Jenkins Out of Her Depth on Military Issues

In a really stunning comment in an AP story today, Lynn Jenkins actually made the claim the United States isn't vulnerable because our military resources have been stretched thin.

We don't know what planet she's living on, but she sure as heck hasn't got a clue when it comes to the very real readiness strain our armed services are facing.

Probably shouldn't be all that surprising, though because Lynn Jenkins herself has already told us she doesn't know the first thing about the military:

That's not a kind of naivete that we can have representing us in Congress.

The Home Stretch: Jenkins Offers No Substance, Attacks Straw Men

Some bits and pieces of articles that published over the weekend that have some lovely quotes regarding this little ol' race for Congress.

First, from Chris Green with the Harris New Service:

Christian Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, said Jenkins' financial numbers show that Jenkins' campaign is peaking at the exact right time.

"The 2nd District voters are tired of Boyda's spin and 'do as I say, not as I do' mentality and want a change," Morgan said. "It is clear from these financial numbers that Lynn is gaining speed fast."

Not so fast, Christian, babe:

But Jenny Davidson, a spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party, points out that Jenkins has accepted $73,000 in the last two weeks from mostly out-of-state special interest groups.

"Lynn Jenkins continues to feed us this line about 'new Republican leadership' but then turns around and grabs every single special-interest dollar she can get hands on," Davidson said.

Green also does a breakdown of what it is this race has really boiled down to- and for those out there wondering who has "momentum" on their side this really ought clear that all up:

During the course of the campaign, Boyda has criticized Jenkins for missing recent board meetings for the state's pension fund while it suffered more than $1 billion in losses.

She also faulted Jenkins for taking six years to discover a mistake, initially made under her predecessor, that robbed some counties of fuel tax revenues while overpaying others.

Jenkins has blasted Boyda for walking out of a hearing featuring a general's testimony about progress in the Iraq War and for signaling her willingness to rescind President Bush's tax cuts in a nonbinding vote.

That almost made this writer giggle. OK, it actually did.

And then from the St. Joe News following the last Boyda-Jenkins debate in Leavenworth:

Ms. Boyda, the Democrat who surprised long-time lawmaker Jim Ryun two years ago, worries about the nation’s military readiness as wars in Iraq and Afghanistan spend human and materiel resources.

“We did not have equipment to put those five brigades in for the surge,” she said. “I am very concerned about the safety and security of Iraq. … My number one priority is the safety and security of Americans.”

Lynn did her required song-and-dance on budget slashing and got back-handed by Boyda:

Ms. Boyda laid out a plan to begin balancing the budget, which included stopping oil-company subsidies, controlling the pharmaceutical and health-insurance industries and curtailing tax breaks to companies that move their operations abroad.

“I am not willing to cut Meals on Wheels, I am not willing to cut rural school funding, I am not willing to cut Head Start while we’re paying billions and billions of dollars to big oil companies,” the Democrat said.

And, finally, on taxes:

Ms. Jenkins accused the Democrat of supporting large tax increases and failing to take action in correcting the alternative minimum tax, which the Republican said she would vote to eliminate.

Ms. Boyda countered that Republicans had 12 years of congressional leadership and did nothing to remedy inequities in the tax code. She added that Ms. Jenkins, despite the anti-tax talk, supported a $294 million tax increase while in the Kansas Legislature.

Both of these pieces did a great job laying it all out there and made it awfully clear which candidate is actually qualified and has the right ideas for the district.

Breaking news...From Last July...That Wasn't Important Then

In politics, on either side, when faced with an opponent who has worked hard, has all the issues on their side, and is backed up by the mood of the nation, what do you do?

You find something, anything, to use to distract the voters from those things. Dredge up something that barely got a passing glance when it happened, toss it on TV with some scary, scary music, and you're in business.

What you do, of course, when you do that kind of thing is ignore the issues important to the people you're trying to represent, you just latch on to something that doesn't matter to anyone and their day-to-day lives. It can work and does, frequently, for folks on both sides, but it's cheap politics, and certainly not what any of our citizens deserve.

And that, my friends, brings us to the continuing Republican mudslinging about Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's "walk out" of an Armed Services Committee meeting. The National Republican Party and their mouthpiece candidate Lynn Jenkins are bound and determined to make 10 minutes of nothing news by overreacting to it and out-and-out lying about it.

Oh ho, but the very worst thing for Lynn Jenkins at this point is for facts to become involved in her disingenuous rhetoric. Thank goodness for the independent press:

The July 27, 2007, hearing was to examine a bill mandating that "dwell time," or the period between deployments, be equal to the length of deployment. The legislation also allowed the president to waive the requirement at his discretion.

"I thought it was common-sense legislation," Boyda said in a recent interview.

