Will Christian Morgan criticize Sarah Palin for going to a basketball game?

In a recent AP story, it has come out that Sarah Palin charged the state a per diem allowance on Thanksgiving Day 2007 so she could attend the Great Alaska Shootout, a college basketball tournament.

Will Christian Morgan criticize her like he did Kathleen Sebelius for attending major sporting events involving the University of Kansas and Kansas State University? Or is this just a Governor acting in her ceremonial role?

I think we all know the answer. Don't you hate it when you're idiotic partisan attacks come home to roost, Christian?

Lynn Jenkins: more of the same

Another day, another example: Lynn Jenkins is Jim Ryun 2.0. (Like upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista, sure it's an upgrade, but is it really any better?)

Remember when the DCCC dropped some money into the Kansas 2nd and Christian Morgan and Lynn Jenkins got their panties in a bunch, blaming Boyda even though she has no control over who spends money on her race?

Well, Boyda proved her independence by telling the DCCC to get out of her race - and they decided to listen.

So one would think that Jenkins, in her quixotic effort to bring about "new Republican leadership," would do the same when the national Republicans dropped money into her race.

Wrong.

First she did nothing when Freedom's Watch, a shady 527 with ties to Dick Cheney and his fellow White House cronies, ran misleading advertisements in the 2nd District.

“It’s free speech,” Jenkins said. “Let anybody come tell their story and let the voters sort it out.”

Now, the NRCC has announced that they're going to spend $580,000 on ads in Kansas during the final two weeks of the election. (See here, here and here)

Who does Lynn Jenkins think she is?! She's screaming "foul" and playing dirty at the same time!

Jenkins is trying to trick us, but she's the same old politician with the same old Washington buddies who spend the same old K Street dollars so they can pull the puppet strings come January.

Intentionally ironic, blissfully ignorant or willfully hypocritical?

Which is it GOP?

The Republican National Committee has launched a new feature on their Web site where they countdown the time until the next "gaffe" from Joe Biden, complete with a video of him calling Obama "Barack America."

Seriously? The party of George W. Bush wants to make gaffes an issue. The sitting President from their party has contributed a new word to our political lexicon referring to his repeated gaffes.



Or how about John McCain? The supposed expert on foreign policy isn't sure which factions of Islam are fighting against each other (but somehow thinks he is better suited to protect us against them) or even that Czechoslovakia is no longer a country.





So, would you rather have a Vice President who in a major speech transposes words, or a President who is an idiot. When Biden misspeaks, its a gaffe, when McCain forgets that Czechoslovakia split into the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, you know, 15 years ago, what is that?

Double Standard?

Where is the blog post from Christian Morgan complaining about how Sen. Sam Brownback's decision to speak at the Republican National Convention is an example of him skirting his duties as an elected official?

I'm sure they won't make any such claims about Gov. Sebelius.

Riiiiiiiiight.

The Kansas Republican Assembly is right

Stop the presses folks, the nutjobs over at the Kansas Republican Assembly -- a shell organization which, in effect, runs the KS GOP -- have actually made a good point, though I don't think it was intentional.

In an effort to slander the "Red Star" (some people refer to it as the Kansas City Star, a Pulitzer prize winning newspaper) these radicals have said something intelligent.

A very wise politician once told me, “You’ll know when your opponent thinks you might win when they start attacking you by name.”

They were referring to an admittedly curious development in which Dave Helling over at PrimeBuzz has been specifically referencing The Kansas Meadowlark, the grandaddy of all crazy republican blogs in Kansas. Imagine if the folks at TKR were just a little bit more unstable, but actually did research. Ya, that's Meadowlark.

So, with this quote in mind, do you believe the Republicans when they say Slattery doesn't have a chance?







Neither do I. The worst part? This isn't even all of them. There have been two more TV ads and a radio ad attacking Jim Slattery. Please use our ActBlue widget at the right of your screen to help Jim Slattery fight back. Pat Roberts has millions and this onslaught is not going to stop anytime soon.

Roberts: When I said I was going to play nice, I didn't REALLY mean it

Pat Roberts has gone negative yet again. Curiously, his most recent ad isn't on his web site. Embarrassed of your new spot, Pat?

