Happy Friggin' Birthday, BB!

Holy God- we've been doing this for a year!

More than 400 posts and 30,000 hits later this little blog has made a real life impact on political blogging in Kansas and about Kansas.

We brought you "Making Tom DeLay Smile" and "The Jenky Tax."

We caused the Republicans of the state fits of apoplexy (including sending our former arch rival Bounce Boyda off the deep end....and straight into the Jenkins campaign. Oh, drat, did we say that?).

We've been linked to on the front page of Daily Kos, Swing State Project and Crooks and Liars, and we've had very public fights with Kansas GOP Executive Director Christan Morgan and Kansas Americans for Prosperity Chief Minion Alan Cobb (we miss you Alan...)- two men that really, really should have something better to do than pay any attention to little ol' us.

Above all else, we did exactly what we set out to do: We've trumpeted Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's successes and beat the living hell out of folks who dared liar about her work in Congress...and we had a lot of fun at Jim Ryun (we miss you, too!) and Lynn Jenkins' expense whenever the opportunity arose.

We'd like to thank all of our readers, everyone who comments (particularly Jenkins & KS GOP office staff), and we'd like to just ask all of you keep reading- this is going to get lots more wild before we're all done!

Jenkins is Correct: Ryun's New Ad Overstates His Recrod on BRAC

Lynn Jenkins spokesman little Joshie Hersh and this blog has agreed on so very little these many months, but his statements, made to AP reporter John Hanna yesterday, are right on the money regarding Jim Ryun's new "not only did it save all the military bases in Kansas from certain closure, but I also single-handedly beat the Russians" campaign ad.

In 2005, Kansas did well compared with other states as the federal government picked military installations to be shut down, even gaining an estimated 3,600 military and civilian jobs as changes were made. Only the Parsons Army Ammunition Plant was targeted for closing.

Jenkins spokesman Josh Hersh said the work of others, including Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts and 1st District Rep. Jerry Moran, was crucial.

"The whole Kansas delegation had a big part in that process," he said. "No one of them single-handedly saved those bases."

Absolutely right- every member of the Kansas delegation was insturmental to keeping the bases open in Kansas, and it's disingenuious of Ryun to claim he was any more important than any other member.

But Mr. Hersh wasn't done:

Hersh also said the ad raises questions about Ryun's true position on earmarks because in it, the colonel praises Ryun for "setting up the infrastructure" at Forbes Field and Fort Riley and an unidentified supporter adds, "Jim came through for us."

Ryun has said previously that he will not support new funding earmarks in the budget. Jenkins has pledged to support reforms of the budgeting process so that earmarks are limited to projects of national interest.

Hersh said Ryun is being inconsistent.

"That would kind of raise the question of what that is going to mean for the district," Hersh said.

Ah, indeed it does. When Jim Ryun did "deliver" for the military bases in his district when he used to be in Congress, he did it via earmarks. When Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has delivered, she's used earmarks, and, one would assume, Lynn Jenkins would indeed attempt to do the same thing. With Ryun's new found aversion to earmarks, he's going to be up a creek without a paddle.

And, of course, there's that whole disasterous vote Ryun cast to defund $300 million worth of BRAC projects in Kanas right after the 2006 election, too. Thank God Nancy Boyda was able to get the money reinstated, because Ryun obviously didn't care about the people of the district very much after they voted him out of office. All comes together to show a man who probably shouldn't be trusted to actually be in that position again.

Lynn Jenkins, you say? By her own admission, her training as a CPA has prepared her for many things (like straightening out the federal books...such a mess...let's pray we dont' get audited...), but the one thing she doesn't know a damned thing about our armed forces and the needs of our men and women in uniform. Trusting her with protecting our bases would be a lot like trusting Jim Ryun to rein in federal spending...

