Boyda Speaks Out for Community Pharmacies

From Boyda's press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District), along with other members of Congress, spoke this morning on the Cannon Terrace in support of legislation to protect community pharmacies.

Congresswoman Boyda introduced the Saving Our Community Pharmacies Act in August, 2007. This bill is meant to prevent a drastic cut in pharmacy reimbursement rates by Medicaid. Many fear these cuts would drive smaller, community pharmacies out of business. "These community pharmacies," said Boyda, "are the nearest healthcare providers in many rural areas." Boyda, along with other supporters of the bill, want to keep these pharmacies open so they can continue to provide a much-needed service.

Without action, Medicaid will change how it calculates reimbursements to pharmacies for generic prescription drugs. Rep. Boyda described the change: "The new formula is a convoluted calculation based off the Average Manufacturer's Price (AMP), but the effect is plain: shuttered pharmacies."

The nonpartisan General Accounting Office (GAO) studied AMP-based reimbursement and found that, on average, pharmacies would receive 36% less in reimbursement than they pay to acquire prescription drugs. According to Rep. Boyda, "That's like forcing a bank to sell dollar bills for 64 cents. No business can survive if they're reimbursed less than their cost."

Boyda's bill calls for a national median price to be calculated for each drug dispensed; and all pharmacies would then be reimbursed at 150 percent of this cost for each drug they dispense to Medicaid beneficiaries.

Under the Saving Our Community Pharmacies Act of 2007 (H.R. 3140), states would be required to increase their utilization of generic drugs. The savings from using cheaper generics would offset the higher reimbursements to pharmacies.

Said Rep. Boyda, "We've been working to raise awareness and spread the message about the peril that community pharmacies face. The hundreds of co-sponsors on these bills are proof that the message has been heard. Now we need action. Today we call upon Congressional leadership to begin moving these bills and pass relief for community pharmacies before this Congress is out."

Boyda's work to save our community pharmacies is commendable. Let's all hope she's successful.

NRCC Won't Take Sides in Ryun-Jenkins Primary

According to NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), the national party isn't going to wade into the dangerous waters that are Kansas Repubilcan politics this summer.

If former Rep. Jim Ryun or Kansas state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins is secretly hoping for national Republicans to bigfoot into their primary battle in Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District, sorry pal.

You’ve got to win it on your own.

It's a strange situation. After a string of three embarrassing loses, Minority Leader John Boehner seems to want the NRCC to take sides in primaries in an effort to produce higher-quality candidates. But Cole is...hesitant, particularly where the Kansas 2nd is concerned. From Roll Call (subscription required):

Another sticky situation for the party could come in Kansas, where former GOP Rep. Jim Ryun is attempting a comeback but faces a party-splintering primary challenge from state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins (R).

Cole also said he didn’t think the party should get involved there either.

“We’re going to help the winner. That’s not one that I feel we ought to get into,” Cole said.

All the indications are, of course, that if the national party did get involved in the race the support would go to Jim Ryun over Lynn Jenkins. After all, several of Ryun's former colleagues, including Minority Leader Boehner, have already endorsed him.

The spin is up to the campaigns on this one: Is Ryun's endorsements from party leadership a sign of his strength and Jenkins' weakness, or is it just an indication he's part of the problem.

To us it is pretty clear it's both.

Letter to the Editor: Boyda "Working for District"

From Thursday's Topeka Capital-Journal:

Letter: Working for district
The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, May 22, 2008

Hearing that Rep. Nancy Boyda helped postal workers for a couple of hours on Mother's Day weekend collecting canned goods and other food items for the community food pantries, I was reminded that she is still a good neighbor even while being our conscientious representative and advocate in our nation's capital.

She leads by example even as she listens intently to our requests for help and our other concerns throughout the 2nd District, especially during her "Congress on your Corner" listening times. And when she returns to Washington after her busy weekends here in the district, she gets back to work on the people's business. Congresswoman Boyda is truly there to represent her constituents.

It is time to let her know that her hard work and her leadership are appreciated. Thank you, Rep. Boyda, for giving us all a strong and compassionate voice in Washington and a sympathetic ear here at home in Kansas.

MERCEDES CRAUGHWELL, Topeka

President Bush Vetoes Farm Bill; The House Overrides

For only the second time during his Presidency, George W. Bush has seen one of his vetoes reversed.

The House quickly rejected President Bush's veto of a $290 billion farm bill Wednesday, and the Senate was poised to follow suit, a stark rebuke of a president overridden only once in his two terms.

Republicans abandoned the president (and their House leadership) in droves over this bill, designed to provide assistance to farmers and pay for nutrition programs.

Supporters praised the spending on food stamps and emergency food aid.

"Twenty-five percent of my state is now in need of food assistance," said Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter, R-Michigan. "I work for them, not for the president."

One would have to wonder, then, who Kansas Republican Representative Jerry Moran works for- he voted against today's successful override.

Boyda Listens to the Military, Sees Amendment Approved

America has always relied on private companies during times a war to help arm and protect our fighting men and women. But many functions have always, always been performed by our highly trained federal employees.

Until changes made by the Bush Administration, that is, which has now resulted in an amendment penned by Congresswoman Nancy Boyda that would put in place a three-year ban on outsourcing Defense Department civilian jobs.

In Boyda's words:

Don’t get me wrong; contractors have their place within the defense environment and work as partners with the Department of Defense and with our bases.

However, in House Armed Services Committee briefings and hearings, I heard time and time again that the pendulum had swung too far to contracting out all types of functions, which is affecting readiness. The Boyda amendment allows the Department of Defense, not the White House, to determine when it is in the best interest of national security to contract out.

So, to rephrase: It is wholly appropriate to seek outside contractors to do some work in some areas- not only is it possible there are experts out there that could be useful, it also could save the taxpayers a few bucks. The problem is that the Administration leaned hard to leaders of the armed services to engage in this public-private competition process- even if they knew their internal work force was the best prepared and most able to do the job.

With two wars and BRAC, the last thing our armed forces need to be strong-armed into engaging in a resource-intensive process that redirects attention from supporting our men and women in the field, and Congress has already acted in an attempt to limit such bullying and refocus those priorities, but it hasn't produced the desired effect.

[Army] Officials told the inspector general that they feel "extreme pressure from the [Office of the Secretary of Defense] to conduct public-private competitions" and they asked for relief from competitive sourcing targets, but to no avail.

So, since 2005 the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy have been asking the Administration to back off and stop micromanaging the system- but they've been ignored, so Congress decided to act.

Boyda's amendment, unfortunately, isn't the first step along this road- it's just the latest action taken to correct the problems within the system.

The A-76 ban is the most aggressive move lawmakers have attempted so far to limit the controversial practice of job competitions. Last year, Congress passed many measures curbing the practice, including: barring public-private competitions at some agencies; granting protest rights to federal employees who lose competitions; and excluding federal health benefits costs from agencies’ calculation to determine the winner of a jobs competition.

All of this culminates in the reasons behind Congresswoman Boyda's amendment, and why it is so important today.

IFPTE President Gregory Junemann wrote to Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, urging inclusion of the amendment in the authorization bill. Junemann said Boyda's amendment was crucial, as Defense was failing to adhere to provisions of last year's authorization bill directing the department not to follow OMB contracting quota requirements. The union also insisted Defense continues to force federal employees who won A-76 competitions to recompete for their jobs every five years, despite legislation reversing that requirement.

"Unfortunately, the [department] has refused to conform to the law, and [Rep.] Boyda's amendment would put a stop to the A-76 process until the existing law is followed," wrote Junemann.

In addition to support from three branches of the armed forces and her fellow Democrats, Boyda's amendment also saw support from the Republicans on the committee. Actually, it passed unanimously.

With our forces spread thin, and our resources even thinner, the Boyda amendment will make sure those limited resources are directed to supporting our troops, and used to fund unnecessary and time-consuming distractions.

Roll Call: Stung by Poll, Jenkins Pulls D.C. Card on Ryun

Roll Call published (subscription required) a nice little piece demonstrating that when Lynn Jenkins says she wants to keep the campaign between herself and Jim Ryun "friendly" she really means no-holds-barred and personal.

And Lord it's fun to watch!

State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, running against former Rep. Jim Ryun for the 2nd district GOP nomination, has responded to an internal Ryun poll that showed a big lead for the ex-Congressman with a news release that labels him a carpetbagger and a product of Washington, D.C.

“As former Congressman Jim Ryun wraps up a tour of the Second District to introduce himself to those he previously represented for 10 years, he still has a home in Washington, D.C., his campaign has a branch in the D.C. suburbs, his entire paid staff hails from east of the Mississippi, and most of his supporters are not from Kansas,” the news release read.

Not news to any of our readers, of course- at least the parts saying that Ryun draws the great majority of his financial support from states like Texas and Virginia...and also that he considered himself a resident of Washington, DC for much of his final years in office (and right after he lost his seat, too), but the bit about Jim having a "branch office" in DC is new. But, hey, when Jenkins finds herself falling behind, she tends to lash out in whatever direction she's turned.

More Republican bloodsport? Read on:

“Time after time, we’re reminded just how deeply Washington changed Jim Ryun,” Jenkins campaign spokesman Pat Leopold said in a statement. “Jim spent 10 years in Washington talking a good game, but spent money on nearly everything except border enforcement.”

All true...and all why he lost in 2006. Ah, but the Ryun camp couldn't just let any of that go.

The Ryun campaign disputed several of the Jenkins campaign’s charges.

Really? Do tell!

The Ryun campaign emphasized that it doesn’t have a “branch” in Washington, D.C. — only that it uses a bookkeeping firm that has an office there — and noted that not all of its paid campaign staff “hails” from there, either.

Oh, so you just pay people in Virginia to handle your books. I ask you: Are there no CPAs in Topeka? (Look real hard...no, down, she's short).

As to staffing...unless you count the Ryun children, it appears every single person on the payroll is indeed a non-Kansan. 'Course, Lynn doesn't have any staff, so it's an easy attack for her to make. Boyda? Nearly all of her campaign staffers are Kansans- either by birth or tenure in the state. Don't believe us? Call 'em and ask yourself. But, really, arguing about staffers is bad form- keep it to each other, kids.

“A day after finding themselves down 44 points, Lynn Jenkins confirms our polling numbers are correct by launching a desperate attack,” Ryun campaign spokesman Kyle Robertson said. “Hey Lynn, there are real issues in this campaign more important than where campaign staff grew up.”

First- Kyle Robertson proves yet again he's an arrogant prick. Second...he's right. Jenkins is floundering, and obviously has flailed into a support response again on this one.

More in the next few days about this primary....we've got a doozy of a post about Lynn in the pipes. 'Til then!

Boyda: "Outsourcing Defense Hurts the U.S."

Addressing a grave problem that has only recently even been an issue, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has a special column published in the DC newspaper Roll Call on Friday. In it, she makes all the points that needed to be made by Congress before they agreed to allow companies based in foreign nations to bid on Defense Department contracts.

Outsourcing Defense Hurts the U.S.
Special to Roll Call
Congresswoman Nancy Boyda

Rosie the Riveter. The indelible poster harkens a feeling of the American can-do attitude. More than 60 years ago, our nation’s industrial base answered the call to produce the airplanes, tanks and jeeps that our armed forces needed to win World War II. Their efforts helped to secure our country’s freedom and put the United States on the path to world leadership and economic success.

Since then, the U.S. military has fought in three major wars, and in every conflict the primary suppliers of military equipment were based right here in the United States. But today is different. The rise of globalization, questionable U.S. trade policies and the transformation of the American economy from manufacturing-based to service-based have increasingly led the United States to outsource our national defense.

On Feb. 29, the Air Force selected a European- based aerospace conglomerate, EADS, to build a next-generation air refueling tanker. I was and am still extremely troubled by this decision for several reasons. The negative effect on the economy of Kansas is enormous. As has been reported, the final step in manufacturing these aircraft would have been completed at the Boeing facility in Wichita. With the contract now set to be awarded to a foreign manufacturer, Boeing and other Kansas suppliers face the loss of billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

In addition to the negative economic effect is the loss of skilled labor. Every contract sent overseas takes with it critical national defense skills — skills that will be very hard to replace once those employees walk out the door. Especially in a time of war.

The ability for America’s industrial base to quickly manufacture military goods is severely depleted. The conflict in Iraq is a perfect example of our difficulty to quickly mass-produce needed equipment. The Humvees that we sent to Iraq in 2003 were not up-armored. When the insurgency began to deploy deadly improvised explosive devices, the U.S. military needed several years to produce mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles in mass quantities. The delay cost too many soldiers their lives and undermined America’s counterinsurgency efforts. The United States simply did not have the manufacturing capability or the skilled work force needed to provide for our own defense.

Jobs here at home are important, but there’s another side of sending military contracts overseas that doesn’t get nearly the attention it should: illegal transfer of technology. With more and more components of military equipment made overseas, our national security could be in jeopardy if foreign-built technology is sold to the highest bidder.

In 1999, the Defense Science Board determined that the threat is very real. “From a long-term strategic standpoint, globalization’s most significant manifestation is the irresistible leveling effect it is having on the international military technological environment in which DOD must compete. ... The technology DOD [anticipates being able to leverage most] to maintain military dominance is that which the United States is least capable of denying its potential competitors. Access to commercial technology is virtually universal, and its exploitation for both civil and military ends is largely unconstrained. ... Indeed, owing to the proliferation of military technology, the commercialization of former military-specific technology, and the increasing reliance of militaries worldwide on commercially developed technology, and the general diffusion of technology and know-how, the majority of militarily useful technology is or eventually will be available commercially and/or from non-U.S. defense companies.”

The trends noted by the DSB haven’t slowed down. The Department of Defense relies on multiple international defense companies every day to buy equipment for the military. Is anyone looking out for our country’s best interest when dealing with foreign competitors?

The answer should be yes. Earlier this year, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the National Industrial Security Program. NISP was created in 1993 by executive order to ensure that cleared U.S. defense contractors safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. NISP manages contractors under foreign ownership, control or influence in order “to facilitate foreign investment by ensuring that foreign firms cannot undermine U.S. security and export controls to gain unauthorized access to critical technology, classified information, and special classes of classified information.”

Back in 1993, there may have been a legitimate reason to want to “facilitate” foreign investment in the industry. But as the recent tanker deal has shown, we may have facilitated too much. NISP is administered by the Defense Security Service, but incredibly, this agency played only a minor role, if any role at all, in determining the appropriateness of the EADS contract.

To be very clear, I don’t intend to suggest that EADS has any ulterior motives behind bidding for the contract. But the contract raises significant questions about the influence of foreign companies and governments on our defense procurement needs.

At a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, a Government Accountability Office analyst called America’s procedures for overseeing foreign military contracts “Swiss cheese.”

Somewhere, Rosie the Riveter is rolling over in her grave.

Boyda & Vets Push for New GI Bill

Standing in Topeka with members of the armed forces, Nancy Boyda joined the call for a updated and revised GI Bill, standing together with other Members of Congress and the military calling for better care for our soldiers after the return from active duty.

From the Topeka Capital Journal:

Former Marine Sgt. Dan Parker is fighting for a new GI Bill.

The 25-year-old veteran of deployments to Iraq and Liberia is a semester away from earning degrees in political science and English at The University of Kansas. He attributes discipline and maturity drawn from years in uniform to making him a solid college student.

Financial support through the existing GI Bill helped pave the way for Parker's education, but inflation has compromised a benefit created for veterans of World War II. Parker and many of his peers find it necessary to hold jobs to make ends meet. Others take on massive loan debt.

The value of a strong GI Bill is something Congresswoman Boyda can vouch for personally- as can the families of thousands of World War II veterans.

"The GI Bill was what actually took our family into the middle class," said Boyda, who represents the 2nd District that includes Topeka. "I don't think the American people understood how the benefits had eroded."

So, members of the House approved sweeping reforms, bringing the GI Bill back to the strength it had for our grandparents. Under the new bill, "benefits would be available to veterans for 15 years rather than the current 10 years. Veterans could expend a portion of the funding for tutors, continuing education, and license and certification tests. A mandatory $1,200 buy-in fee, (and) a $600 supplemental charge to broaden benefits, would be dropped."

If the bill makes it past the Senate, the president may still veto it. The veterans at event in Topeka, though, had strong words of caution on that front.

Parker, who grew up in McPherson, advised the commander in chief to update incentives for veterans to attend college. About one-third of veterans draw upon GI Bill benefits, he said, but less than 10 percent earn a college diploma.

"It would be a politically devastating mistake if the president were to veto it," said Parker, a Marine from 2000 to 2005. "Nobody is going to get rich off the GI Bill."

And, for just some more visual stimulation:

3,000 Strong: Boyda Files for Re-Election By Petition

Out only moments ago from the Boyda Campaign HQ:

TOPEKA, KS – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) today delivered petitions signed by 2,986 Kansans to the Kansas Secretary of State's office – over 500 more signatures than needed to file for re-election to the United States Congress.

Only 2,441 signatures were required to qualify Congresswoman Boyda for the ballot.

The petition process allows a candidate for Congress to bypass the usual $1,672 filing fee by demonstrating enormous grassroots support. According to the Secretary of State's office, it is highly unusual for a federal candidate to file by petition in Kansas. The last candidate to successfully do so was Congresswoman Boyda in her 2004 campaign for office.

"It's humbling and a true honor to have the support of so many thousands of Kansans," Congresswoman Boyda said. "Of course, the campaign season is still months away. Congress has a great deal of work to do between now and Election Day, and my focus remains on representing Kansas to the best of my ability."

Congresswoman Boyda will formally announce her candidacy for re-election at a public event later this year.

This is the second time Boyda has filed by petition- the first time was in 2004 when she first ran for Congress. At the time, the Secretary of State was unsure when the last federal candidate in Kansas had filed via a petition drive.

It was historic then, and it's historic now- and a very real indication of her on-the-ground support.

Ryun to Host Reception to "Honor" Miserably Failed Presidential Candidate

Radical conservatives stick together. Jim Ryun's seen several of his former pals in Congress help him out over the last few months- even throwing nice fundraisers for him in Texas, which netted him a nice chunk of change.

Now Jim's "giving back" by throwing a reception to "honor" failed Republican Presidential candidate Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)...that just so happens to also be a fundraiser for the Ryun campaign.

Ain't it convenient when things work out like that? You can honor your friends and use them to raise moolah all at the same time!

Yes, we are fully aware you don't know who Duncan Hunter is (no one does...). So, who the heck is he? Well, like we said, he ran for president- badly- pulling about 3% in national polls when they even bothered to include him. Also, he was endorsed by Ann Coulter as her number one choice for President of the United States. (Yes, Ann freakin' Coulter!). If that doesn't tell you he's a wack job...

In the Iowa caucuses Hunter finished in seventh place with 524 votes or less than 1% of the total...last for all intents and purposes (Tom Tancredo got 5 votes...so, there's that). He also placed last in the Michigan primary...right behind "Uncommitted," which, incidentally, did receive 15,000 votes MORE than Hunter did.

But that uncommitted is crafty...

Just like Jim Ryun, it seems Rep. Hunter doesn't care much about actually doing the job people elected him to do- in the 110th Congress Hunter has so far missed 27% of all votes cast (compare that to Congresswoman Nancy Boyda who has missed 1.6% of votes cast or Congressman Dennis Moore who has only not voted 0.7% of the time).

So on June 7, our favorite Republican loser Jim Ryun is bringing the single biggest loser (and Ann Coulter's favorite loser) of this year's Presidential contests in for a barbeque- and for only $250 you can get your picture taken in his stunning splendor.

All in his honor, of course.

Letter to the Editor: An Example for Congress

As appeared in the May 15 issue of the Topeka Capital-Journal:

Letter: Example for Congress

On May 3, Rep. Nancy Boyda visited Valley Falls as part of her 2008 listening tour called "Congress on Your Corner." She is back in the 2nd District nearly every weekend, listening to what folks have to say and helping people get results from federal bureaucracies where difficulties persist.

I am always amazed how hard-working and genuine she is. In Valley Falls, Rep. Boyda and our community had in-depth and candid discussions on issues ranging from supporting veterans, continuing middle-class tax cuts, immigration policies that are enforced and work, sound trade policies that strengthen the United States and difficulties within Social Security and health care.

I was thoroughly impressed when Rep. Boyda stated that she and her husband, Steve, declined the stellar health care plan offered to her as a member of Congress. Instead, they pay gobs of money every month out of their own pocket. The reason: they couldn't accept this benefit in good conscience when so many of us here in the district struggle to obtain and/or pay for coverage. This is a bold example that other members of Congress should follow.

After the session ended, townspeople had an opportunity for one-on-one time to get help battling bureaucratic obstacles. Then, she was off to Fat Jack's on Broadway for ice cream and antique browsing.

She had a few minutes before heading to her next stop, so she stopped by the home of a Valley Falls woman who has been battling health problems and didn't have the strength to make it to the event.

What an excellent example Nancy Boyda is.

CRAIG GUNTHER, Valley Falls

:-)

KS GOP Blogs Stupid- Again

First they posted a link to a video that included a minute and a half of content countering the argument they thought it was defending.

Now they post a link to a survey that says Republican obstruction and George W. Bush's vetoes of common sense legislation makes people dislike Congress.

Let's look, shall we?

In their post, the KS GOP tries to convince you that it is Nancy Boyda & Dennis Moore's fault people hate Congress right now, pointing to the fact that body does indeed have the lowest approval rating of any Congress in the history of the Gallup poll.

The neglect to mention Todd Tiahrt, Jerry Moran, Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback are all also in Congress...and are actually the problem.

No, we aren't just saying that because we support Nancy Boyda- we're saying that because that's what the poll says.

The poll says Americans disapprove of Congress in about the same numbers. Now, the Republicans really want you to believe that the reason the public disapproves of Congress is because the disapprove of the kinds of things the Democratic leadership and people like Boyda and Moore are trying to accomplish.

That isn't true. And we can prove it with numbers.

They ignore that every poll released in the last year say people support increasing the minimum wage, they support stem cell research, and they support a reasoned withdrawal from Iraq- all the kinds of things the Democrats have championed, that the Republicans opposed, and that the President attempted to prevent.

Republicans, of course, disapprove of Congress...because they aren't in charge anymore. But that survey shows Democrats also disapprove of the job Congress is doing- because the Republicans are preventing any real action on the things that matter to people.

So, Christian, consider that a spike- Boyda and Moore are doing exactly what the people of the United States want them to do, while Republicans are standing pat in the way of progress.

Photo Caption Contest: Presidential Edition

In honor of both the President's newly abysmal polling numbers, and to the fact Jim Ryun and Lynn Jenkins both still want to be seen in his company, we have today's photo caption contest.

(We know it isn't the best picture ever...but we trust in your creativity!)

More on the Farm Bill

Another article today from the Wall Street Journal talking about why the Farm Bill found veto proof success, even though the President and the Republican leadership in the House instructed members to vote against it (which bleary-eyed lapdogs Todd Tiahrt & Jerry Moran dutifully did).

Last time around, Republicans were pretty generous when it came to larding up the farm bill.

This year, though, some of them had a change of attitude.

President Bush directed his party to get back to its fiscally conservative roots. He said he would prefer no new farm bill to the one written by Democrats.

The elected leader of the House Republicans, John Boehner from a corn-growing district in western Ohio, called the bill “a great example of what’s wrong in Washington.”

But half of Rep. Boehner’s caucus didn’t see it that way – 100 Republicans voted for the bill, which racked up such a large victory margin – 318-106 – that overriding a veto shouldn’t pose much of a problem, if it comes to that.

It’s a testament to the power of an important constituency in both congressional and presidential contests: the rural vote.

Yep, the rural vote, and the deep necessity to protect our farmers. Democrats and Republicans expressed the same reason for voting as they did: "I was voting my district."

That's what Nancy Boyda did. Dennis Moore, who's district has almost no farmers (if any) voted the way he knew Kansas farmers needed him to vote. Even Senators Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback voted with a veto-proof majority in the Senate to pass the bill (though they both expressed the same hesitations Boyda did- that the bill wasn't perfect, but it was certainly better than nothing). Heck, Farm Bureau back the dang bill.

Only Tiahrt & Moran seemed to forget they represent a state of farmers and not San Francisco. Luckily Nancy Boyda was looking out for their constituents.

Boyda Secures $404 Million for Ft. Riley

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda announced in a press release today that the Emergency Supplemental Budget the House acted on today included $404 million for a new hospital at Ft. Riley.

Congresswoman Boyda said "This funding is a huge step in the right direction. The new hospital will improve the quality of life for our soldiers and their families by providing them with the best and most modern care available."

The bill, which was broken up into three parts, also includes $50 million for the Transitioning Warrior Support Complex at the fort, which will provide better housing for wounded soldiers residing at the fort.

Additionally:

The Supplemental Act also contains the new GI Bill, in honor of the hard work and sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform, and recognizes the debt America owes them for their service. The new GI Bill expands the education benefits veterans receive under the GI bill to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education, and make the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan part of an American economic recovery, just like the veterans of World War II were.

Also included, are extended unemployment benefits for workers who have exhausted their benefits by up to 13 weeks. The number of Americans looking for work has grown by 800,000 over the last year, and the number of American jobs has declined by 260,000 since the beginning of 2008.

The portions of the bill that contained those deeply needed programs and construction requests passed the House, but the bill that contained funding for the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan drew a Republican protest vote and failed to pass.

The House failed to pass a measure funding the war in Iraq on Thursday afternoon by a vote of 141 to 149, with 132 Republicans voting “present” to protest what they see as unfair treatment by the Democratic majority.

[...]

The measure would have provided $163 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Boyda's $404 million for Kansas, however, did pass- with Kansas Republican Representatives Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran voting against their own state. Moore, of course, joined Boyda in investing in Kansas.

Moran and Tiahrt also voted against the new GI Bill...just for those of you keeping score. Another day to be glad you live in eastern Kansas (and a day to pity your friends with sub-par representation).

Boyda Joins Veto-Proof Majority in Backing the Farm Bill

From the Hutch News:

Democrat Nancy Boyda, of Topeka, said the bill is far from perfect, but called the measure a reasonable compromise that won the backing of most major farm groups, including the Kansas Farm Bureau.

"I think we all worked to restore those cuts to direct payments, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that direct payments were slashed," Boyda said. "Over 10 years you'll see less than one half of a percent of the direct payments cut, which I'm not saying is a good thing, but we just need to keep it in perspective."

"The farm groups are not happy about it, but it could have been worse and they know it," Boyda said.

The Farm Bill, which is our national safety net for our farmers, has been delayed for months by threats of vetoes from the president and endless partisan bickering, will provide support to millions of farmers nationwide. While the bill isn't perfect, it's seen as the best that could be done in the present political climate in Washington.

Kansas Farm Bureau President Steve Baccus said his group supported the bill, despite some misgivings, and encouraged the state's delegation to vote for it.

"We don't like the fact that they had cuts to direct payments and cuts to federal crop insurance which is extremely important to our folks," Baccus said. "At the same time, we've gone though a lengthy process of negotiations and this bill is just a compromise. We feel like under the current scenario with the current administration and the current Congress, it's probably the best deal we could work out."

The bill thankfully cut payments to single farmers with an annual income of $750,000 or more, or to married farmers with an annual income of $1.5 million.

More on the New Ryun-Jenkins Poll

Little snippet from The Hill gives us some more reaction to the recently released poll that shows Jim Ryun destroying Lynn Jenkins by 44 points in the primary in the KS-02:

Former Rep. Jim Ryun leads state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins by roughly 3-to-1, according to a Ryun-commissioned poll of their GOP primary race released Wednesday.

Ryun’s 65 percent-to-21 percent lead among GOP primary voters represents a significant bump for the former congressman since a poll released nearly a month ago showed Ryun leading 50 percent to 34.

That poll was conducted for a group supporting Jenkins.

“While this race is bound to tighten as the campaign progresses, there is no question that Jim Ryun has a very strong edge among GOP voters,” says the poll, which was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies. “The report indicates that Ryun benefits from significantly higher name identification.”

Jenkins campaign manager Patrick Leopold took issue with the poll, noting that it was not “independent.”

“We haven’t spent a dime on advertising and sit here today with more money to spend on the primary than Ryun,” Leopold said, adding that the April poll showed that “the more people hear about his record, the better we do.”

Ryun communications director Jacqueline Harrison said: “This poll speaks for itself.”

Indeed the poll does speak for itself- Jim Ryun continues to out-perform the pro-choice, pro-tax Lynn Jenkins with Republican primary voters. We will, however, have to wait and see what these numbers do after both candidates go up on TV, which should, probably, be any time now.

Ryun Crushes Jenkins in New District Poll

As released today in the DC-based newspaper Roll Call (which you must have a subscription to access), Jim Ryun has a shocking 44 point advantage over Lynn Jenkins in the run up to their August primary.

Ryun’s internal poll found that he led Jenkins 65 percent to 21 percent, showing a net gain for the former Congressman since he polled at this time last year. Last May, Ryun’s internal polling had him out in front of Jenkins by a margin of 61 percent to 27 percent.

Ryun’s poll, conducted by Republican pollster Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies on April 27 and 28, surveyed 350 likely GOP voters, and had a margin of error of 5.66 points.

And, in what we think is simply classic:

The Jenkins campaign declined to comment.

Of course they did! What could they have said? "Nuh-uh!"

So, now it looks like you just have to decided who's internal polling you agree with more: the Ryun polling that shows Jenkins down by 44, or the Jenkins polling that shows her down by 16. Either way, looks like Jenkins is fairly desperate waters.

Conservative Bloggers Take Notice of Jenkins' Stand on Abortion

From Kansas Meadowlark today we get some more coverage of Lynn Jenkins' decision to accept contributions and other fundraising assistance from WISH List- the nation's largest pro-choice Republican organization.

Wikipedia explains that “WISH” stands for “Women in the Senate and House” and is considered a counterpart to Emily’s list, a group that supports pro-abortion Democratic women, and the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that elects pro-life women.

All quite true.

KS Meadowlark goes on to mention Jim Ryun has been endorsed by a couple of anti-abortion groups.

Ryun’s recent report shows “earmarked” contributions from Concerned Women for America PAC. See all Ryun’s FEC reports here. Wikipedia explains that CWA is a conservative Christian political action group.

They also mention Ryun's endorsement by FRC Action, which this blog has already discussed. While that organization isn't the sort of org anyone should be courting, this take on the differences between Ryun & Jenkins on issues of deep concern to the primary voters in the Kansas Republican Party.

Letter to the Editor: "Thank You"

A Letter to the Editor from the Pittsburg Morning Sun-

Dear Editor,

On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda called on Nancy Pelosi and other leaders in Congress to stop charging American taxpayers for reconstruction projects in Iraq and to also insist the government of Iraq to assume ownership of all such projects and to take full responsibility for $153 million the United States spends per month on fuel in Iraq.

Boyda said "Five years and $45 billion dollars in money given to Iraq for the purpose of reconstruction is more than enough. It is time for the Iraqi government to step up and take some responsibility. Taxpayers are being hit with a double whammy — once at the pump and again with money we are giving to Iraq with no strings attached."

Thank you, Nancy Boyda, for pressuring Congress into action in terms of what the invasion of Iraq is costing American taxpayers.

Vincent F. Scimeca
Arcadia

We couldn't agree more- thank you for standing up for Kansas taxpayers, Nancy!

Republicans Fail- Again- To Win A Republican Seat in Congress

Honest-to-goodness, it's music to our ears:

A GOP House leadership aide told the Politico last week that “if we don’t win in Mississippi, I think you are going to see a lot of people running around here looking for windows to jump out of.”

They didn't win in Mississippi.

For the third time in a row, the Republicans have failed to keep a solidly Republican House seat in their column For the third time Democrats have been elected over supremely well funded Republicans to seats that haven't seen Democratic representative in the last 20, 30, 40 or more years.

For the third time in a row, seats just as or even more Republican than Nancy Boyda's have been won by Democrats, even as the Republicans have scrambled desperately to paint the Democrats with national brushes, when it's local issues, and deep, deep dissatisfaction with the Republican brand, that has won the day time and time- and time- again.

First it was Congressman Bill Foster's stunning win in the seat once held by Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in Illinois- a seat with a PVI of R-5 that the Democrat carried 53% of the vote. Then, Congressman Don Cazayoux was elected in the Louisiana 6th- a district with a PVI of R-1o that hadn't been represented by a Democrat since 1974. And now, just tonight, Congressman-elect Travis Childers has found himself elected in the Mississippi 1st- a district that has been held comfortably by Republicans since 1994 and that Childers took tonight with 54%.

In each race, the Republicans pulled exactly the same tricks they're going to try to use against Nancy Boyda. They're going to try to make the race about Nancy Pelosi, they're going to try to make the race about Barack Obama- they're going to do whatever they can to make the race about anything other than Nancy Boyda's track record or about the Republicans, because, if they do allow the race to be about the job Boyda has done, or about the miserable job the Republicans have done, they know they'll be destined for yet another lose in a "Republican" district.

It didn't work there, and it won't work here.

A third loss in Tuesday’s 1st District special election would prompt new predictions of electoral doom in November, hurt the party’s already flagging morale and usher in a new round of public finger-pointing among an already fractured GOP. Politico.com

With good reason- they're heading toward yet another election year like they had in 2006.

The Mississippi First is a district 4 points MORE Republican than Nancy Boyda's. This wasn't in Boston, kids, this was in rural Mississippi. And rural Louisiana. And rural Illinois.

Our hunch is- rural Kansas is going to be more of the same.

President George W. Bush in Kansas City

That's right, the least popular president in modern history is coming to Kansas City, Kansas, to campaign for Republican congressional candidate State Senate Nick Jordan.

What on Earth is wrong with Jordan we do not know- this comes after he threw an ill-attended fundraiser with Vice President Dick Cheney- so this makes him only the second Republican candidate in the nation to bring both Cheney and the President in to glad-hand for him.

The other? Missouri Congressman Sam Graves- who, like Jordan, suffers from a desperate lack of money and Democratic opponents they're going to have an awfully hard time defeating.

How does this fit into the race in the Kansas 2nd?

Our sources say Lynn Jenkins is on the sponsor board of the event (she was also in attendance at the VP event). Strangely absent from the list of sponsors- Jim Ryun.

Is Jenkins simply too dumb to know her potential district disapproves of the president as much as the rest of the country, or is she simply a gadfly who is in desperate need of attention? And why is Ryun not supporting fellow candidate Nick Jordan? Has he really been pushed that far out of the center of the Kansas Republican Party?

UPDATE: Well, indeed Jim Ryun is on the invite- and while he is, apparently, still welcome to play with the big boys (and girls) of the KS GOP, we're now left with TWO candidates for Congress in the 2nd District stupid enough to put their names next to George W. Bush's. Guess it was just to much to expect any of them to learn from the disaster that was Bush's swing through for Ryun in '06.

More at Left Brain Kansas.

Boyda Praised for Actions on Healthcare

From this Sunday's Wichita Eagle, in an article about the state of Kansas's work toward health reform for children:

In the end, the Kansas Legislature chose wisely by approving a health reform package that will make health care more accessible to children in working-class families, provide expanded medical and dental services for low-income pregnant women, and more adequately fund safety-net clinics across the state that provide medical care for uninsured Kansas families.

[...]

Children are a relatively inexpensive population to insure because they are less likely to have developed costly medical conditions. By insuring children from the start, before the onset of such conditions, health care providers can encourage healthy habits and treat medical concerns before they become costly conditions.

Furthermore, federal resources available to the states provide 72 percent of the funding for the Kansas children's health insurance program. Combined with monthly premiums paid by the families of those children enrolled in the program, the cost to the state is minimal.

Some argued during the session that federal resources would not be available to extend the eligibility level for our state children's health insurance program. That is highly unlikely, considering that Congress -- including our own Sen. Pat Roberts and Reps. Jerry Moran, Nancy Boyda and Dennis Moore -- wholeheartedly has supported reauthorization at a level that will more adequately address uninsured children in working-class families.

Clearly, much remains to be done to improve access to health care in our country, but most Kansans will agree that a path to reform that puts children first is good for children and good for the future of Kansas.

If only Todd Tiahrt & Sam Brownback would get on board...

Happy Mother's Day, but just from the Democrats

All of us here at BoydaBloc, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, Congressman Dennis Moore, and 235 other members of the United States House of Representatives would like to wish you and your mothers a very happy Mother's Day.

Kansas Republican Representatives Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran and 169 House Republicans would rather just play politics in the House.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.

Yeah, of course, Tiahrt had just voted in favor of the resolution, and, in this recommit, but then joined 177 other Republicans (just Repubilcans) in voting against it. This was an effort, you see, to prevent the House from accomplishing a singularly important goal:

As House Democrats tried to pass legislation to ease the mortgage crisis on Wednesday, Republicans served up hours of procedural delays, demanding a score of roll call votes: 10 motions to adjourn, half a dozen motions to reconsider, various and sundry amendments, a motion to approve the daily journal, a motion to instruct and a "motion to rise."

The high point came just after 6 p.m., when, after one of the motions to adjourn, 61 members lined up to change their votes, one by one. Forty-six went from aye to no, while 15 changed from no to aye. The maneuver ate up 28 minutes in all -- and caused an eruption by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who accused the minority of a "filibuster by vote changing."

The Mother's Day resolution wasn't a big deal, and, really, most of America's mothers are probably just fine today knowing folks like Tiahrt and Moran would rather play politics than honor them, but this sort of obstruction, this sort of rank partisanship, is ridiculous when people all around the nation are losing their homes.

File this one under "Callous, and they don't care."

(By the way, if you needed any more evidence this was just a game, Tiahrt's spokesman has affirmed that Todd does indeed still love his mother).

Photo Caption Contest Friday

Happy Friday... go wild

To Privatize or Not to Privatize: Where is Jim?

Great LTE in the CapJournal about Jim Ryun's stance on the privatization of Social Security.

Best part ... Scroll down and read the comments - they are particularly interesting. Specifically

Snert2 who I found was particularly funny
"I agree that Jim Ryun should run. My doctor tells me that regular physical exercise leads to a healthy lifetime. I am one registered Republican who will not vote for him to "run" for public office again."

Bassman
"I too am a registered Replublican(can't remain an Independent to vote in a primary)that plans on voting for Nancy Boyda.Mr.Ryun only came home at election time.Nancy listens."

Reharkins
"Wow! I hope he reads this. It could save him much public humiliation. The people that voted for him over Nancy Boyda didn't know what representation was. Now they do. Sure you get some people who only follow party lines but I don't think blatent stupidity will prevail in this race. Republican and Democrat fall way behind doing a job and stuffing a shirt."

Good people - just gotta say ... good people

Ryun Endorsed by Group with Ties to the Ku Klux Klan

We posted earlier today former Congressman Jim Ryun has received the endorsement of the legislative arm of the Family Research Council, but it wasn't until this afternoon that we looked into FRC Action closer and found out that the endorsement ties Ryun directly to a man who once paid Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke $82,000 for a mailing list and was then fined for trying to cover it up.

In 1996 Perkins paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,500 for his mailing list. At the time, Perkins was the campaign manager for a right-wing Republican candidate for the US Senate in Louisiana. The Federal Election Commission fined the campaign Perkins ran $3,000 for attempting to hide the money paid to Duke.

On top of that, in 2001:

Perkins addressed the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), America's premier white supremacist organization, the successor to the White Citizens Councils, which battled integration in the South.

How Ryun could even fathom accepting an endorsement from any organization with ties to white supremacist is beyond anything we can understand. We demand he publicly reject the endorsement of FRC Action and publicly distant himself and his campaign from any group with ties to the Ku Klux Klan and any other white supremacist organization.

KS-02 Rankings & Ratings: Boyda in a Close Race Pundits Say She's Likely to Win

Something is certain in the Kansas 2nd, regardless of how much faith you put in DC talking heads: The race for the seat currently held by Congresswoman Nancy Boyda is going to be hard fought- and, quite possibly, the hottest congressional race in the country.

We say that, but we thought it would be nice to back it up with some context for you. We love context...and links...links are awesome in blogs.

So, today, we thought we'd give you a quick rundown of how those pundits perceive the KS-02 right now, and then tell you why that makes sure that much more optimisic as we get closer and closer to election day (180 days...).

• CQ Politics: No Clear Favorite
• Swing State Project: Lean Democratic
• Roll Call: Tossup
• Rothenberg Political Report: Pure Tossup
• Cook Political Report: Leans Democratic
• Larry J. Sabato: Leans Democratic
• DC's Political Report: 5 Star Democratic Retention

Those of us who support Boyda will point you to the four raters who say the seat leans in her direction, while we're sure those of you who hate her with a burning evil passion will point to the three who say the seat is just too close to call at this point. You needn't scream, we can see it, too.

That's fine, of course, but it certainly doesn't point to anything even approaching a likely lose. No, if anyone thought that was going to be the case, they'd classify this seat as a "Leans Republican" or even a "Likely Republican." But no one does- ever- and they haven't in the nearly year and a half Boyda has been in office.

That in itself is an amazing turn of events- in just two years this seat went from "Solid Republican" to "Leans Democratic." Thanks in large part to the ineptness of the Kansas Republican Party leadership, of course, and to a gentleman named Jim Ryun. Oh, and of course to our current Congresswoman's ability to connect with her district in away they haven't felt since Jim Slattery represented them in the Eighties.

So, take it or leave it that's where the national pundits put this race as of today. Our guess it will only look better and better for Boyda as the Republican primary takes to the TVs districtwide.

But when 26% of Republicans say they'd rather vote Boyda than one of her Republican counterparts, you know things are getting better in Kansas.

Endrosements Roll in for Ryun, Jenkins Left Holding the Door

Yesterday we got a Google News Alert for an article on the NRCC web site trumpetting Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake's endorsement of Jim Ryun, in which Flake said Congress "needs" Ryun.

We'd post a link to it, but the NRCC took it off their web site because, we can only assume, that they realized suddenly Jim Ryun still had a primary opponent in the race, and that they had said they weren't taking sides.

Whatever- we understand it's easy to overlook Jenkins' faltering campaign (just like the Topeka news media did- Jim Ryun had umpteen news crews and KPR on hand when he opened his camapign office while the only thing Lynn got was two paragraphs on the WIBW web site).

It's also clear which side national Republican groups have fallen in this particular race, with Ryun endorsed by CHOMP, FRC Action, and the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate- while Jenkins has found herself out in the cold for the most part, only finding help from Republican pro-choice organizations.

Another week and another reason to not want to be a Lynn Jenkins supporter.

"Congress on Your Corner" Brings 4,000 People Closer to Their Government

While people pointed to many things when asked why they wanted a new Member of Congress in 2006, one of the most frequently referenced was that they simply didn't think their former representative cared about them or knew what it was like on the ground in the district- if only because he was never in town to see.

Love her or hate her, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has made sure that wasn't the case during her first year and a half in office. And, so, in a major break from Jim Ryun's tradition (again, this isn't partisanship, this is history), Boyda held 58 two-to-three hour long meetings all over the district- bringing more than 4,000 out to ask their questions and get to know their Member of Congress.

As she puts it in her column "Plane Talk:"

We held our 57th and 58th "Congress on Your Corners" this weekend. Over 4,000 people have attended in the last year and a half to share their views, their concerns, and their personal need for help.

I wasn't sure what to expect when we started them. I just knew I was concerned that I would get stuck in the DC echo chamber and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose touch. Believe me; you get it straight when you get it straight from the voters!

Most "Congress on Your Corners" lasted two to three hours. One lasted six hours! Over 100 people attended the "Congress on Your Corner" in Ottawa. We stayed there and met with each person who was patient enough to wait!

People are not shy about asking questions or voicing concerns. But I also have many people tell me "Thank you". That really means a lot.

We are now 90 days away from the primary election, so legally we will not be able to hold these events until after the election. I'll miss them. They aren't about politics, they are about people.

Even if Nancy Boyda doesn't get another term in Congress, because of her those more than 4,000 people got to have a meeting with their member of Congress...something that would have never ever occurred if Jim Ryun were still their representative.

File This Under "Close to Home and He Doesn't Realize It"

Today Jim Ryun's son, Ned Ryun, who serves as the head of American Majority, an organization "committed to identifying and training liberty‐minded leaders (...what?)," wrote a blog about his feelings on former Gov. Mike Huckabee:

In some ways I’m semi-fascinated with Huckabee. He strikes me as being someone desperate to be relevant and willing to do quite a bit to try and stay in the limelight. [Emphasis ours.]

Oh, Ned...Gov. Huckabee is so not alone...

Tax Dollars for Infrastructure at Home or in Iraq?

As debate begins on a new Iraq-Afghanistan war funding measure, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has joined a growing group of Members of Congress calling for Iraq to repay the United States for the money spent on reconstruction.

Meanwhile, 47 Democrats who were elected to Congress in 2006 appealed to Pelosi and two key appropriations chairmen to include provisions requiring that future U.S. funding for reconstruction, military training and fuel be repaid by the Iraqi government from oil revenues.

Several Democrats say Americans are tired for paying for Iraq's needs.

"It's time for Iraq to step up and take control of its reconstruction and its future. Americans are no longer willing to write a blank check for Iraq's reconstruction costs, our military fuel costs, and the cost of training Iraq's military," said Rep. Ron Klein.

"For crying out loud, they [the American people, presumably] want to know why we are continuing to send our American dollars overseas to Iraq to continue to pay for their reconstruction," added Rep. Nancy Boyda.

It's a great question- particularly as our infrastructure at home begins to fail. We'll hope Boyda and the rest of the freshmen Democrats are successful in their attempt.

GOP Attacks Boyda on FISA- Again

Yesterday, the Kansas Republican Party threw up a post on their official blog, The Kansas Trunkline (Trunkline? Seriously?) that reopens an old wound for the KS GOP: Their massive, massive failure to make Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's vote to renew and extend FISA somehow akin to letting terrorists sleep in her guest bedroom.

While this is an argument that has been a losing one for the Kansas Republican Party for months at this point, they continue to harp on it in an effort to mislead and misinform the voters of the state of Kansas. Why? Because they're so out-of-touch they don't realize it's hurting them.

Not only does the KS GOP willfully bend the truth in their new post, saying "no civil liberties of American citizens are in jeopardy" and "Boyda is trying to make our intelligence experts go through a bureaucratic legal process to be able to monitor terrorists outside the United States" with the House-passed bill, they also dredge out of the Internet cesspool the "Defense of Democracies" TV ad that was aired against Boyda and that was completely shredded by an independent review that was then published in Newsweek. No, not published on some liberal blog- published in Newsweek. It's today painfully clear the ad was nothing more than a fabrication created to scare voters.

So, either the Kansas Republican Party staff can't read or they're just OK with lying. Not very patriotic either way.

That's why Boyda called those statements "damned lies" for in her speech to the Kansas Democratic Party on March 1, and, by reminding all of us of their blatant scare tactics, they show us all that they are now unrepentant in peddling those damned lies.

In addition, they're also stupid peddlers of damned lies- the copy of the Defense of Democracies TV commercial they linked to in their post is twice as long as the actual ad- because it includes 30 seconds of rebuttal to it- "Don't believe this ad's lies" is what it says, actually.

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's vote on FISA was courageous, it was honorable, and it was simply the only right thing to do. The Kansas Republican Party, however, asked us all at the time to call her and ask her if she was "on our side or on the side of the terrorists."

And, just like Boyda said then, "That is what we'd call a stupid question."

(Link to the video & transcript of Boyda's speech on FISA).

Republicans Just Don't Get It: Free Trade Edition

More than a year ago at this point, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda said the Kansas Republican Party and their national counterparts just "don't get it" when it comes to the issues that are near and dear to Kansans- and that they just don't get the fact attacking her ceaselessly does them almost no good at all.

The still haven't learned that lesson, apparently, which shouldn't really surprise anyone. They're all still pretty sure attacking her for doing exactly what her district wants is a winning strategy.

Today, what has become the only Republican blog worth reading (both because it's the only one that posts regularly and becaise it's kind of entertaining how deftly they bend reality to shine only on Republicans and a certain coal-fired power plant), posted about the Columbia Free Trade agreement, which, as you remember, was recently taken off of automatic fast-track status by logical and responsible vote of the House (it's good to think about things before you vote on them...we understand that's a hard concept for conservatives...it lets facts get in the way of rabid anti-Americanism).

Anyway, the post written by the Right Wingers smacks Boyda around, saying her vote is proof positive she's not an independent voice for Kansans because- insert shock- many other members of her same party voted the same way she did (just advanced logic, boys...), and comes up with the hair-brained assertion her vote hurt Kansans.

It, of course, did the exact opposite.

Our philosophy says it's best to always use the Congresswoman's words rather than make up our own, so here ya go:

Over the past ten years, free trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) have resulted in lost jobs for Kansans.

Obvious to anyone paying attention...or to anyone who has seen this chart. Even newer numbers say Kansas has lost nearly 17,000 because of NAFTA alone. That's more people than live in most Kansas cities.

The high quality jobs that Americans depend on to provide for their families have moved to countries with cheaper labor and often sub-standard working conditions. As long as our trade agreements do not address job loss for Americans and safe working conditions among all countries, trade will continue to be unequal.

These negotiated trade agreements do not sufficiently guard the American workers and businesses because the safeguards are not enforceable. An important key to revising US trade policies has taken place; the fast track negotiating authority has expired. This means the President no longer has the power to negotiate trade agreements without congressional amendment. Congress can again oversee and shape trade policy as described in the Constitution and provide balance between the branches of government.

Good God! You mean they actually made the President of the United States follow the Constitution? How horrendous! And how totally un-independent of Boyda..she ought be ashamed!

While this particular vote wasn't an up or down vote on the trade agreement, Boyda has been clear that unfair trade policies will not receive her support- regardless of how much TheKansasRepublican thinks that means she just marching to someone else's drum.

If any trade agreements come before Congress that do not provide for a more even playing field and fairer working conditions, I will oppose them and actively work to have my colleagues do the same.

In the end, Boyda is marching to a different drum than the person who writes TKR is- she's marching to the drum the people of Kansas are playing. Someday, hopefully, you'll get to hear it, too.

Boyda Hopes the Senate Follows the House's Lead on Preventing Cuts to Medicaid

As this blog reported in April, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda and her Kansas colleagues in the House of Representatives voted to prevent President George W. Bush's proposed massive $13 billlion cuts to Medicaid- a bill that passed 349-62 with the support of every single Democrat and two-thirds of the Republicans.

Slashing spending on a program that is designed to make sure the very poorest Americans can afford medical attention when they need it is one of those fundamentally bad ideas that even the viciously partisan House can come together on.

It isn't definite that the cuts have been stopped, however, because the bill now much make it's way through the Senate. We don't yet know for certain how both of our senators will vote (Sen. Pat Roberts seems to indicate he will vote to prevent the cuts).

Now, even after the House rebuked the Bush Administration on Medicaid cuts, there is the potential for equally devastating cuts to Medicare, which opens the door to a horrifying new problem for the very poorest and most needy Americans:

As reimbursement rates dwindle, doctors and other health care providers must decide whether to reduce the number of Medicare and Medicaid patients they treat to cover their costs and make a profit.

Congresswoman Boyda certainly makes it clear she doesn't think that's a situtation that can be allowed to occur:

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., said primary care physicians and other doctors haven't seen an increase in Medicare reimbursement rates since 2001 and are now facing a 9.9 percent decrease.

"Medicare never reimbursed very well to begin with and now there's this decrease," Boyda said.

What is alarming to Boyda is the amount of government subsidies received by the health insurance industry — which she says totals $65 billion over five years. She said those subsidies should be halted and the money used to reimburse primary care physicians and other health care providers.

She said the power wielded by the health insurance industry influences the decisions — and lack of action — by Congress to reform the health care system.

"That's why nothing changes," Boyda said. "I can't describe to you how powerful they are."

She, of course, knows first hand the power of the healthcare industry- Boyda was an executive in Big Pharma before running for Congress. It gives her a particularly useful perspective as this fight continues.

We'll hope Republicans join together with Democrats again and prevent irresponsible cuts to Medicare and, when the President vetoes their bill, enough of them will hold together and override his mixed-up priorities.

Letter to the Editor: Ryun Ought Get His Story Straight

A lovely Letter to the Editor of the Topeka Cpaital-Journal about Jim Ryun's problem remember where he stands on Social Security privatization:

Letter: Stand should be known
Published Thursday, May 01, 2008

The headline April 18 on the story about the 2nd Congressional District race read, "Social Security divides Republican candidates." Not only that, but it seems to divide Jim Ryun in a struggle against himself.

In the article, Ryun's campaign staff said the world "privatization" doesn't accurately describe their candidate's plan for Social Security. But the same article noted that when he first ran for office in 1996, Ryun supported "compassionate privatization."

There's one well-documented Ryun flip-flop on the issue. Here's another. In a 2004 debate, Ryun claimed to have not yet made up his mind about the idea of privatization. However, The Capital-Journal published excerpts from a letter Ryun sent to his constituents in which he advocated for privatized Social Security accounts.

So, to sum up: Ryun supported privatization in 1996. In 2004, he both opposed and supported it. And now he opposes it again.

Now, I'm confused. Does he or doesn't he?

After his 10 years in Congress, shouldn't Mr. Ryun have made up his mind on an issue of this importance? And if he just can't reach a decision — well, maybe that's why voters resoundingly kicked him out of office in 2006.

JACKIE BROWN, Topeka

Photo Caption Contest: Vice Presidential Edition

For your captioning pleasure:

Five Years After "Mission Accomplished"

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is any more distressing and deeply depressing than the fact the President of the United States told us five years ago today that the war in Iraq was over, and that our mission was accomplished.

It was foolish, and the thousands of American and Iraqi lives lost since them is a testament to that foolishness.

This war, which was supposed to have been over five long years ago, has seriously damaged our ability to respond to any new threat that might emerge anywhere around the globe, and it is from that prospective that Congresswoman Nancy Boyda has approached her very sound desire to begin a strategic redeployment of our troops from Iraq.

As reported by this blog at the time, Boyda expressed these concerns when General David Petraeus reported to Congress in early April.

Boyda said military leaders were also increasingly concerned with the situation in Afghanistan. About 10 months ago, a National Intelligence Estimate reported that al-Qaida had regained its pre-9/11 strength in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"When we ask why we aren't addressing that more, we are told that Iraq is our number one priority," Boyda said. "But why and when did Iraq become the number one priority? It wasn't the number one priority on Sept. 12-13."

Boyda said she wasn't in favor of a large withdrawal, rather a slow and steady progression that would allow the U.S. to reset its military readiness. Boyda cited a quote from General George Casey, Army chief of staff, who said there was an "invisible red line" that would indicate the current operations can no longer be sustained.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said April 2, "I think we're close to (the red line) now."

"While everyone rejoices in some stability in the region, the questions are two-fold," Boyda said. "One, will we be able to stay and hold on to that stability and two, at what cost could we do it? It's clearly having an affect on readiness moving forward.

"We're on uncharted ground," Boyda said. "There's no doubt in my mind that if we had another 9/11-type incident, we would be able to have an overwhelming and immediate response. The Air Force and Navy are ready (to respond quickly). The problem is sustaining that response. That's what we're hearing from senior military leadership."

Our men and women in uniform have done a supreme job in the missions they've been given, and God bless each and every one of them and their families. We have seen, however, rank mismanagement of this war by the civilian leadership in the Bush Administration and by Republicans in the House and Senate. The refocus to Iraq from Afghanistan has allowed the nation we invaded first to fall closer and closer to chaos, with only minor success in Iraq to show for it. And, on top of that, our strategic readiness, our ability to respond if anything else happens globally, has been seriously undermined.

So, on this five year anniversary of "Mission Accomplished," we'd just like to take a moment to remember all of those who have died or have been injured, and to hope for a fundamental change of direction - hopefully before another five years have passed. It is a time, friends, that we are lucky to have Nancy Boyda in Congress.