Ryun's Pre-Primary FEC Filing

First of our pre-primary filings:

Jim Ryun

Beginning of Period: $459,048.51
Raised: $447,382.75
Disbursements: $683,838.64
Cash on Hand: $222,592.62

Probably, too, Ryun will have spend even more between the deadline (July 15) and today.

I got you, babe

One of the most jarring moments of Tuesday night's debate between Jim Ryun and Lynn Jenkins was the one in which Lynn called Jim "babe."

It was just...weird. And markedly non-congressional.

While it was strange (like the rest of Lynn's performance), we aren't sure it really deserved this much ink:

Topeka — In what may be a first in Kansas political history, one candidate publicly called another “babe.”

It happened Tuesday in the televised debate between Lynn Jenkins and Jim Ryun, who are seeking the Republican Party nomination to face U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka, in the 2nd Congressional District, which includes west Lawrence.

Jenkins said part of the reason she voted for a tax increase while a legislator was because state lawmakers had to pay for federal mandates from Congress, in which Ryun served at the time.

“We were at your mercy, babe,” she said to Ryun.

A couple of bloggers wrote that if Ryun had said “babe” to Jenkins, he would’ve been labeled a sexist.

Ryun’s campaign manager Kyle Robertson described Jenkins’ use of the term as “childish behavior.”

Pat Leopold, managing Jenkins’ campaign, said Jenkins uses “babe” frequently when talking to her friends, and that it was just an innocent slip.

It was, of course, just an innocent slip...it was still unprofessional, still tacky, and still just...weird.

Jerri Blank from Strangers with Candy weird.

Oh, and hey, lets don't forget the substance of the debate...Ryun was incompetent & Lynn Jenkins has actually raised taxes on every single Kansas family 12 separate times- making her the only candidate in the race on either side to do such a thing.

The American Conservative: Boyda's "Walk Out"

This piece from The American Conservative dovetails nicely as a response to some of the nutsy-ness that came out of the mouths of Jim Ryun & Lynn Jenkins last night:

Last summer, I noted the numerous references to Nancy Boyda’s abrupt departure from an Armed Services Committee hearing featuring testimony from Gen. Keane. War supporters kept flogging this as evidence of antiwar Democrats’ intransigence and inflexibility in the face of new evidence. Never mind that Boyda’s frustration with administration spin on Iraq was, is, widely shared, and her gesture, while a tad dramatic, was actually appreciated in many quarters. Now Politico has dredged up the episode in its profile of five at-risk Democratic incumbents (most of whom are freshmen elected to traditionally Republican-leaning districts in ‘06) as one of the reasons why Boyda’s re-election is at risk. At the heart of this sort of analysis is a very much inside-the-Beltway assumption that someone’s opposition to the “surge” will prove to be a major liability for Democratic candidates. Just as I am doubtful that obsessing about the “surge” will aid McCain, I very much doubt that opposition to it is going to hurt House members.

One small problem that I see with Politico’s analysis is that it seems to pay no attention to the opinions of the actual people in Kansas’ 2nd District. At last glance, Boyda was leading former Rep. Jim Ryun by 17 points in a poll last month (and she was leading her alternative Republican challenger by 30), and her approval numbers were quite good. As Reid Wilson reported:

68% of respondents in her district said she was doing an excellent or good job, while just 21% had a negative impression of her job performance. 54% said they would definitely or probably vote to re-elect Boyda, while just 35% said they would give someone else a shot.

68% approval is usually a good sign that a House member is going to be returned to office. If these numbers are any indication of how Kansans are responding to Boyda’s performance, those predicting or hoping that anti-”surge” Democrats in “red” districts are going to lose because of their prominent opposition to the “surge” are going to be proven wrong.

In the end this "incident" is anicent history, and simply will not overwhelm all the good Boyda has managed to accomplish during her two years in office.

Letter to the Editor: Roberts & Ryun Both Useless

From today's Topeka Capital-Journal-

Letter: Enough of them

I am getting tired of Pat Roberts and Jim Ryun telling Kansans how they are for Kansas while their actions dictate otherwise.

For example, Sen. Roberts talks about how Jim Slattery, his opponent in the November election, is a Washington lobbyist. He fails to tell readers that Slattery still has roots here. The front page article July 11 notes Slattery still owns property here, so he comes back to Kansas often. Roberts has two condos in Virginia, land in South Carolina and a home in Dodge City. All of Slattery's property is in Kansas. Who is the real Washington insider?