Maybe its because you remember that you said something back in August 2007, when you spoke with Rep. Dennis Moore at an event at Johnson County Community College. What was it that you said? Can't remember for sure Sen. Memory Pills?



Oh no worries, here's a video to remind you.

There is a difference between campaigning for the office, and campaigning against somebody else and I have always tried to campaign for the office…I will campaign for the office and I will not campaign against anybody.

We totally agree Pat, we totally agree.

Kansas Republican Assembly lectures on party unification

The folks over at the KRA have decided to share some wisdom with the Kansas Democratic Party on how best to unify a big tent party.

The complaint sent to Bartoshevich from the Wisconsin DP stated that she had violated Party rules by endorsing the opposing party’s candidate and that she failed to honor a pledge of intent to vote for the party’s presidential ticket in the fall. The resolution was passed by the state’s party at their convention to cheers from state delegates.

How very interesting that the Wisconsin DP is performing the exact same functions the KRP did when trying to rid itself of leadership that would rather see Sebelius reelected than the Republican.

Nothing from the KDP blog yet on what they think of the situation and I’m sure there won’t be any comment from any Kansas Democrat. Democrats like to call themselves the ‘big tent’ party but when it comes right down to it, they’ll throw you under a bus if it means getting a few extra votes. Just ask Joe Lieberman. Just ask Lee Jones. You’d better do what the socialist wing of the party says to do…or else.

They’re big tent as long as you’re a part of the circus, but don’t plan on spending the night with the clowns if you don’t feel like walking the tight rope they’ve set before you.

For those of you who are new to Kansas Politics, the KRA's very existence is the result of inter-party squabbling. They are the Right-Wing splinter group of the Kansas Republican Party (though not as far right as the splinter group from the splinter group, the Kansas Republican ACTION Assembly)

Kansans for a Traditional Republican Majority, the "moderate" wing of the Republican Party, is KRA's sworn enemy, so it's pretty rich for them to be lecturing the KDP about the importance of unifying a party.

James Dobson: Christian Police

Folks, even though it's finally come out that Barack Obama is not a
MUSLIM (as if it should matter if he were), he is still not CHRISTIAN enough for James Dobson and the radical right.

First, Dr. Rick Scarborough, a Southern Baptist minister, decided to play doorman at the Pearly Gates.

When a man publicizes his 'Christianity far and wide, Christians have every right to check him out. Based on the record, one can only conclude that Barack Obama does not adhere to traditional Christianity.

Apparently St. Peter had the day off and tabbed this guy to determine who was and was not a Christian. Can we do the same to Dr. Scarborough, or is his salvation just assumed?

Last time I read my Bible, only God was in any position to judge who was and was not worthy of admittance into the Kingdom of Heaven. But what do I know, I'm just a person. I don't have a phd in psychology like James Dobson.

Dobson has apparently been called by God to grade the candidates piousness, and Barack Obama, he get's an F.

"I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional (read: Dobson's) understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology," Dobson said.

"... He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter."

I'll pause for a moment while those of you familiar with Dr. Dobson's work ponder that statement. No. No. Stop! Stop pounding your head against the wall, he's not worth a cerebral hematoma.

Is he serious? Does he not understand the irony (or is it hypocrisy) of his own words?

Dr. Dobson has made a career out of picking and choosing various lessons from scripture and using them to further his own political and social agenda.

James Dobson is to the religious community as Dr. Phil is to the psychological community.

Obama's statement that drew the ire of Dr. Dobson is, in fact a very thoughtful one.

"Even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?" Obama said. "Would we go with James Dobson's or Al Sharpton's?" referring to the civil rights leader.

The point being, reasonable, well-meaning Christians can disagree. Even the Bible, which many in the radical right believe should be taken literally, is riddled with contradictions. So which interpretation is "correct"?

I don't pretend to have an answer, but I do know that Jesus taught that loving our fellow man was the most important thing one can do, and I don't see a lot of love for our fellow man in Dr. Dobson's version of theology.

Does that mean he's wrong? I guess he'll find out one of these days. In the meantime, I'll leave you with some scripture I have selectively chosen to prove my point.

"Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others, because in passing judgement on others you condemn yourself." Romans 2:1

"Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things you will escape the judgement of God" Romans 2:3

And last, but not least, from Christ himself.

1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7

Ruh roh, Democrats read the Bible too.

An empty gesture from Todd Tiahrt

On Sunday, the Wichita Eagle published a feel-good letter from Rep. Todd Tiahrt about supporting our troops.

As we make time to gather around the grill with friends and family this holiday weekend, let's honor the memories of those we know and love and those unnamed soldiers we never met who gave of their lives for love of country. This is the least a grateful nation can do.

Honestly, we here at LBK couldn't agree more, Todd. We just wondered, did you write this letter before or after you voted against the GI Bill?

Hopefully, next Memorial Day, Todd Tiahrt will have more than just hollow rhetoric to give our troops.

BREAKING NEWS: REPUBLICAN BLOG MENTIONS BOEING

We've been on our friends at StayRedKansas and TheKansasRepublican a lot lately, trying to ascertain why, if they care so much about Kansas jobs, they haven't posted a single post regarding the disastrous decision to outsource a military contract to AirBus. You know, the one that John McCain tacitly endorsed while Sam Brownback, Pat Roberts and Todd Tiahrt twiddled their thumbs.

Well finally, after all of our efforts, TheKansasRepublican used the word Boeing in one of their posts. Fear not, they also talked about Holcomb and there were still plenty of sophomoric personal insults, so they're not ill or something.

While Tihart may have to fend off unwarranted accusations of the Boeing deal gone south, the facts will clearly prevent any of Betts’ mud from sticking. Few congressmen have delivered for their district the way Tihart has, and he maintains a large network of support throughout the 4th. The war in Iraq will certainly not ring the way it did against Republicans in 06, and Tihart has the warchest/ work ethic that will make the 4th nearly impossible to lose. Betts will need more than a few senate accomplishments and a kiss from "Kathy the cougar" to defeat "Todd the god."

Naturally, they didn't provide any evidence for why the accusations against Tiahrt are unfounded. It's possible they're just lazy, but our best guess is they don't have any. If you'd like so more intelligent analysis (with citations even!!!), see here, here, here and here. See also here.

More than just a weak defense of the Boeing deal, their argument for why Tiahrt will crush Sen. Donald Betts is that Tiahrt brings home the bacon from his powerful seat on the House Appropriations Committee.

This we cannot argue with. Todd Tiahrt loves him some earmarks. But this very same blog, in the post immediately prior to this one, criticizes Nancy Boyda for using earmarks for such wasteful things as equipment for local law enforcement and water treatment plants.

So Wyatt, Carrie, Doc, Custer, Wild Bill and all the rest, tell us, why is bringing home the bacon a reason to re-elect Todd Tiahrt in the 4th District, but grounds to toss out Nancy Boyda in the 2nd? Is there something about Todd Tiahrt's earmarks that is somehow more justifiable than Nancy Boyda's or even Dennis Moore's?

Readers, see for yourself. Here is a list of Nancy Boyda's earmark requests and here is the same list for Dennis Moore. You see, Reps. Moore and Boyda are some of the very few in Congress to make all of their earmark requests public on their web site. I would link to Rep. Tiahrt's, but....

More Coal Plants = Higher Energy Bills?!?!?

Sunflower Electric has been arguing that they desperately need two giant, CO2 belching coal plants in Holcomb, KS in order to bring cheaper energy to western Kansans. And the "Melvin Neufelds" of the state have been all too eager to take up that corporate drum beat.

But, wait! (insert record scratch here)

A report released yesterday by Innovest, an independent leading global financial firm , announced that coal can no longer be considered the cheapest source of power - if you account for coming federal regulation of carbon emissions. From the Wichita Eagle:

The report found a political and regulatory environment nationally that is tilting away from new coal plants and imposing significant new costs on them. Among the trends: The U.S. Supreme Court last year signaled its approval of federal carbon regulation. This session, Congress has introduced a flurry of carbon cap and trade bills, and the question "is not whether legislation will be enacted, but when." Moreover, the study noted the soaring costs of plant construction.

All of this has changed the underlying economics of new coal-fired plants.

The report finds that while the Sunflower expansion would provide additional baseload capacity, "the carbon risks associated with an increased reliance on coal present significant financial risks for the company's owners and ratepayers."

So, this pretty much takes the wind out of Neufeld's sails. Not that he had much wind in them anyway. (What happened to overriding that veto, Melvin?)

Now that they can no longer claim "cheaper energy" as their number one reason for holding up the entire legislative session - what excuse will they have? Do you think they'll fall back on the ol' "but joggers emit more CO2 than gigantic coal plants do" line?

'Cause that one was really stupid.

Earmark transparency: What a good idea!

On the campaign trail, Republicans Lynn Jenkins and Jim Ryun are misleading voters. They say the earmark process needs to be brought out into the open, and then the say the way to do that is to beat Nancy Boyda. What they neglect to tell the voters is that Nancy Boyda has been one of the trailblazers in that very endeavor.

Rep. Boyda yesterday released (for the second year in a row) her list of earmark requests, not just the projects that make it into law, but every single earmark she has requested or will request in the future.

Jenkins likes to say "We need to bring the earmark process out of the dark of night" and "We need to bring the process out of Washington's smoke-filled rooms." Well Lynn, we here at LBK couldn't agree more. But see, Nancy Boyda has already done that, not just promised to do so.

Jim Ryun, apparently without recognizing the irony, announced that he'll never seek another earmark. "Hi. My name is Jim Ryun, and I'm addicted to earmarks." That's not the answer either, as there are many of these funding projects that are perfectly legitimate and actually help people in the 2nd district.

"I am joining the earmark reform movement in Washington and will work to repair an obviously broken system," Ryun said. "The earmark crisis is out of control."

See this post at Boyda Bloc for analysis on how it got out of control.

But Rep. Boyda's leadership is more than just a link on a website, Rep. Boyda voted for a moratorium on earmarks until a meaningful overhaul of the system can be accomplished.

So how do we fix a broken earmark system? Re-elect Nancy Boyda.

Pot, meet kettle, Vol. 2

Ok, we're probably setting the bar a little high for ourselves on the first day, but the excriment just keeps flowing from Jim Ryun's campaign. Maybe I should just turn off my rss feed so I won't keep reading things that upset me.

Word from one of the major Republican blogs (I'm not going to post a link, they don't deserve your page views) is Jim Ryun has made a pledge to not request a single earmark if he is elected to the House of Representatives.

First off, not all "porkbarrell spending" is bad. The problem is that under the former Republican Majority (of which Jim Ryun was a member), it had gotten out of control and the projects were 1) ridiculous and 2) put into bills without any debate or even so much as a vote on the floor.

Where was this pledge during the 10 years that Jim Ryun served in the United States House of Representatives? A commenter on the above-mentioned nameless blog aptly described Jim's actions as resembling that of a recovering alcholic. "Hi, my name is Jim Ryun, and I'm addicted to porkbarrell spending."

Did Nancy Boyda request allocations during the 2007 session? Yes, she did. But she has nothing to hide. In fact, she has posted every request she made, even the ones that never made it into law.

These projects are not bridges to nowhere, they're legitimate projects requested in the open that benefit the communities of the 2nd District. Morever, Rep. Boyda has voted to issue a moratorium on further porkbarrell spending until meaningful earmark reform can be decided upon.

Rep. Ryun can make all the promises in the world in his quixotic voyage to win back his seat, but the people of the 2nd District know all to well what Jim Ryun is really about. They lived through 10 years of it.

Pot, meet kettle

From our friends over at BoydaBloc, we find a story of Jim Ryun -- JIM RYUN -- crying in his beer (*AHEM* Root Beer - alcohol is a sin against God) about Lynn Jenkins and her shady ethics. Though it wasn't the first time the legitimacy of these ads has been called into question, it was the first time Jim Ryun got involved.



It seems Mr. Robertson has a short memory. You see, Jim Ryun wasn't exactly a boy scout during his years in Congress.

He was buddy-buddy with the likes of Jack Abramhoff and Tom DeLay. So much so that he felt sorry for their plight and voted to ease ethics rules in the House and even to keep the revolving door of lobbyists and Congresspeople wide open.

He even itemized "caging" -- the illegal practice of identifying questionable voters to challenge at a later date -- on his Federal Expense reports.

We're not the only ones who noticed the hypocrisy. This video was posted at Boyda Bloc as well as Everyday Citizen.





The jury is still out on whether Lynn Jenkins' actions regarding the Learning Quest advertisements are indeed unethical, but one thing is for sure - watching Jim Ryun in his glass (town) house throwing stones is quite humorous.