Sam Brownback links(The Hill) Christian lawmakers shrug off ‘Da Vinci’ hype: Since his conversion to Catholicism in 2002, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) has weathered rumors about an alleged association with Opus Dei, a religious order whose adherents are depicted as murderous villains in the novel and movie. Media reports that Brownback embraced the Vatican with the help of an Opus Dei priest helped fuel speculation, but spokesman Brian Hart said: “Senator Brownback is not affiliated with Opus Dei in any way. He] is not and has never been a member of Opus Dei.” Brownback’s office declined to comment on his opinion of or plans to see the “Da Vinci” movie.[(Today.Az) Senator Sam Brownback: “US should seek negotiated Karabakh settlement”: The Bush administration’s new strategy on the Caspian region is known, said US Senator Sam Brownback, who authored the draft law on supporting the South Caucasus and Central Asian states in the US Senate.Brownback said pipelines of critical importance for the transit of oil and gas pass through these countries. “The United States should also beat Iran to its nuclear ambitions as well as station new military bases in the region.”(SF Chronicle) Feinstein offers plan to legalize immigrants: Sen. Dianne Feinstein called the complicated Senate plan to legalize the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country “100 percent calculated to fail” and proposed Monday a simpler system based on a bar-coded orange card for anyone illegally in the country before January.Last month, Sen. Sam Brownback, a conservative Kansas Republican who has been a staunch supporter of the Senate plan, nonetheless publicly expressed doubts about the compromise.”I’m not at all confident that our Senate bill is really workable,” Brownback said even as he defended legalization. “This five year-two year distinction — you’re going to create (millions) of people trying to determine (whether they) were … here two years or five years. And that’s a lot of adjudications.”(SiliconIndia.com) U.S. proposes green cards for H-1Bs: The move for increasing the number of visas for temporary highly skilled workers has gathered momentum in the U.S. Senate, with the introduction of yet another bill, ‘S 2611’ or ”a bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes.”At present H-1B visas are issued for a period of six years. The bill would increase the annual cap on employment-based green cards by more than 500 percent, upping the current cap of 140,000 to 450,000 until 2016, and to 290,000, and exempting all immediate family members (spouses, children and parents) that currently count against the cap from the newly escalated cap. The bill is co-sponsored by six senators Sam Brownback, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Hagel, Edward Kennedy, Mel Martinez, and John McCain.(Seattle Times commentary) Plug-in energy independence: But, it is the immediate threat to national security from foreign oil dependence that is finally driving strong bipartisan support for plug-in hybrid cars and similar measures. At next week’s conference, former CIA Director James Woolsey and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., will be among those describing the national-security risk from reliance on unstable oil-producing nations; Brownback and others have sponsored legislation, backed by a coalition of labor and environmental groups, to accelerate production of plug-in hybrid vehicles.(The Hill) Brownback loves his shoes: Carrie Bradshaw, the shoe-obsessed lead character on “Sex and the City,” would likely have a few kind words for Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), despite her blue-state values.Late last week, Brownback introduced a total of 17 bills to suspend temporarily the duties on different types of footwear.Among the offerings: S. 2847, to “reduce temporarily the duty on certain footwear with open toes or heels,” and the more catchall S. 2845, affecting “certain women’s footwear.” S. 2837, for the leather lover, would reduce the duty on “certain leather and textile footwear,” while S. 2838, affecting “certain rubber or plastic footwear,” keeps the pleather lover pleased.How to contactAs always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation here.