Also, when Roberts runs his ad about the Boeing contract, why doesn't he mention that he voted to allow the Department of Defense to accept bids from agencies outside of the United States as long as they had some connection to this country (which Northop did).

And let's not forget about former Rep. Jim Ryun. He states he will stand by the principles he had before. Does he not remember those principles are why he was voted out the last time?

Ryun ignored veterans, the lower and middle classes and workers. I know many veterans who called his office to ask for his assistance and his response was that only when their problem reached his committee in Washington would he become involved.

Rep. Nancy Boyda has kept most of her promises since being elected, and she has made her presence known. Every congressman and congresswoman should strive to emulate her.

We cannot afford to have the same bad ideas and philosophies continue in government. We need to keep Ryun out and make sure Roberts knows how the majority of Kansans feel. I wish the true winner the best in the elections.

MICHAEL NORMAN, Topeka

Winner, Losers from Last Night's GOP Debate

Can we just say we didn't realize it was still the 4th of July? But, my, the fireworks we saw last night!

For the most part, the Lynn Jenkins vs. Jim Ryun Republican primary race has been low-key and without the significant explosions we would have expected. Sure, there have been spats and cat fights, but most of that has happened in small venues and received next to no coverage (save on this little blog). Last night's debate on KSNT Channel 27 in Topeka, however, blow the doors off the barn in terms of shear viciousness and negativity from both sides- with Ryun actually managing to come away as the more respectful of the two (hard to believe, right?).

After the contenders voiced agreement on the need to drill for more Alaskan
oil and the necessity of limiting federal spending, former U.S. Rep. Ryun dug
his spurs into Jenkins for voting a dozen times for tax increases while a member
of the Kansas Legislature. Three votes were to raise gasoline taxes, he
said.

"That's not standing up for Kansans," Ryun said.

Jenkins, the Kansas state treasurer and former member of the Kansas
House and Senate, said the core responsibility for those tax hikes often rested
with federal politicians such as Ryun who foisted billions of dollars of
unfunded mandates on states. It is that kind of leadership, she said, that
should be shunned in Washington.

"God love you Jim, I think you had your chance," Jenkins said.

"I voted the right way," Ryun replied.

"We were at your mercy, babe!" Jenkins said. "I think we did the
responsible thing. We balanced the budget."

It really is hard to do a blow-by-blow for this debate- there were just so many blows. So, instead, we're going to do a winners & losers analysis.

Loser(s)

1a. Lynn Jenkins: For many people, last night was their first
experience seeing Jenkins speak, and, we just have to say, it was jarring.
Her body language was strange, her speaking style was strange, her general
demeanor was strange. Most of the time, she came off as condescending and
down right rude and disrespectful. She got in her hits, and they were good
hits for sure- particularly making sure to point out Ryun accomplished nearly
nothing when he was in Congress- but she misjudged when she accused Ryun of
supporting amnesty because he voted to help Haitian and Cuban refugees normalize
their status (what, Lynn, you want to send them back to Communist Cuba?) and her
strange "casting yes and no votes isn't leadership" song and dance makes
all of us think she might actually believe she's running to be President and not
just a freshmen member of the minority party in the House of
Representatives.

Oh, also- Ryun's broadside on Jenkins tax increases is dooming- however
responsible Jenkins knows she was being, she raised taxes 12 times while in the
state legislature, and Ryun was masterful in speaking directly into the camera
and pointing that out again and again and again.

Probably, though, Lynn's most significant problem, outside of the whole tax
increase thing, was that fact she came across as nothing short of weird,
rude, and condescending.

1b. Jim Ryun: Jenkins hit Ryun exactly, perfectly, where he
needs hit- right on the fact that, when he was in Congress he failed the people
of Kansas. When Ryun said he tried to stave off the mortgage crisis
Jenkins said, "Some results there! We can do better." Ryun's
performance was far superior to Jenkins' without any doubt- he seemed more
poised, far less strange, and just more congressional. He dinged Jenkins
for being clueless, ("You really don't understand...") and he called her out for
spewing her ridiculous "voting isn't leadership" rhetoric.

Regardless, though, Ryun came away damaged.

Oh, one last thing- the moderators made a significant mistake letting Ryun get away with and out-and-out lie when he was talking about BRAC funding. He said, while he always worked to secure monies for Kansas BRAC project, Congresswoman Nancy Bodya actually cut funds after she took office. Look, we know we've said it before, but, please people, this old lie needs to die, because it really is nothing other than a lie. It was Ryun & his cronies that cut the funding, funding that Boyda & the new Democratic Congress managed to put back in- plus more. Please, read (again)

So, finally, our night's winner:

Winner

1. Nancy Boyda: Boyda comes away the winner if for no other reason both of her potential Republican challengers showed last night their significant vulnerabilities & that neither of them will be able to provide the voters with any reason at all to switch horses in midstream. Jenkins was right, Ryun had his shot and blew it, and Ryun was right regarding Jenkins penchant to jacking up taxes. On top of that, Jenkins clownish performance in the debate certainly didn't make her seem to be "congressional material" and while that isn't nearly as important as her total lack of a clue, it can't not come into play. Jenkins was particularly hesitant to come after Boyda directly, and while Ryun had no problem with it, he chose to hit her with a lie- so that shows you something about what we're going to see for the next several months.

All in all, last night was entertaining as all get-out...this writer is just blessing his lucky stars that he isn't a Republican.

A Trained Monkey...

Lynn Jenkins, getting more negative (and more desperate) compares Jim Ryun (and Nancy Boyda, too) to trained monkeys.



Just...wow.

What Christian Morgan Really Means: He's Scared to Death

The Kansas Republican Party is falling all over itself, clamoring to tell the world the fact the DCCC purchased ad time for Congresswoman Nancy Boyda means both that Boyda's on the brink of defeat and that it's just proof (proof, I tell you, proof!) that Boyda's beholden to House Democrats.

In the end, Christian Morgan and the KS GOP are trying desperately to get voters to ignore their real motivation behind attacking the ads: They know that, if the DCCC does indeed spend $1.2 million in the Kansas 2nd lauding Nancy Boyda's first 2 years in Congress, whoever ends up winning the primary won't stand a chance in Hell come November.

They want- and who could blame them, really?- to keep the good news about Boyda's record from the eyes and ears of the voting public. They want to do anything they can to make the ads toxic because they're not so dumb that they don't realize what 16,000 media points would do to this district.

So, what is Morgan doing? Painting this as evidence Boyda's in league with the devil herself, Nancy Pelosi, he's alluding Boyda & the House Leadership coordinated the whole thing. That's a mighty significant claim- and in making it Morgan's insinuating Boyda has broken the law, because, just like Washburn political science professor Bob Beatty said last week:

"There's nothing she can do about it. She can't even call and say, 'I don't want it.' Any involvement with third-party independent expenditures would be illegal."

Even though a candidate disavows a third party's actions or asks the group not to be involved in his or her race through a public statement, that doesn't mean the group will comply, Beatty said.

Morgan's not dumb enough to actually say what he's insinuating, because he knows it's not true: he knows Boyda isn't coordinating the ads because he knows she's not breaking the law. He's just trying to manage perceptions...a good trick that we're hoping he doesn't get away with.

Why is he so afraid of the ads the DCCC has bought? Because that much message about all the good things Boyda has done while in office will be impossible for him to cut through. The DCCC might talk about Boyda's efforts to end the Solider Tax (and lowering taxes on 150,000 of our fighting men and women). The ads could talk about Boyda's efforts to secure $80 million in federal investments into Kansas- including money for highways, police departments, and our military bases. And the ads might touch on the fact Boyda's office has helped 2,600 Kansans solve problems with federal agencies ranging from Social Security to Veterans Affairs. And they could talk about so much more...and he's scared to death they will.

Boyda has publicly said she'd rather the DCCC not invest in her race- that's certainly her prerogative. She'll, of course, run her campaign exactly as she always has, independently and free of outside influence. But, as everyone involved knows, the DCCC will run ads if they so chose, no matter how much Boyda or Christian Morgan scream- because it's illegal to coordinate the purchase- or cancellation- of a third party ad buy. The DCCC would have to decide independently to pull out- and we just dont' see that happenin'.

In the end, the straw man Morgan is trying to create here isn't the story- the story is his abject fear someone will knock down his straw man and see the ads for what they really are: An independent buy Boyda legally couldn't have anything to do with- and an independent ad buy with which the Kansas Republican Party cannot even begin to respond. It's nothing more than a ham-fisted attempt on his part pull a bait and switch on the voting public. And it just ain't gonna fly.

Good try though, Christian. Maybe next time.

Get Ready to Rumble! Ryun & Jenkins Debate Tomorrow!

Just so you all remember, tomorrow night will be the only televised debate between Republican candidates for Congress Lynn Jenkins & Jim Ryun (on NBC-affiliate KSNT Channel 27 in Topeka).

The station is requesting questions from the viewing audience in advance- we encourage all of our loyal readers to dive right in!

New Ad Info: New from Ryun & Stupid from Jenkins

Jim Ryun has a new ad up and running and Lynn Jenkins as, ridiculously, bought time in the Kansas City media market.

More later!

Here is Ryun's ad

Letter to the Editor: Ryun Was Worthless

Also from Sunday's Cap-J:

Letter: Twisting the Facts

The Ryun campaign must believe voters have short memories, or it wouldn't be airing the recent ad claiming that the former congressman was instrumental in securing BRAC money for Forts Riley and Leavenworth.

The truth is that Ryun and the Republican-controlled Congress in 2006 were responsible for eliminating the BRAC funding for the two military installations because they failed to pass a budget that fall. The continuing resolution that they did pass held all funding at previous levels, which threw out the BRAC budget additions.

It wasn't until the new Congress took office in 2007 that BRAC funding for the two Kansas facilities was reinstated — through the hard work and perseverance of newly elected Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, a member of the House Armed Services committee.

Since the day after her election — when she went to Parsons to attend a BRAC meeting for their ammunition plant — to now, Boyda has been a strong and determined advocate for the military in Kansas and for veterans across the country.

If we can't count on the Ryun campaign to be honest in its advertising, can we expect anything different back in Washington?

JAN GARTON, Manhattan

Here, here!

Driving at Her Own Expense

A strange little puff piece in the Topeka Capital Journal today about our Members of Congress and who is paying for their travel- the Kansas delegation doesn't take advantage of a rule that would allow them to get free rides- but good press is good press, right?

Rep. Nancy Boyda doesn't accept the federal mileage reimbursement when she drives her own car for official use, much less use taxpayer's money for leasing a car, said spokesman Thomas Seay.

"Our aim is to run our office as effectively as possible," Seay said.

Just another savings brought to you by Nancy Boyda (no, we don't know what Ryun did for a car when he was in office...we'd imagine he wasn't dumb enough to have the taxpayers pay for one...but does anyone know for sure?)

Yes, Virginia, There is a Lynn Jenkins

From Sunday's Topeka Capital-Journal, from our fav columnist Ric Anderson:

Question No. 1 — Kansans in the Pittsburg area saw something that others might not believe exists. What is it?

A. Bigfoot
B. A UFO
C. A Lynn Jenkins campaign ad on TV
Correct answer: C. Early in the week, Jenkins began running a commercial in her campaign against Jim Ryun in the 2nd Congressional District GOP primary. But initially, anyway, the Jenkins camp aired the ad only in the Pittsburg-Joplin, Mo., TV market.

Poor Lynn...

"Get the Heck Out of My Race"

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has done exactly what anyone who has spent any time looking at this race expected her to do- she's now said publicly she doesn't want the DCCC to spent any money in the Kansas 2nd on her behalf.

Rep. Nancy Boyda says she wants the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and other third-party organizations making independent expenditures to political campaigns to keep out of the 2nd Congressional District race in Kansas.

"I am asking the DCCC to get the heck out of my race," she said Friday.

Christian "I'm a twit" Morgan from the KS GOP has taken credit for Boyda's statement, which is beyond arrogant, and, in the end, shows how disconnected he really is from reality in his own backyard. Boyda, who already declined to participate in the DCCC's Frontline fundraising programs for freshmen has made it very, very clear she doesn't want the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to get in the middle of her race for Congress.

As to the always- present discussion of "Well, of course she says she doesn't want it, but, really, of course she's telling them to go ahead behind the scenes," Boyda & Washburn political science professor Bob Beatty do a good job breaking that argument into tiny little pieces:

Boyda said she hasn't had any contact with the DCCC in regard to her campaign and to do so would be in violation of election laws.

"I certainly haven't accepted any money," she said.

Bob Beatty, associate professor of political science at Washburn University, said Boyda and other candidates targeted by the DCCC and other third parties are in a tough spot.

"There's nothing she can do about it. She can't even call and say, 'I don't want it,' " Beatty said, explaining any involvement with third-party independent expenditures would be illegal.

Even though a candidate disavows a third party's actions or asks the group not to be involved in his or her race through a public statement, that doesn't mean the group will comply, Beatty said.

"(Morgan's) argument is very simple when, with most things in life, it's much more nuanced," he said.

Ah, poor Christian. Too thick to actually get the nuances of election law. Perhaps that's why the GOP is doing so poorly in Kansas...how did Jim Barnett fair, Chris?

Our guess? Boyda's request of the DCCC will arrive to deaf ears- they're going to spend their money where ever they please, and in districts in which they think it's going to do the most good- regardless of what the individual candidates say. It happens on both sides- after all, John McCain has asked the GOP to take certain commercials down that attack Michelle Obama, but he's been ignored. Look for the DCCC to ignore Boyda, too.

Lynn Jenkins Duck Questions, Gets Left at the Alter

As we posted earlier this week, Lynn Jenkins had a swanky fundraiser hosted by Frm. Governor and Chair of the Environmental Protection Agency in New York City on Monday.

Whitman never showed up.

But, in addition to that embarrassing little snafu, our in-over-her-head state treasurer got caught with her britches down when confronted by people asking for her to respond to Whitman's erroneous claims the air was safe to breathe in Manhattan after the World Trade Center towers collapsed on September 11.

And we even have video!

Now, hold on rabid Republicans- before you post that lovely YouTube video of Congresswoman Nancy Boyda not responding to a man with a camera asking her to answer questions she has already answered- this is a different animal: Jenkins has never publicly said anything on this issue and, indeed, the people have the right to know what she believes.

Why didn't Lynn give these fellas an answer? Because she hasn't any idea what they're even talking about.

And that's a shame.

Lynn Jenkins' WISH for NYC Money

Courtesy of fellow Kansas blogger Kansas Meadowlark, there is a little more information now about yesterday's gala fundraising event in New York City sponsored by pro-abortion group WISH List on behalf of our very own State Treasurer (and CPA, did you know that?) Lynn Jenkins.

Dear WISH Friend,

As a loyal WISH List Member, I wanted you to be aware of an upcoming event in your area for an impressive WISH-endorsed candidate — Lynn Jenkins, candidate for Congress in Kansas’ 2nd District. Lynn is running in one of the most crucial “tossup” Congressional races in the country this year, and is one of our only chances to replace a Democrat with a mainstream Republican.

She is in a hotly contested race right now for the GOP primary nomination, and she needs WISH Members’ strong support to win. That’s why I hope you will consider supporting her at the July 14, 2008 reception at The Union League Club, 38 East 37th St., New York City. The reception will be held from 5:30 pm to 7 pm, and tickets are $500 per person. Please see the attached invitation for RSVP details. Thanks, in advance, for supporting Lynn Jenkins’ bid for Congress!

Best,

Pat Carpenter
President, The WISH List

Again, hosting said-gala event was former Governor of New Jersey & poster child for the pro-abortion minority within the Republican Party, Christine Todd Whitman.

The Union League Club of New York City isn't the Downtown Ramada in Topeka, and not so much the kind of "Kansas" venue you'd expect coming from a woman who has touted her deep, deep support in...Kansas. But, just like Jim Ryun, she's obviously finding it easier now to find money to support her among people who have never had to deal with her directly.

For more, please visit Kansas Meadowlark.

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...

File for Your Rebate Check!

A friendly reminder from Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (and your favorite neighborhood Democratic blog):

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) is urging Kansans who have not filed their 2007 tax returns to do so promptly. According to Internal Revenue Service figures, more than 40,000 Kansans have yet to file, meaning $12 million dollars in stimulus rebates have not been distributed in the Sunflower State.

Boyda said, "These are tough economic times. People are hurting. The stimulus rebates are not enough to turn the tide, but an average of $300 per person is enough to help put food on the table and gas in the car. I just hate to see anyone miss out on help they are rightfully due. "

Additional figures from the IRS show that 95% percent of the individuals who have unclaimed stimulus rebates are Social Security recipients. Rep. Boyda encourages people who may have elderly family members, friends or neighbors to help spread the word that it's not too late to file. Even if senior citizens haven't filed a tax return in years, they should file an IRS 1040 A form to receive their stimulus payment. Boyda said, "These are individuals on fixed incomes – people who especially need the help."

According to the IRS, millions of people are eligible but may not know it, or think it is too late to get a payment. These are certain retirees, disabled veterans and low-wage workers who normally don't file a tax return because their income is too low or nontaxable. This year, they must file to receive their stimulus payment.

While the April 15 tax filing deadline has passed, the deadline for filing for economic stimulus rebates is October 15, 2008.

For more information on the economic stimulus rebates, go to www.irs.gov or contact Rep. Boyda's offices: (Topeka: 785-234-8111, Washington D.C. 202-225-6601).

Make sure to file!

New Jenkins Ad!

Lynn Jenkins CPA has started her advertising campaign with her first ad. Congrats to the Jenkins campaign for getting up on TeeVee... we've missed you!

More Ad Buys from Ryun

New TV ad buy from Jim Ryun- approximately the same size as previous- almost $24,000- in Topeka & Joplin.

No word as to if this is a new spot or not (lets hope he doesn't break the law with it the same way Roberts just did with his new negative piece on Jim Slattery).

"Where is Kansas Treasurer Lynn Jenkins?"

The above question- a really, really good one, was asked last week in a piece in Roll Call (subscription required), as they struggled to explain why it is Jenkins has decided to, well, hide from the public, during her first run for the United States Congress.

In her race for the Jayhawk State’s 2nd district GOP nomination against former Rep. Jim Ryun, who was ousted in 2006, Jenkins has opted for a relatively low profile.

Although Jenkins’ fundraising has been active and fruitful, she has decided to delay airing her first television spot and dropping her first direct-mail piece until next week — just three weeks before the Aug. 5 GOP primary and roughly one week before early and absentee voting begins.

Meanwhile, Ryun has been on broadcast television in more than 70 percent of the district since mid-June, and his second ad, targeting cable television markets in counties with military bases, launched on Tuesday. His second direct-mail piece is scheduled to begin arriving in mailboxes today in the heavily rural, Republican-leaning district now held by freshman Rep. Nancy Boyda (D).

Jim's doing exactly what any sane person would expect any candidate for Congress to do- try as hard as he can to put himself in front of as many of his potential voters as possible, while Lynn, the much lesser known of the two, is focusing on....doing door-to-door herself.

Not exactly how you jump up name recognition, Lynn.

Jenkins campaign spokesman Patrick Leopold said Tuesday that he expects his candidate to make up ground — and then some — once she is “properly introduced” to 2nd district voters.

“I see an extremely tight race that we’re going to win,” Leopold said. “The reality is, everyone knows Jim Ryun, and no one is particularly fond of him.”

No kidding, Patrick. But, and we're just boggled on this point, how on Earth do they expect people to get "properly introduced" to Lynn if she never gets into their living rooms?

As to a "tight race." We don't know what polling you're looking at, kiddo, but every single poll we've seen shows you at very least 14% down- and that was the DCCC poll leaked earlier this summer.

But, go after it, folks- if you think you can close that gab without massive TV spending- go after it. It does appear there are some in your backyard that disagree with you, though.

One Republican operative based in Kansas said Jenkins’ failure to be more active on the campaign trail and in the media earlier on could be what sinks her on Aug. 5. This operative predicted that Jenkins would spend the final three weeks of the campaign attacking Ryun’s Congressional voting record but said the effort would fall short.

“They’ve had no message and no direction, and I still don’t see a direction,” this GOP insider said. “Unless they’ve found something that is going to blow everyone out of the water in the last 25 days, it’s not going to happen.”

Poor Lynn. But don't feel too bad. She is getting read to have some fancy fundraisers with fancy celebrities to help bring in the dough.

Jenkins...is set to raise money in Wichita and New York at an event headlined by former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman[.]

New York City! Well, so much for being so Kansas-focused you didn't even know there were other states, Jenkins. We should mention, of course, this is the second round of fundraisers for Lynn with Frm. Gov. Whitman...the unabashed leader of the very, very small world that is pro-choice Republicans. Good for you, Lynn! Good for you!

The article also contains just a couple of lines from Christian "I'm a Twit" Morgan, talking about how, obviously, the Kansas Republican Party is just amazingly unified and, golly gee, they're just going to rally behind whoever wins the primary and everything! (Sure Christian...just keep saying that to yourself. How many incumbent state senators have conservative primary challengers this year? Hmm?)

Jenkins' first ad buy of the cycle is supposed to start today in the Joplin, MO markets, and while we haven't seen hide nor hair of the commercial as of yet, Mr. Leopold did give us a sneak peek, so to speak:

Leopold signaled that Jenkins intends to hit Ryun for what she will claim was his failure while in Congress to address illegal immigration, high gas prices and excessive government spending.

We love that they used the word "hit." And we certainly do hope they do hit- and hard. The nastier this primary gets, the better it is for Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.

23 days.