House majority leader says 2nd Boyda win tough but possible / LJWorld.com

Topeka — U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., on Wednesday acknowledged that U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka, faces a tough re-election challenge but said she can do it.

"She is a perfect person to be re-elected in this district," said Hoyer, who attended a fundraiser for Boyda and appeared at a joint news conference with her at Topeka High School.

National and state Republicans have targeted the 2nd congressional district, which includes part of Lawrence, to take back after Boyda's upset victory in November against five-term incumbent Jim Ryun. The GOP regularly issues news releases attacking Boyda.

"She is certainly in the cross-hairs," said Bob Beatty, a political science professor from Washburn University.

Ryun, of Lawrence, and state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, of Topeka, are vying for the Republican nomination to face Boyda in 2008.

Boyda can win in the mostly Republican district if voters see her as a representative and not just a Democratic officeholder, Beatty said.

Beatty said Boyda has models in Kansas to follow to achieve that - U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, two Democrats and a Republican who are able to lure opposite party votes and independents.

Hoyer compared Boyda to another congresswoman: U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill., who defeated an incumbent Republican in 2004 and was thought to be vulnerable in 2006. But she won again.

He said Boyda is similar to Bean in that she is moderate and reaches out to Republicans.

"I think that is what Kansans want," he said.

merrill 5 years, 8 months ago

Boyda is a moderate as such. Ryun is the extreme. Jenkins would become a Bush yes person as all republicans do or they get replaced by their own party. This type of nonsense came with Reagan/Bush/Newt.

jasonc_22 5 years, 8 months ago

Rep. Boyda will certainly be re-elected- if only on the virtues of her constituent services. Her Congress on Your Corner program is fantastic.

BigDog 5 years, 8 months ago

i guess that we ought to get rid of Boyda too since she has become so cozy and a yes-person for Nancy Pelosi.

Nancy Boyda better cozy up to the DNC and Nancy Pelosi even more. She is going to need all the money and help she can get.

The current do-nothing Congress is the only group less popular than the President.

the current congress has accomplished more (passed more substantive bills) than the last congress did in its entire term.

this is NOT a do-nothing congress, the last one was

Okay jason ...... Can you list some of their major accomplishments?

situveux1 5 years, 8 months ago

Boyda isn't a moderate, period. She was rejected by the Blue Dog Dems...therefore not even moderate enough for her own party to call her a moderate. Your flat wrong.

What BigDog said was factual...only Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush. I know it is very difficult for liberals on these forums to hear. (But then again, the truth is never easy to digest.) I too would like to see this long list of accomplishments and everything this Congress has gotten done since January that the last Congress didn't do in six years.

Agnostick 5 years, 8 months ago

Wow, where to start...

BigDog and other rightwingnuts: The "accomplishment fetish" you have is a dual-edged sword. The bad side? Good, healthy legislation isn't getting passed. The good side? Bad, destructive legislation is NOT getting passed. You ask, "What major accomplishments?" Exactly how much creativity, tenacity and fortitude does it really take to be a rubber stamp for the White House, anyways?

possessionannex: You think the letters are infuriating? Try a cell phone call at 8am, especially an automated one. At least the letter doesn't cost you anything. Political and charity calls are exempt from the federal Do Not Call Registry, so outfits like Blue Valley Telemarketing in Home, Kansas... and IKAN in Van Horne, Iowa can harass you all they want.

Captain_Obvious, I'd say cynical pwn'd you on that one. That's a good question: Just how did that happen last November, anyways? Think maybe a few people were tired of the Almighty Righty?

Agnostick agnostick@excite.com http://www.uscentrist.org http://www.americanplan.org

Oh, and Captain... you seem to like typing that work "liberal" a lot. Is there an arousal factor for you? ;)

--Ag

Well .... lots of comments but still no listing of accomplishment for what I called a do-nothing Congress.

Stain 5 years, 8 months ago

I worked for Boyda but will support a Democratic challenger in the primary if she does not firm up her position on the war.

It's time for Democrats to do the right thing instead of being cowards. Stop funding the war. When "they" say you're against the troops, take the heat. Everybody knows that's baloney by now. Everyone. Absolutely everyone.

I'll work to throw out every single politician who does not do everything in their power to end this war right now. Party doesn't matter.

BigDog (Anonymous) says:

"Well :. lots of comments but still no listing of accomplishment for what I called a do-nothing Congress."

Might this be some of the information you seek, BigDog? :)

http://www.dccc.org/pdfs/oversight_report.pdf

Best wishes!

mick 5 years, 8 months ago

Nancy Boyda authored the Safe Roads Act which passed something like 411-2. The White House is in open defiance by allowing Mexican trucks into our country. It only seems like a do-nothing Congress because of the dictatorial attitude of the White House and Republican obstructionism. You'll see how that low rating for Congress translates next election. The Dems will add even more to their House and Senate majorities. Keep on whining Republicans.

Who's whining...I'm giddy. You couldn't ask for a better person to beat than Boyda. Within months of taking office she insults the majority of the voters in her district, then promptly votes for the last tax increase in American history, then decides "I just can't take it anymore!!!" and leaves a congressional hearing. I remember someone in my 2nd grade class doing that once. It just doesn't get any better than this! Contrary to what Democrats think, it isn't about Boyda, it's about Republicans finding somebody decent to run against her. Ryun's done, stick a fork in him. Jenkins is pretty...pretty dumb. Repub's need somebody better. But, in the end, a warm body could beat Boyda.

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House majority leader says 2nd Boyda win tough but possible