Posted by Joel Mathis February 27, 2006 at 9:49 a.m.

Taking stock of Brownback's presidential prospects

Sam Brownback links[(Wichita Eagle) Is nationwide publicity all good for Brownback?:][1] Sam Brownback could joke about "Brownback Mountain" at Kansas State on Wednesday, but being the target of barbs has been no laughing matter for the 2008 presidential hopeful. "I've gotten that thrown at me several times lately," said Brownback while speaking in Manhattan as part of K-State's Landon Lecture Series. "And thank goodness for Dick Cheney's hunting accident. It pulled me off of 'Saturday Night Live' routines." The ribbing illustrates the pitfalls -- and pratfalls -- of what can happen when a religious conservative from Kansas debuts on a broad, and not always friendly, national stage. A Rolling Stone interview and a slew of pop-culture references underscore the point: Even if you need to become better-known, not all publicity is good publicity.[(Kansas City Star) Brownback is charting own path:][2] For a potential presidential contender, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas is coming off a disappointing fundraising quarter and a slap-upside-the-head Rolling Stone profile that portrays him as "God's senator." Still, a speech he gave at Kansas State University last week is garnering him attention as a break-the-mold politician. Depending on your point of view, Brownback is either establishing a new paradigm for growing the conservative movement or taking George W. Bush's vision of "compassionate conservatism" to the next logical step.Pat Roberts links[(Wichita Eagle) Roberts at center of spying firestorm:][3] Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts is being watched. As negotiations continue between the White House and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence over how to handle a once-secret domestic surveillance program, committee chairman Roberts is a key figure in a debate that may determine whether a president can eavesdrop without warrants on Americans as part of a war. His position poses a challenge for Roberts, who is charged with leading the bipartisan committee while being one of the most vocal supporters of President Bush's position.[(Kansas State Collegian) Roberts addresses Chamber:][4] Citizens in the United States are in danger of becoming complacent in the war on terrorism, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday night. "I am concerned some are becoming post-9/11 complacent," Roberts said.[(Alt.Muslim commentary) President Bush And The Rule Of Law:][5] At a recent Senate Intelligence Committee meeting, Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) suggested that Democrats are more focused on civil liberties than threats from terrorists: "I would only point out that you really don't have any civil liberties if you dead." Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV), ranking member of the Committee, responded that he was "strongly for the goals" of disrupting domestic terror plots, as every American is. Yet, he also added - and this is the crux of my argument - that he wants "it to be done under the law. And so should you. That's what keeps our country together."How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][6] [1]: http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/local/13963800.htm [2]: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/news/politics/13963197.htm [3]: http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/13970180.htm [4]: http://kstatecollegian.com/article.php?a=9134 [5]: http://www.altmuslim.com/perm.php?id=1664_0_25_0_C [6]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed