selecting judges that is a model for the United States. It applies to urban trial judges, all appellate judges, and the Missouri Supreme Court. Rather than having elections, those judges are selected by the Governor from a panel of three chosen by a commission composed of lawyers and lay people, based on merit. After the judge is appointed, he or she stands for retention by the voters in the following general election, and every dozen years thereafter. Simply stated, the system works well. Missouri has one of the best state benches in the nation.

Bill Eckhardt wants Missouri to throw out this elegant blend of democracy and merit in favor of PACs, smear campaigns, and attack dogs like Jeff Roe. He would rather have a Supreme Court that functions like the General Assembly cesspool than a courtroom.

His article in favor of this foolish position is a curious blend of deceptive logic and outright factual mistakes. It would be disappointing to see such debased work from a first-year law student - it is shocking to see it from someone who is supposed to be teaching those students.

Perhaps the silliest and most glaring instance of sloppiness is Eckhardt's flawed assertion that:

The commission has seven unelected members: three lawyers chosen by the Missouri Bar Association, three nonlawyers chosen by a governor (past or present, depending on the expiration of a commission member's term) and the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court (also usually a member of the Missouri Bar Association).

First off, there is no "Missouri Bar Association". The Missouri Bar is not a voluntary association - it is the quasi-governmental organization composed of ALL practicing attorneys in the state of Missouri. It is not some politically-biased interest group, and Professor Eckhardt ought to have enough familiarity with the governance of Missouri lawyers to know better.

The foolishness of this decidedly non-professorial mistake is illustrated by the claim that the Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court is "usually" a member of the "Association". Usually? Bill, Bill, Bill - you should be ashamed of yourself.

The flawed facts are nothing, though, compared to the flawed logic. Eckhardt claims that the fact that only two judges have lost retention elections demonstrates that the system isn't working. Instead, it is clear proof that the system is working brilliantly. If we were getting bad judges through the Missouri Plan, voter discontent would show itself, wouldn't it?

Any sharp-eyed law student would catch the fallacy in Eckhardt's next weak argument:

The people of Missouri no longer support the plan. A recent survey reveals that most (two-thirds) of Missourians do not know how the plan works. A stunning 87 percent are unaware that the Missouri Bar Association helps pick the appellate judicial commission. A majority disagree with the retention election model and believe voters should have the greatest input on who serves on the Supreme Court.

Anybody want to bet who paid for it, or who carefully phrased the questions to support the attack? Eckhardt would have us toss out our Missouri Plan based on an obscure poll of voters who do not know how the system works. Notice that Eckhardt is silent about what those who do know about the Missouri Plan think. Those who do know about it support it with a rare degree of agreement - whether Republican or Democrat, lawyers support the plan.

As stated above, it is disappointing to see any lawyers attack one of Missouri's greatest contributions to jurisprudence. If an attack were to be made, though, it's not surprising that it would come from a St. Louis corporate attorney (who never goes to court) and from a law professor on his ivory tower. It is surprising, though, how sloppy and illogical their well-paid attack turned out.

We are blessed to have a system that works. Do you really want to trade it in for a bunch of politician/judges winning your votes with robo-calls and smear ads? Do you really think that would be better?

Update on Save the Mango Room and Other Independent Restaurants!

7/23 Update on Save the Mango Room: The comments report on a bunch of great-sounding local restaurants, including some Italian suggestions from XO, and a link to Ancillary Adams' impressive list of favorites. As soon as I find a few minutes to play with the template of this blog, I'll be adding a list of recommended local restaurants on the left, pursuant to Travelingal's suggestion.)

Subsidized Saturday

Without thinking about it, I double dipped two scoops of municipal pleasure on Saturday, with a round of golf at Minor Park Municipal Golf Course and an evening of jazz at the Blue Room. In both instances, I was able to access first-class services at prices that made it affordable - I doubt I would have had it in my budget to pay the going rate for a round of golf at a private golf course, and I expect that the opportunity to hear the Will Matthews Quartet in an intimate venue would not even exist in Kansas City without the subsidized Blue Room.

Both experiences were excellent. Minor Park Golf Course lacks the hills, breathtaking beauty and ball-swallowing challenge of Swope Memorial (one of the best municipal golf courses in the nation), but it is a great place to go out with a few friends and walk the course. Despite Minor Park's reputation at a beginner's course, we finished our round in a little under four hours. The club house had signs up that the back nine holes will be closed from July 25 through August 10 at they install zoysia fairways. Next time I play, it will be wonderful to see those zoysia fairways, and, dare to dream, maybe even land in one.

That evening, my lovely spouse and I went to see Will Matthews, a jazz guitarist whose solo CD I discovered in a cut-out bin and bought on a whim. I've seen him live a couple times since, but this was the best show yet. All four members of the quartet launched into great solos - with the drummer shining in particular - and they put it all together for some great originals and classics. Body and Soul stood out as a highlight of the evening. We were able to get a great table right near the band, and enjoyed the smoke-free atmosphere of the Blue Room immensely. BTW, I grabbed a card for their Indigo Hour, which is an every-Friday happy hour from 5 - 7:30, with $2 drinks and appetizers, and door prizes. Sounds like a good thought for a culturally-aware blogger meet-up, don't you think?

In both cases, an argument could be made that taxpayers should not be subsidizing my pleasure. Dogmatic limited-government types would claim that dollars spent on golf and jazz are dollars diverted from crumbling inner-city streets and police protection.

In a sense, they are right, but they are wrong on the larger point. I love living in Kansas City because of what makes the city what it is. Minor Park and the Blue Room make Kansas City more than just a bunch of homes and businesses connected by steel-plated roads.

This morning's Kansas City Star reports that Mayor Funkhouser is directing his Parks Board to increase citizen satisfaction. According to a recent survey of Kansas City residents, 49 percent were satisfied with park maintenance and 19 percent were satisfied with youth athletic programs. The real room for quick improvement, though, lies in the 32 percent of the more than 4,100 respondents who said they seldom or never visited the parks.

Save the Mango Room and Other Independent Restaurants!

In a further irony of downtown redevelopment, one of Kansas City's underappreciated gems is threatening to close its doors. The Mango Room is a locally-owned, minority-owned, woman-owned restaurant located in the street-level space of the Town Pavilion. I've eaten there a few times, and the food is truly excellent. Oxtails. Jerk spices. Yum.

Unfortunately, the downtown construction, which will soon (oops - make that "someday", since the out-of-town developers are failing to live up to their commitments, and postponing the openings) bring us a gaggle of share-holder owned chain restaurants like Famous Dave's Suburban Minneapolis Barbecue and Planet What City Am I In, is choking off access to the restaurant with heavy equipment and porta-potties. The constricting world of corporate mediocrity is killing off another one of the points of authenticity and distinction in our city.

I've developed a bit of a reputation at the office for being a weirdo when it come to local food. When others drive through Wendy's, I'll swing by Kitty's on 31st Street for a burger that is so much better that my coworkers oggle it at the lunch table. When others drop by Taco Bell, I head over to Pancho's on Main, for absolutely incredible tacos, tortas, burritos and tamales, with the amazing salsas that you ladle yourself rather than squeeze from a plastic packet. Don't even get me started on Pizza Hut . . .

Kansas City is blessed by great restaurants, but you need to think about it. We get to vote on what kind of city we are every day that we spend money in our town. When you go to McDonald's or PF Chang's or the Olive Garden, you are voting for homogeneity over individuality. When you go to Town Topic or Princess Garden or Marco Polo's, you are voting for a more varied and interesting city. On top of that, you get better food, usually made with fresher, local ingredients, at a better price.

(If you really want to make a difference with the votes you carry around in your wallet, spend your money in the places featured at The Viable Third.)

To me, this is an quality of life issue. I feel like Kansas City is a better place to live because of places like Lill's on 17th Street, (recently labeled Kansas City's Cozy Spot by Kansas City Daily Photo), but a new Chili's doesn't have that same impact.

This is not just another burst of mid-town superiority, either. There are good, family-owned restaurants serving great meals in Lee's Summit, the Northland, and even - gasp! - Johnson County. (Wyandotte County is packed with them.) Some of them can be found in strip malls, and others are off the main drag a few blocks.

I challenge each of you - starting now and continuing through the month of August, to seek out Kansas City restaurants whenever you eat out. Find a Winstead's instead of a Burger King. Blow a bucket of money at Plaza III instead of at Morton's. Come back and comment on your experiences and recommendations (and disappointments, too). If commenters participate, I'll bump this to the top of the page for the duration. If you are a fellow blogger, post something on your site about your favorite local places, and encourage your readers to share their thoughts on your blog. Let's see if we can save the Mango Room and the other gems that make Kansas City different from Indianapolis or Milwaukee or Akron.

(Update: While I was typing this post, I got an email from a great local lawyer, reporting "Last night my husband and I stopped by Scottie’s on 39th, the old Macaluso’s, and had a great meal. We both had salmon, two different ways, and it was terrific. I had the Szechuan style, and it was one of the best and most creative dishes I’ve had in a while. There were a lot of other interesting dishes on the menu, as well. The prices were really decent, too, for an upscale kind of place. It’s worth stopping by." Thanks for kicking this off, T!)

Downtown Parking? What Downtown Parking?

One of the best bloggers in the area ventured forth from Liberty today to experience the problem that some of Kansas City's other bloggers consider to be a major problem - the lack of parking downtown.

Those of us who aren't afraid to go downtown can't be surprised by what he found - more parking than you'd find at Bannister Mall on a Sunday morning.

Go read his hilarious report, and promise yourself never to be afraid to come downtown.

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me?

The other night, on my way to the Cracker concert at the Crossroads, Ancillary Adams and I and our lovely spouses stopped by Gates on Main. On a whim, and because I knew my wife would share her food if I made a bad choice, I tried the mutton.

Sweet mother of mercy. This is freaking barbecue that tastes like lamb, but it's all crunchy and fatty but the fat melts in my mouth with all the spices and, well, just damn.

Why didn't any of you people tell me about this??

What's Gotten Into Ike Skelton?

Isaac Newton "Ike" Skelton is as old-school as they get. He's been involved in public life since the President was known as Ike, and he's been in Congress for three decades. He's a Democrat, but opposes abortion and gun control. As a conservative Democrat, he is a throw-back to pre-Kos, "silent majority" days, when liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats overlapped in the spectrum of American political thought.

Lately, though, Ike Skelton has emerged from the sleepy world of quiet moderation and started to make a few waves. Recently, his press office contacted a gaggle of Missouri bloggers and started to send us press releases. He's been getting his voice heard more often, and is even showing his dry sense of humor. Note the book he is featuring in his National Library Day promotion - a poster that could otherwise be taken off the set of Pleasantville, except for the presence of Fiasco. a book which chronicles the blunders of the Bush Administration's mishandling of the Iraq war.

Last week, Ike Skelton found himself at the forefront of the debate over Iraq when his bill requiring U.S. forces to begin a troop withdrawal within 120 days and move to a "limited presence" by April 1 passed by a margin of 223-201 in the US House of Representatives.

When I first noted Ike Skelton's increased visibility and assertiveness, I thought for a second he might be setting himself up for some larger role in government. Perhaps he could be going after the seat Kit Bond is unlikely to retain in 2010? Perhaps he's positioning himself for a vice presidential nomination? Either Clinton or Obama could benefit from having a swing-state, moderately conservative, unabashedly pro-military, anti-war voice on the ticket.

A look at his bio, though, shows that such speculation is unlikely. Ike Skelton is 75 years old, and is unlikely to be seeking such long-term commitments.

Instead, I see two reasons for Ike's recent higher profile. First, I note that in 2005, he lost his wife of 44 years, and, later in that same year, was injured during an official visit to Iraq. What I know of aging and what I've seen of it suggests that Ike has seen the eternal footman hold his coat, and doesn't want to hear him snicker.

Less dramatically, but just as likely, Ike Skelton hasn't changed, but the world has changed around him. He has always supported the military, but this is a time when supporting them does not mean supporting their misguided and unwinnable mission. Supporting them means bringing them home and making college affordable for them.

