Redstate

The only reason she has less is because she refused the DCCC frontline program money. Be careful about focusing just on money because money did not help Ryun in 2006 and he still has a primary to go through.

Nothing to add, just wanted to say please keep us informed!

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Bobby Jindal Saves Louisiana

We need one for every state. Jim Ryun would be my preference, but an getting an (R) elected is of the utmost importance. Given this district went for Bush by some 15 points, I would think Nancy Boyda should be vulnerable against a half-competent challenger.

True, Nancy Boyda did turn down the frontline aid, giving her no direct help from the national Party.

That said, she still could've solicited help from fellow Dems, which she did to an extent.

Ryun, on the other hand, had no help from the R.N.C. either. His numbers simply reflect more work.

So, neither Boyda nor Ryun received any national aid, placing them both on level playing ground.

The liberal KS blogs are definitely on the defensive, knowing that Boyda's numbers are none too respectable. Their line of attack is predictable - Jim's no longer a Kansan, he's a D.C. guy who received D.C. money. Either way, Jim pounded Nancy with this one.

Round One - Jim Ryun
Round Two - Jenkins, Ryun, Boyda - Who Knows?

Will certainly keep informed, though.

It’s a great irony that Douglas County Kansas votes democrats into office. I edited an account at http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1918ks/v1/ch29p2.html for length. Sorry, it’s still a little long but worth the read:

A movement formed in the winter of 1855-56 to promote emigration from the south to Kansas. One of the leaders was “Staggering Davy” Atchison (D-Missouri), who wrote “We must have the support of the South. We are fighting the battles of the South. Our institutions are at stake.”

Most of the southern emigrants were “loafers from the larger cities” intent on making Kansas a slave state. (Democrats – ed.) Few of this Southern emigration took claims. They lived outside towns in fortified camps. Missourians assembled along the Wakarusa River, just south of Lawrence. They waylaid travelers, robbed teamsters, and stole horses and cattle.

The South Carolina contingent arrested Josiah Miller, editor of Lawrence’s The Kansas Free State. Miller hailed from South Carolina, and the Ruffians tried him on the charge of treason to South Carolina. He escaped with his life, after losing his horse and his money. The territorial Governor, Wilson Shannon, (a Democrat – ed.) furnished them rifles from the US Armory.

On May 18, 1856, the Eldridge brothers, operators of the newly opened Free State Hotel, went to the Missourian’s camp (at Blanton’s bridge on the Wakarusa River). They offered to surrender every gun in the city. They were arrested.

On May 19, a federal marshal's posse murdered a Free-State boy named Jones near Blanton's bridge, as he carried home a bag of meal for his widowed mother.

The Committee of Safety narrowly stopped a company of boys who had formed to attack the intruders. The Committee resolved that no resistance should be made.

Lawrence was now surrounded by eight hundred Missourians, so-called “Border-Ruffians,” who were confident that no resistance would be offered. On May 21st, a guard of ten men entered Lawrence and made arrests.

Sheriff Samuel Jones (D-Missouri, a resident of Missouri who’d been appointed Sheriff of Douglas County, Kansas, by Daniel Woodson (D), then Territorial Governor) selected twenty armed men as a guard, and rode into Lawrence. He halted in front of the Free State Hotel. Jones demanded that the citizens give up their arms, and allowed five minutes for decision. Pomeroy, a leading citizen, told him that the arms of the citizens could not be given up. He offered to surrender the cannon under control of the Committee of Safety that had been concealed under Blood's Hardware Store. Pomeroy led Jones and his company to the building and tore out the foundation wall to reveal the cannon. He turned it over to Jones.

Atchison implored the Border-Ruffians: “Boys, this day I am a Kickapoo Ranger, by God! This day we have entered Lawrence with "Southern Rights" inscribed upon our banner, and not one damned Abolitionist dared to fire a gun. Now, boys, this is the happiest day of my life. We have entered that damned town, and taught the damned Abolitionists a Southern lesson that they will remember until the day they die. And now, boys, we will go in again, with our highly honorable Jones, and test the strength of that damned Free State Hotel, and teach the Emigrant Aid Company that Kansas shall be ours. Boys, ladies should, and I hope will, be respected by every gentleman. But when a woman takes upon herself the garb of a soldier by carrying a Sharp's rifle, then she is no longer worthy of respect. Trample her under your feet as you would a snake! Come on, boys! Now do your duty to yourselves and your Southern friends. Your duty I know you will do. If one man or woman dare stand before you, blow them to hell with a chunk of cold lead.”

Jones led the main force north on Massachusetts street with the cannon they brought with them. He presented writs authorizing him to destroy the printing presses of The Herald of Freedom and The Kansas Free State, as well as the Free State Hotel. Short work was made of the printing presses. They were broken up, carried to the river and thrown in. The paper stock was destroyed. All the tools at the offices were broken and cast into the street.

The cannon was planted on the east side of Massachusetts street, opposite the Free State Hotel. A Ruffian carried the South Carolina flag to the top of the hotel and fastened it in a chimney. In doing so, he removed a brick to make a notch to hold the flag-staff. This brick he dropped, striking a Ruffian on the head, killing him instantly.

The appearance of the flag on the battlements of the Free State Hotel caused frenzy in the ranks of the Ruffians. Another young Border-Ruffian accidentally shot himself through the shoulder and died. The others swarmed the hotel, cheering, yelling in triumph.

Atchison fired the first cannon shot at the hotel and missed the building. Others took charge of the artillery and fired more than fifty shots through the hotel, but the walls could not be broken down.

The Border-Ruffians exploded kegs of powder inside the hotel to no effect. Finally, they rolled a barrel of pitch into the hotel and set it on fire.

In a short time the building was enveloped in flames. A shout went up when the walls collapsed. Jones was the most exultant. "This is the happiest moment of my life,” he said. “I determined to make the fanatics bow before me in the dust and kiss the Territorial laws. I have done it, by God, I have done it."

The Border-Ruffians dispersed. They looted stores under the pretense of searching for arms. Not a life of the citizens of Lawrence was lost.

(This was the second time the Missourian’s assaulted Lawrence. The third occurred in 1863, during the Civil War. A band of Missourians led by William Quantrill sacked and burned Lawrence, killing more than 150 men and boys. Quantrill’s Raiders had no color of authority, as Missouri had not seceded from the Union. The scale of the atrocity puts it on a league with Tim McVeigh’s bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. – ed.)

Thanks for keeping us updated on the races in Kansas. We need more state and local blogs like yours focusing on local elections.

One question. You wrote "Of note, just under 1/4th of the P.A.C. money Boyda raised came from Congressional colleagues, perhaps an indication of her rising unpopularity within the Democratic Caucus." I would have thought getting 1/4 of her PAC money from Congressional colleagues is a higher than average amount, but admit ignorance on this question. Am I wrong or did you mean to say popularity instead of unpopularity?

Normally, 1/4th would be alot. But Nancy didn't get too much P.A.C. funding on this report. She's tried to paint her campaign as one with local funding, support and interest. Obviously it's not. To disguise it, she hasn't accepted too much special interest funding, claiming to remain above the advocacy fray. Yet that makes no reference to donations from fellow colleagues. One would think that the Dems would funnell her massive amounts of support through the P.A.C.'s of other Dems, yet she hasn't been a prominent recipient.

For an average Congressman, 1/4th of P.A.C. funding from colleagues would be significant. For Nancy Boyda, it's nothing.