The Rev. Jerry Johnston School of Hellfire

The Kansas City Star goes after Overland Park megachurch pastor Jerry Johnston once again.

Reporter Judy Thomas reports on allegations that Johnston condemns accountants to hellfire for following the law, likes to play with church money and once engaged in a bit of fake fundraising. .

Debate on late-term abortion will probably dominate the next legislative session

Next year is a full-blown election year for the Kansas Legislature where members of the House and Senate go before the voters.

Given that and the ongoing hoohaw over Dr. George Tiller and late-term abortions, both AP and the Kansas City Star are arguing that the next session will be dominated by debate over abortion. An interim legislative committee is soon expected to be appointed to study the issue this summer and even some Democrats say they're ready to discuss changes in the law.

My take is that the conventional wisdom of the mainstream media is right on this one.

Replacement for attorney fired by Phill Kline walks after only two months

After only two months (two months?!) on the job, Sue Carpenter has resigned as head of Phill Kline's domestic violence section in Johnson County. Carpenter took over after Kline fired the 15-year veteran who headed the unit.

The Kansas City Star reports that Carpenter's last day was Friday.

Carpenter had some problems before she got to Kline's office. Her resume, as announced by his office, was also a tad inflated.

Once again, why do we care about Kline?

First, his office oversees law enforcement for one of the state's biggest counties. How he performs his job has an impact on the lives of people who live in the suburban Kansas City county. Since Kline got his DA job under less-than-normal circumstances, the question in the minds of many in the county has been whether or not Kline is competent, or as The Pitch said this week, a dimwit.

By the way, I've never thought Kline was dim, dull or in any way stupid, but he constantly shows signs of ignoring the nuts and bolts of his job in favor of his own political, far right agenda.

As important for the rest of the state and nation, Kline has wider political ambitions. He is a darling of the Christian Right.