She was one of only a dozen of the 60 committee members who were attending that Friday.

Following opening remarks, Keane testified about his numerous visits to Iraq and said the surge had resulted in "significant change."

"Schools are open," he told the committee. "Markets are teeming with people. Most are operating at full capacity, some are returning to it. Cafes, pool halls, coffeehouses that I visited are full of people."

[...]

Sitting in the second row of the hearing room, Boyda said she was "not happy about what was going on."

The hearing was supposed to be about the multiple troop deployments beyond the Department of Defense's stated goal of 12 months. Instead, she said, it turned into a progress report. [From someone not privy to all of the information at hand- BB]

Frustrated, Boyda got out of her seat and walked to a side room where there was a coffee pot and a closed-circuit television of the ongoing hearing.

She said she returned 10 minutes later, and when she was called on later in the proceedings, she commented on her departure.

"There was only so much that you could take until we in fact had to leave the room for awhile," she said.

She added, "The description of Iraq as if some way or another that it's a place that I might take the family for a vacation, things are going so well, those kinds of comments will in fact show up in the media and further divide this country instead of saying 'Here's the reality of the problem and people, we have to come together and deal with the reality of this issue.' "

So, Boyda didn't leap up and make a scene, she didn't march out of the room when she heard news she disagreed with (which is exactly what Jenkins wants you to believe). No, when she heard someone start to go off on a subject that wasn't part of the hearing, someone who was trying hard to paint Iraq as stable and prospering (even though more than 300 Americans had died there in just the three months prior)- she excused herself. What she did showed no disrespect for anyone- in fact, the very fact she was in the hearing at all shows a level of dedication to her duty greater than the vast majority of the members of the Armed Services Committee.

Also, even on top of the apparent fact she did nothing wrong- she did nothing out of the ordinary:

Larry Korb, a senior fellow for the liberal Center for American Progress and a former assistant U.S. attorney general under President Reagan, sat next to Keane that day, ready to testify.

He said he didn't remember anything unusual about Boyda leaving. Of the few committee members present, he said, most came and went throughout the testimony.

"That's how things work up here," he said.

The story was a non-story when the national Republicans jumped on it last year- it's ridiculous we're still talking about it today- but more than that, it's sad Jenkins won't talk about what's important to the people of Kansas when it comes to the war & veterans issues. But, in the end, it's obvious why she doesn't want to- Boyda's done more to advance the causse of our men and women in uniform in her two years in office than Jenkins' Republican Party did in the 10 years prior.

So, in the end- will the people of Kansas care more that Boyda pushed through a tax cut for the families of our service members, or that she got frustrated about a rosier than reasonable assessment of the war in Iraq? Aren't...most...Kansans in the very same place when it comes to Iraq? Don't we all want to see our troops home soon and our veterans treated better? Of course we do- and it's sad Lynn Jenkins doesn't get that.

But, really, do we have any reason to expect any better of Jenkins? First, when it came to outside money in the race, it was "Let them eat cake," to her would-be constituents from our tone-deaf little State Treasurer- now it's, "Quick, look over there! It's Bigfoot!"

We're just so happy you're taking your responsibility to the people of Kansas seriously, Lynn!

Letter to the Editor: Ryun a Dud

From today's Topeka Capital-Journal:

A Record of Helping

I'm responding to the letter from Joe White of Denison regarding Nancy Boyda. I worked for Rep. Boyda during the last election. I got to know her well and saw her deep concern for the problems we have in Kansas and the nation.

She visited Fort Riley and went to hear the concerns at Fort Leavenworth. She has gone to Iraq to see first-hand the conditions there and to visit with our soldiers from Kansas.

Has Jim Ryun shown any concern about what our soldiers are enduring in the war zone?

I've seen Jim Ryun's TV ads. I haven't seen any mention of what he has done for Kansas, or our country. His advertisement touts his running ability many years ago — showing Jim running as a young man. We all know he was a medalist during the Olympics, but this is old news. I have followed his track record in Congress (no pun intended). The way I see it, he only voted the way his peers in the Republican party told him to.

We have Rep. Nancy Boyda, who is working hard for us in Congress. Let's re-elect someone who has a real record of working for us in Washington.

FLORENE V. JOHNSON, Topeka

Wonderful letter- an a great point. Why change horses in mid-stream? Particularly for a old, brokendown racehorse...

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.

KC Star: 2nd District Primary is Going to be Hot

Poor Jim Ryun- and poor Lynn Jenkins, too- the only thing the media cares about is Jim's clean campaign pledge that Lynn laughed (rightly) off the table.

You know it’s a hot congressional race when even talk of running a clean campaign turns nasty.

That’s what happened when Jim Ryun asked his Republican primary opponent, Kansas Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, to make their contest a polite one. Ryun, the track star who held Kansas’ 2nd District congressional seat for 10 years, said he got no response.

“She doesn’t show any interest in running anything other than a disappointing campaign,” he said last week.

But Jenkins said it is Ryun who disappointed her after outside groups from Washington spent thousands to denounce Jenkins in a round of television ads.

“This is a guy who has already spent — or his cronies in Washington spent — $120,000 running ads in this district that have distorted my record,” she said.

Snap. We're totally on Lynn's side in this one- Jim Ryun is trying to run the same kind of campaign against her that he ran against Congresswoman Nancy Boyda twice- he's desperately trying to make the issue the fact she's not worthy of being elected, so we'll all ignore the fact he was a horrible Member of Congress. Now, Lynn isn't worthy of being elected, but certainly not because she's pointing out the fact that Jim was, in fact, a horrible Member of Congress.

Here's another little tidbit-

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 43 percent to 29 percent. The district overwhelmingly re-elected President Bush in 2004, yet Democrats have held the congressional seat almost as often as Republicans during the past 40 years.

Also, those numbers make Boyda's 68% approval rating and her head-to-head match ups against both Ryun & Jenkins look pretty sweet- and evidence her work against illegal immigration and to bring our men and women home from Iraq with honor have resonated with the voters of her district.

Boeing, Emmergency Supplemental & More on the Poll

Three things: Boyda's congressional office sent out two press releases over the last few days, but in all the excitement with the Boyda & the Jenkins poll, we didn't get them posted.

First, Boyda's response to the GAO decision to sustain an appeal made by Boeing regarding the awarding of a contract for new tankers.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today announced its decision to sustain an appeal by Boeing over a tanker contract awarded earlier this year to EADS, the European Aerospace conglomerate and Northrop Grumman. Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) called the GAO's decision "the right thing to do – for national security and for America's economy."

[...]

Boyda said "I am extremely pleased the GAO has called for the Air Force to reopen contract discussions, re-evaluate the revised proposals and make a new source selection decision. After all, it just makes no sense for America to outsource our ability to defend our nation. In World War II, our nation's manufacturers turned on a dime to produce the planes and trucks we need to keep America safe. With every contract we send overseas, we lose our capacity to build for our own military."

"Please know," added Boyda, "I will continue the fight to help protect our nation's security and jobs in Kansas when it comes to awarding military contracts."

Boyda also issued a statement regarding her reasons behind supporting the new emergency supplemental bill containing funds for the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, along with new monies for domestic programs.

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives, in a bipartisan show of support, voted for an Emergency Supplemental Funding Bill.

Boyda said "Kansans should be pleased that my colleagues from both sides of the aisle came together in voting for this bill. It addresses many important issues for the Second District of Kansas, including funding for a much needed new hospital at Fort Riley, assistance for disaster stricken areas, and an extension of unemployment benefits for the jobless."

The Supplemental contains $161.8 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the summer of 2009, as well as $2.65 billion in disaster relief funds for areas of the Midwest hit by tornadoes and flooding. It extends unemployment compensation by 13 weeks for Kansas workers unable to find jobs because of the ailing economy. It expands the GI Bill to provide improved education benefits for veterans and allows veterans to transfer education benefits to their families.

And, finally, another new analysis piece about the new poll showing Congresswoman Nancy Boyda polling substaintially ahead of her Republican challengers & with approval ratings higher than any other elected official in Kansas.

Letter to the Editor: "Helping the Troops

From today's Topeka Capital-Journal-

Letter: Helping the troops

Billions of dollars have been spent reconstructing Iraq, financing the war and paying for Iraqi oil, while little has been allocated for injured soldiers returning from the war.

Iraq's oil profits should have to pay for its reconstruction projects and the training of its security forces. Instead, the American government has given $45 billion to Iraq in the past five years. It also pays $153 million in fuel to Iraq each month. Yet, the Iraqi government is expected to make $70 billion in oil revenue this year.

Rep. Nancy Boyda is right when she said that taxpayers have been hit with a double whammy: We pay at the gas pump and, then, again with tax monies the government continues to give to Iraq with no strings attached.

In 2003, Congress budgeted money for the war and the reconstruction of Iraq but left our VA hospitals significantly underfunded.

The House recently approved new legislation containing $404 million for a new hospital and $50 million to build a housing facility for injured soldiers at Fort Riley. The vote was split down party lines — Democrats Boyda and Dennis Moore supported the measure while Republicans Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt voted against it.

If the U.S. Senate passes the bill, the new hospital (to replace the 50-year-old facility) will provide the health care for injured soldiers and veterans that they need and deserve. The hospital will also provide more job opportunities for Kansans.

