Moore, Boyda seen as having the advantage in '08

LJWorld.com weblogs Congressional Briefing

Posted by Joel Mathis October 23, 2007 at 8:25 a.m.

[Political prognosticator Charlie Cook][1] has released his list of "competitive" races in the U.S. House for 2008.On the list: Seats held by Dennis Moore and Nancy Boyda, both Kansas Democrats. That's probably not surprising, since Kansas is still seen as a strongly Republican state.But even though the two are seen as being in competitive districts, Cook seems to like the chances of Moore and Boyda. He listed Moore's race as "likely" to stay in Democratic hands, though the race could become "engaged." So far one Republican, legislator Nick Jordan, has signed up to challenge Moore.Cook ranks Boyda's seat as "leaning" her way - meaning her race is competitive, but that she has the advantage. Former incumbent Jim Ryun is planning a challenge, as is state treasurer Lynn Jenkins.Other headlines today:Sen. Pat Roberts (R)![][2][(CQ.com) Senate Democrats Cite Meeting Bush 'Halfway' on Spending Bill Proposals:][3] On Tuesday, the Senate will vote on four amendments: to prohibit changes to funding formulas for HIV/AIDS programs, by Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo.; to provide $5 million for child care grants for small businesses, by Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; to prohibit spending on earmarks in the bill until all children younger than 18 are covered under private or public health insurance plans, by Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; and to open to competition $3.7 million in grants earmarked for two AFL-CIO agencies, by Jim DeMint, R-S.C. [1]: http://cookpolitical.com/races/house/summary.php [2]: http://roberts.senate.gov/Roberts-020405-18060-080-CFFflipped.jpg [3]: http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002610402.html

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Godot (anonymous) says…

Avoid a Boyda in 2008.
October 23, 2007 at 8:33 a.m.
jasonc_22 (anonymous) says…

This is great news- but anyone who is paying attention knows Congresswoman Boyda is doing a bang-up job. She deserves to be re-elected.
October 23, 2007 at 1:14 p.m.
BigDog (anonymous) says…

Jason
What has Congresswoman Boyda done that she "deserves re-election?"
October 23, 2007 at 1:18 p.m.
jasonc_22 (anonymous) says…

¢ Maintained excellent contact with the district (her "Congress on Your Corner" program).
¢ Voted in favor of groundbreaking legislation (minimum wage increase, SCHIP, etc.)
¢ Introduced legislation to prevent unsafe trucks from crossing the border into the United States
from Mexico.
¢ Introduced & passed legislation to strip corrupt members of their pensions.

Generally, the Congresswoman has been part of a Democratic majority that has been more productive and more responsible than the previous Congress- reason enough to keep it in place (and, certainly, not go backward- RE: Jim Ryun).
October 23, 2007 at 1:38 p.m.
BigDog (anonymous) says…

Which one of those "major issues" is she going to run on? The Democratic leadership handed her the legislation on stripping pensions from corrupt members of Congress.

And most don't care if she voted for something ..... did the legislation get passed.

Minimum wage ..... feel good legislation that any city, county or state could have done if they so desired at any time. Most won't base their vote on this.

What has been done about Homeland Security, Health Care, Illegal Immigration, the war, etc? Those are some issues people care about enough to base their vote on and still nothing is being done on any of these major issues.
October 23, 2007 at 2:10 p.m.
jasonc_22 (anonymous) says…

You asked me what she had done to make me say she deserved to get re-elected- she's done a lot in her few months in office- Congress hasn't, unfortunately, but she has.

Say what you want about the minimum wage vote- it was tremendously important to the working poor.

On health care- Nancy voted to allow re-important of cheap medicines from Canada- an excellent step. She also voted to allow Medicare to negotiate for better drug prices- commonsense steps toward solving a tremendously difficult problem.

On immigration- Boyda sponsored legislation preventing unsafe Mexican trucks into the country, and she lobbied against the amnesty bill her leadership tried to shove down our throats.

On homeland security- Boyda, along with the Democratic majority, voted to implement the recommendation of the 9-11 Commission- something that should have happened years ago.

There- more reasons she deserves to be re-elected.
October 23, 2007 at 2:37 p.m.
MyName (anonymous) says…

>What has been done about Homeland Security, Health Care, Illegal Immigration, the war, etc? Those are some issues people care about enough to base their vote on and still nothing is being done on any of these major issues.

Nothing was done by Jim "Rubber Stamp" Ryun on these issues in his time in office, and he was there longer than Boyda and working with a stronger majority. As with any political race, it's not so much what Boyda has done, but how she compares to the competition that matters the most, and unless someone with a higher profile steps up, she's got a very good chance of being reelected.
October 23, 2007 at 4:02 p.m.
BigDog (anonymous) says…

As with any political race, it's not so much what Boyda has done, but how she compares to the competition that matters the most, and unless someone with a higher profile steps up, she's got a very good chance of being reelected.
------------------------------------------------
Higher profile???? Lynn Jenkins and Jim Ryun are not high enough profile to compete with the freshman Congresswoman Boyda?
October 23, 2007 at 4:48 p.m.
BigDog (anonymous) says…

MyName

Doing nothing on issues important to the people is why Jim Ryun is no longer in Congress also.
October 23, 2007 at 4:50 p.m.
BABBOY (anonymous) says…

Biddog:

I think Jason pretty much smoked your responses.

Let Jim Ryan run again. The voters are tired of candates who put their own personal views such as religion in front of issues like money, health, sercurity of the nation, and well being.

I mean look at Ryan. What a dork.

Boyda will kick his tail. She is in touch with the local district and is trying to make a difference (see Jason's post). When Ryan was in office, he reviewed the Party line, absent mindly voted the party line, and died when the party got into trouble. Also, he took money to Colorado and charged people $500 a spot to go a bible based running camp in the mountains and in so doing furhter profited from his position and could give crap about the 2nd district.

I assume you like him because you are an abortion nut.

Good luck with that insanity.
October 23, 2007 at 5:18 p.m.
situveux1 (anonymous) says…

Nobody is going to care what Boyda has or hasn't done when she continues to act like a third grader in Washington. The Republican (whoever it is) will surly come after her for leaving a congressional hearing, sponsoring congressional earmarks only months after denouncing them, etc... She's accumulated 10 years worth of baggage in just over a year. Besides, who cares what the politicos think anyway...wasn't her election just over a year ago a surprise in itself? Why would her demise be any different?
October 23, 2007 at 6:34 p.m.
Oracle_of_Rhode (anonymous) says…

Republicans are a total joke ... corrupt child predators and public bathroom sex fetishists. Plus there's the profoundly damaging GOP irresponsibility and incompetence shown by the Iraq disaster and the Katrina bungling.

They've boosted the national debt, crime incidents, numbers of uninsured and numbers of potential terrorists. All the while, Republicans have eroded our precious freedoms -- taking away habeas corpus and the right to privacy, while trying to turn port security over to known sympathizers of al Qaeda.

Republicans are becoming unelectable even in formerly "red" bastions like Kansas. So while Boyda isn't my cup of tea since she has supported Bush's Iraq fiasco, she'll beat the pants off any GOP pervs and fake Christians that are dumb enough to oppose her.
October 23, 2007 at 7:27 p.m.
rhannay (anonymous) says…

To answer Jason, Big Dog, et al-Boyda's pension bill was a joke. Ryun actually supported and voted for a much, much stiffer version of the bill. Not the one that the Democrat leadership stripped of any real teeth and handed to Boyda. They didn't want their members (ie Jefferson and others) getting hurt by it.
Ryun wasn't a rubber stamp. Look at some of his bigger votes on No Child Left Behind (is it odd to anyone else that Boyda is parroting his talking points on NCLB?). Boyda voting 98% with Nancy Pelosi is rubber stamping.
And btw, Boyda's constituent services are horrible. Try writing a letter and see how long it takes to get a response. If you ever get one. Or call her offices and see what kind of response you get.
October 24, 2007 at 9:42 a.m.
rhannay (anonymous) says…

And what about Boyda's promise not to take DC money? Or Frontline money?

In NBC's political drama "The West Wing," fictional campaign consultant Bob Mayer once remarked, "ain't about the ideals, it's about the money, stupid." Now, the show's longtime executive producer is helping U.S. Representatives Carol Shea-Porter, D-NH, and Nancy Boyda, D-KS, put those words into action, even though neither seems to have any idea who he is.

For the third straight quarter, the two freshmen lawmakers reported receiving thousands of dollars in campaign contributions strikingly similar to those reported by House Democrats enrolled in a fundraising program sponsored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Boyda and Shea-Porter publicly eschewed the committee's fundraising help, saying it would damage their ability to remain independent from party leadership.

At the same time he donated to Shea-Porter and Boyda, Wells wrote checks to other Democrat freshmen enrolled in the DCCC's "Frontline" program, which provides extra fundraising help to 29 Democrats expected to face fierce re-election contests. Twenty-four freshmen Democrats are included on that list.

Wells contributed $2300 to Boyda on September 29, and that same amount to Shea-Porter on September 30, the last day to receive contributions included in the Federal Elections Commission (FEC)'s quarterly report made public October 15, 2007. Wells contributed the same amount, at the same time, to U.S. Representatives Michael Arcuri, D-NY, and Zachary Space, D-OH, and half that amount, $1150, to Nick Lampson, D-TX . All are enrolled in the Frontline program.

Boyda echoed similar sentiments, with her spokeswoman telling the Politico's Josh Kraushaar, "she ran an independent campaign in 2006, and her constituents want to see her run an independent campaign again."

But previous research of FEC filings shows that even though both declined the fundraising help, they continue to collect the same checks written to those enrolled in the program. The trend has continued for three straight reporting cycles."
October 24, 2007 at 9:44 a.m.
staff04 (anonymous) says…

"Ryun actually supported and voted for a much, much stiffer version of the bill."

According to the Congressional research Service's Legislative Information service, this isn't true. Ryun neither cosponsored nor voted on ANY legislation dealing with the pensions for members of Congress during his 5 terms.

And who is this "Wells" you name above? The fact that he donated money to Boyda, as well as some Frontline members in no way violates her promise to not take money from Frontline. Who else does he donate to that are not Frontline members? Convenient details you omit here:hack.

I'm not a huge fan of Boyda, I'm just less of a fan of lies and innuendo:
October 24, 2007 at 10:25 a.m.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…

Ryan squandered more money on his congressional staff than any other member of the Kansas representatives to the U.S. House. Read it and weep. Belly up to the trough and squeal!

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jul...

Whatever happened to "fiscal responsibility" amongst so-called (Conservative) Republicans?

Ditch the pachyderm... the real symbol for today's GOP should be the sow...

Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
http://www.uscentrist.org
http://www.americanplan.org

P.S. Jerry Moran? Now that man is **cool**!!!
October 24, 2007 at 12:28 p.m.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…

rhannay and/or dagopman whine:

"Boyda voting 98% with Nancy Pelosi is rubber stamping..."
_______________________________________________________

At best, this is an oft-repeated exaggeration; at worst, it's an outright fabrication.

Nevertheless, I'm not aware that it's ever been statistically-proven.

If there have now been 898 votes this session, I'd expect Pelosi and Boyda to match on at least 880 occasions.

If there have been 1,005 votes this session, I'd expect Pelosi and Boyda to match on at least 984 occasions.

Good luck getting back to us with the paperwork on this.

Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
http://www.uscentrist.org
http://www.americanplan.org
October 24, 2007 at 3:43 p.m.
jasonc_22 (anonymous) says…

According to the Washington Post (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/co...), Nancy has voted with leadership 91.9% of the time in about 1000 recorded votes. She's voted with the party less often than the average member of the Democratic Party, and is the second least likely to vote with her party in our delegation (Jerry Moran is the least likely).
October 24, 2007 at 8:32 p.m.
situveux1 (anonymous) says…

Wow, 92% instead of 98%. Well, slap my butt and call me Nancy...those 6% sure make a difference!
October 26, 2007 at 8:31 p.m.