By Diane SilverI guess being a Democratic governor in a red, red state has its perks. Kathleen Sebelius has been chosen to give the Democratic Party's rebuttal to George W. Bush's State of the Union on Jan. 28.
This is good news for Sebelius, Kansas and for the idea that red-state leaders DO have something to say to the left and right coasts.
For those of you wondering who the heck this Sebelius person is...
She is a moderate Democrat, but she has been supportive of fairness for all. On Labor Day, she signed an executive order protecting LGBT state workers from job discrimination. This was a first for Kansas.
The Wikipedia bio of Sebelius seems fairly accurate with a few mis-steps. The bio implies that it's odd for a governor of Kansas to be pro-choice. Not so. Her predecessor, Republican Bill Graves, also favored abortion rights. The bio says she has an out gay son, but I guess I'm the last queer in Kansas to know that. The material on her record as governor and insurance commissioner seems accurate, though.
The Cincinnati Enquirer has a good article about her early years growing up as the daughter of Ohio's governor.
And last, but not least, she just gave her own State of the State address last night.
UPDATE
The decision by the Sebelius Administration to block construction of two coal plants because of global warming was a first for the state and nation. Republican legislative leaders are loudly opposing the decision and claim they'll do everything to lift the road-block. Recent news reports claim behind-the-scene talks might be aiming at some kind of deal.
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