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In Kansas, Democrats Turn To the Right to Keep Seat
WSJ ^ | June 8, 2007 | KEVIN HELLIKER

Posted on 06/08/2007 5:10:50 AM PDT by Brilliant

Freshman Rep. Nancy Boyda of Kansas recently joined 95 Republican lawmakers signing a letter attacking amnesty for illegal immigrants. She remains opposed to gun control even in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings. And she touts her credentials as a decades-long Republican.

Today, the 51-year-old Ms. Boyda is a Democrat. But you often wouldn't know it as she gears up to run for re-election in November 2008. With Republicans aggressively attacking her, and two Republicans already seeking her seat, she is positioning herself as independent. She plans to keep the word "Democrat" off her yard signs and rejects assistance from the Democrats' national congressional campaign committee.

Next year's battle for Congress is well under way, even as presidential politics are getting most of the attention. Ms. Boyda's success will help determine whether the Democratic Party can keep control of Congress, and show how firmly it has planted new roots in conservative corners of the country where it made surprising gains last fall -- places like Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Texas.

In these places, the Democrats are often barely distinguishable from Republicans on many issues...

About 20 Democratic freshmen are seeking re-election in Republican-leaning districts. Republicans could regain control of the House by picking up 16 seats, assuming they didn't lose any. Aware that the benefits of incumbency accumulate over time, the Republican Party is targeting many of these freshmen, believing that the presidential election will draw a bigger turnout from core Republican voters.

In recent days, the National Republican Congressional Committee paid for radio attacks in the districts of 12 freshmen Democrats. "These so-called conservative Democrats have compiled voting records identical to San Francisco Speaker Nancy Pelosi, due in large part to getting strong-armed by the Speaker and her lieutenants daily," says a Web site of the Republican committee...

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: boyda

1 posted on 06/08/2007 5:10:51 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Brilliant

wonder if hillary will be able to continue

changing positions whenever necessary?

(/s)


2 posted on 06/08/2007 5:12:52 AM PDT by ken21 (tv: 1. sells products. 2. indoctrinates viewers into socialism.)
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To: Brilliant

This is the only way Dems can get power. Pretending to be Republicans regained them the House and Senate. Is anybody watching them govern? They certainly don’t govern like Republicans.


3 posted on 06/08/2007 5:20:26 AM PDT by originalbuckeye (I want a hero....I'm holding out for a hero (politically))
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To: originalbuckeye
They certainly don’t govern like Republicans.

Neither did the Republicans.........

4 posted on 06/08/2007 5:30:12 AM PDT by Red Badger (Bite your tongue. It tastes a lot better than crow................)
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To: Brilliant
She plans to keep the word "Democrat" off her yard signs and rejects assistance from the Democrats' national congressional campaign committee.

"I'm not who I am! I'm a rose of some other name." She's a coward.

5 posted on 06/08/2007 5:31:02 AM PDT by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: originalbuckeye

>> Is anybody watching them govern? They certainly don’t govern like Republicans.

The Donks won many house seats by “pretending” they would be righteous and competent. But Nancy has given the lie to both Democratic competence and Democratic integrity. In many places in the country, winning seats from the Demonrats would be easy to do.

Biggest problem for the other side: the Republicans have demonstrated that THEY don’t “govern like Republicans” either!


6 posted on 06/08/2007 5:33:27 AM PDT by Nervous Tick
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To: theDentist
"I'm not who I am! I'm a rose of some other name." She's a coward.

No, it's pretty common for the Dems not to have party affiliation on their yardsigns. Dennis Moore is on his fifth term and he doesn't wave his Democrat status around. Sebelius doesn't play it up, either, and she just got reelected. Of course, both factions of the GOP make full use of the Republican label, and depending which faction you talk to the other side has no right to call themselves Republicans.

7 posted on 06/08/2007 5:38:51 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: Brilliant

I’m sick of all political parties. Either you’re a conservative or you’re a liberal. Everything else is meaningless.


8 posted on 06/08/2007 5:39:00 AM PDT by OneRatToGo
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To: Nervous Tick
The Donks won many house seats by “pretending” they would be righteous and competent.

And the Republicans lost many House seats by proving that they weren't.

9 posted on 06/08/2007 5:39:51 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: Brilliant

In these places, the Democrats are often barely distinguishable from Republicans on many issues...


Not if you look at the platforms, unfortunately it appears no one reads these anymore.


10 posted on 06/08/2007 5:41:47 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ( Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: Non-Sequitur

My point is, no mater what side of the aisle you are on, you should list your Party affiliation. If you don’t, it’s political cowardice.


11 posted on 06/08/2007 5:44:00 AM PDT by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: Brilliant
She plans to keep the word "Democrat" off her yard signs and rejects assistance from the Democrats' national congressional campaign committee.

A common trick used by the democrats to pretend they are not hate America liberals.

12 posted on 06/08/2007 5:47:51 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: theDentist
My point is, no mater what side of the aisle you are on, you should list your Party affiliation. If you don’t, it’s political cowardice.

It'd be interesting to find out if Republicans in states like Massachusetts or Connecticut or Illinois play up party affiliation on their campaign signs.

13 posted on 06/08/2007 5:47:59 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: Non-Sequitur

I grew up in Mass., and to best of my knowledge, they always listed their Party.


14 posted on 06/08/2007 5:54:12 AM PDT by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: Brilliant
In recent days, the National Republican Congressional Committee paid for radio attacks in the districts of 12 freshmen Democrats.

I live in the district next to Boyda where the major media outlets are, and if they're running ads against her then I haven't heard any. She's following the path that Dennis Moore has uses so successfully - vote party line on big issues and vote against the party leadership on enough smaller issues to appear independent. It may work.

Boyda will never be more vulnerable than she will be in 2008, her first re-election campaign. It's vital that the Kansas GOP unite around a candidate who can beat her. Right now the front runner seems to by Jim Ryun, the man Boyda beat. And I will state my belief for the record right now that if Ryun is the opponent then Boyda wins, period. No doubt in my mind and I'll stake anything I have on that. Ryun got thumped. There are reasons why Ryun lost that have nothing to do with Boyda running a good campaign. Ryun has had some questionable financial dealings in the past. He got caught in a barefaced lie about knowing Mark Foley. And most of all he ignored the district. If he comes back in 2008 and says he learned his lesson then the distict isn't going to buy that and Boyda will win.

It's important for our esteemed GOP party chair that the Republicans take back this seat as well. Kris Kobach wants to run for Senate in 2010. That means he has one election to strut his stuff and save the party. No major state offices are up for election in 2008. Pat Roberts is running for reelection in the Senate so that seat is safe. Three of the existing congressional seats are safe and the fourth will reelect Dennis Moore so long as he runs. At the local level the only campaign of note will be the Johnson County DA, and the only way to avoid having that being won by the GOP is to have Kline run again. So only the 2nd District is in play. And if Kobach wants to have the support of the party for his senate run then he has to win that seat back. The question is will he blow it?

15 posted on 06/08/2007 6:03:43 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: Brilliant

Another example of how Democrats think the electorate is stupid.


16 posted on 06/08/2007 6:23:58 AM PDT by popdonnelly (Our first responsibility is to keep the power of the Presidency out of the hands of the Clintons.)
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To: Brilliant

There are a lot of libs in eastern Kansas who stay registered as Republicans so that they can vote “moderate” in the primary. They then vote dem in the general. It’s been going on for years.


17 posted on 06/08/2007 7:20:12 AM PDT by Mercat
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To: Red Badger
They certainly don’t govern like Republicans.

Neither did the Republicans.........

Right. As long as she votes correctly, I don't care what she calls herself. At least, she is better than the RINOs.

BTW she is NOT my congressperson.

18 posted on 06/08/2007 7:25:03 AM PDT by Lurking in Kansas (Nothing witty here... move on.)
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To: Brilliant

As much as I dislike the Dems winning like this, it is a great strategy for them. It is also what the Pubbies need to do in Blue states. In Blue states, that is the only time for Pubbies to support RINOs because RINOs are better than Dems, so that we can control the houses of Congress.


19 posted on 06/08/2007 8:31:53 AM PDT by DeweyCA
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