KS GOP Blogs Stupid- Bad Statistics & Bad Research

Literally nothing makes us happier than calling out Republicans for lying, screwing up, or just plan forgetting their brains at the door when they try to attack Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. Today's new post on The Trunkline from the Kansas Republican Party provides us with a truly beautiful opportunity to do just that.

Two things:

• Their missive cites two different roll call votes, #370 & 380, that supposedly are instances that prove Boyda "is actually voting against debating any amendment aimed at reducing the cost of gas."

• It then smacks Boyda for not knowing how much the price of gasoline has increased for the average Kansan ("Boyda is so out of touch with what we, as every day Kansans, are paying at the pump, she thinks that gas prices have risen only 30 percent!"). The GOP says the number is actually 80%.
  

Damning, eh?

Oh, quite the opposite, dearies.

First- the roll call votes. Perhaps less vodka would make the KS GOP's researcher a little more effective, because, honestly, you'd have to just be trashed to try to pair either of their cited roll call votes with evidence Boyda has voted against lowering gas prices.

Why? Since Boyda has been in Congress, there have been two votes with each of those numbers (one for each in 2007 and in 2008) and Nancy Boyda voted "Aye" on three of them. The one she voted against? It was #380 in 2007 and it was an amendment but it had literally nothing to do with gasoline prices- it made ridiculous changes to the affordable housing fund. See for yourself.

As evidenced here, Congresswoman Boyda was right when she chastised the leadership of the KS GOP peddlers of "damned lies."

Next- the price of gas. The gist of this one is that Boyda doesn't even know how much the price of gas as increased because, on her web site, she says it has gone up 30% over the last year while the KS GOP says it's really be 80%. Basically, they're calling her out-of-touch and a liar.

First, kiddies, Boyda's web site says "in the last year," so lets make sure we're all talking the same timeframe. Second, we'll have to quibble with the prices cited by the GOP in their email. A quick drive around Topeka shows the average price is about $3.86 (same average show here), and, also, the price of gas one year ago today was $2.88 (on average) in Kansas. Damn, another problem with facts....pity.

So, do the math. The price of gas as increased 34% in the last year- a number almost identical to the 30% Boyda cites on her web site.

Again, less alcohol in the office would stop mistakes like these.

The price of gas is skyrocketing...just like it was doing before the Democrats took control of Congress. The situation hasn't been fixed, that's obvious- the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan are consuming huge amounts of gasoline, and demand at home as continued to grow. Somethings got to give.

Boyda's voted (with the Republicans) for more domestic exploration, she's voted to increase research into alternatives, which, in the end, is the only real way out of this mess, and she's done something else that's exactly right on track- she's voted to stop giving our tax money to the Big Oil companies who are killing us at the pump.

This is a conversation that needs to be had...but the Kansas Republican Party needs to not lie when they have it.

Also...Boyda didn't take office in January 2006, it was 2007. We'll guess that's not a lie, just a typo.