In times like these, even traditional voices of moderation and conservatism are finding it necessary to oppose this administration's policies. Whatever his reasons, I am glad to see Ike Skelton letting himself be heard.

Hot Gas & America's Conservative Media

Okay, we get it. Drawing upon their memories of grade school science, a few Kansas City Star reporters did a mildly interesting story about gas stations selling gasoline that is warmer in the summer, and therefore less dense, and therefore you get less actual fuel than when it's cold. And they stretched this point out into a series of front-page articles. Now, they're making a big deal out of a few minor legislative nods to the issue, again devoting the lion's share of yesterday's front page to the issue, and a huge chunk of the editorial page today.

Now, I'm as interested in consumer reporting as anyone, but get over it, Star. Thermal expansion is not a front page issue - not once, not twice, and not for a series. Especially not when they can just turn around and raise the price of the thermally contracted gas so they make the same profit, and nobody would even be able to get a letter to the editor published about it.

And that, my friends, is why we do not now, never had, and never will have a "liberal media".

While corporate-employed reporters are trying to shine their corporate reputations by reporting on a tiny, irrelevant aspect of how the average joe is getting bilked by corporations, there is not a single article showing up on the front page about the fact that oil companies are making billions and billions and billions of dollars in "legitimate" profit. The Star and its corporate allies around the United States devote front page attention to frivolous side issues, but would never, ever, address the broader economic realities and inequities in our society. You can get an award for writing about thermal expansion, but a series questioning the underpinnings of our corporate-dominated society, the subsidies thrust upon those corporations by eager politicians, the wars we've entered to protect corporate interests, and the shadowy, incestuous world of corporate directorships is simply uncomfortable to the corporations running the papers.

Has there been a front-page Kansas City Stat article about the Vice President's astonishing claim to be a secret new branch of government? Has there been an article about some of the governmental needs that are going unfunded because of this optional war?

Perhaps all that is too "big" for a reporter to wrap his or her mind around it. How about a front-page article tracking the cost in dollars and cents that we are spending on each individual soldier we recruit, feed, clothe, house, train, equip, transport to Iraq, and expose to the hostile hot lead of angry people who grew up there? How much does all that cost? How much does it cost, in man-hours, to pick his body up and transport it back to base? Did they wipe up his blood with sponges, or paper towels, or simply let it dry on a Baghdad street under the hot Baghdad sun? How much do the body bags cost, and who makes them? The coffins? How much for the ground that we make available for his eternal rest? How much is that flag that they fold up and give to the widow? What's the quality of the cloth and thread? Are we getting a good deal on them - did we buy in bulk?

Gas is a little over three bucks a gallon, hot or cold. America's corporate media wants us to think about the temperature of the gas. In fact, they insist upon it.

I'd rather see a complete tally of the cost of the factors that led to that widow's limo ride to the cemetary than a quibble over the gas in the tank. That might be worth a front page article and an editorial or two.

"Outed" by the Star

I have maintained and enjoyed a loose anonymity with this blog for a little over 4 years. Like most bloggers, I find it a little more comfortable to blog without my real name attached. My real identity is essentially irrelevant to the dialog I attempt to provoke here, and to the points I seek to make. Dan at Gone Mild is an online personality, whose only impact on the world lies in his ability to persuade, or at least provoke thought.

Anonymous blogging has huge advantages - or, more accurately, non-anonymous blogging has huge disadvantages. Voicing your opinions and engaging in a rolicking public debate has risks. Most bloggers do not live off of trust funds, so they have employers who may disagree with their opinions. Neither employment law nor the First Amendment protects a blogger who offends his or her employer, even if the matter has nothing to do with his or her job, and even if it is written outside of work hours on a home computer.

Even apart from the risk of losing your job, there is the risk of losing your effectiveness at your job. If part of your job consists of getting people - clients, coworkers, etc. - to think favorably of you, it might not help to have them know what you think about George Bush, his optional War, or even a local restaurant.

Anonymity also reduces the risk of physical confrontation. It should not come as a shock that the world is full of crazy people, and some of the comments I get here reflect some unhealthy states of mind. Sure, I suspect that most of the inflammatory ones come from meek nerds whose bravado exists only in words, but who's to say that some nutcase won't cold-cock me someday out of the blue? Some of the comments on this site yesterday made me wonder what kind of person would write them.

All that said, I have not been at all obsessive about maintaining my anonymity. I've posted pictures of myself (and Jim Glover, my twin). I've written about my son's achievements in drama, and included links to sites that list his name. I've told many friends about my blog. A politician recently noted my presence at a fundraiser and made a kind comment about Gone Mild. If anyone has wanted to figure out who I am, they've not been faced with a difficult task.

However thin the patina of anonymity, and however appreciated it was, it came to an official end on Monday. Prime Buzz ran a story on Funkhouser's "kitchen cabinet", which included the line "Also joining the inner circle is Dan Ryan of the blog Gone Mild." The information has been repeated on a few blogs since Monday.

So, there it is. In all my life, I finally attend one single meeting in the Mayor's office - my first meeting in there since moving to Kansas City in 1985 - where I'm not getting paid or even seeking anything for myself or a client, and I wind up making it into the press. Just my luck . . .

I don't blame the Star one bit for writing it. I wish we had heard more about the countless developers and lawyers who made it into the Mayor's office in the past and emerged with pockets full of incentives. Nobody, myself absolutely included, should attempt to have influence with the Mayor and expect to remain anonymous.

What does all this mean? In all likelihood, nothing. I don't overestimate my importance in people's minds - I doubt that anyone who didn't already know it will remember my real name after a week. I doubt that the people who attack me in the comments are inclined to do anything more severe than attack me in the comments. I doubt anything unpleasant will happen, and people will have more important things to worry about than my identity. If I'm wrong, I can pull the plug on this thing, and find something else to fill my time.

Jason Kander - Brookside to Afghanistan to Jefferson City

I met Jason Kander a couple years ago, and was immediately struck by his intensity and intelligence. Since that time, I've bumped into him every now and then, and shared a couple meals with him, and I remain impressed with his sincerity and involvement. We have disagreed on several issues, and he has always been exactly the sort of person I should emulate - respectful, informed, rational, and focused on finding common ground.

As I have noted twice in the past (1, 2), Jason Kander went to Afghanistan as a member of the military, and served our country with distinction. In his powerful final post, he wrote one of my favorite quotations describing the consistency of being a progressive in the military:

I'm a Progressive Democrat, so when I get into debates about the war with ill-informed, indoctrinated regressives who don't know me well, they generally throw Rush's talking points at me, insinuating that I love my country and support the troops just a bit less than them. Whether you've served or not, love of country isn't about blind faith. It is not about a piece of cloth that I wear on the shoulder of my uniform, but about an idea, about Americans themselves. I have little patience for those who claim to love America but clearly can't stand the majority of Americans. As a progressive, my beef with President Bush isn't that he's fighting a war, it's that he's doing it wrong. I want to win every bit as badly as he does, if not more, but I believe that means the symbol of America can't just be a soldier with an M-16.

Jason Kander's eagerness to live a life of service is now leading him to seek elective office, and I am pleased to be one of his early endorsers. He is seeking election to the 44th district of the Missouri State House of Representatives - the seat which will be vacated when Jenee Lowe leaves office next year. That seat represents Brookside, Waldo and a good chunk of the poltically-active Ward Parkway corridor. His interests reflect those of his district - he is particularly strong on health care, education, and the environment.

Normally, I resist endorsing candidates until I know who else may be in the race. I don't have that hesitation in this case - I am confident that no other candidate will approach Jason Kander's intelligence, integrity and determination. Kander has the leadership skills and the knowledge to win against any challenger, and, more importantly, to be effective in Jefferson City. Simply stated, Jason Kander has the Right Stuff to represent me and my district in Jefferson City.

KC Blue Blog: WTF (Wildly Trashing Funkhouser)

While I think the KC Blue Blog is one of the top 5 political blogs in the area, its writers have been in a petulant funk ever since the voters of Kansas City dared to elect Mark Funkhouser to be our Mayor, ignoring the KC Blue Blog's endorsement of his opponent. Since that time, the KCBB has been frothing in its hatred of Funkhouser, which is sad but not unusual for the losing side in an election, even those who advise that after an election we should "move into a united community of progress".

Lately, though, the anger has spilled over toward those of us who dare to voice or write supportive things about Funkhouser. I attracted the ire of the KCBB for pointing out that I'd rather have Joe Miller assisting Funkhouser than a snake oil salesman like Steve Glorioso (a pretty noncontroversial position that KCBB found necessary to misrepresent before attacking). This morning, Star Columnist Mike Hendricks drew the fury of voter-scorned KCBB for his column making the similarly noncontroversial point that Gloria Squitiro, like Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and other political spouses, has the ear of her spouse. Yeah, really, "they" did it. (KCBB writers have adopted the royal "we" as a mark of their superiority.)

To work themselves and their Brooks-supporting dead-enders into a frenzy, "they" once again misrepresent the point of Hendricks' column. Laughably, "they" claim that mentioning Gloria Squitiro in the same column as Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton means that Hendricks is somehow claiming that there are no major differences between the three women. "They" then go on to claim that Hendricks is comparing Funkhouser to Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. Of course, he makes no such claims, but KCBB has a strange need to be angry about anything which is not hateful about Funkhouser, so the truth is sacrificed on the altar of false reading. KCBB builds straw men, and burns them to make the sacrifice complete.

It also seems that KC Blue Blog has fallen victim to a sad lack of humor - a common malady of the self-righteously indignant. Despite Tony's frequent warnings that "TKC is a joke/humor blog", KCBB misses his humor and claims that Mike Hendricks rips off Tony's posts. Some bloggers have a vastly over-inflated sense of blog influence. The fact that the Kansas City Star writes about current events in Kansas City does not mean that they are ripping off blogs which are also writing about current events in Kansas City. Of course, no Kansas City Star journalist would get away with making such a goofy charge without even a citation, as KCBB has allowed itself to publish.

The political world is not always gentle, and I understand that even intelligent and good-willed people can have their feelings hurt by a candidate who dares to succeed where they have intoned that they will fail. But, really, it doesn't do one's credibility any good to attack Mike Hendricks for "pretending to know a single thing about politics" for writing a column mildly supportive of a candidate you predicted would lose.

Criticizing Funkhouser where he is wrong is certainly justified. Personally, I have disagreed with his selection of Semler for the Park Board, and I pointed out that accepting the Honda was not the smartest thing he could do. I called his appointments outside of the application process "a bonehead play".

But there is a line between legitimate criticism and constant, irrational slamming of a new Mayor who is getting his feet underneath him. Please, KCBB, get over your disappointment and move on. Right now, you and Tony (again, a joke blogger) are distinguishing yourselves in your unrelenting attacks on Funkhouser and anyone associated with him. At least Tony is trying to be funny.

Funk We Can All Agree On

Thursday evening, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk will be performing their New Orleans style funk FOR FREE at the Crossroads. The doors open at 7, and the concert is open to all ages. Go here to get your FREE advance tickets, but even if you procrastinate that, you can get in for only $5 at the gate.

This is good-time music - go here for a sample. Thursday is supposed to be a gorgeous day with little chance of rain. What could you possibly have on your calendar that could beat free live music at a cool location on a beautiful July evening in Kansas City??

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Abita Turbodog

New Orleans' favorite brewery is located just across Lake Pontchartrain in Abita Springs, Louisianna. Like so much in Louisianna, Abita Brewery does its own thing without much regard for the ways of the rest of the world. Turbodog Ale is its version of a brown ale - one of the most ancient and traditional styles of ale, both in its original English version and in its hoppier American version. Turbodog is a flawed Engish Brown Ale, and a poor example of an American Brown Ale. That said, it does exactly what a brown ale from New Orleans ought to do - provide a great experience while telling the rest of the world to piss off.

Turbodog pours out with a rich mahogany color and a tan, mousse-like head. The aroma is caramel and roasted malt, with just a tiny hint of citrusy hops.

On the tongue, Turbodog strikes up the jazz band. It has a surprisingly firm base of hop bitterness that balances perfectly with the rich malt. Tangy is not a word I would normally use to describe a beer I like, but somehow the hops and malt come together with a zing that fits that can only be described that way. It's like the horns in a New Orleans jazz band - most jazz bands do just fine without them, but they sure do add a lot of joy to the music.

English Brown Ales are all about the malt, and American Brown Ales are all about the hops. Abita Turbodog is all about making them play together, in a way that makes them both surprising and fresh.

Because it is so rich, dark and flavorful, Turbodog is not necessarily the best beer to slam at a softball game or use as the next step up for your Bud Light drinking friends. It is, however, one of the best beers ever for serving with most foods. It has so much flavor going on that it complements darned near everything, from rich stews to grilled sandwiches.

One Less Dumb Rightwing Lawyer

One of the problems facing this nation is the plethora of dumb rightwing lawyers. Without this supply of dumb rightwing lawyers, our court systems would not need to deal with silly, malicious, and poorly thought-out suits brought by fringe-element organizations like the Alliance Defense Fund, the Institute for Justice, and the United States Attorney's Office.

The problem is not so much the fact that some attorneys are rightwingers. Indeed, I've worked for, with and against a lot of rightwing attorneys, and most of them are credits to their profession.

The problem lies with the dumb rightwing lawyers. They are everywhere. 150+ bottom-tier graduates of bottom-tier Regent University School of Law (founded by Pat Robertson) have found their way into the ranks of the US Attorney's Office, so confounding the works that people like Monica Goodling find themselves "crossing the line" without ever showing evidence that she knew where the line was in the first place.

Thank goodness that Massachusetts has chosen to light a candle rather than curse the darkness. Despite getting sued for $9.75 million (why not make it an even $10 million?), the Massachusetts Board of Law Examiners is refusing admission to Stephen Dunne, who came up short on the Bar Exam after refusing to respond to a question involving a gay couple. Answering the question, he argued, would imply that he endorses gay marriage and parenting.

I'm happy that the liberal lawyers among us didn't fall victim to this trap. Where would the rule of law be today if we had refused to answer questions about the death penalty, or about corporate powers? What if we had refused to answer questions about domestic law until gay couples could participate?

The Bar Exam is a test of knowledge demonstrating whether you are intellectually fit to practice law. If you fail it for a lack of knowledge, you are free to study up and give it another try. If you think you failed it because of your political beliefs, though, perhaps you'd do better as a rightwing something else, okay?

Pleasures of the Web

BlogCCP is a new political blog based in Kansas City, and it shows signs of being the logical replacement for the short-lived BuzzBlog as a place for political-types to gather and chatter amongst themselves.

In the past few days, it has featured Phil Cardarella (local attorney, defendant in an almost-definitely-politically-inspired mortgage fraud case, and spouse of former Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields) writing about the Justice Department, and local attorney Dale Youngs pointing out the hypocrisy of attacks on the Missouri Judicial system by Big Tobacco's state representative, Bryan Pratt. High-level writers, writing on important topics, with a developing group of great commenters.

And if politics isn't your thing on this 4th of July, maybe you'll enjoy the fascinating and odd story of Bummer and Lazarus.

Paris Hilton and Scooter Libby

Anybody want to bet me that we won't be hearing near as big a furor about Scooter Libby as we did about Paris Hilton?

Anybody?

Just to put this in perspective, Paris actually spent time in jail before she was released.

Further perspective, she violated probation, but didn't help cover up a breach of national security.

Further perspective, at least the sheriff claimed she had medical reasons to get out - Bush didn't even show that much respect to our system of justice.

If you're surprised by Bush helping one of his cohorts dodge accountability for his misdeeds, you're not paying attention. Bush only says "bring 'em on" when he's putting soldiers at risk (happy 4th anniversary of that quotation today - but don't mention it to the thousands of family members of the thousands of soldiers who have died since Bush's schoolyard taunt). He doesn't say it when it means allowing a rich white Republican male to go to prison.

Remember the rule of law during this regime - IOKIYAAR.