NOFX
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I remember I was browsing Wikipedia to see what are some good 2008 Democrat hopeful. I checked everysingle Democrat senator/governor and there were only two that was worth mentioning. Mark Warner and Kathleen Sebelius. Both had experience, good track record, High Approval rating, both are considered moderate of there respected party, and more importantly both worked together with democrats and republicans. Unfortuntely Warner not running, But Kathleen Sebelius is just as good! Everyone keeps talking about we need a Democrat who has experience and who can win Republican states. Governor Sebelius has done it and she's a woman! I hope she run, she would get easily my vote. Here's some of political history:
Early political career:
She was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1986. In 1994, she "left the House to run for state insurance commissioner and stunned political forecasters by winning--the first time a Democrat had won in more than 100 years. She is credited with bringing the agency out from under the influence of the insurance industry. She refused to take campaign contributions from insurers and blocked the proposed merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state's largest health insurer, with an Indiana-based company. The decision by Sebelius marked the first time the corporation had been rebuffed in its acquisition attempts.
Governorship
Sebelius defeated Republican Tim Shallenburger in the 2002 election by a vote of 53%-45%. Her victory was partially the result of a bitter divide between conservatives and moderates within the Kansas Republican Party. This divide is touched upon in Thomas Frank's bestseller What's the Matter with Kansas?. Since winning election, Sebelius has successfully built upon her popularity and as of January 2006 was one of the most popular governors in the country.
Gun ownership laws
A hunter herself, she vetoed, like her Republican predecessor Bill Graves, a concealed carry law that would have allowed guns to be carried into the Statehouse, churches, and private establishments against the wishes of the property owner. In her veto message, Sebelius said she supports Kansans' right to own firearms but does not believe a broad concealed carry law would make them safer. "I don't believe allowing people to carry concealed handguns into sporting events, shopping malls, grocery stores, or the workplace would be good public policy. And to me the likelihood of exposing children to loaded handguns in their parents purses, pockets and automobiles is simply unacceptable."
Other views
After the Kansas economy reached its lowest point in over a decade early in her term, the economy has since experienced 22 months of continuous job growth. Kansas has thrice balanced the budget, and not raised taxes significantly during her term. Sebelius did not support the April 2005 amendment that would make gay marriage in Kansas unconstitutional. Sebelius said she "supported the existing state law and viewed it as sufficient, " and therefore opposed any such amendment.
Sebelius is pro-choice on abortion and a supporter of Roe v. Wade. Sebelius also does not support capital punishment; during her term as governor, the Kansas capital punishment laws were declared unconstitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court. In 2006, Sebelius approved a controversial state education budget that largely benefits rural and impoverished areas of Kansas while providing little additional benefit to more established and affluent districts. Not one representative from Kansas' wealthiest county, Johnson County, voted in favor of the budget, as the budget diverts funding from affluent school districts, favoring rural and impoverished districts.
2006 re-election campaign
On May 26, 2006, Sebelius formally announced her candidacy for re-election. Four days later, Mark Parkinson, former Kansas state GOP Party Chairman switched his party affiliation to Democratic; the following day Sebelius announced that Parkinson will be her running mate. Parkinson had previously served in the state House from 1991-92 and the Senate from 1993-97. This was somewhat reminiscent of the fact that John Moore had also been a Republican, before switching just days prior to joining Sebelius as her running mate. She is being challenged by Republican Kansas State Senator Jim Barnett. A September 1 Rasmussen poll showed Sebelius with an 11% lead over Barnett. However, as of 2004, 50% of Kansas voters were registered Republicans, compared to 27% as registered Democrats.
Speculation on political future
During the 2004 election, Sebelius was often named as a potential running mate for John Kerry. In May 2004, Kerry accepted an invitation from Sebelius to attend a Governors Proclamation Ceremony in Topeka to mark the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. In the aftermath of Kerry's defeat in the 2004 presidential election, some pundits named Sebelius as a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. Some of Sebelius' political leanings, including support for abortion rights and opposition to capital punishment, are unusual for a governor of Kansas, and many contend that her appeal would be broad among Midwesterners. She has been mentioned by political commentators as a possible Vice Presidential nominee in the 2008 election. It is possible that building on her ability to win statewide election in Kansas, a heavily Republican state in 2010 she may seek to become the first Democrat from Kansas to serve in the United States Senate since 1939. Sam Brownback, current Senator from Kansas, a rumored prospective candidate for the 2008 presidential election, currently occupies that seat, and has vowed not to serve beyond the two terms he has already been elected to.
Recognition
In 2001, Sebelius was named as one of Governing Magazine's Public Officials of the Year while she was serving as Kansas Insurance Commissioner. In November 2005, Time named Sebelius as one of the five best governors in America, praising her for eliminating a $1.1 billion debt she inherited, ferreting out waste in state government, and strongly supporting public education - all without raising taxes. Also praised was her bipartisan approach to governing.
In February 2006, the White House Project named Sebelius one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008.
Early political career:
She was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1986. In 1994, she "left the House to run for state insurance commissioner and stunned political forecasters by winning--the first time a Democrat had won in more than 100 years. She is credited with bringing the agency out from under the influence of the insurance industry. She refused to take campaign contributions from insurers and blocked the proposed merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state's largest health insurer, with an Indiana-based company. The decision by Sebelius marked the first time the corporation had been rebuffed in its acquisition attempts.
Governorship
Sebelius defeated Republican Tim Shallenburger in the 2002 election by a vote of 53%-45%. Her victory was partially the result of a bitter divide between conservatives and moderates within the Kansas Republican Party. This divide is touched upon in Thomas Frank's bestseller What's the Matter with Kansas?. Since winning election, Sebelius has successfully built upon her popularity and as of January 2006 was one of the most popular governors in the country.
Gun ownership laws
A hunter herself, she vetoed, like her Republican predecessor Bill Graves, a concealed carry law that would have allowed guns to be carried into the Statehouse, churches, and private establishments against the wishes of the property owner. In her veto message, Sebelius said she supports Kansans' right to own firearms but does not believe a broad concealed carry law would make them safer. "I don't believe allowing people to carry concealed handguns into sporting events, shopping malls, grocery stores, or the workplace would be good public policy. And to me the likelihood of exposing children to loaded handguns in their parents purses, pockets and automobiles is simply unacceptable."
Other views
After the Kansas economy reached its lowest point in over a decade early in her term, the economy has since experienced 22 months of continuous job growth. Kansas has thrice balanced the budget, and not raised taxes significantly during her term. Sebelius did not support the April 2005 amendment that would make gay marriage in Kansas unconstitutional. Sebelius said she "supported the existing state law and viewed it as sufficient, " and therefore opposed any such amendment.
Sebelius is pro-choice on abortion and a supporter of Roe v. Wade. Sebelius also does not support capital punishment; during her term as governor, the Kansas capital punishment laws were declared unconstitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court. In 2006, Sebelius approved a controversial state education budget that largely benefits rural and impoverished areas of Kansas while providing little additional benefit to more established and affluent districts. Not one representative from Kansas' wealthiest county, Johnson County, voted in favor of the budget, as the budget diverts funding from affluent school districts, favoring rural and impoverished districts.
2006 re-election campaign
On May 26, 2006, Sebelius formally announced her candidacy for re-election. Four days later, Mark Parkinson, former Kansas state GOP Party Chairman switched his party affiliation to Democratic; the following day Sebelius announced that Parkinson will be her running mate. Parkinson had previously served in the state House from 1991-92 and the Senate from 1993-97. This was somewhat reminiscent of the fact that John Moore had also been a Republican, before switching just days prior to joining Sebelius as her running mate. She is being challenged by Republican Kansas State Senator Jim Barnett. A September 1 Rasmussen poll showed Sebelius with an 11% lead over Barnett. However, as of 2004, 50% of Kansas voters were registered Republicans, compared to 27% as registered Democrats.
Speculation on political future
During the 2004 election, Sebelius was often named as a potential running mate for John Kerry. In May 2004, Kerry accepted an invitation from Sebelius to attend a Governors Proclamation Ceremony in Topeka to mark the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. In the aftermath of Kerry's defeat in the 2004 presidential election, some pundits named Sebelius as a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. Some of Sebelius' political leanings, including support for abortion rights and opposition to capital punishment, are unusual for a governor of Kansas, and many contend that her appeal would be broad among Midwesterners. She has been mentioned by political commentators as a possible Vice Presidential nominee in the 2008 election. It is possible that building on her ability to win statewide election in Kansas, a heavily Republican state in 2010 she may seek to become the first Democrat from Kansas to serve in the United States Senate since 1939. Sam Brownback, current Senator from Kansas, a rumored prospective candidate for the 2008 presidential election, currently occupies that seat, and has vowed not to serve beyond the two terms he has already been elected to.
Recognition
In 2001, Sebelius was named as one of Governing Magazine's Public Officials of the Year while she was serving as Kansas Insurance Commissioner. In November 2005, Time named Sebelius as one of the five best governors in America, praising her for eliminating a $1.1 billion debt she inherited, ferreting out waste in state government, and strongly supporting public education - all without raising taxes. Also praised was her bipartisan approach to governing.
In February 2006, the White House Project named Sebelius one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008.
