Register to Vote at Rock the Vote

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Roll Call: Stung by Poll, Jenkins Pulls D.C. Card on Ryun

Roll Call published (subscription required) a nice little piece demonstrating that when Lynn Jenkins says she wants to keep the campaign between herself and Jim Ryun "friendly" she really means no-holds-barred and personal.

And Lord it's fun to watch!

State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, running against former Rep. Jim Ryun for the 2nd district GOP nomination, has responded to an internal Ryun poll that showed a big lead for the ex-Congressman with a news release that labels him a carpetbagger and a product of Washington, D.C.

“As former Congressman Jim Ryun wraps up a tour of the Second District to introduce himself to those he previously represented for 10 years, he still has a home in Washington, D.C., his campaign has a branch in the D.C. suburbs, his entire paid staff hails from east of the Mississippi, and most of his supporters are not from Kansas,” the news release read.
Not news to any of our readers, of course- at least the parts saying that Ryun draws the great majority of his financial support from states like Texas and Virginia...and also that he considered himself a resident of Washington, DC for much of his final years in office (and right after he lost his seat, too), but the bit about Jim having a "branch office" in DC is new. But, hey, when Jenkins finds herself falling behind, she tends to lash out in whatever direction she's turned.

More Republican bloodsport? Read on:
“Time after time, we’re reminded just how deeply Washington changed Jim Ryun,” Jenkins campaign spokesman Pat Leopold said in a statement. “Jim spent 10 years in Washington talking a good game, but spent money on nearly everything except border enforcement.”
All true...and all why he lost in 2006. Ah, but the Ryun camp couldn't just let any of that go.
The Ryun campaign disputed several of the Jenkins campaign’s charges.

Really? Do tell!

The Ryun campaign emphasized that it doesn’t have a “branch” in Washington, D.C. — only that it uses a bookkeeping firm that has an office there — and noted that not all of its paid campaign staff “hails” from there, either.

Oh, so you just pay people in Virginia to handle your books. I ask you: Are there no CPAs in Topeka? (Look real hard...no, down, she's short).

As to staffing...unless you count the Ryun children, it appears every single person on the payroll is indeed a non-Kansan. 'Course, Lynn doesn't have any staff, so it's an easy attack for her to make. Boyda? Nearly all of her campaign staffers are Kansans- either by birth or tenure in the state. Don't believe us? Call 'em and ask yourself. But, really, arguing about staffers is bad form- keep it to each other, kids.

“A day after finding themselves down 44 points, Lynn Jenkins confirms our polling numbers are correct by launching a desperate attack,” Ryun campaign spokesman Kyle Robertson said. “Hey Lynn, there are real issues in this campaign more important than where campaign staff grew up.”

First- Kyle Robertson proves yet again he's an arrogant prick. Second...he's right. Jenkins is floundering, and obviously has flailed into a support response again on this one.

More in the next few days about this primary....we've got a doozy of a post about Lynn in the pipes. 'Til then!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jim sent out a fund raising letter that asked for contributions to be sent to his campaign office in Bethesda, Maryland.

It's just a bookkeeper, he misspoke. Like he did when he said he didn't know Mark Foley lived across the street.

DC folk call it misspeaking. Kansans call it lying.

Anonymous said...

jim's still winning....too bad for lynn

Anonymous said...

this shit about the campaign staffers is tacky- and Jenkins shouldn't throw stones- her staffer worked in DC for years before coming "home" and working for her.

Anonymous said...

I believe he was winning at this point in 2006 also. Most Republicans that I talk to .... and I helped with Jim's last campaign ..... are tired of Jim Ryun.

Jim had his shot .... who says he won't fall back into his old ways once he gets elected and returns to Washington. And poor constituent services and constant turnover in Washington staff.

The people of the Second District have that same concern

Anonymous said...

And where is Jenkin's staff person originally from?

ohhhhh Kansas ..... maybe they could show Jim's staff around

Anonymous said...

It shouldn't surprise anyone most of Jim's campaign staff is from outside Kansas .... most of his staff in Washington wasn't from Kansas either.

I may not agree with Kansas' Republican delegation on some issues ..... but at least one's like Moran and Brownback have a Chief of Staff who is a native of Kansas.

Anonymous said...

the jenkins people who come and post here are so out of it- the polling makes it really, really clear that the republicans in the 2nd district aren't tired of jim ryun...if they were, he wouldn't crush lynn in every single poll.

my guess is the people of the district don't want ryun again...but the republicans like him better than jenkins...which means Boyda's going to get re-elected in November (thank goodness).

Anonymous said...

I love the line that most of Boyda's staff are native Kansans or Kansans by "tenure in the state." How do you define tenure? A few days? Months?
But honestly, what is with the sour grapes from Lynn Jenkins? Hypocrite-says one thing, does another. Kind of sounds like her current conversion to the pro-life camp. I'll bet that was news to the WISH List, Republicans for Choice, KTRM, the Main Street Partnership. . . .damn, I am running out of space to list all the pro-choice groups that have endorsed her and given her campaign thousands of dollars.

Anonymous said...

I doubt Ryun sent out letter asking people to respond to his "campaign office in Bethesda, MD." I would bet if there is any connection to Maryland, it is his direct mail house. Having done enough campaign work, that's what it sounds like.
Anyone have any idea what his KS small donor list looks like? People in DC and KS keep wondering. I've heard he's picked up 1500 new ones in KS alone this year along with national donors. If he has, that is pretty amazing.

Anonymous said...

Uh, most of Boyda's campaign staffers have lived in KS their whole life.

Anonymous said...

Yes, we said "tenure in the state" because some of them have only lived her 6 or 7 years...Kansans by naturalization, if you would.

But, yes, most of her campaign is indeed real life Kansas.

-BB

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.