Nancy Boyda's anti-child porn bill up for a vote

According to a story from WIBW.com and a press release on Congresswoman Boyda's web site, the House of Representatives was expected to vote today on a bill introduced and authored by Boyda to clamp shut a loophole in federal anti-child porn laws.

According to the WIBW.com story, the bill amends the language of the current law to" expand it from actual transmission between states to include any instance that "affects(s) commerce" or a "facility of interstate commerce."

I will now sit patiently for a Boyda basher to tell me why this is a horrible, awful, no good kind of thing...

Boyda's Best Week Ever- a P.S.

I missed this editorial from the Parsons Sun last week- just another bit of good news.

Just an unbiased reminder that the people of the 2nd District still think of Nancy Boyda as being an independent voice for them. She's only not been in the district a handful of weekends- including one spent in Iraq. But she's here, home, with her constituents nearly every weekend, and that, more than anything else, will keep her independent from the Washington machine.

Pause to Remember

Nancy Boyda's Best Week Ever

Last week was another week that showed, first, exactly how effective Congresswoman Nancy Boyda is in Washington, DC- and, second, showed off (again) that the Kansas Republican Party hopelessly desperate.

As already detailed on this blog (below), Congresswoman Boyda secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal spending for her district this week, adding money for projects at Ft. Riley and Ft. Leavenworth- and monies straight into the Topeka economy with an earmark dedicated to Goodyear Tires. That's on the heels of the House passing a huge tax break for military families that had been introduced by Boyda.

Undoubtedly a red-letter week for any member of Congress- and certainly excellent news for the people of Nancy Boyda's congressional district (and the whole state, for that matter).

'Course, the Republicans just couldn't stand that much good news for the people of Kansas, and they lashed out in their usual way: ham-handed attacks that, unfortunately for them, fall awfully flat. The KS GOP, Jim Ryun's campaign and all the anti-Boyda blogs sent out e-mails and posted pieces attacking Boyda for a fundraiser scheduled for Friday with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Ryun's campaign said (with passive sexism) this:

You my know that San Fransisco's very own Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is flying into Kansas tonight straight from Washington in a top-of-the-line, Air For passenger jet.

[...]

We know Speaker Pelosi need Nancy Boyda's reliable vote when it comes to raising taxes on Kansas working families and she will stop at nothing to make sure Jim Ryun is defeated! Your contribution today puts us one step closer to ending the reign of Queen Nancy.

Gosh. That's quite something- though, perhaps, Ryun should have, oh, read a newspaper sometime on Thursday or Friday so he could have found out the Pelosi visit, and Boyda's trip home, had been postponed. Seems the KS GOP caught it and sent out an e-mail- about five hours before the Ryun camp sent out theirs- declaring victory for scaring the Speaker of the House of Representatives away from Kansas.

What interesting spin- and how ridiculously far from the truth. Boyda's Kansas fundraiser still happened, but without Pelosi- or Boyda, for that matter, because the House was still in session.

Why was the House still in session? Because the Democrats were cutting taxes on the American middle class- yes, that's right, Jim, the fundraiser you lied to your supports about didn't feature any members of Congress because they were in Washington, DC lowering taxes on average Americans.

So: Boyda's tax cut for military families passes unanimously, she secures an almost $300 million investment in Kansas, Congress cuts taxes on the middle class, and Kansas Republican fall all over themselves to spin Democratic success- or, failing that, just lie to their own supporters.

Good work, Congresswoman!

Nancy Boyda opposes driver's licenses for illegal immigrants

As reported today by the Washington Times, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda vehemently disagrees with any plan to offer driver's licenses to illegal immigrants:

Rep. Nancy Boyda, Kansas Democrat, said the stance taken by her party's presidential candidates is very unpopular in her district.

"What I tell people back home is, 'It is not my day to watch them,' " said Mrs. Boyda, adding that her reputation as a political maverick and staunch opponent of illegal entry distinguishes her from the folly at the top of the ticket.

"It is ultimately about the rule of law," she said. "We don't give driver's licenses to people who are here illegally. We do something about the fact that they are here illegally."

Boyda secures $265+ million for Kansas

In a pair of press announcements, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda announced she has secured more than $265 million for military spending in the State of Kansas.

According to Boyda's official Web site and a story in the Manhattan Mercury, two Kansas military bases, Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, stand to gain $255 million in new funding under the 2008 Veterans Affairs and Military Construction (VA / MILCON) Appropriations Bill. The bill includes two specific earmarks requested by Boyda, one for a new chapel at Ft. Leavenworth, and another for a training facility for military dogs at Ft. Riley.

The other announcement reports Kansas will receive $10.8 million in funding earmarked by Boyda under the new defense appropriations bill. That $11 million includes a $1.2 million contract fro Goodyear Tire in Topeka for the production of military tires.

You can read more about Boyda's cash for Kansas here.

BREAKING NEWS: House unanimously passes Boyda's tax break for military families

From Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's official site:

"'It’s about time,' said Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District), after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act (HEART Act) yesterday on a unanimous, 410-0 vote."

The bill included the language of Boyda's previously introduced Tax Relief for Armed Combat Families Act of 2007.

Today, because of actions taken by Congresswoman Nancy Boyda and the Democratic Congress 150,000 of our service men and women won't see their taxes drastically increase next year.

Illegal Immigrants, Cheaper Prescription Drugs, & Ryun's Townhouse Deal

A quick rundown of some of the top stories relating to the 2nd Congressional District:

The Lawrence Journal-World carries a heartbreaking story about a teenager killed in a car accident by an illegal immigrant. Congresswoman Nancy Boyda spoke about the accident at a press release for the introduction of a new bipartisan bill to enhance immigration enforcement. According to The Hill, "The Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act focuses on three areas: employment enforcement, interior enforcement and increased border security."

The bipartisan effort has cosponsors ranging from Congresswoman Boyda to Republican Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo.

Also, The Hill reports more on Boyda's efforts to increase Medicaid reimbursements to pharmacies (and the efforts of a bunch of other members, too).

And, finally, The Politico does a lovely piece on real estate in Washington, DC, mentioning how expensive it is to own in the District unless, well, you get a sweetheart deal from a Tom Delay front organization. I'll go ahead and quote the portion of the article dedicated to Mr. Ryun here:

One of the best — albeit tainted — deals appears to have been had by former Rep. Jim Ryun (R-Kan.). Ryun has been the subject of allegations that he received a sweetheart real estate deal from a nonprofit group tied to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the GOP’s former “Hammer,” Tom Delay (R-Texas).

Ryun bought his D Street town house for $410,000 in 2000 from the U.S. Family Network, even though that group — allegedly a front for shady fundraising by a former DeLay aide — had bought the house two years earlier, in the midst of the property boom, for $19,000 more.

Either way, Ryun, who has denied any improprieties and said he has substantially improved the house, is sitting on a golden egg.

The three-bedroom, two-bath brick row house is currently valued at $920,870, according to D.C. property records.

Ryun’s house was at the high end, given its proximity to the Capitol.

The average going price for a house near the Capitol is $750,000 — up from about $330,000 in 2000, according to information from Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Real estate values in the rest of the District have risen even more.

Nancy Boyda: Good for the Middle Class

The assault on the middle class perpetrated by radical Republicans playing under the guise of being "fiscal conservatives" is one of the saddest stories that has come out of the 10 years of Republican leadership in the Congress. They cut taxes and cut taxes- but they've created a system in which the billionaire's secretary pays a larger percent of his or her income in taxes than the billionaire does- a system the is grossly inappropriate in the United States of America.

Yet another reason to be happy we have Nancy Boyda in Congress.

According to TheMiddleClass.org, a Web site managed by the non-partisan Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, Congresswoman Boyda has voted in support of America's squeezed Middle Class 89% of the time, supporting measures that will make college more affordable, improve Head Start, expand the Children's Health Insurance Program, and increase the minimum wage.

We commend Rep. Boyda for her dedication to re-setting the balance in Washington- giving the little guy a leg up instead of millionaires that simply don't need one.

One quick note- 89% is great- but it isn't perfect. It is better than the poor folk of the Kansas 4th get, though- Todd Tiahrt has only voted with America's Middle Class 22% of the time this year- and has been given an "F" by TheMiddleClass.org ever year since 2003.

Boyda stunned Ryun & the country in '06- she'll do it again

To quote an e-mail from the Kansas Republican Party sent out earlier today:

"Fellow Republicans:

Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, just released their list of the top 10 most endangered House incumbents. Not surprisingly, Nancy Boyda made it on the list.

