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Monday, March 3, 2008

KC Star: Jenkins unethical ties to firm called into question

In a story this blog broke weeks ago, the Kansas City Star has finally reported on State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins and her unethical ties to a firm running TV ads in Kansas featuring her smiling face.

The ads, paid for by a company called American Century, tout the college savings program "Learning Quest" which is administered through Lynn's office. While none of us are convinced Jenkins actually has anything to do with the program's operation in Kansas, we will say it's important, and we're happy Kansas families have access to it.

With that said, the TV ads are nothing more than campaign spots.

Ah, but splashing her face all over her district isn't the only thing American Century has done for Lynn Jenkins:

American Century’s then-CEO also donated to Jenkins’ campaign to be re-elected treasurer shortly before Jenkins extended the company’s contract in 2006. A lobbyist for American Century has contributed to Jenkins’ congressional campaign and her state treasurer bids. [Emphasis ours].

“It raises serious ethical questions of outside corporate interests in a federal election,” said Kyle Robertson, the campaign manager for Jenkins’ GOP primary opponent, former U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun.

Understand how much it pains us to say this, but Robertson is right. This is blatantly unethical, and a outright violation of the spirit of every campaign finance reform law passed in the last decade.

Jenkins, of course, sees nothing wrong with the ads, but that's just another examples of her cluelessness when it comes to the issues important to the people of her district. We want our politicians to be honest and to play by the rules, and these ads clearly give her an unfair advantage. That, of course, ignores the more serious ethical question: Did the contract with American Century get renewed by the Office of the Kansas Treasurer because Lynn was promised kickbacks, or were the donations just "thank yous" for making her fat cat friends even more weathly?

The company says it just might decide to run the ads again just before the general election in November, should Jenkins be the nominee. We're calling on Lynn Jenkins to publicly tell American Century, "thanks, but no thanks," and to direct them to stop ads and mailings that featuring her for the duration of her campaign for Congress.

Do the right thing, Lynn, and keep this race on the up-and-up. Tell American Century to keep their money.

(Or, you could do what the people of Kansas really deserve: Resign the office of treasurer. At least that way we can have a treasurer that we know is working for us and not their own personal ambition).

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

i can't believe she's this dumb...she's got to tell them to stop the ads and not run any again.

Anonymous said...

she's so screwed

Anonymous said...

So you are saying that Jenkins gave American Century the contract for $500 in campaign contrubutions from their CEO. Wow what a cheap date. Why should she resign, she did nothing wrong.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmm ..... Another hatchet job from the Boyda campaign .... smacks of desperation.

If I remember correctly Boyda heavily supported an major issue pushed by the labor unions (regarding taking away privacy of voting for formation of a union)......while accepting campaign money from labor unions ..... she must be corrupt also.

Anonymous said...

You said she was cheap, we didn't. Also, we're saying that's a very strange coincidence that should be looked at very closely.

We aren't saying she should resign because of her ties to American Century- we're saying she should resign because she isn't doing her job while she's campaigning for Congress.

And this isn't coming from Boyda...notice Ryun's camp was the one quoted

Anonymous said...

Another hatchet job, just like the Osage City paper does.

Anonymous said...

You get a better understanding of the issue by reading the KC Star article .... versus your twisted conspiracy theory explanation of it.

These same type ads are run in multiple states using the state treasurer to encourage people to save for their children's college through these state supported - tax exempt plans.

Anonymous said...

So did Sebelius resign the Insurance commisioners job to run for Governor? No she didn't. BB must not have enough to do OC. When the rest of the story comes out you'll see this is a hatchet job.

Anonymous said...

BB suggesting kickbacks is a very serious charge. I think you have crossed the line now.

Boyda Bloc said...

So, the person that posted at least the last 4 comments...please...this is a Ryun/Kraske "hatchet" job, nothin' dealing with Boyda.

also, twit- if you think someone who works at a newspaper has time to run a blog, you're obviously a lot dumber than even your posts make you seem.

And, hey, we're just relating the article. If you don't like the story, contact the Star, not us.

Anonymous said...

Patrick...get a life, OK?

Anonymous said...

Wow, must have hit close to home.
So what does the person who runs this blog do that you have time to run a blog? You took the article and you embellished it, saying kickbacks, asking for resignations, etc. etc. And by the way using the word twit makes you look really smart as well.

Anonymous said...

Yawn of a story. Gates saidso himself that this wasnt a big deal.

For real analysis check out. http://thekansasrepublican.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

As far as not having to do with Boyda, that is not true. Boyda is running a Jenkins smear campaign because she would much rather run against Ryun than Jenkins. Boyda will do everything she can to discredit Jenkins now, and then hope Ryun wins. For an insider you don't know much.

Anonymous said...

So, the person that posted at least the last 4 comments...please...this is a Ryun/Kraske "hatchet" job, nothin' dealing with Boyda.
------------------------------
Boyda Bloc,

I didn't make the last 4 comments .... but if you read the article and re-read your blog .... you are insinuating things that are not in the article so you are further contributing to a "hatchet job" without have information to backup what your saying.

Anonymous said...

You people are way off the mark...i know the blog is run by at least 3 different people (I mean, just read the posts...you can tell).

also, this was a Ryun job, pure and simple. You Jenkins apologists need to redirect your anger at your own side

Anonymous said...

I LOVE that jenkins posts always have such heated comment sections here...do you people have nothing else to do?

jenkins is a joke, ryun is a worse joke, and boyda is a bad joke.

Anonymous said...

"we're saying she should resign because she isn't doing her job while she's campaigning for Congress."


First of all, her job isn't very demanding so I'm sure that Lynn has plenty of free time. Second, IS she campaigning for Congress? I haven't heard a peep from her campaign since she announced she was running.

Anonymous said...

then you aren't paying attention. she has 3 or 4 campaign stops every weekend. and $500,000 to spend. The Dems have even hired someone to video tape her remarks at each stop. He gets introduced by Jenkins at every stop.

Anonymous said...

yeah, she introduces him as a Boyda staffer...which he isn't...so that tells you how smart she is.

Anonymous said...

She knows exactly who he works for. She's smart for tying him to Boyda, it really pisses off the crowd to think Boyda would do such a thing. At several stops the organizers have wanted to throw him out, but Jenkins said she is growing kind of fond of him. Pretty soon she'll invite him to lunch. Underestimate Jenkins at your own peril.

Anonymous said...

"yeah, she introduces him as a Boyda staffer...which he isn't"

"She knows exactly who he works for."

So she's willfully and deliberately lying to her audience?

Anonymous said...

Growing fond of him? Might invite him to lunch?

Sorry, Lynn. He's married.

Anonymous said...

"it really pisses off the crowd to think Boyda would do such a thing."

It pisses off the crowd that someone is recording what Lynn says? Why? Does it prevent Lynn from saying what she really wants to say? Does she censor herself when she knows that people are recording her?

Anonymous said...

yeah....jenkins knows she's lying about her tracker...she knows she lying about taking money from american century...this woman can't be trusted period

Anonymous said...

Wow someone lying on a blog, how new is that? Frankly no one knows what they are talking about on this blog. It is just a bunch of wanna be journalists that don't have a real job. The whole blog is a lie.

Anonymous said...

you can't even read your own writing, the poster said it pisses the crowd off, not Jenkins. She loves having him there, just shows how desparate the dems are to retain a questionable seat. She's eating it up.

Anonymous said...

"just shows how desparate the dems are to retain a questionable seat."

Nope. That's just standard operating procedure for a political campaign these days, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a person from a candidate's staff. If you don't record your opponent's public events, you're an idiot. Not only will recording your opponent (usually) prevent them from lying, but you also stand a good chance of catching a "Macaca Moment"...and those are absolutely priceless!

Anonymous said...

i for one thinks this blog is awesome....well researched, and I really like that it always has links so i can always see where they took their info.

Anonymous said...

Why not see if your candidate can win based on positions and votes?

That may seem a little crazy in politics for Democrats. Who have now taken to stalking Republican candidates instead of campaigning based on ideas for the future of our country.

Anonymous said...

You know, this blog is all about ideas and what Nancy Boyda is doing for all of us...i love the people who come here and comment and just talk out their butts and ignore everything else...

today's post is great...lynn needs to tell outside groups not to run ads for her like these...

Anonymous said...

Look, the point of tracking a candidate isn't to catch them saying something you can take out of context or get a macaca moment (although those things do happen, its to have a record of what was said. If the anti-Boyda blogs had video of the Congresswoman making these promises she allegedly broke, they're argument would hold a lot more water.

Say for example a candidate says "Give babies candy" in January, but in September gets poll that says "73% of Americans believe candy is bad for babies" and starts singing a different tune, you can point out the contradiction with video evidence. Much more convincing than just saying that said something else before.

There is nothing nefarious about any of this. The Republicans just wish they were organized enough to do the same thing. Maybe if they break $75,000 raised next year they can afford to hire someone, but I wouldn't hold your breathe - Christian doesn't have it in him.

Anonymous said...

If "...this blog is all about ideas and what Nancy Boyda is doing for all of us." then why post anything on Jenkins or Ryun? Just gives her folks a chance to get on this blog and rant. Stick to the original intent of the blog which is defending and lifting up Boyda, not rewriting and embellishing attacks on her opponents. I can see defending against something Boyda did or said, but this blog has gone way beyond that.

Anonymous said...

Friend, don't lecture on what the purpose of the blog is. If you notice, nearly every single post that has been posted here since the beginning has had the same basic theme: This is something good Nancy Boyda has done.

Sometimes we smack her Republican opponents and the hate machine that's trying to keep her from winning a second term, but, again, that's not what the thrust of the blog has been.

But, please, don't take our word for it- just read the posts. It's all simply to evident to deny.

Anonymous said...

one, I am not your friend. and two the days of this blog are numbered. three, Boyda bloc can sure dish it out, but they can't take criticism worth a darn. four, obviously jenkins have more people monitoring this blog than democrats, since they dominate the posters. five, since boyda has a 30-40% approval rating, I am not sure you need to look far for Boyda dislikers. Hate is too strong a word. People simply disagree with her positions, especially when they change.

Boyda Bloc said...

the days of this blog are numbered! do you hear that, world?

this blog continues to be the fastest growing, most read blog covering this particular race for congress, and while it's quite clear lynn jenkins has a couple of people who spend a tremendous amount of time watching google alerts for her, it certainly doesn't say much about her depth and breath of support.

Would you like us to provide the IP addresses and city locations of the 4 or 5 individual computers who posted here today? No, because that would be embarrassing.

This blog is here to stay, we'll continue talking about all the things Nancy Boyda has done right, and we'll continue making a fool out of Lynn Jenkins and Jim Ryun as often as we can. After all, they're both easy targets.

Anonymous said...

Will you still have this blog when boyda loses?

Anonymous said...

i'm sure that depends on whether or not she runs again

Anonymous said...

"obviously jenkins have [sic] more people monitoring this blog than democrats, since they dominate the posters."

"Would you like us to provide the IP addresses and city locations of the 4 or 5 individual computers who posted here today?

ROFL! Back in the old days republicans could get away with shit like that...and THAT'S why we Democrats need to film every word that you say to your supporters. You people constantly lie and make up your own facts only to deny it when you're confronted. When you're confronted with video, you can't deny anything.

Anonymous said...

Boyda Bloc

Interesting that you would defend Congresswoman Boyda so heavily on the FISA warrantless wiretapping because of protecting people's privacy .........

Yet threaten to post the IP addresses for individuals on your blog ..... I guess that these people's privacy doesn't matter to you.

I wonder what Congresswoman Boyda's thoughts would be about posting such information

Anonymous said...

We're only saying..don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.

Or, perhaps, don't lie...because we know you are.

This blog is not affiliated in any way with the Kansas Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, the Office of Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, or the campaign to re-elected Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. All commentary herein not directly attributed must be considered the opinion of the authors of this blog and not of any other individual, including Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.