Jenkins Supports Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

In perhaps the weirdest article yet to come out of the "Tussle in District Two" Republican primary (we're tying to come up with something cute...."bloodbath" was getting old), Lynn Jenkins seems to be just taking every single opportunity she can find to move herself farther and farther out of the mainstream of the district she wants to represent in Congress.

She said this about immigration:

Jenkins also highlighted her stance on illegal immigration, which she predicted will be a major issue during the upcoming race.

She said her view on amnesty is another instance in which she differs from Ryun, and said she was “disappointed” with his stance on the issue.

While we're sure everyone one of us can point to problems with Jim Ryun's record on illegal immigration (10 years of ignoring the problem, stuff like that), probably one thing we can't fault him for, at least in terms of this conversation, is his unflinching opposition to amnesty for undocumented aliens. That's one small thing he and Congresswoman Nancy Boyda agree on.

So, can Lynn Jenkins really be saying she's in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants? Sure looks that way- and it goes along beautifully with her recent rhetoric of "not holding businesses accountable" for hiring illegals.

Good job, Lynn, just keep diggin'.

Read Her Lips: Expect New Taxes

Dancing on the Third Rail: Jenkins & Ryun Battling About Social Security

This whole mess for 2nd District Republicans just gets worse and worse, and today former Congressman Jim Ryun took what was, until this point, a fairly clear victory for his side and just screwed it all up.

Let us explain.

In an article that appeared in this morning's Topeka Capitol-Journal, the MSM picked up Ryun's complaint Jenkins has been traveling the district lobbying for an increase in Social Security taxes- even though she signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

Kyle Robertson, Ryun's campaign manager, said adaptation of the state model to the federal system would mandate a tax increase on all contributors to Social Security.

"We don't think raising taxes and cutting benefits is the approach," he said.

[...]

Application of the KPERS model to Social Security would "recklessly raise taxes by $234 billion over five years," Robertson said.

Jenkins, of course, backtracked almost instantly, saying something along the lines of "Yes, I said that, but that's not what I meant."

Leopold clarified in an interview that Jenkins was speaking at the GOP event about an avenue for resolving gridlock on Social Security, "not the actual plan" adopted for KPERS.

Uh, what? So, she was talking about a solution for Social Security but not a plan to reach her solution? Lord, Leopold, this is the big leagues, put on your big boy pants. It was oh so clear from the transcript of the event what Jenkins said:

"They pay a little extra because they're going to get a little extra [from KPERS]," she said during the appearance. "We need to take that approach and apply it to Social Security."

As the Jenkins camp is trying desperately to spin back the fact she forgot she promised not to raise taxes when she suggested the government raise taxes, the Ryun campaign should have just stayed quiet and let her bleed to death.

Did they? Oh no. Instead, they jumped on the live wire, too, and reminded us all they want to do the single most risky thing being tossed around about Social Security: Privatize it.

Ryun, seeking to recapture the 2nd District seat he lost in 2006, said part of the solution was to give workers authority to invest some of their Social Security contributions in personal accounts[...]

[...]

In a 2005 meeting in Topeka on Social Security, Ryun said creation of these personal accounts would "provide a greater retirement" for Americans. In 1996, Ryun also supported "compassionate privatization of both Medicare and Social Security," but his campaign staff said the term privatization didn't reflect Ryun's present thinking on the issue.

God bless the GOP as the Kings of Semantics. Fine, don't like "privatize" anymore, Jim? He wants to increase personal control over Social Security and allow monies to be invested in the stock market, which, particularly for people on a fixed income, could devastate their only safety net if our economy turns sour. A funny thing to advocate as the economy turns sour.

Jenkins lied to her would-be constituents when she signed a pledge not to increase taxes- that's a flip-flop of a dramatic extreme. Ryun, on the other hand, wants to thrust our elderly to the wolves and let them fend for themselves against the Market.

Welcome to a second term, Congresswoman Boyda.

Lynn "George H.W. Bush" Jenkins: Read My Lips...

State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins' call for increased income taxes to pay for Social Security certainly doesn't strike us as your standard "Republican Value."

One could have assumed, until recent events, that Jenkins didn't consider it one of her values either- seeing as she signed the "Taxpayer Protection Pledge."

Oh, hypocrisy be damned! Now we've got Lynn doing exactly what she said she wouldn't- she's championing an increase in taxes.

Just in case that link dies, here's an image of Jenkins' broken promise to not advocate for increased taxes:

GOP Primary Poll: Ryun Leads Jenkins 50-34

From The Hill:

Former Rep. Jim Ryun leads state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, 50 percent to 34, in a GOP primary poll released by a pro-Jenkins group.

The poll, which was conducted for the state chapter of the Republican Main Street Partnership, showed the 2nd district congressional race narrowing from the 61-27 margin in a poll commissioned by Ryun from May 2007.

The winner of the primary will face freshman Rep. Nancy Boyda (D), who defeated Ryun in 2006.

The poll surveyed 451 self-identified likely primary voters last week by phone and was conducted by Mary Christine and Associates. Mary Christine Banwart is relatively unknown as a pollster but is an assistant professor of communications studies at the University of Kansas.

“The more voters in this district learn about Lynn Jenkins, the more her message resonates, and these poll numbers clearly reflect this,” said Ryan Wright, the executive director of the pro-Jenkins Kansas Traditional Republican Majority.

Ryun campaign manager Kyle Robertson suggested the poll wasn’t credible because it also tested a negative message about Ryun’s connection to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff: “It’s obvious that Lynn Jenkins will use dirty tactics to avoid discussing her latest plan to raise taxes on Social Security.”

— Aaron Blake

So it appears Jenkins campaign activity has made a dent in Ryun's standing amongst likely Republican primary voters, but, really, what is Kyle Robertson complaining about? His boss is still kicking tail, and Jenkins has succeeded in making more people undecided.

Still, for a statewide "moderate" officeholder to not even break 40% against a once-defeated has-been should be horribly unsettling for all you Jenkins supporters out there.

But, looks like the conventional wisdom remains the same: Jim Ryun will beat Lynn Jenkins in Republican primary.

Quickly: Lynn Jenkins is Disingenuous

Anyone who's been paying attention to this race for Congress knows that Republican Lynn Jenkins has said over and over again that she's running a "Kansas campaign" filled with "Kansas boys."

Yes, fine, that's true...though her campaign manager has spent most of his adult life working in Washington, DC, he is, in fact, from Kansas originally (as opposed to Ryun's CM, who probably couldn't have found Kansas on a map before the NRCC backroom-dealers sent him here. Nancy Boyda? Her CM is a life long Topekan...take that! Ha!).

But, we think, probably, when Jenkins travels the district and tells folks she's running a Kansas campaign they assume she means she's pulling her support (and staff) out of this part of Kansas- the Kansas 2nd Congressional District.

Not so much.

True, yes, Lynn's itemized donors are nearly all from Kansas (unless they're pro-choice women from New York). Only 22 of her 169 itemized contributions came from out of the state- which is really excellent- a better percent than either Ryun or Congresswoman Boyda. True, that's easier when your competitors have 5 times as many donors...

Problem is- more than half of them come from Kansas City and Wichita. Only 43% of Jenkins' support comes from within the district she wants to represent in Congress.

So, if Jenkins does manages to pull it together and win this puppy...who will it be that actually pushed her over Ryun? The voters of the 2nd District, or the money people from Kansas City and Wichita?

Where for art thou, Lynn?

Still lots and lots to pour over on the FEC reports, and we'll have detailed breakdowns up tomorrow early for both Ryun & Boyda, but the thing that strikes us first today is this: What in the world has happened to the once promising (for moderate Republicans, anyway) campaign of Lynn Jenkins?

For the second quarter in a row, Jenkins hasn't just been out raised by her opponents, she's been trounced by both Jim Ryun and Nancy Boyda. And it hasn't been just a nice, gentle trouncing, either, but a full on, hardcore, full-body trouncing where she's seen the numbers she's put up more than doubled by both of the people she's running against.

Credit where credit is due: Nearly ever penny of Jenkins' money came from Kansas...though more than half of it came from Kansas City and Wichita. Lord knows anyone would be a stronger challenger than Nick Jordan is again Congressman Dennis Moore...but we digress.

Anywho, outside of being embarrassingly small, the thing that really stands out on the Jenkins camp report is the amount of money Jenkins received from pro-choice groups- she took $2,000 this quarter from the PAC Republican Majority for Choice (who aired ads attacking Mitt Romney for flip-flopping on choice when he was running for President- see it here), took $2,810 in contributions earmarked for her from WISH List (which is a group that works to elect pro-choice Republican women), and a $885.43 in-kind donation from WISH List itself for the cost of a mailing.

All of this on the back of the announcement Jenkins will be throwing a fundraiser (in Kansas City, mind you) featuring the poster-child of pro-choice Republicans, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. Gov. Whitman should also be remembered as the disgraced former Bush Administration head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Yep, the same director of the EPA that lied to folk in New York about the safety of the air post 9/11, only to see thousands suffer horribly because of it.

Great catch, Lynn. Best you could do? Would no non-disgraced Republicans appear at an event for you?

We don't have any problem with Jenkins being pro-choice- we think that makes her significantly more reasoned than her Republican opponent. However, in a district, and a state, that went for Mike Huckabee in the Presidential Caucus, we can't imagine her very, very public pro-choice positions will help her much in her Primary Election.

Oh, and Lynn? About that $7,767.13 you gave the Dublin Group for "fundraising expenditures?"

They're obviously not worth it.

Audience Participation in Upcoming Debates & FEC Predictions

According to a Q&A with Dr. Bob Beatty that appeared in Saturday's Topeka Capitol-Journal, residents of the 2nd Congressional District have been officially encouraged to submit potential questions for the announced debates between Lynn Jenkins & Jim Ryun in July, and between whichever one of them wins and Congresswoman Nancy Boyda in October.

If you've got a question you want asked, e-mail it to page2@cjonline.com. Probably ought to hold off on questions for the Boyda vs. Republican debate for a few months (and we'll remind you then), but the Ryun vs. Jenkins rumble is just around the corner.

Another little bit of news- We should have the FEC reports tomorrow. So, we'll ask again: Who's going to report what?

Lay it on us, kids!

Jenkins' American Century Problem Just Not Going Away

Poor Lynn Jenkins. It seems as the stories about her unethical participation in TV ads paid for by a company whose lobbyist and CEO gave her money right before she gave them a big ol' state contract just aren't drifting into the ether like she so hoped they would.

We've done our part, of course. We've already post about it here and here. Also, here and here.

The Kansas Democratic Party is in the game, now, too- they issued a press release on April 1 criticizing Jenkins for not being up front about the whole thing with the people of Kansas.

While defending her appearance in mailers and ads for American Century before two different elections, Jenkins wrote in the Kansas City Star that “Research conducted by American Century found that [her] presence in the ads…bring credibility, attention and reassurance to Kansans” and that she would have been “knowingly doing a disservice to the program and to the people of Kansas” had she not participated. Yet, Jenkins has not produced any such research to verify these statements.

Well, she did produced "research" to "verify" her statements. Her office managed to find one slide from one PowerPoint presentation that says "she makes the ads better!" without any statistics or any references to back it up. And the quote from the silly slide isn't even very good:

"They see it's from Lynn Jenkins and it's professionally done and that impresses people and carries a lot of weight."

That's a three conjunction monster-of-a stupid quote.

So, we're just supposed to take Lynn Jenkins and American Century Investments at their word that it's all on the up-and-up and that her gleaming grin is just necessary for the ads to be successful at all.

No one's buying it, Lynn.

“If there is any disservice, it is for Lynn Jenkins to engage in this kind of questionable behavior so close to an election and only now attempt to defend these actions with false claims. Kansans deserve a straight answer from Lynn Jenkins about her participation in these ads and a promise that she will not continue what would be a flagrant violation of federal ethics rules in this race,” said Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Mike Gaughan.

In the end, this isn't about whether or not Jenkins is lying out of her behind when she talks about how "research proves" it is very, very, very necessary it is for her to appear in those ads, this is about Lynn Jenkins not having the moral clarity to do what's right- and what's right is for her to say "Thanks, but no thanks," to American Century Investments if they choose to run ads featuring her smiling face again while she's still a candidate for Congress. Not just because it's the morally correct thing for her to do, but because anything else would have her coming awfully close to violating election law.

Today, we're happy to join with the Kansas Democratic Party in there call:

One PowerPoint slide doesn’t seem adequate to justify her presence in these ads if we’re talking about a future potential FEC violation. We’re calling on Lynn Jenkins to promise she won’t appear in American Century ads during both the FEC primary window and general election window.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations define an electioneering communication as: “Any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that (1) refers to a clearly identified candidate for Federal office; (2) is publicly distributed within 60 days before a general election or 30 days before a primary election for the office sought by the candidate referenced in the communication; and (3) in the case of a Congressional candidate, is targeted to the relevant electorate.”

Sorry, Lynn...you're the one with a bad ethical compass who decided to run for Congress. 'Course, as we've pointed out before, this doesn't make you any different than former Congressman Jim Ryun...peas in the same corrupt pod.

He Said it Again: Ryun Advocating a $1.6 TRILLION Stimulus Package

We kind of thought he was just being tongue-in-cheek yesterday on the Raubin & Megan radio show when Jim Ryun said the stimulus package passed by Congress should have been increased by ten fold.

We thought it was sarcasm, because how in the world could a self-described "fiscal conservative" advocate for a $12,000 payout to every single American taxpayer? How could a self-described "fiscal conservative" advocate a $1.5 TRILLION jump in the deficit?

He wasn't being tongue-in-cheek and he wasn't being sarcastic, because former Congressman Jim Ryun just said again, this time on the Jim Cates Show on KMAJ 1440, that he wishes the Congress would have passed a stimulus package that would have given American taxpayers a $12,000 check.

Here's the exact quote from yesterday:

Ryun: Let me just say this- if the amount of money coming back, lets say to the to the typical average family, if $1,200 was good, why not $12,000? You know, let's really stimulate the economy and make it go forward.

Sure, Jim, but how do you suggest we pay for that? New taxes? Borrowing from China? After blathering on about the weak dollar and how flimsy the economy is, Jim Ryun thinks the best way to fix it is to saddle future generations with trillions of dollars in new debt.

It's ridiculous statements like this one that made Americans know Republicans couldn't handle money, and another reason Democrats like Nancy Boyda will find themselves still in Congress in 2009.

BREAKING: Lynn Jenkins withdraws!

In a stunning announcement that came, interestingly, in a form of a telephone call to one of BoydaBloc's writers late last night, Lynn Jenkins has decided to end her campaign ('bout time) for the United States Congress and has thrown her support behind Jim Ryun.

In her exclusive interview with BoydaBloc, Jenkins detailed her decision.

"You know, in the end, I had just forgotten some things about stuff like personal ethics and trust," Jenkins said. "I had forgotten, for instance, that I recorded a TV commercial endorsing Jim in 2004...kind of silly to run against him now, isn't it?"

No kidding.

"Also, the people of Kansas just re-elected me State Treasurer. I mean, they just did that. I know I've never kept an elected position as long as I've been elected to one- well, except the Kansas House of Representatives, but that was easy, the terms are only 2 years long! But, seriously, I didn't complete my whole term in the Kansas Senate before running for Treasurer, and now, if I were to beat Jim and then Congresswoman Boyda, I would have been jumping ship on another elective office.

"I just decided the people of Kansas deserved better from me after all these years of just phoning it in.

"And, on top of that...running in a competitive race isn't nearly as much fun as running basically unopposed. Also, as you could see last quarter, I don't really like raising money...it's a bummer when Republicans say they've already given money to Nancy."

When asked why she was endorsing Jim rather than Congresswoman Boyda, Jenkins giggled, and said:

"You know, in the end, I know Boyda and I are aligned better politically (since we're both pro-choice, stuff like that), but, I guess it just comes down to the Loyalty Oath the state GOP put in place. I just don't really have any other option.

"Hey, another thing...can someone really tell me what good being a CPA is when you're a Member of Congress? Seriously, folks, I've just been saying that for years, no idea if anyone even knows what I'm talking about."

Before the conversation ended, Jenkins graciously complimented this blog on our hard work keeping "all those facts just flying out" about the race.

We appreciate it, Lynn.

And, too all of you out there...........






HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!

Jim Ryun Photo Caption Contest #3

Yet another installment of our popular Friday game. Please, poke fun along with the rest of us (Jenkins supporters invited, too, of course. We'll get to your candidate eventually). ;-)