Posted by Joel Mathis September 14, 2004 at 11:16 a.m.

The magic (campaign) bullet

Today's expiration of the 10-year assault weapons ban is an issue in the presidential campaign - but it might also make a difference in eastern Kansas races for Congress.Rep. Dennis Moore and Nancy Boyda, -- Democrats running for re-election in the 3rd District and election in the second district, respectively -- both expressed concern about the end of the ban in today's [Lawrence Journal-World.][1]"I've heard from police officers. They don't want people having the capability of shooting 20 or 30 or 60 shots at them," Moore said Monday. He faces Republican Kris Kobach in the November election. "I don't believe we need these kinds of guns on the street or in people's homes."Boyda, who is challenging incumbent Republican Jim Ryun agreed."I'm a moderate, common-sense woman, and I believe in responsible gun ownership," she said. "I don't believe a moderate, common-sense approach is to allow assault weapons in the 2nd District of Kansas."The paper reported that "calls to Ryun's Washington, D.C., office and to the campaign of Kris Kobach, a Republican challenging Moore in the 3rd Congressional District, went unreturned Monday."But the [Kansas City Star][2] reports that Moore's campaign is trying to push Kobach on a related issue:"U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore on Monday challenged Republican congressional hopeful Kris Kobach to return a campaign contribution to a gun-rights group whose leader has been linked to white supremacists. "Reacting to a radio report detailing the background of Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, Moore called on Kobach to return the $3,000 he received from the organization. "'Congressman Moore is a gun owner and supports the Second Amendment. But this is not about the Second Amendment,' Moore campaign manager Julie Merz said in a written statement issued Monday afternoon.""Pratt said Monday he is not a racist, adding that his wife is from Panama and they conduct bilingual Bible studies for Hispanics. "In the first significant skirmish of the general election campaign in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, Kobach said he saw no reason to return the contribution. He accused Moore of running a smear campaign. "Using Moore's logic, Kobach said, Moore should return every dollar he has received from a labor union if it could be shown that a union leader spoke to an audience that included mobsters."Other links:Sam Brownback links[Ownership society: Make it so!][3]Pat Roberts links[CIA chief nominee meets Congressional members][4]Todd Tiahrt links[Lobbyists seek to wrest hoops crown from lawmakers (Third item)][5] [U.S. Congress Passes Teen Suicide Prevention Bill ][6]How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][7] [1]: http://www.ljworld.com/section/citynews/story/181383 [2]: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/9656104.htm [3]: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/jackkemp/jk20040913.shtml [4]: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usgoss0915,0,7872676.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines [5]: http://www.thehill.com/under_dome/091404.aspx [6]: http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=6206468&section=news [7]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed