So It's the Rank of the Tracker By Which They are Offended!

The Kansas Republican Party has bitched and moaned for months about the campaign trackers the Kansas Democratic Party has on the trail attending public events hosted by Jim Ryun & Lynn Jenkins.

We thought they were complaining because they just knew that, someday, Lynn or Jim would say something stupid and it'd be on tape someplace.

But that, obviously, isn't it at all- they were just pissy the trackers are so lowly in rank- they were miffed the KDP didn't have someone of at least senior staff level on the road following their Republicans around.


Ladies and gentlemen, meet Executive Director of the Kansas Republican Party Christian Morgan- yes, that's him filming Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's campaign kick off.

Hey, Christian- we don't have any problem with you being there, it was a public event and all so it's cool- but, God man, shouldn't...staff...be doing that sort of thing? Money troubles? Organizational problems? Bad leadership making it hard to keep competent people around?

For those of you who have missed the photo caption contest...have at Mr. Morgan!

Republican Public Officials Just Can't Handle a Tape Recorder

They've been wheedling us for days, but we've successfully ignored TheKansasRepublican and their days of off-the-wall accusations that Congresswoman Nancy Boyda is sneaking around with a camcorder going all paparazzi on Lynn Jenkins.

We kid, of course, but not as much as we'd hope. Here's the gist of their actual complaint:

• Nancy Boyda, who voted against FISA, is now paying for a "stalker" to follow Lynn Jenkins around and tape her every word. They'd like you to think he's taping her at the grocery store, probably.

• This is very, very bad, and also hypocritical.
  

Oh, how to respond without being disrespectful...

OK, we'll start with the easy ones: Congresswoman Nancy Boyda isn't paying anyone to film anything at this point of the campaign (check the FEC reports yourselves). The tracker (yes, that's what the "stalker" is really called by people not trying to be incendiary) is paid for by the Kansas Democratic Party, and is a standard part of federal-level campaigning this day and age.

The fella from the KDP isn't following Lynn to the bathroom or getting in anyone's face...he's attending public events...the PUBLIC events of an ELECTED official running for a federal OFFICE. No elected official has any right- ever- to complain about being recorded at a public event.

The idea our State Treasurer is so secretive she doesn't want her potential constituents to know what she's saying, and that the Kansas Republican Party wants to keep it from us all, too, is one of the scariest things we've seen thus far in this race.

We can't really expect Republicans to be advocates for open government, though, can we?

Next, the Republicans, in their crazy rush to push out silly analysis, also left out the fact the KDP is also recording Jim Ryun at his events, too...they're ignoring that, but we aren't sure why. Too busy, probably.

Speaking of things the Republicans are ignoring: You can also ask Ryun or Jenkins or any staffer thereof...from what we've been told, they all know the "stalker" doesn't work for Boyda...but facts get in the way of quality spin.

In the end, the bit that's drawn a post out of us is that the Republican bloggers have the audacity to compare the recording of public events hosted by people wanting to be our representative in Congress to the federal government spying on American citizens. That's why they're calling Boyda a hypocrite, by the way- because she voted to prevent warrantless wiretaps of American citizens without oversight, but then recorders her opponents (which she isn't doing...oh, whatever...you get the picture).

That Republicans in Kansas are callous enough to compare taping public events to a federal government attempting to spy on Americans without a warrant is grossly inappropriate, but no one needs us to point that out- it's obvious to anyone other than Republican partisan hacks.

We will come back, in the end, to the fact this is just another occasion of Republicans lying when it can be proven that they are...and another example of exactly how desperate Republicans are to keep as much information as they can from the American people- and exactly how desperate they are to take down Congresswoman Boyda with baseless drivel.

Luckily, no one is listening to them.