LJWorld Reader blogs

Sam Brownback links [(Fox News) Next Pick May See Tougher Fight:][1] "I think you can put up John Roberts' ideological twin and you'd get a filibuster at this point. Their base is demanding it," said Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., about Senate Democrats. "I think unless the person has written extensively about Roe [in a positive way], you're going to get a filibuster. And that's unlikely. I just think a filibuster is going to happen."[(San Francisco Chronicle) Roberts sworn in as Democrats warn of battle on next nominee:][2] Still, many conservative activists, though publicly supporting (Chief Justice John) Roberts, were shaken by his embrace during his hearings of a privacy right in the Constitution -- the foundation of abortion and gay rights -- and the emphatic weight he placed on precedent as a source of stability in the law. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., an abortion rights opponent, demanded that the next nominee explicitly state his or her views on abortion and other controversial social issues -- and liberals are making the same demands.[(The Conservative Voice commentary) Dinner with Delay and Giuliani:][3] Conservatives are casting around right now for a serious presidential candidate, and having a hard time picturing even people they like being able to break out of the pack. Sens. Sam Brownback and George Allen are among the names I hear bandied about most, along with Sen. Bill Frist, until he flip-flopped so clumsily on the stem-cell issue. Pat Roberts links [(The Hill) Bulking up baseball's steroids pitch:][4] Dan Glickman, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, and his wife, Rhoda, hosted a screening for "Flightplan," starring Jodie Foster, on Monday night. Attendees included Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ABC news correspondent John Cochran, Newsweek's Howard Fineman, Time magazine's Matt Cooper, Washington Post Vice President at Large Ben Bradlee, superlawyer and former Commerce Secretary Mickey Cantor and pollster Peter Hart.[(AP) GOP wants Roberts encore:][5] With chief justice nominee John Roberts' confirmation guaranteed, Democrats on Wednesday promised a battle if President Bush's next nominee is a hard-right conservative. ... "I'm hopeful through the debate on this nominee, and the next Supreme Court nomination, we can avoid the destructive partisanship that approached the brink of absolutism in ideology," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.Dennis Moore links [(Hawaii Reporter commentary) Democrat Congressional Blue Dogs Coalition Call for BiPartisan Budget Summit:][6] the wake of mounting national debt, the Blue Dog Coalition today urged President George W. Bush to call an emergency bipartisan budget summit to address the nation's added fiscal burden in the wake of Gulf Region reconstruction efforts. ... The 32 Blue Dogs signing the letter include Dennis Moore, KS.Jerry Moran links [(AP) Rep. Moran will face 1st District challenge:][7] After three elections without a Democratic challenger, Republican Rep. Jerry Moran faces one in the sprawling and GOP-dominated 1st Congressional District. But that challenger, John Doll, the owner of a Garden City lawn care business, is playing down his party affiliation, describing himself as a conservative Democrat who opposes abortion.Todd Tiahrt links [(Wichita Business Journal) Tiahrt authors bills expanding refinery capacity:][8] U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, is the author of two bills addressing high gas prices by helping expand America's petroleum refining capacity. The bills streamline the permitting process and provide tax incentives for refineries to increase their capacity. "As a result of our limited capacity to refine crude oil, we experience higher fuel prices when faced with refinery outages, such as during hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Tiahrt says.How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][9] [1]: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170827,00.html [2]: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/09/30/MNGH3F0HJ81.DTL [3]: http://www.theconservativevoice.com/articles/article.html?id=8634 [4]: http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/UndertheDome/092905.html [5]: http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/12766123.htm [6]: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?d2a9f105-a429-4f2e-b9a3-8d6df95e5b93 [7]: http://www.cjonline.com/stories/092905/bre_moranchallenged.shtml [8]: http://wichita.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2005/09/26/daily15.html [9]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed