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Wichitans for Effective Education wish to remind the residents of USD 259 that on Feb. 11 the school board passed a resolution declaring that a special election was to be held today. That resolution asked the citizens of this community to approve a $350 million school bond proposal. On April 7, on the advice of an allied citizens group, the board decided the election should be delayed until some yet-to-be-known date.

The board originally argued that it was imperative to vote as soon as possible instead of waiting for the August primary or November general elections, even though the special election would cost about $75,000. As evidence, chief operations officer (now interim superintendent) Martin Libhart delivered to the board on Jan. 28 a presentation titled "Time Is Money" that explained that if the bond issue election were delayed until November, the cost of building just one high school would increase by $360,000 -- far more than the cost of the special election.

The district also argued that if the election were delayed until August or later, the opening of the new high school would be delayed by one full school year.

Nevertheless, on April 7, the board abandoned these arguments.

Much effort went into preparation for the May special election. News outlets devoted extensive coverage. Three citizen groups formed to campaign for and against the bond issue. Expenses were incurred.

Bored by those endless replays of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright? If so, go directly to YouTube, search for "John Hagee Roman Church Hitler," and be recharged by a fresh jolt of clerical jive.

What you'll find is a white televangelist, the Rev. John Hagee, lecturing in front of an enormous diorama. Wielding a pointer, he pokes at the image of a woman with Pamela Anderson-sized breasts, her hand raising a golden chalice. The woman is "the Great Whore," Hagee explains, and she is drinking "the blood of the Jewish people." That's because the Great Whore represents "the Roman Church," which, in his view, has thirsted for Jewish blood throughout history, from the Crusades to the Holocaust.

Hagee is not a fringe kook but the pastor of a Texas megachurch. On Feb. 27, he stood with John McCain and endorsed him.

Are we really to believe that neither McCain nor his camp knew anything then about Hagee's views? This particular YouTube video -- far from the only one -- was posted on Jan. 1, nearly two months before the Hagee-McCain press conference. Hagee appears on multiple religious networks, including twice daily on the largest, Trinity Broadcasting, which reaches 75 million homes. Any 12-year-old with a laptop could have vetted this preacher in 30 seconds, tops.

Since then, McCain has been shocked to learn that his clerical ally has made many other outrageous statements, including saying that God created Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its sins.

My cousin thinks the Rev. Jeremiah Wright walks on water. He is a minister, my cousin. And for years, whenever I visited him in Chicago, he asked the same question: Had I ever attended one of the Rev. Wright's services? When I said "no," he lectured me on the wonderfulness of Wright, the innovative ministries he has started, the liberation theology he preaches. I owed it to myself, my cousin said, to hear him speak.

Well, I've heard him. Call me unimpressed.

Wright, as everyone this side of the Kuskokwim River knows, re-emerged in a big way recently. Having gone into seclusion after inflammatory sound bites from his sermons forced his onetime parishioner, presidential candidate Barack Obama, to make a high-stakes speech on race in Philadelphia, the longtime pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ came out to plead his own case.

He started strong in an interview with Bill Moyers, went quickly downhill with a keynote address before the NAACP in Detroit, and crashed with an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Indeed, while some white observers, charmingly eager to pretend they are victims of oppression, have contended for months that Wright's most striking sin is racism, this media blitz argues convincingly that Wright's signature failing is something else entirely: clownishness. With arrogance running a close second.

Not to deny Wright's affinity for the racially charged sound bite. His refusal to disavow the old AIDS-was-created-by-the-government-to-kill-black-people canard was disappointing, to say the least, playing as it does into an unfortunate streak of paranoia and conspiracy theorizing that runs deep in the black community.

I want to thank the members of the Kansas congressional delegation and especially Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, for demanding reconsideration of the decision to outsource a $35 billion contract for building military tankers. Their leadership, along with Tiahrt's strong advocacy, has been invaluable and essential to protecting our national security and promoting freedom around the globe.

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the European company that was given the contract along with Northrop Grumman, does business with Iran, Venezuela and Russia. According to a story by NBC News, EADS has been caught selling helicopters at an air show in Iran. EADS contends that it is legal to sell to Iran because it is not an American company and does not have to follow the Iran weapons embargo. However, with Iran a leader of state-sponsored terrorism and a growing threat, this sort of association should make Americans uncomfortable.

According to a commentary in National Review by David N. Bossie, EADS sold cargo and patrol planes to the Hugo Chavez regime in Venezuela. When the United States formally objected, EADS tried to circumvent our law by stripping the American-built components from the aircraft.

It also has been widely reported that EADS currently has a complaint against it for questionable business practices that is being investigated by the World Trade Organization. In part, the complaint states that EADS, the parent of French planemaker Airbus, receives billions in illegal subsidies from European governments. It makes no sense that the U.S. government is now doing business with the very entity it is challenging for violating WTO rules.

It is counterproductive to send 35 billion precious American tax dollars to a company that has not been loyal to the American military or to the world cause of individual freedom and liberty. The contracts should be pulled immediately in respect for those who are risking their lives to fight global terrorism, and in respect for those who have died in wars past for the cause of freedom for this great nation and for others around the globe.

It is great to see that we finally have some national unity on energy policy. Unfortunately, the unifying idea is so ridiculous, so unworthy of the people aspiring to lead our nation, it takes your breath away.

Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer's travel season. This is not an energy policy. This is money laundering: We borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia, and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks. What a way to build our country.

When the summer is over, we will have increased our debt to China, increased our transfer of wealth to Saudi Arabia and increased our contribution to global warming for our kids to inherit.

No, no, no, we'll just get the money by taxing Big Oil, says Clinton. Even if you could do that, what a terrible way to spend precious tax dollars -- burning it up on the way to the beach rather than on innovation?

The McCain-Clinton gas holiday proposal is a perfect example of what energy expert Peter Schwartz of Global Business Network describes as the true American energy policy today: "Maximize demand, minimize supply and buy the rest from the people who hate us the most."

"Those planes are older than the pilots."

-- Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., on the urgency of replacing the Air Force's tanker fleet

" 'Welcome aboard.' I'll be the pilot. He'll be the co-pilot. If he's got a better idea, let him try it."

-- Roberts again, on the idea of challenger Jim Slattery making a campaign issue of the tanker deal

"We're not Enron. We're just a bunch of farmers... trying to keep the lights on out here in western Kansas."

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Greensburg tornado. It hardly seems possible that we have endured and overcome so much in such a short time.

One year ago, my community was trampled to 45,000 loads of debris. Some wondered if Greensburg would even bother to rebuild. Today, we are a rising city of hope with much to be proud of.

We could never have made significant progress this year without the help of others. A variety of partners contributed to our success, but none more so than those from Kansas.

The Kansas National Guard coordinated our first response immediately following the tornado and stayed with us for months to work through the damage. The Kansas Department of Transportation worked closely in cleanup and planning for the future. The Kansas Housing Resources Corp. was instrumental in linking our residents with resources for rebuilding homes. And, of course, our incredible neighbors across the state have been unfailing in their support.

In my opinion, the Greensburg school district deserves a medal for its resilience and determination. Thanks to its outstanding administration, faculty and staff, school opened on Aug. 15, with 70 percent of the student body returning for class.