Posted by Joel Mathis June 27, 2006 at 7:01 a.m.

Brownback reaches out to religious left

Sam Brownback links[(Slate.com commentary) Fault lines among the leaders of the religious left:][1] Wallis' conference this week, Pentecost 2006, will bring hundreds of Christian activists to Washington to promote a Covenant for a New America aimed at eradicating poverty at home and abroad. Unlike Lerner's conference, Wallis' isn't going to be dominated by the liberal fringes: Among the speakers are Republican Sens. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Sam Brownback of Kansas, two of the most prominent voices on the religious right. This is a smart move because to succeed, Wallis needs to remain credible with evangelicals. [More about the conference here][2][(Human Events commentary) Q&A With Congess: Dems Oppose War, Iraqi Reconciliation:][3] Do you support giving Iraqi insurgents amnesty if they wanted to lay down their weapons and make peace?Sen. Sam Brownback (R.-Kan.): No. I voted both for McConnell and Nelson. There should not be amnesty.Okay. So, if there is not amnesty and if an Iraqi soldier wants to make peace and lay down his arms, what should we do with those soldiers?Brownback: If they killed Americans, they should be prosecuted. That's the point of the vote on both of them. [(El Dorado Times) Secretary of Corrections addresses prison myths:][4] U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas has taken an interest in the subject of re-entry of offenders into communities and the recidivism rate of those people back into the prison system, Werholtz noted. In fact, he said, Brownback has gone as far as to state he wants to see recicidivism cut in half in the next five years, and he wants that to start in Kansas.Pat Roberts links[(Southwest Nebraska News) Anti Terrorism Bill Protects Heartland Interests:][5] Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson hopes to fast-track legislation designed to keep common and potentially dangerous farm chemicals from falling into the hands of terrorists and meth dealers. Nelson's bi-partisan bill, co-sponsored by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), establishes a tax credit for agricultural businesses that are required to provide expensive on-site security for pesticides and fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate or anhydrous ammonia which is used in the production of meth.[(WALB TV) Senators get farmer's advice on farm bill:][6] he first regional hearing on the 2007 Farm Bill was held Friday morning in Albany. Dozens of South Georgia farmers answered Senator's questions about their crops and livestock, as work begins on the bill that will shape the future of agriculture across the nation. Dozens of South Georgia farmers were there. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, working on his sixth farm bill, said this is the best way to do it. Senator Pat Roberts said "Sit down with farmers, sit down on the wagon tongue with them, look them in the eye, and say hey, what do you need, what are your suggestions."Todd Tiahrt links[(Agape Press) Commentary & News Briefs:][7] America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been the source of many information "leaks" in recent years, and this fact has some members of the U.S. legislature worried, including Kansas Representative Todd Tiahrt. He says the U.S. needs to be aware of "concerns in Congress and in the American public that the leaks have been very self-serving, they've been politically motivated, and they have cost this country millions and millions of dollars; but more importantly, they've made this country less safe."How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][8] [1]: http://www.slate.com/id/2144502/ [2]: http://www.crossleft.org/?q=node/1656 [3]: http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=15744 [4]: http://www.eldoradotimes.com/articles/2006/06/26/news/news6.txt [5]: http://www.swnebr.net/newspaper/cgi-bin/articles/articlearchiver.pl?158686 [6]: http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5071587&nav=5kZQ [7]: http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/262006h.asp [8]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed