Other views on THE speech & Sebelius

Here a sampling of others response to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' speech last night.

"Terrificially boring" blogs John Bresnahan at CBS News. He likes the text, but hates the delivery.

"Making gray haired women proud" says the blog, Going Gray, which also called Sebelius "Polished, poised and powerful."

"Pelosi Lite" says Dishpan Chronicles.

I'll update as I come across other views that offer something beyond obscenities and put downs.

UPDATE

Sebelius didn't make fans out of Kevin Drum and the rest of the Washington Monthly crew.

UPDATE

Mousie Cat, another progressive Kansas blogger, says Sebelius was great.

Grading the governor

By Diane Silver

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius made her national TV debut last night, and I have to say that my reaction is mixed.

First, I give her an A for content. I liked the message.

I particularly liked the way she framed her speech as being America's response to George W. Bush's State of the Union and not the Democrat Party's response.

She then proceeded to call on Bush to "join us" in getting the hard work done. For me that phrase implies that it's about time Bush stopped acting like an arrogant jerk, but perhaps that's just my interpretation.

Of course, it has been a long time since Bush and the country were on the same page. Just look at the president's approval ratings. They're abysmal everywhere, even in Republican Kansas.

However, I have to give Sebelius a C- or even a D for delivery. She was wooden throughout the speech and even halting, at times.

I sympathize. Giving this kind of TV address is hard. There's no audience. You're seated. There's no one to play to except the camera and looking natural when you're staring into a camera is a hard-won skill. At the same time, though, it's a vital skill for someone with national political ambitions.

I will give her one point. When I woke up this morning and heard a sound bite from her speech on the radio, Sebelius did sound compelling.

Call this an intriguing but not altogether successful TV debut. Perhaps she'll do better on the stump with Barack Obama today.

Tune in for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' national audition tonight

By Diane Silver

Our very own governor makes her national debut after George W. Bush's State of the Union speech tonight. As just about everyone knows, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is giving the Democrat response.

Will her 10 minutes of air time galvanize the nation? Take her rising star even higher? Sink her with a misstep? (The speech is given live.)

She comes into this:

• with high approval ratings in a red, red state
• as a pro-choice governor in a state that has become central to the battle about abortion (Think Operation Rescue and Dr. George Tiller)
  
• while engaged in a legislative battle over her administration's decision to block two new coal plants in Kansas
  
• only weeks after she appointed a new attorney general when the just-elected Democrat resigned because of a sex scandal

These are interesting times for Kansas and the governor. In some circles, folks believe it is a forgone conclusion that Sebelius will move up in the political food chain. The only questions seem to be about exactly where and when that will happen. The answer to that depends, in part, on what happens tonight.

In a very real sense, Sebelius is auditioning in front of the entire nation.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE

Longtime Statehouse reporter John Hanna wrote a good overview of Sebelius and her political future.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius takes high numbers into State of the Union response

By Diane Silver

Chosen to give the Democratic response to Dubya's State of the Union speech, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will coast into that appearance with a 64 percent approval rating in her home state. That's the word today from a SurveyUSA poll taken Jan. 16 and 17.

Sebelius's approval numbers have tumbled some since reaching a high of 70 percent just three days before her administration blocked construction of two coal plants. Since that announcement, her approval rating has taken a hit in Western Kansas. That's where the two plants would have been located.

In what is the most conservative part of the state, though, Sebelius reached a staggering height of 76 percent approval on Oct. 15 just before the coal plant announcement. She dropped to 43 percent in the month after the announcement, bounced up again in December and then dropped a bit to 58 percent approval in Western Kansas in this newest poll.

Sebelius will speak immediately after George W. Bush finishes. The State of the Union is scheduled for 8 pm Central, 9 pm Eastern, on Monday.

I'll say this for Sebelius. She's finally giving me a reason to tune into a Dubya State of the Union.

BREAKING: Kansas governor hits the REAL big time

By Diane Silver

I 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.