Rep. Boyda has led the support of health-care legislation that will directly impact soldiers, their families, and veterans. She isn't just talk. She will make sure government works for its citizens.

JEANETTE STAUFFER, Holton

Letter to the Editor: Jenkins Shirks Constitutional Responsibility

A letter from one of Lynn Jenkins' would-be constituents in the Lawrence Journal-World smacking her for being willing to just ignore her constitutional responsibility to provide oversight of this and any future American war:

To the editor:

Lynn Jenkins is running in the Republican primary for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District. In a recent interview, Ms. Jenkins said “I don’t want Nancy Pelosi or Nancy Boyda deciding when or how our military forces are going to conduct business over there.” She added that she “would prefer to listen to our military generals … who are the experts in prosecuting a war.”

For a person running for an important national office, Ms. Jenkins betrays a frightening disregard for the original intent of our Constitution. Our elected representatives have the clear responsibility for deciding such crucial issues as why we began prosecuting the war in Iraq , what our basic objectives were, what they are now and what our mission is today.

It’s the job of the military to carry out the directions of our elected representatives, not the other way around. The military is the employee; we, through our elected representatives, are the employers. For examples of the military run amok, just observe Burma or Pakistan.

In our district we will debate whether we prefer Jim Ryun, Nancy Boyda or Lynn Jenkins to represent best our opinions about what our national mission in Iraq should be. Whoever wins will have that responsibility, not the generals.

Oliver Finney,
Lawrence

The more Lynn Jenkins tries to act like a Member of Congress, the more she screws it up- she's absolutely correct to trust our military leaders, but she is stunningly ignorant of her own would-be responsibilities if she think she shouldn't question the line she's being fed by this president's administration.

But here's a question for Jenkins: Do you even realize people like Nancy Boyda, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, actually has access to information you, as a civilian, do not? Isn't it possible that her assessment of the situation is significantly more informed than yours? If this NPR interview was any indication, we'd imagine the answer to both those questions is "no."

Jenkins: Endorsing Ryun in '04, Calling Him an Embarrassment in '08

Lynn Jenkins did an interview with Kansas Public Radio Wednesday morning filled with the basic content we've come to expect from the our very favorite glorified accountant, but this particular interview also held a couple of gems we just had to share with y'all.

First, she said Jim Ryun was an "embarrassment to her as a Republican" and, second, she said that she wasn't as "informed as I should have been" when she agreed to record a television commercial endorsing Jim Ryun in his re-election battle against Nancy Boyda in 2004 (you'd forgotten Jenkins had done that, hadn't you? Oh, how the years pass).

So, first:

This is a race about somebody who had 10 years in Congress. His time has come and gone and it's time for new leadership. I would not want to be running on Jim's record in Washington, DC. The biggest difference is probably in the area of financial responsiblity and, um, when you spend money on vanity projects like he spent money on, when you, maybe in 10 years in Congress only voted for maybe one balanced budget- he mortgaged my kids' future- that is an embarrassment to me as a Republican and it should be to him.

Nearly every time we post something Jenkins has said we say this, but we'll say it again for good measure: So much for keeping the primary polite, huh, Lynn? Or did you mean he's an embarrassment in the neighborly, friendly way?

Also, since the voters got the change they wanted last November, we hope you can pivot off this "the Republicans failed us" message pretty quickly- if you are lucky enough to survived the primary.

Next, Jenkins was asked why, if she thinks Jim Ryun is an embarrassment to Republicans everywhere because of his record over the last 10 years, why she filmed an endorsement TV commercial in 2004? Her answer? Well, gee, it's because "they" told me I should!

We were in a time of war and everyone said, "Well, you know, we've got to support our folks." And now is a time to reflect- because we've learned a thing or two, and after reflecting it's become glaringly obvious to me that that was a wrong path.

That's a stunning admission from anyone trying to earn the trust of the people. If we take Jenkins at her word, then, by her own admission in 2004 she was simply shockingly clueless and acting as nothing more than a party stooge-making her the very last person anyone in their right mind should want in the United States House of Representatives.

So glad you've "seen the light" now. But God, lady, the man's record hasn't changed between then and now- he was just as worthless in 2004 when you were endorsing him as he is in 2008 when your running against him. The single difference we can see now is that it's politically advantageous for you to go ahead an let your mind-numbing ambition shove him out of the way.

And, did we miss something, but we are still "at a time of war" aren't we?

To close, another little humdinger from the CPA-Who-Would-Be-Congresswoman:

Well Peter, I am a CPA, and I know a lot about finance. What I don't know, or what I don't have an expertise in, is prosecuting a war.

She goes on to make it pretty clear Congress should just abdicate it's constitutional authority to declare war and just let the generals and the President do as they please. Wonderful, Lynn, you sound like exactly what we need: Just another lock-step Republican...just like Jim Ryun before you.

Boyda Secures $20 million for Kansas, Gives Our Troops a Pay Raise

More excellent news out of Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's office- another $20 million for the district, and, perhaps more importantly, a much deserved pay raise for our fighting men and women.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) voted for the bipartisan 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which she helped craft as a member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.

(It included the Boyda Amendment, which placed a 3 year ban on public-private competitions in the Defense Dept. and passed unanimously. We talked about it here).

The bill advances the efforts of last year's NDAA to restore America's military readiness, and it includes over $20 million in defense authorizations for the state of Kansas. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a 384 to 23 vote.

Congresswoman Boyda said, "In the face of continuous deployment and redeployment of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, our military and their families need additional support. The funds authorized on Thursday will strengthen the Kansas economy and improve the security of every American."

The bill includes numerous authorizations to support Kansas military installations, including:

$2 million for a dynamometer for the Kansas National Guard
$6 million for the Urban Operations Laboratory development at Kansas State University
$3.4 million for the Defense Command Integration Center (Eisenhower Center) for the Kansas National Guard
$2 million for Leadership for Leaders at Kansas State University and Fort Leavenworth
$3 million for a new fire station at Fort Riley
$4.389 million for the second phase of the new chapel at Fort Leavenworth

The bill also takes major steps to strengthen America's military readiness, which has been one of Congresswoman Boyda's top concerns since entering office in 2007. It authorizes $8.6 billion for the Army and $1.8 billion for the Marine Corps to reset equipment -- fixing broken equipment and replacing that which is not fixable. The National Guard and the Army Reserve will receive $800 million for procurement of high-priority equipment.

The NDAA also includes a hard-earned pay raise for American soldiers. All uniformed personnel will receive a 3.9% pay raise, 0.5% higher than was proposed by President Bush in his 2009 budget. In addition, the bill prevents any increases in health care premiums and co-pays for TRICARE and the TRICARE retail pharmacy program.

The NDAA also authorizes $65 million to school boards that provide support to military children, $15 million of which is directed to school districts impacted by force structure changes. Manhattan, Junction City and Leavenworth all stand to benefit from this provision.

Congresswoman Boyda added, "Last night we achieved a major leap in the right direction by supporting our military's efforts to be the best prepared force in the world. America's leading generals have repeatedly told us that, with our military so focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have limited ability to respond to terrorist threats elsewhere in the world. The NDAA provides the funding needed to address the military's concerns and to restore America's readiness to respond to any threat, anywhere, at any time."

It was a bipartisan effort, and every member of the Kansas delegation to the House supported the bill- and, with it's significant margin, is indeed veto-proof.

We're particularly please the Republican agreed to go along with the Democrats and give our men and woman in uniform a larger pay increase than the President proposed. They deserve much more than we can afford to pay them.

Boyda & Vets Push for New GI Bill

Standing in Topeka with members of the armed forces, Nancy Boyda joined the call for a updated and revised GI Bill, standing together with other Members of Congress and the military calling for better care for our soldiers after the return from active duty.

From the Topeka Capital Journal:

Former Marine Sgt. Dan Parker is fighting for a new GI Bill.

The 25-year-old veteran of deployments to Iraq and Liberia is a semester away from earning degrees in political science and English at The University of Kansas. He attributes discipline and maturity drawn from years in uniform to making him a solid college student.

Financial support through the existing GI Bill helped pave the way for Parker's education, but inflation has compromised a benefit created for veterans of World War II. Parker and many of his peers find it necessary to hold jobs to make ends meet. Others take on massive loan debt.

The value of a strong GI Bill is something Congresswoman Boyda can vouch for personally- as can the families of thousands of World War II veterans.

"The GI Bill was what actually took our family into the middle class," said Boyda, who represents the 2nd District that includes Topeka. "I don't think the American people understood how the benefits had eroded."

So, members of the House approved sweeping reforms, bringing the GI Bill back to the strength it had for our grandparents. Under the new bill, "benefits would be available to veterans for 15 years rather than the current 10 years. Veterans could expend a portion of the funding for tutors, continuing education, and license and certification tests. A mandatory $1,200 buy-in fee, (and) a $600 supplemental charge to broaden benefits, would be dropped."

If the bill makes it past the Senate, the president may still veto it. The veterans at event in Topeka, though, had strong words of caution on that front.

Parker, who grew up in McPherson, advised the commander in chief to update incentives for veterans to attend college. About one-third of veterans draw upon GI Bill benefits, he said, but less than 10 percent earn a college diploma.

"It would be a politically devastating mistake if the president were to veto it," said Parker, a Marine from 2000 to 2005. "Nobody is going to get rich off the GI Bill."

And, for just some more visual stimulation:

Boyda Secures $404 Million for Ft. Riley

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda announced in a press release today that the Emergency Supplemental Budget the House acted on today included $404 million for a new hospital at Ft. Riley.

Congresswoman Boyda said "This funding is a huge step in the right direction. The new hospital will improve the quality of life for our soldiers and their families by providing them with the best and most modern care available."

The bill, which was broken up into three parts, also includes $50 million for the Transitioning Warrior Support Complex at the fort, which will provide better housing for wounded soldiers residing at the fort.

Additionally:

The Supplemental Act also contains the new GI Bill, in honor of the hard work and sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform, and recognizes the debt America owes them for their service. The new GI Bill expands the education benefits veterans receive under the GI bill to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education, and make the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan part of an American economic recovery, just like the veterans of World War II were.

Also included, are extended unemployment benefits for workers who have exhausted their benefits by up to 13 weeks. The number of Americans looking for work has grown by 800,000 over the last year, and the number of American jobs has declined by 260,000 since the beginning of 2008.

The portions of the bill that contained those deeply needed programs and construction requests passed the House, but the bill that contained funding for the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan drew a Republican protest vote and failed to pass.

The House failed to pass a measure funding the war in Iraq on Thursday afternoon by a vote of 141 to 149, with 132 Republicans voting “present” to protest what they see as unfair treatment by the Democratic majority.

[...]

The measure would have provided $163 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Boyda's $404 million for Kansas, however, did pass- with Kansas Republican Representatives Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran voting against their own state. Moore, of course, joined Boyda in investing in Kansas.

Moran and Tiahrt also voted against the new GI Bill...just for those of you keeping score. Another day to be glad you live in eastern Kansas (and a day to pity your friends with sub-par representation).

Letter to the Editor: "Thank You"

A Letter to the Editor from the Pittsburg Morning Sun-

Dear Editor,

On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda called on Nancy Pelosi and other leaders in Congress to stop charging American taxpayers for reconstruction projects in Iraq and to also insist the government of Iraq to assume ownership of all such projects and to take full responsibility for $153 million the United States spends per month on fuel in Iraq.

Boyda said "Five years and $45 billion dollars in money given to Iraq for the purpose of reconstruction is more than enough. It is time for the Iraqi government to step up and take some responsibility. Taxpayers are being hit with a double whammy — once at the pump and again with money we are giving to Iraq with no strings attached."

Thank you, Nancy Boyda, for pressuring Congress into action in terms of what the invasion of Iraq is costing American taxpayers.

Vincent F. Scimeca
Arcadia

We couldn't agree more- thank you for standing up for Kansas taxpayers, Nancy!

Tax Dollars for Infrastructure at Home or in Iraq?

As debate begins on a new Iraq-Afghanistan war funding measure, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has joined a growing group of Members of Congress calling for Iraq to repay the United States for the money spent on reconstruction.

Meanwhile, 47 Democrats who were elected to Congress in 2006 appealed to Pelosi and two key appropriations chairmen to include provisions requiring that future U.S. funding for reconstruction, military training and fuel be repaid by the Iraqi government from oil revenues.

Several Democrats say Americans are tired for paying for Iraq's needs.

"It's time for Iraq to step up and take control of its reconstruction and its future. Americans are no longer willing to write a blank check for Iraq's reconstruction costs, our military fuel costs, and the cost of training Iraq's military," said Rep. Ron Klein.

"For crying out loud, they [the American people, presumably] want to know why we are continuing to send our American dollars overseas to Iraq to continue to pay for their reconstruction," added Rep. Nancy Boyda.

It's a great question- particularly as our infrastructure at home begins to fail. We'll hope Boyda and the rest of the freshmen Democrats are successful in their attempt.

Five Years After "Mission Accomplished"

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is any more distressing and deeply depressing than the fact the President of the United States told us five years ago today that the war in Iraq was over, and that our mission was accomplished.

It was foolish, and the thousands of American and Iraqi lives lost since them is a testament to that foolishness.

This war, which was supposed to have been over five long years ago, has seriously damaged our ability to respond to any new threat that might emerge anywhere around the globe, and it is from that prospective that Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has approached her very sound desire to begin a strategic redeployment of our troops from Iraq.

As reported by this blog at the time, Boyda expressed these concerns when General David Petraeus reported to Congress in early April.

Boyda said military leaders were also increasingly concerned with the situation in Afghanistan. About 10 months ago, a National Intelligence Estimate reported that al-Qaida had regained its pre-9/11 strength in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"When we ask why we aren't addressing that more, we are told that Iraq is our number one priority," Boyda said. "But why and when did Iraq become the number one priority? It wasn't the number one priority on Sept. 12-13."

Boyda said she wasn't in favor of a large withdrawal, rather a slow and steady progression that would allow the U.S. to reset its military readiness. Boyda cited a quote from General George Casey, Army chief of staff, who said there was an "invisible red line" that would indicate the current operations can no longer be sustained.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said April 2, "I think we're close to (the red line) now."

"While everyone rejoices in some stability in the region, the questions are two-fold," Boyda said. "One, will we be able to stay and hold on to that stability and two, at what cost could we do it? It's clearly having an affect on readiness moving forward.

"We're on uncharted ground," Boyda said. "There's no doubt in my mind that if we had another 9/11-type incident, we would be able to have an overwhelming and immediate response. The Air Force and Navy are ready (to respond quickly). The problem is sustaining that response. That's what we're hearing from senior military leadership."

Our men and women in uniform have done a supreme job in the missions they've been given, and God bless each and every one of them and their families. We have seen, however, rank mismanagement of this war by the civilian leadership in the Bush Administration and by Republicans in the House and Senate. The refocus to Iraq from Afghanistan has allowed the nation we invaded first to fall closer and closer to chaos, with only minor success in Iraq to show for it. And, on top of that, our strategic readiness, our ability to respond if anything else happens globally, has been seriously undermined.

So, on this five year anniversary of "Mission Accomplished," we'd just like to take a moment to remember all of those who have died or have been injured, and to hope for a fundamental change of direction - hopefully before another five years have passed. It is a time, friends, that we are lucky to have Nancy Boyda in Congress.

Vets Without Care: Boyda Says System is Overloaded

A really heart-wrenching story ran in the Topeka Capitol-Journal about an Iraq War veteran who is simply not receiving the quality or level of care we should all expect our returning veterans to receive.

These stories aren't rare- quite the opposite of that, like Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's district representatives for military affairs said in the same article.

Two district representatives in U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda's Topeka office, Jefferson Lawson and Adam Stolte, said they hadn't heard about Sanders' case, but weren't surprised.

When Lawson was asked if the office received a lot of complaints from veterans about similar problems, he replied, "extremely."

He and Stolte can tell lots of horror stories, but they also try to put the complaints in perspective.

"People don't call us with good information," Stolte said.

So there is no way of knowing how many veterans receive good service, he said.

And, he said, almost every VA employee they deal with is well-intentioned. The problem is the system.

Lawson explained there are two divisions of the VA — The Veterans Health Administration that provides the health care and the Veterans' Benefit Administration that sends out the checks to qualifying veterans.

"I can tell you from experience those two agencies do not talk to each other," Lawson said.

This is a horrible situation for our very bravest Americans to be in, and Boyda has already tried to address the problem, though we would probably not be out of line to say everyone knows more needs to be done.

Boyda blamed the problem on an overburdened system. She said Congress increased funding for the VA by $6.6 billion last year and by another $4.9 billion this year. More is needed, she said.

"This is the real cost of war," she said. "It's easy to wear a yellow ribbon. Veterans need real help. And that takes money."

We'll hope we can convince Republican members to vote their own rhetoric and treat our men and women in uniform with the respect they deserve.

More from Boyda on the Petraeus-Crocker Testimoney

As reported by the Manhattan Mercury:

After hearing Gen. David Petraeus urge a continued commitment to Iraq Wednesday, Second District Rep. Nancy Boyda said she remains concerned about the impact that commitment is having on the military.

''In view of today's testimony, I remain deeply concerned about the impact of the Iraq war on our military readiness,'' she said. "Our troops are clearly strained by repeated 15-month deployments, and the Army is burning through supplies and equipment at an alarming rate.''

Boyda cited comments by Gen. George Casey, chief of staff of the Army, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the effect that the military commitment is close to a ''red line'' beyond which it cannot be sustained. Citing comments by CIA chief Mike Hayden that the next 9-11 style attack would come from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, she worried about whether the U.S. can combat the growth of Al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Boyda noted that Hayden had described the situation along that border as presenting clear and present danger to Afghanistan, to Pakistan, and to the west in general and to the United States in particular.

''Gen. Petraeus' recommendations carry great weight,'' she said, adding, however, that ''as we move forward in Iraq, we must not lose sight of our highest goal, to protect America.''

President Bush adopted one of Boyda's recommendations today, saying he will instruct the Pentagon to impose 12-month rather than 15-month combat tours in Iraq. However Bush, echoing Petraeus, said he would not order additional troop drawdowns beyond July.

Petraeus told Congress that it's too early to talk about future drawdowns because the situation in Iraq remains fragile, and that while security has improved and Iraqi forces are shouldering more of the fight against extremists, Iraq still could descend again into chaos.

The article, of course, overstates the facts when they say President Bush adopted on of Boyda's recommendations: when he said he would impose a 12-month instead of 15-month combat tours in Iraq. Certainly that has been something Congresswoman Boyda has pushed, but she wasn't alone in that call- Democrats & Republicans alike have asked the President to let our men and women be home with their families as soon as possible.

Boyda Responds to Petraeus, Expresses Concerns Regarding Readiness

After another report from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker before Congress, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's public statements seem to be very similar to the statements she made after their last update.

"When it comes to Iraq, I think everyone is rejoicing that we have increased stability," Boyda said. "The question is, what does that mean to our strategic readiness? What does it mean to our ability to defend our homeland?"

In a pair of articles in the Topeka Capitol-Journal and the Pittsburg Morning Sun, Boyda again called for a draw-down of US troops in Iraq- not necessarily for the preparations of total withdrawal, but so the ever worsening situation in Afghanistan can be address and our overall strategic readiness can be improved.

Boyda said military leaders were also increasingly concerned with the situation in Afghanistan. About 10 months ago, a National Intelligence Estimate reported that al-Qaida had regained its pre-9/11 strength in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"When we ask why we aren't addressing that more, we are told that Iraq is our number one priority," Boyda said. "But why and when did Iraq become the number one priority? It wasn't the number one priority on Sept. 12-13."

Boyda said she wasn't in favor of a large withdrawal, rather a slow and steady progression that would allow the U.S. to reset its military readiness. Boyda cited a quote from General George Casey, Army chief of staff, who said there was an "invisible red line" that would indicate the current operations can no longer be sustained.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said April 2, "I think we're close to (the red line) now."

"While everyone rejoices in some stability in the region, the questions are two-fold," Boyda said. "One, will we be able to stay and hold on to that stability and two, at what cost could we do it? It's clearly having an affect on readiness moving forward.

"We're on uncharted ground," Boyda said. "There's no doubt in my mind that if we had another 9/11-type incident, we would be able to have an overwhelming and immediate response. The Air Force and Navy are ready (to respond quickly). The problem is sustaining that response. That's what we're hearing from senior military leadership."

Readiness has always been Boyda's reason for backing calls for a draw-down of troops in Iraq, in every public statements she's made since taking office. The threat to our national security the War in Iraq has caused is becoming more and more real military officials, Members of Congress, and to the American people.

"We are in a volatile, dangerous situation," Boyda said. "The American people are waking up to the fact that having all our eggs in Iraq is not keeping us safer."

We're thankful for Congresswoman Boyda's dedication to keeping us all safe at home, and we're glad to see someone remember Iraq wasn't responsible for 9/11 and that we have allowed a very real threat come back to life in a different part of the world.

Boyda wraps up 2007 for Kansas editorial boards

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda sat down with the editorial boards of the Topeka Capital-Journal and the Lawrence Journal-World over the last couple of days, with both papers releasing stories today.

From the Lawrence Journal-World on illegal immigration:

U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., says Congress needs to find a way to help employers identify illegal immigrants through a “practical employer verification program.”

“Then you can move forward and talk about what else we’re going to do to make policies that are going to work for the long term, but without a way to enforce it, you can’t really have a meaningful policy,” she said.

During an interview Monday with the Journal-World, the first-term congresswoman from Topeka touted her co-sponsorship of the SAVE — Secure America with Verification and Enforcement — Act, which also includes provisions for border security.

Illegal immigration has been a major federal and state issue for several years. Boyda also has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration’s Mexican trucking pilot program, which gives Mexican drivers greater access to U.S. highways.

From the Topeka Capital-Journal on Iraq:

Boyda also addressed the war in Iraq, commending Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces.

"What he brings to it is some wisdom about what it takes to operate within Iraq," she said. "If they're too aggressive, they hurt the situation. If they're not aggressive enough, they're not moving anything forward. The line is extremely thin."

She said she talked with the Marine general in charge of Anbar province who said the United States might see troop withdrawals.

"I said, 'Are you telling me all the troops are going to be out of Anbar province?' and he said, 'Yes, ma'am, I think they are.' "

She wants to get the good news out there without doing anything "that looks like mission accomplished," she said referring to the "mission accomplished" banner that hung over Bush's 2003 statement that major combat missions in Iraq were over.

Unfortunately, the Cap-J decided to make the story's lead about Boyda's husband's chances of becoming the new Kansas Attorney General. It'd be nice if the paper would keep it's eyes on the ball- tell us about the quality job Congresswoman Boyda is doing, rather than random speculation about something totally un-related to her job representing us.

(Photo from the Topeka Capital-Journal)