Gone Fishing....

Loyal KJ Readers,

The Kansas Jackass blogging team has gone on a much needed hiatus. While we appreciate your continued dedication to the cause, many of us have done exhaustive work as volunteers, and this summer, nothing is more enjoyable than spending the day on a cool Kansas lake.

Have a very happy summer, stay cool!

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Where Are Pompeo, Kelsey, Huelskamp, Barnett, Wasinger, etc. on the Supplemental?

Earlier this week, every Republican in the Kansas delegation to the United States House of Representatives joined every other Republican in the United States House of Representatives (save five brave souls) in voting against a $106 billion emergency supplemental appropriations bill to cover the costs of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan- not because they want to see those wars ended, but because they didn't like one of the items in the bill that amounted to less than 5% of the total cost.

In other words, because they didn't support a tiny, tiny portion of the bill, the Republicans all voted against making sure our men and women on the battlefield have the tools they need to stay alive and fight the war until they are able to come home.

Think for a moment what would have happened if the Democrats had done that en masse when the Republicans were in the majority. They would have been called traitors, they would have been called unpatriotic, they would have been called un-American, and the Republicans would have been screaming from the rooftops about how awful it is for either party to play politics with the lives of hundreds of thousands of American service men and women.

Hypocrites, the lot of them.

With all of that said, two of the Kansas Republicans who voted against the wartime supplemental this week aren't going to seek re-election to the House. Because supplementals like these will continue to come up as long as we have men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, we need to know whether the folk who have tossed their hats in the ring as of yet to replace both Representatives Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran would have towed their party's line and voted against the troops or if they would have bucked leadership and voted for the supplemental.

Unsurprisingly, none of the people running in either the KS-01 or the KS-04 have said publicly how they would have cast their votes. That cowardly, but they're Republicans, so who's surprised?

Because I like mobilizing activists, I'd like to encourage each and every person who reads this blog to call each and every one of the folk who have announced their running for Congress in the KS-01 and KS-04 and ask them how they would have fallen on the vote on the supplemental. Or, if you don't want to call them, call your local newspapers and ask them to make the call instead.

Web site and information for each announced candidate follows:

KS-01:
Jim Barnett (Barnett doesn't have a campaign web site yet, so call his home: 620-342-5387)
Tim Huelskamp (email: Huelskampforcongress@rurallink.net)
Rob Wasinger (email: media@robwasinger.com)
Tim Barker (no contact for this cat at all...not that it really matters...)
Sue Boldra (at least she has a contact page...)
Tracey Mann (OK, this dude has a phone number, 785-829-0055, and email for press inquiries: press@mannforcongress.com and a fax machine!)

KS-04:
Dick Kelsey (email: dick@dickkelseyforcongress.com or 316-771-7310)
Mike Pompeo (campaign-related phone number is: 316-680-7311)

Write them e-mails, call them on the phone, however you want to do it, but just ask them if they would have voted with their party to defund the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan while our troops are still in harms way or if they could have bucked their party leadership and voted with the Democrats and President Barack Obama on the president's supplemental war funding request.

If you do manage to get a response, post it in the comments here or e-mail it to me at kansasjackass-at-gmail.com so we can all get a little insight in who might represent us in Congress.

Anti-Choice Goups Complain of Death Threats

From the Lawrence Journal-World:

Three Wichita-based anti-abortion groups say they have received death threats in response to last month’s killing of abortion provider George Tiller.

For years, Operation Rescue has received threats, but the number increased dramatically after Tiller’s killing, the group’s president, Troy Newman, said Thursday.

Some of the threats have been aimed at anti-abortion activities planned in Wichita this weekend, Newman said.

While I know everyone who is a friend of women is angry at the anti-choice nuts right now- lord knows I'm angry- but it's wrong of us to sink to the same level they have been on for so, so many years. Threatening their lives is wrong, and certainly committing acts of violence against them is wrong. However wrong you believe Troy Newman is, he doesn't deserve to die or to be hurt in any way.

Again, don't stoop to the level of the people who called Dr. Tiller "Tiller the Baby Killer."

Stimulus Money on the Way to Help Kansas Unemployed

As we learn unemployment figures in Kansas jumped again in May, we also learn the $69 million entitled to the state from the economic recovery bill is already on its way.

From the Lawrence Journal-World:

Kansas officials were notified Thursday that the state will receive $69 million in federal stimulus funds for unemployment benefits.

“It was less than one month ago that I was joined by aviation and business leaders in Wichita, signing the legislation that qualified Kansas for these funds, and already, we’re seeing how swift action can achieve swift results,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson. “These resources will help out-of-work Kansans put food on the table while they learn new skills for a new job, and that is a critical step in turning our economy around,” he said.

This is the unemployment money you heard Republican governors and legislators all over the country complaining about and even try to block. In Kansas, though, the final vote in favor of making needed changes to draw down the money was almost unanimous (see this post for details on the morons who voted "no"). I'm thankful the vast majority of Democrats and Republicans in the Statehouse recognized the utility of keeping people who are actively looking for a job above water in an increasingly bad economy.

KS/MO YouthBuild Program for At-Risk Youth Gets Boost

The US Labor Department's program YouthBuild is designed to provide assistance to at risk youth who are behind in skill level with alternatives to education in efforts to ensure they finish high school.

"The primary target populations for YouthBuild are adjudicated youth, youth aging out of foster care, out-of-school youth, and other at-risk populations. "

According to a release from the Labor Department 183 groups dedicated to YouthBuild services throughout the country received $114 million.

"This amount is an initial increment for two years of grant operations. A remaining increment may be awarded pending the availability of additional funding. Among today's awardees, 62 are current Department of Labor YouthBuild grantees, and 121 are new to the department."

One such program in Columbia, Missouri schools students for half of the day, and the rest of the day shows them how to build homes that then help disadvantaged families. A new program in Phoenix will fund the first ever green building project done by youth. The Phoenix students will build two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified houses in older neighborhoods.

Right here at home, the Kansas City program received nearly $700,000.

Wendell Maddox, CEO of United Way of Wyandotte County, said the YouthBuild program usually receives $1.1 million for the 30-month grant. However, he said the program typically receives 50 percent of the funds for the first 15 months, rather than 63 percent. Maddox said the stimulus money also requires the program to start spending the funds by July 1.

“That group of kids, they really need the support of this program,” Maddox said.

The KC program typically has a many as 65 students involved and Maddox said that more than half get their high school degree or GED and at least 45 will enter into job opportunities or internships that help them progress forward.

"President Obama and I are delighted to be able to increase funding for this promising program, which does so much for youth and their communities," said Secretary Solis. "The YouthBuild program not only assists young people in obtaining education and skills, but also gives them a sense of accomplishment and empowers them as they give back to their communities."

The release also says that $47 million of the total program budget came from the stimulus package passed by Congress earlier this year. With all the no votes for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 one would think it was filled with useless and meaningless projects - clearly this is yet another real world example of the lives impacted by this year's Congress.

Back on The Jeremy Taylor Show!

Same as every other Friday, I'll be the guest from 9-10 a.m. this morning on The Jeremy Taylor Show, which airs on 1320 KLWN AM radio out of Lawrence, America.

We'll be talkin' the news of the day and whatever else that pops into our heads.

For more about the show and to listen live, go here- or just spin that dial to 1320 AM if you live in northeast Kansas.