Roll Call stated, "Boyda stunned (Republican) Rep. Jim Ryun last year after losing to him by 15 points in the previous cycle. Ryun wants his old job back, but he'll first have to get through a tough Republican primary against state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins. Whatever happens in the GOP contest, Boyda will have a fat target on her back, and no matter how hard she works, in a district that President Bush carried by 20 points in 2004, Republicans may be able to yell `bull's-eye' a year from now."

Roll Call is just pointing out something we have known all along...Nancy Boyda does not represent the values of the 2nd Congressional District."

Click here for the post on the Kansas City Star's Prime Buzz blog.

No one with any sense can quibble with Roll Call's general point: The KS-2 race will be tough- though they should have pointed about Nancy Boyda has the most cash-on-hand and that Ryun and Jenkins will be broke and bloody by the time of the primary election, giving her an added leg-up in addition to the general benefits of incumbency.

The Republicans do include one small, weird tangent in their e-mail- it's that last line- "Roll Call is just pointing out...Nancy Boyda does not represent the vales of the 2nd Congressional District." I expect strange, nonsensical spin from Christian Morgan over at the KS GOP, but I have to admit I don't understand how in the world someone could take anything from that Roll Call article and make it into a partisan indictment of Nancy Boyda's performance. It does say, and the KS GOP e-mail confirms, that partisan attack dogs will stop at nothing to take out an excellent member of Congress- and that the district's past Republican performance makes this a race to watch.

We know Nancy Boyda represents traditional Kansas values in Washington. Boyda's commonsense votes against amnesty, for cheaper prescription drugs, for SCHIP and in support of our veterans are exactly in line with her district, while Jim Ryun's ties to Jack Abramhoff, Tom Delay and the Republican Culture of Corruption are most definitely not. And Lynn Jenkins? She just doesn't know what to think.

The tubes have Jim Ryun!

The Politico reported earlier today, and I just had to re-post it here, that Jim Ryun has seen a groundswell of support unlike any seen anywhere else in the race against Congresswoman Nancy Boyda: His fervent followers have made him a feature, albeit without consent, on an online community "outside of reality" called Second Life. (10 million people globally living "virtual lives" in an online, 3-D world).

Though, to be clear, they say it isn't associated with the campaign, they say they didn't know it was there, and that, frankly, they're as freaked out about it as I am.

Ryun’s campaign spokeswoman was downright wary. “We don’t condone or support it. I don’t think we’re going to look at it anytime soon,” said Jackie Harrison. “It’s intense. You have to download something.”

While I won't fault Ms. Harrison or the Ryun team for being hesitant to approach Second Life as a primary part of Ryun's comeback tour, the article makes a compelling case for expanding resources into more online networking. I mean, heck, this blog has nearly 200 friends on Facebook, so it can't be very hard.

But, well, we expect Democrats to be on the cutting edge of technology and we expect them to know how to use the Internets to their advantage- does it surprise anyone Republicans like Jim Ryun and Lynn Jenkins fall desperately behind?

Money, money everywhere...

...but who has the most in the bank?

(Hint...it isn't either Jim Ryun or Lynn Jenkins).

Boyda Bipartisanship: Save Our Pharmacies!

In modern politics it's important to remember not all issues are hard and fast partisan points- frequently, both sides of the aisle can see what is in the best interest of the country.

One of Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's signature issues is maintaining access to and supporting existing community pharmacies, and she has been on the forefront in Washington fighting against cuts in reimbursements that go to those vital businesses.

The problem isn't some phantom created by Congresswoman Boyda. A letter that appeared in Sunday's Topeka Capitol-Journal from Republican State Senator Vicki Schmidt and Rep. Don Hill relayed the exact same problems that Rep. Boyda has recognized.

In an effort to address the issues facing community pharmacies- particularly the low reimbursement rate Medicare pays for drugs, Congresswoman Boyda introduced the Save Our Community Pharmacies Act, which addresses the problem head-on.

These aren't Republican or Democratic problems- and they're American problems, and we need American solutions, and it's nice to see people from both parties working in the same direction.

Boyda, Democrats, & Topeka teen celebrate successes

Today the Democrats in the United States House of Representatives highlighted the monumental legislative successes we have all seen in the last year in an event marking the anniversary of the day the American people rejected the politics and the policies of the Republican Party and called for a New Direction for America.

Several Members, including Speaker Pelosi, highlighted the achievements of the last 11 months, trumpeting Democratic promises kept "to make America safer, to help restore the American dream, and to restore accountability and fiscal responsibility to the people's government."

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, joined by Topeka High Senior Kelly Jacobsen, celebrated the passage of the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, which makes it easier for students to pay for higher education.

Jacobsen wrote an article that appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal on Sept. 25 that heralded the passage of the act as a "light at the bottom of the bank account."

"When I read Kelly's article, I saw a moving, first-hand perspective on the difficulty of paying for college. Her story drove home for me, and I'm sure for others, that the College Cost Reduction Act will make a real difference in the lives of Kansans."

And, using campaign funds, Boyda flew Jacobsen to Washington, DC to participate in today's event- putting that real face in front the national media.

"I couldn't imagine anyone better than Kelly to speak for Kansans about the College Cost Reduction Act. When Congress passes a law that invests billions of dollars in college aid, it's easy to forget that every one of those dollars helps a real student with a face and a story. This conference was a way to say, 'We're helping Kelly, and we're helping millions of others like her across America.'"

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda is helping. With achievements highlighted today that include bills to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, to raise the minimum wage, and to restore honesty and accountability to the federal government it's impossible to not recognize the positive effect this Congress, and Nancy Boyda's leadership for Kansas, has had.

And, congratulations to Kelly Jacobsen for a truly awesome opportunity!

We Can't Afford Lynn Jenkins in Washington

And oldie, but still golden.

Talking Out of Both Sides of Their Mouths

This morning an editorial ran in the Wichita Eagle that talked about how the Kansas Republican Party was moving away from the radical right wing fringe and back into the mainstream- that they were going to start talking about the issues that really mean something to the average Kansan.

If that were true, I’d offer congratulations to Chairman Kris Kobach and his executive minion Christian Morgan for finally realizing their brand of politics just wasn’t what the people of Kansas want (which, really, should have been obvious to them already, seeing as Mr. Kobach got smashed when he ran against for Congress Dennis Moore and Mr. Morgan ran Jim Barnett’s gubernatorial campaign straight into the ground, but, whatever).

However, it’s apparent the fluff piece they got in the Eagle wasn’t actually indicative of a new direction coming from the party, because just hours after it ran the KS GOP sent out an e-mail filled with more of the same right-wing radical spin we have all come to expect from the offices of Kobach and Morgan- this time extolling all the reasons we should all be “scared” of the leadership we’ve seen from Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.

Because, heck, real earmark reform and a minimum wage increase and ethics reform and cheaper prescription drugs and more money for veterans health care and implementing the 9-11 Commission recommendations and money for projects at Ft. Riley and Leavenworth and all sorts of other things all over eastern Kansas are all the kinds of things we should be horrified about. I know I am.

There isn’t anything to be scared of in Kansas outside of the though of sending either of the Republican candidates running in the 2nd Congressional District to Congress instead of Nancy Boyda- we can’t afford to let them turn back the clock on all the progress we’ve made.

Poll results clear: Ryun more pathetic than Jenkins

Thank you to everyone who has participated in both of the polls we've conducted here at BoydaBloc- we've been generally pleased with the number of folks taking time to click.

This week, you told us- resoundingly, that you found Jim Ryun's FEC report that showed he spend nearly every single dime of the $250K he raised this quarter significantly more depressing than the fact Lynn Jenkins raised nearly all of her money in Kansas- just not from people she'll ever represent in Congress (well, that's everyone she raised money from, because she isn't going to ever be in Congress, but we were talking specifically to the people who live outside the boundaries of the district).

Our sample size wasn't large and it certainly wasn't scientific, but the results of the poll are pretty clear nonetheless: a person who purports to be a fiscal conservative running for Congress burning through 87% of the money he raised should be the punchline of a bad joke- unfortunately for Jim Ryun- and fortunately for Nancy Boyda- that's exactly what it is.

(Also, earlier today we had our 1,000th page view- thanks so much for making us a success!)

Why is Congress's Approval Rating So Low? Answer: Republicans!

In an excellent blog post at Everyday Citizen, featured writer Brad Andrews says exactly what needs said about the current low approval ratings for Congress: it isn't that people disapprove of what the Democratic Leadership is trying to do (pass the minimum wage, reauthorize SCHIP, fight for life-saving cures and cheap live-saving medications, etc.), people disapprove of Republican obstructionism.

Why isn't Congress passing the quality, responsible legislation the American public demands? Because the Republicans in Congress have decided they don't care what the American people want- they are only interested in propping up a President's failed administration and failed domestic and foreign agenda. They're interested in playing politics instead of looking past partisanship toward commonsense solutions. They've forgotten the American people spoke with a clear voice in 2006: they want a new direction, the Republicans won't let that direction take hold.

Also, a quote from Mr. Andrews about his member of Congress, who happens to be Nancy Boyda:

"I'm proud my member of Congress is no longer Jim Ryun. I'm proud the voters of the 2nd Congressional District decided enough was enough and made sure we wouldn't have just another radical, out-of-touch enabler representing us. And I'm proud I'm represented now by Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, who, during her 11 months in office, has done more for me and my friends and family nationwide than Jim Ryun did in 10 years. I don't agree with her on everything she does (I'm sure there will be posts about that, just you wait), but she is 100 fold better than what we had. She most certainly isn't what I disapprove of in Congress."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

If You Can't Spin It, Just Lie

At the end of the day, blogging isn't an art, and most of the folk out there aren't in it to win any awards for investigative journalism, so why should we be surprised the folks at Stay Red Kansas today apparently said, "Oh, the heck with it, we'll throw out a full blown lie and pretend it's the truth!"

Seeing that the right-wing spin regarding Nancy Boyda's Kansas fundraiser featuring Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn't getting anyway (Kansans are smarter than the anti-Boyda blogs think), SRK decided to make it known that, actually, it ISN'T a Kansas fundraiser at all- that, actually, it's in Missouri and hosted by a liberal special interest group!

I'm sure Lyn Shaw and Dennis Langley (former Chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party) will be surprised to find their home had been moved across the state line and into Kansas City, Missouri- and, also, that they've turned there home into the headquarters of the Missouri ERA PAC.

We expect wacko posts from SRK- but this goes one step farther than their usual lunacy and into the realm of blatant lies. I'm sure they're hoping no one will call them on it- oops, we just did.

Boyda: Independent and They Know It

Just like my friends over at Blue Tide Rising predicted, though coming from one level higher than they guessed, the National Republican Congressional Committee has started frothing at the mouth over Speaker Nancy Pelosi's swing into Kansas to help Congresswoman Nancy Boyda raise money to beat back lying Republican spin.

The NRCC says this, clearly, means Nancy Boyda is no longer an "independent" voice for Kansas, and that's she's gone back on her word to the people of the state. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

First off, as to the fundraiser, like this blog has pointed out previously, it isn't going to be in Washington, DC or in New York City or San Francisco. No, it's going to be in Kansas, and it will be raising money from people right here- locally. Boyda's bringing in a big name to make people excited about coming, simple as that. Not one DIME of "Washington insider cash" will be raised in Kansas.

The only people who think Speaker Pelsoi flying in for a hour affects Congresswoman Boyda's independence are people who were pretty sure she wasn't already to being with.

We, however, know different. According to the Washington Post, Boyda does regularly vote against her leadership. On the other side of the coin, she votes with her leadership exactly as often as Rep. Todd Tiahrt does- something we should all expect because, in the end, we are all Democrats or Republicans for a reason.

The things the Democrats have done that Nancy has opposed are significant, however:

• Congresswoman Boyda voted against the Amnesty bill the Democrats tried to shove through the House- one of only Democrats to buck leadership and do so.

• Boyda voted against giving the District of Columbia a full seat in the House of Representatives (an almost certain additional Democratic vote) because she didn't feel the bill was Constitutional- again, one of the only Democrats to vote with the Republicans.

• Finally, Congresswoman Boyda voted to expand off-shore oil exploration, something opposed vehemently by the Democratic Party and most liberal special interest groups.

Three big examples of the undeniably clear independent streak in Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. The NRCC can say whatever they want, but people in Kansas are tired of this kind of politics and, in the end, it won't matter- Kansas knows the truth about Nancy.