MSNBC's Chuck Todd Sees Boyda Victory

A little something on this beautiful Sunday:

Kansas: Obama’s ties to this state through his mother’s roots haven’t translated to a pop in his numbers. The reliable Republican nature of the state is remaining just that, reliable. But it's not like the GOP is doing big things in Kansas, either. Nancy Boyda, a Democrat from the 2nd District, who some thought would be an accidental victor in '06, looks poised to win re-election, which is the most surprising development in state politics.

Only hours left, friends, and we'll see how this all shakes out.

Morgan Insinuates Illegal Coordination, Finds Britches Too Big Again

My God, Christian.

Just...good grief.

Read:

We shouldn't be suprised at this point that the DCCC and Nancy Boyda are teaming up again to run ads in the 2nd Congressional District race after they said they wouldn't.

Morgan, you pansy- if you're going to actually say Boyda's doing something illegal, say she's going something illegal, don't lie to your tiny little readership. You know "the DCCC and Nancy Boyda" aren't "teaming up" to do anything at all, because you know that would violate federal law. Unless you're going to come out and actually attack her for breaking the law, don't lie about what Congresswoman Nancy Boyda is doing.

Just to be clear, cats, it isn't legal for campaigns to talk, discuss, coordinate, meet in back alleys or send smoke signals to groups who do independent expenditures. To do so would break federal law.

Paint it even clearer, you say? Boyda has NOTHING to do with these ads.

Boyda has been very, very clear that she doesn't want outside ads run on either side of the contest, and remains exactly as clear:

Boyda's campaign said they still haven't seen the ad, but that "Rep. Boyda believes this race should be run without the interference of out-of-state groups. That includes the DCCC, and it includes the out-of-state groups that have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on her opponent's campaign," according to Boyda spokesman Thomas Seay.

Morgan, however, is either implying something much more sinister than he intends, or he's stupid. Or, perhaps, it's just that he enjoys lying to his party faithful. Regardless, he ought not.

He continues, saying:

I don't know if it says more about Nancy Boyda going back on another promise or that Washington thinks Boyda is in BIG trouble in 14 days.

Now hold on one bright blue minute- why is it that, regardless of what happens with money from the DCCC, it means Boyda's losing? When the original ad buy first went up, it was because Boyda was flailing. When the ad buy was canceled, the GOP said it was because she was a lost cause. Now that the ad buy is back- so it again means Boyda's GOT to be losing. Do you play like that because you think no one is paying attention, or because you're that intellectually lazy?

One last note:

It does beg the question: If Nancy Boyda kept the DCCC out of Kansas before, why isn't she telling them to get out now? Shouldn't she put down the ads? I think so - but I won't hold my breath.

See above, Christian- she already had, even before you'd written your silly little post. Again, don't lie to your voters- perhaps the Republican brand wouldn't be so damanged if you'd learn that lesson.

Boyda Missed Meetings for Other Meetings, Jenkins Skipped Out to Campaign

As promised, more on the KS GOP and Christian Morgan's little stunt today- Part Uno, which we will call "Nancy Boyda missed a bunch of meetings, too...so stop talking about Lynn Jenkins missing KPERS meetings!!!!"

OK, first off- Christian, darling...when you're trying to distract voters, you can't be so damn obvious...

A Republican official is attacking Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda for missing 11 meetings of the House Armed Services Committee.

The GOP attack is a [desperate...BB] effort to blunt Boyda's criticism of her Republican opponent, Lynn Jenkins, a two-term state treasurer who missed a dozen meetings as a state pension fund trustee.

"See!" shrieks Christian Morgan, "Boyda missed as many meetings as Jenkins did!"

No so fast, little one:

Boyda's staff on Monday confirmed that she missed 11 Armed Services Committee meetings and, in response to questions from The Associated Press, provided a list of scheduling conflicts.

Oh dear...the gambit starts to unravel. You mean...Boyda was...in other meetings? Like...the Agriculture Committee? Or she was back home dealing with constituent issues? You mean...gulp...she was still doing her job the whole time? Crap...

Where was Lynn when she wasn't at the KPERS meetings? Hmmm? Will anyone tell us? Ever?

No, of course they won't- because when Lynn Jenkins wasn't at the KPERS Board of Trustees meetings she was out campaigning for a new job- skipping out on Kansans to feed her own ambition.

Christian, who can't help himself, just keeps digging:

Christian Morgan, the Kansas GOP's executive director, questioned some of Boyda's reasons for missing the meetings but said the larger issue is Boyda's hypocrisy in raising such an issue about Jenkins.

"It wouldn't be an issue unless Nancy Boyda kind of understood that elected officials have a lot of going on," Morgan said. "She wants others to play by a certain set of rules, and she wants to play by another."

First off...what are you, a valley girl, with that condescending "kind of" tossed in there? You should have just said, "Like, totally, Boyda should so know state treasurers are like busy and stuff."

Gag me with a spoon.

Second- if Lynn missed KPERS meetings because she had intense and important treasurer business to attend to, that'd be one thing, and understandable. But if that had been the case, she would have already detailed exactly where she was and why it was important she was there- and she hasn't. Why hasn't she? Because that wasn't the case.

Regardless, each and every time Boyda missed one of the meetings of the Armed Services Committee she was still doing the business of the people of the 2nd District.

Boyda spokesman Thomas Seay said the congresswoman posts her schedule online, so that her constituents can see when she has conflicts. Also, when she misses committee meetings, he said, she sends staff. [Which Jenkins did not bother to do- BB].

"It's politically motivated nonsense," Seay said.

The AP story does go on to say Jenkins has dismissed the meeting attendance issue as "unimportant," and repeats her lie that she was in contact with the Board via email- something the Executive Director of KPERS says isn't the case.

Morgan and the Republicans are grasping at straws, and their desperation is showing. As Boyda's spokesman says, regardless of what Boyda does, they're going to critisize her.

Seay said if Boyda had attended the Armed Services meetings and, for example, skipped Agriculture meetings, Republicans would criticize her for not being diligent about agriculture issues.

"Her opponents are going to attack her no matter what she does," Seay said.

In the end, again, it's clear who wasn't doing their job for Kansans. Certainly, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda hasn't attended every meeting of the Armed Services Committee- but every time she missed it was because she was attending to different official business. Lynn Jenkins skipped out on her responsibilities to the people of Kansas because she was too busy trying to advance herself.

When Jenkins stopped working for Kansas and started working solely for herself is one of the saddest questions we all have to face this election cycle.

KS GOP Tries to Make Boyda Doing Her Job a Bad Thing

More on both of these stories tomorrow, but today the Kansas Republican Party tried really, really hard to make Congresswoman Nancy Boyda doing her job actually Congresswoman Nancy Boyda failing to do her job- and their arguments made exactly as much sense as this sentence does.

First, they're trying awfully hard to compare meetings Boyda has missed on Capitol Hill in DC because of other meetings on Capitol Hill something akin to the KPERS Board of Trustee meetings Lynn Jenkins missed for reasons her campaign refuses to state (*cough* campaigning *cough*). Stupid, desperate move there.

Second, right this very minute we hear the Kansas Republican Party is holding a protest outside of Nancy Boyda's campaign headquarters (actually, from what we understand, it's 5 people on the corner across the street from the HQ, but whatever). They're protesting because Boyda's office has spent about $200,000 of it's budget on "voter communication"- stuff like mailers and newspaper ads and the like- you know, doing that horrible, horrible thing Jim Ryun never did: COMMUNICATING WITH CONSTITUENTS. Oh, the horror!

Anyway, we're sure the Republican partisans who hate Nancy Boyda don't want her to talk about anything she's done ever, but, know what? Most voters do, which is why this second little stunt is even more desperate than the first.

Again, more on both tomorrow...particularly if the day is a slow news day in Topeka.

Christian Morgan: The Broken Record of Kansas Politics

From a letter from KS GOP Executive Director Christian Morgan in today's Topeka Capital-Journal:

It is fast becoming one of the most important issues in the 2nd Congressional District race between incumbent Nancy Boyda and Lynn Jenkins, state treasurer and certified public accountant: Did Nancy Boyda vote for a budget resolution that paved the way for the largest tax increase in United States history?

If you ask me, she did. She voted "yes," and that "yes" vote was to push forward the budget that allows for the largest tax increase in U.S. history.

Lord, man, you're smart enough to know the difference here, and it's upsetting you're working so hard to mislead the public. The non-binding resolution you're talking about didn't raise a dime of taxes on anyone in the country- no one, not one person. Know why? Because it wasn't a law, it wasn't a bill, it was a non-binding resolution.

The resolution did nothing, nothing at all, to effect the tax code. Nothing. At all. Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (funny how you used all of Lynn Jenkins' titles but forgot Boyda's...) has promised to make all of the middle class tax relief from the Bush tax cuts permanent, and has promised to go much, much farther than the Republicans in Congress ever thought about when it comes to helping the people who really need the help the most.

So, in what we hope with all our hearts will be the last time: Congresswoman Nancy Boyda DID NOT vote for the largest tax increase in history!

Actually, Nancy Boyda hasn't voted for any tax increases on individuals at all. Know who has voted to increase taxes on everyday Kansans? State Treasurer and CPA Lynn Jenkins- oh, and she did it after she promised she wouldn't! So upsetting when that happens...

KS GOP Blogs Stupid: "Nancy's a Poopy Head!"

See, we were going to wait until tomorrow to post something regarding Lynn Jenkins' miserable performance in tonight's debate (and that post is still scheduled to hit tomorrow morning, childrens), but we just couldn't let Christian Morgans inane word vomit over at The Kansas Trunkline (snicker) go without some kind of response.

Mr. Morgan said:

All through the debate, Nancy Boyda disrespected not only Lynn Jenkins, but the hosts and the rules of the debate. It is a small issue, but a clear indication that Nancy Boyda will break any rule and cut every corner to win an election.

Oh, you whiny, infantile little twit! You are the King of Melodramaland, and Prince of False Umbrage. The vanity plate on your car doesn't say "Oh my paws and whiskers," does it?

Are you seriously going to say, as the spokesman for a state-level political party, that the important thing we should all take from tonight's debate is that Nancy Boyda didn't follow the rules and that that means she's a liar and a cheat? Can you really be serious?

First of all, we don't agree with Morgan's very premise. The exact opposite was true- Jenkins interrupted the Congresswoman and tried to talk over her a number of times.

But to flesh this one out, in this race it's obvious only one of the candidates is really willing to "cut every corner to win" and that's Lynn Jenkins.

The fact Jenkins continues to rant, even though she knows it's not true, that Nancy Boyda voted for "the largest tax increase in history" shows she'll lie willfully in order to advance her own ambition. Jenkins rants about the fact Boyda has raised taxes- which isn't true at all- Lynn Jenkins is the only candidate in this race who has raised taxes. Jenkins moans about the fact Boyda left a meeting room for 10 mnutes, but skipped out on every meeting of the KPERS Board while $1 billion vanished AND managed to mismanaged 15 million tax dollars for six years.

It's all the classic bait and switch- Jenkins excells at misdirection...or lying...to the voters.

Letter: Morgan Owes Boyda Apology

Here, here! From the Pittsburg Morning Sun:

Dear Editor:

Recently I read an e-mail release (dated July 11, 2008) authored by Christian Morgan, Executive Director of the Kansas Republican Party, which accused Congresswoman Nancy Boyda of being less than honest by "not telling her constituents the whole truth" about assistance from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in regard to a recent purchase of campaign advertising time paid for by the committee.

The truth is, in conformity with campaign finance laws, Nancy has absolutely no control over whether the DCCC buys ads on her behalf.

On July 18, 2008, the Topeka Capital-Journal wrote: "Congresswoman 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. The DCCC, as a third party, is not associated with any candidate’s campaign and acts on its own."

As Christian Morgan knows, independent expenditures in favor of a candidate can be made (remember the Swiftboaters?), but they cannot coordinate with the candidate and the candidate cannot ask for or influence the content of the ad. Further, the DCCC has bought the time, but has not run any ads yet for Nancy. Christian owes Nancy Boyda an apology.

Don and Betty Hight
Pittsburg

Post Debate Tappin'

A blast from our past...but still hilarious.

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Ryun's New Negative Mailer

New from the Ryun campaign taking a direct shot at Lynn Jenkins & her penchant for increasing taxes on hard working Kansans:

Don't worry, babe- it'll all be over soon.

Boyda & Jenkins Pre-Primary FEC

Lynn Jenkins:

Beginning of Period: $486,228.54
Raised: $134,829.90
Disbursements: $131,846.68
Cash-on-Hand: $489,211.81


Congresswoman Nancy Boyda

Beginning of Period: $814,103.78
Raised: $243,043.61
Disbursements: $165,421.82
Cash-0n-Hand: $891,725.57

Once again, Boyda finds herself far, far in the lead when it comes to the number that matters most: cash still in the bank. Jenkins, while still holding a good chunk of change, isn't figuring this puppy right- what good is $500,000 in the bank if you lose the primary? True, she's upped her spending in the last several days with new TV and some nasty, nasty mailing hitting Ryun for being, well, worthless, she's still probably going to end the primary cycle with lots of money in the bank and with nothing to spend it on.

Ryun, on the other hand, is going to end the primary cycle with almost no money left (after an equally aggressive TV buy & some nasty mailers hitting Jenkins on raising taxes)- but all indications are he's going to have a general election still to run in. With Boyda sitting on nearly a million dollars on hand, Ryun'll have a hard time closing on her.

It's crunch time, kids- start watching for negative TV ads.

Update on Jenkins/ Ryun Ad Buys

Just as a quick update as to media expenditures from Lynn Jenkins & Jim Ryun:

Jenkins:

Topeka: WIBW, KSNT and KTKA- total of 91 spots for $11,075
Kansas City: KMBC- 45 spots for $20,855
Joplin: KSN, KODE, KOAM and KFJX- total of 102 spots for $11,425

Total buy: $43,355

Ryun:

Topeka: WIBW & KTMJ- total of 138 spots for $14,960
Cable: 206 spots for $1,981
Joplin: KOAM & KFJX- total of 104 spots for $12,680

Total buy: $29,621

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

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...

"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.

Tying Boyda to Obama Won't Work for the GOP

From Campaigns & Elections Magazine:

The incumbent candidate in Mississippi's 1st district congressional race is a pro-gun, pro-life, fiscal conservative-and he's the Democrat.

Therein lies the challenge for Republican Greg Davis, who is running again this fall in a re-match of the most highly publicized special election that the GOP lost this spring. In May, Democrat Travis Childers beat Davis in a district where George Bush won 62 percent of the vote in 2004. That defeat, says Davis, provides a valuable strategic lesson.

"We're going to spend more time going out there and meeting with voters and letting them know who I am, and less on the contrast ads which just didn't work," Davis says, referring to ads that tried to link Childers to presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

Both Davis and the Mississippi GOP say they realize the negative ads linking Childers to Obama and the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright didn't do the trick for conservative voters in northern Mississippi.

[...]

The Mississippi race could be indicative of other congressional contests across the country in which GOP candidates will be facing off against conservative Democrats. And if Greg Davis is right, running against Obama may not work in those districts either.

In Kansas' 2^nd Congressional district, freshman incumbent Rep. Nancy Boyda is another Blue Dog Democrat likely to face a strong Republican challenger this fall. Boyda avoided an official endorsement of Sen. Obama until after he clinched the nomination, and, like Childers, Boyda has said she may not attend the convention in Denver.

In the end, Democrats have learned a lesson the Republicans learned first- run candidates that fight the district, not candidates that fight some pie-in-the-sky ideal of what a candidate should look like. Republicans did it in 1994 and took back the House. Democrats did in 2006 and did the same thing.

Dems like Childers & Boyda, who fight their districts so well, are going to be awfully hard to knock out- and the GOP knows it.

Largest Tax Increase in History? "Marlarky," Says Boyda Camp

We've been hearing it for months- "The Democrat [sic] controlled Congress has passed the largest tax increase in history, blah blah blah..." We've all heard it, and, hopefully, everyone on both sides knows it's nothing more than partisan lies.

Even though it is just partisan lies, that certainly doesn't prevent both Jim Ryun and Lynn Jenkins for repeating it- often. There lack of integrity isn't new or so much surprising, but, still, holding their fee to the fire is the calling of this particular blog, so we're glad to again oblige.

Today, however, we have the help of the mainstream media.

Former Congressman Jim Ryun's campaign spokeswoman told Harris News Service on Monday that Boyda's first term as Kansas' 2nd District congresswoman included her vote for "the largest tax increase in American history."

But Boyda's spokesman, Thomas Seay, refers to a national nonpartisan organization's conclusion that the claim, oft-repeated by Republican candidates, simply isn't true.

"It's, frankly, malarkey," Seay said.

Why, oh wise Mr. Seay, is it malarkey? The article provides a narrative of how this persestent falsehood came into being.

The tax hike claim, first promoted by the National Republican Congressional Committee, surfaced in March after House Democrats, including Boyda, passed a budget resolution, a non-binding proposal to map out budgets for coming years.

Republicans opposed it and issued press releases decrying it as a $683 billion tax hike, or a $2,863 annual increase for the average Kansan.

The resolution laid out a plan to balance the federal budget by ending tax cuts put in place by the Bush administration in 2001 and 2003.

But, wait...so the Democrats do want to increase our taxes? Ah, but there is more:

However, Democrats say they want to change the law to extend the middle-class tax cuts indefinitely beyond 2010.

"Of course, the congresswoman strongly opposes allowing the middle-class Bush tax cuts to expire," Seay said. "She believes that marriage penalty tax relief, the 10 percent tax bracket, and the increased child tax credit should all be made permanent.

Ah ha. So, really, in the end, we're just talking about the Republicans trying to protect the tax cuts for their base- multimillionaires and billionaires.

But wait, Boyda has sympathy for those good folks, too.

"She's also willing to consider extending cuts for the super-wealthy if Congress can find a responsible way to pay for it."

That could occur if lawmakers opt to, say, cut billions in funds elsewhere, such as by scaling back subsidies to big oil companies and major health insurers, Seay said.

"That alone could save more than $70 billion tax dollars over the next five years."

So...there you go. Boyda doesn't support increasing taxes on average Americans, and she doesn't support increasing taxes on the vast, vast majority of Kansans. And she'll even consider keeping the cuts in place for the super-rich if we can eliminate tax breaks for, say, Big Oil.

But there is one final bit to all of this that the Republicans always conveniently ignore: The "largest tax increase in history" that the Democrats supposedly passed...never did. No budget, not one line of any bill, has contained any of the language the House approved in the above mentioned non-binding resolution. Nada. None of it.

"The truth is that Congress has yet to vote either way on extending the Bush tax cuts," he said. "The sunset clauses don't take effect until 2011, and Congress won't pass a 2011 budget for another two years."

So, is that the end? Can we finally put this mess behind us? Have we fully and completely discredited the Republicans by now?

We should only be so lucky.

However, Seay said he expected to continue to hear Republicans repeat the tax hike claim.

"They're going to keep on making it until Election Day."

Nothing more than a skipping record, those dang Republicans.

Ryun's New TV Spot Focuses on BRAC, Misleads Voters

For those of you watching television in the Topeka media market this morning you've probably already seen it, but Jim Ryun's newest campaign commercial takes credit for keeping Kansas military bases from being closed during the last round of the Base Re-Alignment and Closure program (BRAC).

UPDATE: And here's the ad:

Never mind Ryun & his old buddies in Congress dropped the ball at the very end of 2006 and refused to fund 2007 BRAC projects, specifically Kansas BRAC projects...never mind Ryun, because of his inaction, nearly lost Kansas military bases more than $300 million.

From the Topeka Capital-Journal:

Bottom line, the lame-duck Congress didn't pass a fiscal 2007 budget last fall. Instead, the 109th Congress approved a continuing resolution, financing the Base Realignment and Closure Commission at 2006 levels but eliminating money for projects at both Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth.

That's money Ryun cut- and that Congresswoman Nancy Boyda put back in. She did better than just put back in, though:

By late January, with the second continuing resolution on the verge of expiring, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed another resolution that actually raised BRAC funding by $1 billion.

Never mind that.

Iola Register Endorses Lynn Jenkins in Primary

In the very first media endorsement of the 2008 Republican Primary, Lynn Jenkins has received the endorsement of the Iola Register.

Kansas Treasurer Lynn Jenkins and Jim Ryun oppose each other for the Second District Republican nomination for Congress in the Aug. 5 primary election. Jenkins deserves the nod.

A certified public accountant, Jenkins has served in the Kansas Legislature and is now state treasurer. She is energetic, considers herself a moderate and would be a strong advocate for reducing the federal deficit.

Ryun represented the Second District for 10 years and was listed among the most conservative members of Congress on social, economic and political issues. He was not noted for any particular legislative accomplishments and was a dependable supporter of the Bush administration and congressional Republican leaders.

He is one of the reasons that the reputation of the U.S. Congress fell to such depths over the past decade.

It will be disappointing to moderate Republicans in the district to learn that both Ryun and Jenkins want to repeal the estate tax and make President Bush’s tax cuts for the rich permanent. Those positions, if they prevail, will make balancing the federal budget much more difficult, if not impossible, and will widen the gap between the rich and the middle class in America.

Nevertheless, Republicans eager to see America’s challenges addressed should choose Jenkins over Ryun. Experience tells them that Ryun is no force for change. With Jenkins there would be hope.

— Emerson Lynn, jr.

This is potentially one of the most negative endorsements any of us have ever read- very much "vote for her because the other guy is just terrible." And kudos to Mr. Lynn for backhanding Jenkins for supporting the rich or regular Americans.

In the end, Jenkins should be an obvious choice for Republican primary voters, really, and this endorsement says as much with "experience tells them that Ryun is no force for change" and that "with Jenkins, there would be hope."

That hope for someone better than someone as miserable as Jim Ryun should propel her through the primary, it should have made her a shoe-in. But...it hasn't. Right now, she's far, far behind in polling, she's still not on television, and still acting like her heart really just isn't in it. And that should scare her supporters (and her staff) half to death.

29 days to pull it out. Just 29 days.