The Pro-Life Movement's pro-death core

Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, a professor at the Chicago Theological Seminary gets to the heart of the problem with the so-called "pro-life" movement. At OnFaith, she writes:

Violence is a logical outcome of the extreme self-righteousness of those who claim the "pro-life" label as an absolute and yet who do not have an actual, consistent ethic of life such as the views held by pacifists.

The entire post is worth reading.

Who killed George Tiller?

Veteran reporter Judy Thomas talks to her longtime sources in the anti-abortion movement about the suspect's radical past.

Alternet and Salon point the finger at Bill O'Reilly and other anti-choice figures who provided the rationale and the drumbeat for the murder.

I live in Kansas, and I don't know of anyone out here who was surprised that Tiller was murdered. The level of hate directed at him has been off the charts for decades. If you shout long enough and loud enough that someone is worse than a Nazi and should be "stopped," then someday somebody is going to do just that.

Who killed George Tiller? Maybe we all did because we didn't stand up to these bullies.

I'm surprised at how shaken I am by Tiller's death. It wasn't unexpected, but it terrifies me. One man may have pulled the trigger, but thousands put the gun in his hand. Who are they going to go after next? Which target of their hatred -- which abortion provider, which LGBT activist, which person they've decided is the Antichrist -- is going to get shot next?

Grand juries may soon be pawing through the medical records of thousands of women

By Diane Silver

I wish this was a joke, but it isn't: Anti-abortion fishing expeditions may soon hand the medical records of more than 2,000 women to grand juries in Wichita and Johnson County. Two thousand!

All of this is supposed to be OK because the names of the women will be removed.

If you were one of the women involved would you feel safe? I know I'd be pleased as punch to have someone wading through my medical history, and that I'd have total faith that nothing would ever become public. Please note the sarcasm.

This is being done at the instigation of Operation Rescue in Wichita and anti-abortion District Attorney Phill Kline in Johnson County.

The Wichita Eagle went to the heart of the matter when it editorialized today that this may well mean that it's open season on patient records.

A hunt through women's medical records soon could begin at the Sedgwick County Courthouse -- one set in motion by a petition, paid for by tax dollars and sanctioned Wednesday by a judge. That should bother Kansans on both sides of the abortion issue....

(T)here's something chilling about the idea of 15 strangers on a grand jury poring over someone's patient records and discussing and second-guessing her medical and sexual history and mental health -- even if she is nameless.

Patients visit their doctors expecting privacy, something underscored by the protections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. If they knew that their doctor visit could end up being fodder for a grand jury investigation -- or a Bill O'Reilly tirade on Fox News, as also has happened -- might they have gone to the doctor at all? Some surely would not.

IMAGE: The Wichita Eagle's Richard Crowson weighs in with his opinion on the issue. See the full cartoon.

Top Headlines: Taliban, Gitmo, gay teen, abortion, U.S. Supreme Court & more

We've had a busy week here at In This Moment. We've gone everywhere from Guantanamo Bay to Afghanistan, the U.S. Supreme Court, the wilds of the religious right in Kansas, and to the depths of Newark, N.J. Here are the week's top headlines.

Girls are meaningless in Afghanistan

Why Guantanamo Bay is not and never will be a model prison

Newark superintendent finally applies the Golden Rule to gay teen

Five to Four: The scariest words in U.S. law

The Bushies take aim at Mom & Pop pharmacies

Kansas Attorney General's office says darling of religious right botched Tiller case

National right-to-life figure might want to thank his political opponent

National right-to-life figure may want to thank his political opponent

By Diane Silver

Breaking news out of my home state of Kansas is making me wonder if Phill Kline -- a figure much beloved by the national anti-abortion movement -- may just have had his rear saved by a most unlikely source.

That source is Paul Morrison, the man who decimated Kline in the race for Kansas attorney general in November.

Just before Kline left office in December, the Republican filed 30 misdemeanor counts against Dr. George Tiller, a Wichita abortion provider who is much hated by the far right. Tiller is one of the few doctors in the country who does late-term abortions.

At noon, Morrison announced that he has tossed all 30 of Kline's charges, but is filing 19 other counts against Tiller. All of the charges -- both Kline's and Morrison's -- are misdemeanors.

Morrison and his office claim that Kline botched the charges he filed against Tiller. They claim that Kline and his staff did both an unethical and sloppy job.

If Morrison and company are correct, then it's likely that Kline's attempt to prosecute Tiller would have failed. If Kline's purpose is to attack, wound and otherwise keep Tiller from working, then filing a poorly prepared case wouldn't have done that.

It is too early to tell whether Kline, Morrison or neither of them are right or have done a good job. It will, however, be interesting to see the results of Morrison's case against Tiller.

Why is Kline important nationally? Simply put, his national constituency in the anti-abortion movement means that he could one day make the leap from Kansas politics to a truly national stage. Of course, if Morrison is right that Kline seriously botched the Tiller case, then that move might become a difficult one to make.

More details of Morrison's charges against Tiller are at Kansas Voice.
---------------
PHOTO: Phill Kline, current district attorney of Johnson County.

Kansas Attorney General's office says darling of the religious right botched George Tiller case

By Diane Silver

[updated 6/28 11:43 a.m.]
A leading national right-to-life figure may well have botched at least half of the charges he filed against Wichita's George Tiller -- an abortion provider at the top of the right's hit list.

AP is reporting an exclusive interview with Ashley Anstaett, spokeswoman for Attorney General Paul Morrison. She alleges that former AG Phill Kline engaged in "unethical behavior" and left a mess for Morrison.

Based on his pursuit of Tiller, who provides late-term abortions, Kline has become a national figure.

In a nutshell, Anstaett says Kline botched at least half of the charges he filed against Tiller. Among the charges Anstaett makes, according to AP, are:

• 15 of the 30 misdemeanor counts Kline filled in December were flawed.
• In 11 of those 15 counts, Kline failed to include information that was favorable to Tiller -- a major ethical lapse by an attorney. (Kline's recently departed Johnson County Domestic Violence Division Chief Sue Carpenter was once censured for doing this.)
• In 4 of the counts, Kline cited the wrong patient records to back up his charges.
• “The case was not organized, summarized and ready to go, as Kline claims. This couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Anstaett’s comments covered only 15 charges. Morrison is set to announce by Friday whether or not he will file any charges against Tiller.

Kline denies everything. See AP for the details of his comments.

If what Anstaett says is true, then it's no surprise that Morrison has taken six months to finish his investigation of Tiller. If Tiller really is breaking the law, then the absolute worst thing Morrison could do is to bring a botched case before a judge. It amazes me that the anti-abortion folks can't seem to understand that. They seem more interested in screaming and making political points, than in actually getting a successful prosecution of Tiller.

My guess -- and I have no information on this -- is that Anstaett's interview is part of a PR campaign by Morrison to counter the Operation Rescue message that has been filling the Kansas media for the last few weeks.

I'm also guessing, that Morrison may well file charges against Tiller. Anstaett only discussed 15 of the counts. I suspect that she would have discussed more, if Morrison intended to clear Tiller completely.

Again, I have no information. Only guesses.

[This is a revised version of a story posted on Kansas Voice.]

[update]

There is more information and detail from The Wichita Eagle.

--------

PHOTO: Paul Morrison

Kansas Voice: Unloved Bush, Phill Kline faces test , soupy Kansas City air & more

By Diane Silver

Just in case those of you from out here in the wilds of Kansas missed the tiny headlines at the top of the page, here is a roundup of posts from my local blog, Kansas Voice.

By the way, that photo on the left is "clear." There's no need to adjust your screen. That's a snapshot of yesterday's smog in Kansas City. See below for details.

First, here are the latest posts from Kansas Voice.

Even in Kansas, Bush is unloved & kept in a bubble

Johnson County district attorney race tests religious right

No Really News: Phill Kline attacks Paul Morrison & George Tiller (Once again, it's the Phill, Paul and George Show, but this time God gets added to the festivities, and we learn about how a so-called "divine intervention" wasn't so divine after all.)

Meanwhile, out here in Red State America it is sunny, muggy and hot, hot, hot.

Neighboring Kansas City was under an ozone alert yesterday. There's something so wrong about that. If you have to live out on the Plains far from the bright lights of sophisticated society and the freedom of places like California and Massachusetts, you ought to at least be able to avoid pollution.

I drove into KC yesterday, and it was decidedly soupy. Ugh.
----------

PHOTO: This is a small part of a KMBC-TV photo of of yesterday's smog in Kansas City.

Abortion opponent's complaint against Kansas judge falls flat

AP reports:

A seven-member panel of the Commission on Judicial Qualifications concluded the complaint "contained no facts evidencing judicial misconduct" by Judge Paul W. Clark in his handling of 30 misdemeanors filed against Dr. George Tiller, who is among the few U.S. doctors performing late-term abortions.

The original charges were filed by outgoing Attorney General Phill Kline. The complaint against Clark was filed by Operation Rescue and a conservative state senator.

The Kansas House decides it won't dance with the mob & lets up on abortion doctor

By Diane Silver

The effort in the Kansas House to turn our law enforcement system over to a mob seems to have stalled. Leaders say they won't press for a resolution ordering Attorney General Paul Morrison to file criminal charges against George Tiller, a Wichita abortion provider.

That resolution was based on an 1879 law that has never been used to prosecute an individual. If such a resolution were to pass, it would set up a showdown between the AG and Legislature.

It would also put everyone in the state in danger, and that includes the folks in Operation Rescue who desperately want lawmakers to intervene in the judicial process. These are the people who rallied at the Statehouse this week to force passage of the resolution.

Subverting the judicial process is a seriously bad idea.

Don't these folks have any imagination? Don't they realize that if indictment-by-mob becomes the rule that the torch-carrying pursuers could one day turn on them?

If these folks win, then any group of voters -- aka The Mob -- could pressure lawmakers for prosecutions. What fun that would be.

Oh wait... I wonder... Is anyone up for a Statehouse rally to force Morrison to prosecute Fred Phelps? Could we indict him on failing to have a heart? Lacking humanity? Being a serious bore?

But I digress...

The chair of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, which attempted to slam the resolution through the House, now says he wants to let the AG do his work. Ultra-conservative House Speaker Melvin Neufeld now says of Morrison: “We’re going to let him do his job.”

There's a truly radical thought.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are speculating that (a) the whole idea blew up in Republicans' faces and/or (b) it was all for show to placate a restless fundamentalist base.
------
Photo: What else? The mob from the original movie Frankenstein.

The Kansas Legislature flirts with lynch-mob law, & yes, we're talking about George Tiller

By Diane Silver

If Operation Rescue and other anti-abortion groups have their way, you, me or anyone else could be charged with a crime if enough protestors show up at the Statehouse.

That appears to be what's happening with Operation Rescue's attempt to force Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison to prosecute Wichita abortion-provider George Tiller.

A rally has been held in Topeka, and a resolution ordering Morrison to prosecute Tiller has flown out of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee -- hereafter known as the Great 2007 Bad Idea Committee. The proposal is awaiting approval by the full House.

Never mind that lawmakers haven't seen the evidence. Never mind that Morrison is investigating Tiller and hasn't announced yet whether he will prosecute. Never mind that the charges are misdemeanors. Never mind that the 1879 law legislators are using has only before been used to force the state to enter into lawsuits, and has never been used to force criminal charges against a named individual.

Nope.

This is abortion politics (see Richard Crowson's great cartoon at The Wichita Eagle). The ultra conservatives who control Fed and State Affairs and the Kansas House wanna get that varmint Tiller. Period. Constitution be darned. Precedent be darned.

In an editorial today, my old newspaper The Wichita Eagle writes, quite wisely:

(Former Attorney General Phill) Kline (who first indicted Tiller) has a history of showing more ideological zeal than legal expertise. So Morrison needs to review this case to make sure crimes really were committed and that the charges could hold up in court.

And contrary to the claims of the protesters, this case is not a slam dunk. There is disagreement about what health exceptions are allowable under the state's abortion law.

In addition to accusing Morrison of being bought, some of the anti-abortion activists accused Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston of being corrupt after she objected on jurisdictional grounds when Kline filed charges against Tiller. And last week they challenged the integrity and independence of Sedgwick County District Court Judge Paul Clark, who ruled in Foulston's favor.

Do they think that any official who gets in their way is corrupt?

Actually, I have a terrible feeling that they do. Here's an interesting thought that was brought up by someone who commented on an earlier post. What if Morrison does indict Tiller? What if he's tried, and what if he's acquitted? What do the protestors do then? Lynch him?

Equally important is what these folks are doing to our judicial system. If the Kansas Legislature succeeds in forcing the attorney general to prosecute anyone -- whether that's Tiller or even Fred Phelps (wouldn't we all like to prosecute Fred for something?) -- then we are all in danger.

Kansas: Is the effort to force prosecution of George Tiller constitutional?

By Diane Silver

I can't tell you whether Wichita abortion provider George Tiller has committed any misdemeanors in his practice. I can't tell you whether it's a right or wrong to prosecute him, although certainly former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline's Ahab-like pursuit of Tiller began to verge on the absurd.

However, Operation Rescue' current effort to force our new attorney general, Paul Morrison, to prosecute Tiller worries me. It should also worry you whether you love Tiller or hate him, and no matter where you stand on the subject of abortion.

Yesterday the House Federal and State Affairs Committee passed a resolution ordering Morrison to reinstate the 30 now dismissed misdemeanor charges Kline had filed against Tiller. The committee did this without holding a hearing, although that supposedly will come this afternoon. (What an odd kind of legislating: Pass the proposal, THEN hold the hearing. You've gotta love the Kansas Legislature.)

Not holding a hearing is bad enough, but what really worries me is the fact that the Legislative branch is trying to force the attorney general to file charges. I know that an obscure law is being invoked, but can this possibly be constitutional? What happened to separation of powers?

Kansas: Yet more on Phill Kline, ministers & the Ahab-like pursuit of Dr. George Tiller

[corrected number and location of ministers 3/16/07]

By Diane Silver

I've been involved in one way or another with Kansas politics for 22 years now, but I've never seen anything like this.

Ousted Attorney General Phill Kline and a group of about 40 Wichita- area ministers are trying to get the Legislature to force new Attorney General Paul Morrison to prosecute abortion provider George Tiller. Morrison's office says he is investigating Tiller, but apparently that isn't enough for these folks.

They're trying to invoke a little known (as in... never heard of before) law to get the Legislature to get the AG to do exactly what these 36 people want him to do. (Heck, I'd love to get the AG to do exactly what I want him to do. I've got a couple of folks I'd be happy to get him to prosecute.)

Even Rep. Lance Kinzer, the newest Republican darling of the religious right, doesn't this will work. Actually, even the ministers may not think this has much chance of working. Although they called today for Kansans to flood lawmakers with appeals, none of the ministers said they paln to lobby in Topeka to pass their, ah, what do we call this? An action? Proposal? Resolution? Fit?

Kansas: Phill Kline's Ahab-like pursuit of abortion doctor is kaput

By Diane Silver

It's done.

Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline's chase after his own white whale -- abortion provider George Tiller -- is finally and officially over.

Kansas: Questions are raised about Phill Kline's special prosecutor & violent anti-abortion activists

By Diane Silver

Frederick Clarkson at Talk To Action has an interesting article about what he says is a connection between newly appointed special prosecutor Donald McKinney and violent anti-abortion activists.

At the very least, McKinney may have been a friend of Paul deParrie, an anti-abortion activist who died in May. DeParrie "characterized violence against doctors who perform abortion as 'morally justifiable,'" according to deParrie's hometown newspaper, The Oregonian.

The connection between McKinney and deParrie appears to be highlighted in a comment on the Operation Rescue blog by a person identifying himself as Donald “the Dingo” McKinney. In praising deParrie after his death from a heart attack, this person noted (my emphasis):

Paul was the real deal. A true Christian warrior. He was a great "leader" in the purest sense...And there was one other thing about Paul that contantly amazed me: he and I almost always agreed about everything -- from church issues to pro-life controversys to legal tactics. He was a true brother.

Is this the same Don McKinney as the man just appointed to prosecute Wichita abortion provider, Dr. George Tiller? Does McKinney believe that violence against abortion doctors is "morally justifiable?"

If that friendship existed, then it not only raises serious questions about McKinney, but about the judgment of Phill Kline.

Tiller, by the way, was wounded in 1993 by an anti-abortion activist.

Does McKinney sympathize with violent activists who have already targeted Tiller? If so, how can McKinney fairly do his job as special prosecutor? If this is true, what does it say about the judgment of the soon-to-be district attorney of Johnson County?

Clarkson raises the questions and wonders why the Kansas news media, particularly The Wichita Eagle, have ignored this story. I wish I had the time to investigate this, but outside of doing a little Googling and finding some links, I can't do anything more.

Some might argue that this issue is moot. Attorney General-Elect Paul Morrison has already said he will not retain McKinney as special prosecutor. Kline is leaving as attorney general in less than a week. Why should anyone care now?

Personally, I believe it's important to watch what Kline does. At the very least, the quality of his judgment is an important issue for the citizens of Johnson County. Like it or not, he will be their district attorney for the next two years. The quality of his decisions will have a major impact on their lives and their safety.

But that isn't the only reason to watch what's happening. Kline shows every sign of having further political aspirations. Kansas' tiny blogosphere has been buzzing with rumors that he might run to be chair of the state GOP. He is a longtime leader of the far right wing of the state Republican Party, and he shows no sign of going away.

I don't have the answers, but I do know that questions need to be asked. Where does McKinney stand on these issues, and why did Kline appoint him?

Former Kansas attorneys general say Phill Kline's actions are all about politics

By Diane Silver

Nothing but politics prompted outgoing Attorney General Phill Kline to name a special prosecutor in an abortion case. That's the word today from former Kansas Attorneys General Bob Stephan and Carla Stovall Steckline.

To make matters worse, Kline doesn't have a written contract with special prosecutor Donald McKinney. Thus, McKinney's financial arrangement with the state is unclear. Kline has called on McKinney to prosecute Wichita abortion provider George Tiller on misdemeanor charges.

The Wichita Eagle reports:

But former Kansas Attorney General Stephan called McKinney's appointment itself political, saying he could see "no reason at all" for Kline to take such an action.

Stephan, who served as attorney general from 1979 to 1995, and Stovall, who served from 1995 to 2003, said a special prosecutor would be needed only if: the office had a conflict of interest in a case; the office had a manpower issue; or if there was a need for an expert.

For example, both cited the need to hire outside prosecutors when the attorney general's office sued neighboring states over water rights.

In one sense, all of this means nothing because Attorney General-Elect Paul Morrison has already promised that he won't retain McKinney.

However, Kline will soon become the new Johnson County district attorney. Kline's new job puts him in a position to help or hurt the lives of those in the county. It also gives him a platform to continue as an outspoken leader of the religious right in Kansas, or to regroup for a run for another statewide post.

Kline shows little interest in letting go of the Ahab-like obsession that lead Kansas voters to throw him out of office in November. He shows little interest in following basic principles of law or good government.

Kline could do both of those things, fulfill his responsibilities as a public servant and still oppose abortion and everything Tiller does. After a while, one begins to wonder why Kline doesn't do that.

Meanwhile, The Eagle published an interesting editorial on Friday, "Kline's Charges Likely About Ideology."

Kansas: Phill Kline's last gasp special prosecutor will get the boot

By Diane Silver

The state's new attorney general, Paul Morrison, told reporters today that he won't keep the special prosecutor his predecessor appointed to go after abortion provider, Dr. George Tiller.

AP reports:

Attorney General-elect Paul Morrison said in a telephone interview today that he's not inclined to have a special prosecutor handle any investigation into Dr. George Tiller, who operates a Wichita clinic and is one of the few doctors in the nation to perform late-term abortions....

While Morrison, who supports abortion rights, would not completely rule out having a special prosecutor, he added, "It certainly won't be Mr. McKinney."

McKinney is an anti-abortion protestor who wins laurels from Operation Rescue for praying outside of Tiller's Wichita clinic. I agree with Morrison that McKinney can't be seen as being even close to objective (dare we say fair minded?) on the subject of Tiller.

The saga of Kline's frantic "last gasp" effort to get Tiller on misdemeanor charges before leaving office on Jan. 8 continues. This is turning into the Energizer bunny of cases.

Kansas: Judge refuses to back Phill Kline, but outgoing attorney general appoints special prosecutor

[updated 12/28/06]

The latest on Phill Kline vs George Tiller with a little mud and politics thrown at Paul Morrison: A Sedgwick County judge ruled that Kline doesn't have jurisdiction to charge the Wichita abortion provider. Meanwhile, Kline appointed a special prosecutor and vowed to go forward despite the judge's ruling.

My question is legal, and I honestly don't have an answer to this one. If the attorney general doesn't have jurisdiction in this case, how can a special prosecutor appointed by the AG have jurisdiction? Anyone?

Update:

* Kline noted that Morrison can abolish the special prosecutor's job when he takes office Jan. 8, but asked Morrison not to do that.

*Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston said she would not allow a special prosecutor to file charges against Tiller. "If somebody is going to prosecute, it's going to be this office," she said, noting she has asked Kline for all the documents in the case.

* The Kansas City Star put it all in perspective by writing that Kline is abusing his authority even though the Kansas Supreme Court warned him not to do so. Kline wants to prosecute Tiller for taking the mental health of the patient into account. The Kansas Supreme Court stated:

“Until the United State Supreme Court or the federal Constitution says otherwise, however, the mental health of the pregnant woman remains a consideration necessary to ensure the constitutionality of the Kansas criminal abortion statute.”

12/28 Update:

The Wichita Eagle has the best blow-by-blow coverage of the hearing before Judge Clark and the legal issues involved. One interesting bit of trivia is that Kline did not argue the case before Clark, but instead had an assistant do it.

The Lawrence Journal-World has the best perspective on the anti-abortion activist appointed by Kline as special prosecutor.

Kansas: Phill Kline appoints special prosecutor to go after George Tiller

By Diane Silver

This is getting weirder and weirder. Does outgoing Attorney General Phill Kline really care about pursuing his anti-abortion agenda or is he starting a vendetta against Paul Morrison, the Democrat who defeated him in November?

The news: Just hours before a 2 p.m. hearing on whether he has jurisdiction to file misdemeanor charges against Dr. George Tiller, Kline appointed a special prosecutor whose claim to fame is yelling about Morrison. AP reports:

Kline chose Wichita attorney Don McKinney, a Democrat and brother of House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg, as special prosecutor. Kline said
he chose Don McKinney because he's a well-respected attorney and a Democrat.

During Kline's campaign against Morrison, McKinney castigated a newspaper for not aggressively investigating 15-year-old, unproven allegations of sexual harassment against Morrison.

Those allegations were thrown out of court. Kline's mud slinging so angered Kansans that it might have helped defeat him. The choice of McKinney, a Democrat, looks good on the surface, but McKinney endorsed Kline during the campaign. His interest in flinging mud at Morrison makes it look like Kline's choice has more to do with personal anger than prosecuting Tiller.

The Lawrence Journal-World has a statement from Morrison.

Kansas: Phill Kline gets one more chance to charge Wichita abortion doctor

By Diane Silver

If you're following outgoing Attorney General Phill Kline's on-again/off-again effort to nail Dr. George Tiller on misdemeanor charges, mark 2 p.m. tomorrow on your calendar.

That's when Sedgwick County District Judge Paul W. Clark has scheduled a hearing to reconsider his decision to dismiss the charges Kline filed against the doctor. The charges were dismissed over a jurisdictional issue. The hearing will be limited to discussing narrow legal issues. It will not deal with the substance the charges Kline filed against Tiller.

AP reports:

Clark said today that he will consider only whether a district court can limit a district attorney's power to dismiss a criminal case and, if there are circumstances allowing a court to intervene, whether they are present in Tiller's case.

In his one-page notice for the hearing, Clark also said an attorney for Tiller and Attorney General-elect Paul Morrison could participate.

Thus, Clark may well have not only set up a hearing to consider legal issues, but may have created a duel between bitter political opponents. Pistols anyone?

Kansas: Politics & a search for vindication push Phill Kline to charge abortion provider

By Diane Silver

AP Bureau Chief John Hanna does a nice job of explaining why outgoing Attorney General Phill Kline filed charges against Dr. George Tiller just before Christmas.

Kline wasn't playing the Grinch. The longtime darling of the Religious Right was seeking vindication and a way to tangle incoming Attorney General Paul Morrison up in abortion politics, Hanna argues.

Kline leaves the attorney general's office on Jan. 8. Through a weird series of events, he takes over as Johnson County district attorney for Morrison -- the Democrat who creamed Kline at the polls in November.

Kline will presumably continue his battle against Planned Parenthood in Johnson County. However, his jurisdiction over Tiller, who works out of Wichita, ends when Kline leaves office as attorney general.

Hanna writes:

Ultimate vindication for Kline would be a successful criminal prosecution of Tiller. But Kline's loss to Morrison meant Kline almost certainly wouldn't finish a case before leaving office.

However, he could begin one, raise questions about Tiller's activities, kick the anti-abortion propaganda apparatus into higher gear and create potential political problems for Morrison. Morrison then would face the choice of angering abortion-rights supporters or generating unending criticism from abortion opponents.

Kline could have forwarded his information to Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston for potential prosecution. However, he would have to take a chance that a Democrat many abortion opponents don't trust would file the case. The only way for him to be certain a case would get filed was to file it himself.

Filing the case himself, of course, lead a judge to dismiss the charges almost as soon as they were filed. The judge said Kline didn't have jurisdiction.