Oh, by the way- 'member the retired colonel Ryun features so prominently in his ad? As far as we can find, he's never ever served in Kansas and, now, he's a lobbyist in Virginia. We aren't questioning his previous service to our nation, but you would have though Ryun would have found someone from or who had served in, say, Kansas, to back up his story.

Bounce Boyda: Rest in Peace

So, so sad...

We try to teach, but they just won't learn

We've been around this bush with BounceBoyda before- the affable SOB's dedicated to lying and "she's so stupid"-ing their way to defeating Nancy Boyda in November. Beaten to Hell for refusing to be big kids and call a member of Congress by her actual name, they've finally been convinced it doesn't do their cause any good if they, you know, aren't talking about a real person in their posts.

While they're just so clever in calling this blog "BlocBoyda," "Boyda Blocheads," or some other deeply amusing junior high-caliber name, they do actually do one thing that's worth being upset about, and one thing that's worth giving them the time of day on this blog.

They lie.

Now, in the end, we expect Republicans to lie. We expect them to fear-monger (think the 2004 Jim Ryun for Congress ad that morphed Nancy Boyda's face into Osama bin Laden's and the current fight over FISA), and we expect them to misrepresent reality whenever reality doesn't suit them (again, think FISA currently).

This time, luckily, it's a little deal, but it speaks to the character of the people on the other side.

You've all seen the story we posted the other day- "Boyda: 'The New Center'"- about Boyda being on the cover of National Journal and being listed as one of the most centrist members of the House of Representatives- something all of our colleagues in ConservativeLand call preposterous because, well, I mean, she's voted with liberal Speaker of the House San Francisco Nancy Pelosi 93% of the time! (Which isn't true, of course, and if the italicized part of the sentence could be dripping blood it would better represent the vitriol being spewed when they mention Speaker Pelosi by name).

Anyway, the article did, indeed, just as Bounce pointed out, have an error in it...which Boyda's press staff noted when they sent out their press release announcing the article to the Kansas press. That release said, in part:

(Please note that the mention of the Blue Dog Coalition is slightly inaccurate. Nancy did apply for membership in the Blue Dog Coalition early last year, and at the time the Blue Dogs had reached their membership limit. Since then Nancy has found that not being a Blue Dog has helped to preserve her independence.)

So, the National Journal made a small reporting error- BounceBoyda would be all over them for that one, right? Seeing as they're already so horribly wrong about her being a centrist, it's just icing on the cake, right?

Oh, of course not. That'd just be coherent logic, and we know Republicans don't like logical flow to interrupt their viciousness.

In fact, they now say this about the esteemed publication:

Moreover, I tend to believe that the National Journal had the impression Boyda was trying to say she didn't apply to the Blue Dogs. It is a reputable publication with good reporters. What would they have to gain by making it up?

So, we have to ask: Which is it? Are they "a reputable publication with good reporters," and thus we should take them at their word Nancy Boyda is a centrist, or is it they don't know what they're talking about when it comes to Nancy Boyda's rating, but, oh, they're beyond reproach when it comes to the article?

We're certain they're a reputable publication, and equally certain that they weren't trying to "make it up," you dolt, they simply made a small error. And, you know what? Boyda's staff was stand-up enough to make sure the press release they sent out about it clarified the situation. You and the good folk from the NRCC that are feeding you your content are the only ones who see a vast conspiracy here.

One last snip:

Since Rep. Boyda's office didn't send me the press release she ... sent out clarifying the information she gave the National Journal that she did not apply to the Blue Dog Coalition, I'm under no obligation to do anything. In fact, if the National Journal was in error in reporting, then they should be the ones to issue a correction, not a retraction. Please, BlocBoyda [told you...aren't they mature?- BB], if you are going to pretend to be a journalist, at least know what you're saying.

Since you seem befuddled, let us help: National Journal should indeed issue a correction- that would be appropriate. You, though, should retract your post and apologize for calling a sitting member of Congress a liar, when she isn't the one who made the mistake. You've screwed up, and you should be a big enough person to admit that- publicly.

If you were a journalist, you would certainly apologize for printing a lie. But you aren't a journalist, you're a partisan blogger with no great desire to admit you were simply bashing an elected official without cause. This time, though, you've been caught playing a dirty game.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: If you want to play ball with us, bring a bigger bat.



(We'd like to thank our new friends over at Left Brain Kansas for defending Congresswoman Boyda tonight, too. It's great to have another logical voice in the field that is the Kansas blogosphere).

Ryun-Delay? Jenkins-O'Conner? Ryun-Foley? There it is!

There seems to have been a small rebellion across the waters at Bounce Boyda, our very favorite Internet arm of the Kansas Republican Party.

A whole slew of commenters over yonder have started smacking our conservative nutjob friend over the head for always, without fail, calling Congresswoman Nancy Boyda "Nancy Boyda-Pelsoi," in an effort, you see, to show they are so similar, that they're the same person. Or that they've gotten married. Or something. We're still unclear.

It became so bad Bounce had to come done from on high and post their own comment, explaining that it is so important for everyone to remember Nancy Boyda and Nancy Pelosi share more in common than a first name, they also vote the same!

We're sure that sends partisan hacks through the roof, but it's not only melodramatic, it's also disingenuous.

Congresswoman Boyda has, of course, voted with her party most of the time, but her year and a month in office has been peppered with votes against leadership, and for Kansas

Most of the time- most of the time- the House Democrat's agenda is fine for Kansas, but sometimes it isn't, and the best point to illustrate that is on illegal immigration. We won't let anyone forget that Nancy Boyda was one of the only Democrats in the entire Chamber who joined with nearly all of the Republicans to defeat the McCain-Kennedy Amnesty bill.

Yes, Boyda voted with Pelosi to name a couple hundred post offices, but when it comes to the big things, like illegal immigration, she obviously isn't in lockstep.

So, Bounce Boyda, hate her, whatever you want- go for it. But grow up. Paint your connection between the two by doing the research, not with some junior high hyphen party. Both sides of this debate have important things to say, and whenever you make a valid point (however rarely that may be), it's undermined by our total lack of credibility, because you aren't even mature enough to call her Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.

Actually...on second thought, don't stop!

FISA and the desperation of the KS GOP

OK, Bounce Boyda, if you want to play ball, we'll play ball.

Yesterday Congress voted against extending for three weeks the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act...and our nutjob Republican friends would love for you to believe it's because Nancy Boyda singlehandedly convinced the majority to oppose the bill and, thus, give the terrorists the keys to City Hall.

Funny, because Congresswoman Boyda voted in favor of extending the act for a further three weeks so differences between the Democrats and Republicans could be worked out. That planned extension was prevented by the Republicans in Congress.

It's stunning- and depressing- that today the Republicans are blaming the Democrats for the extension not being passed when they were the ones who refused to compromise and refused to allow more time for bipartisan negotiations.

Republicans are playing politics with our national security and are fear-mongering, and that's depressing:

“The president repeated today his untenable and irresponsible claim that our national security will be jeopardized unless the House immediately rubber-stamps a Senate bill to modify the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” said [House Majority Leader Steny] Hoyer in a statement released by his office.

“In fact, a wide range of national security experts has made clear that the President and our intelligence community have all the tools they need to protect our nation, if the PAA expires.” -Politico.com

A new bill needs passed, absolutely. But this failure is a Republican one. Nancy Boyda, Dennis Moore, the Democratic Leadership and, yes, even the evil Speaker Nancy Pelosi are trying to solve very real problems in FISA, and the Republicans are the ones who are refusing to put the good of the United States of America before blind devotion to partisan politics.

We've said what needs said on earmark reform- she's done more than your party did in 10 years. She's vote for reform after reform, shed light on the process, and has benefited her constituents, all at the same time.

Bring a bigger bat next time, kid.