The Anti-Sam Brownback Blog

For the record… I think the charge of “flip flopper” is bogus. It is so generic that any senator’s record could easily be massaged to fit. That being said, if you’re gonna dish it out, you’d better be able to take it.

On that note, Senator Brownback seems to see no hypocrisy in opposing the filibuster when the Democrats are using it but championing it when he wants to use it. First, a KRT newswire story shows how Brownback felt about the filibuster just 2 weeks ago:

…the region’s other Republican senators, Kit Bond and Jim Talent of Missouri, and Sam Brownback of Kansas all said they would back Frist.

Brownback pointed out that “we’ve been hung up now four years” on several of the nominees.

“There’s no sign of it ending,” Brownback said. “We’re kind of at the end of the string. I don’t know what else we can do” other than change the rules.

Now for exhibit number two. This is Brownback five days ago discussing the upcoming stem cell research bill in the Senate:

“We’re going to do everything we can to stop it,” said Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record), R-Kan. He vowed to mount a filibuster, which allows a minority of senators to block a vote on the measure.

How I love the smell of hypocrisy. He makes it so easy. It makes me wonder if any of his legislative aides bothered to think how this would look. I guess he doesn’t have to worry about getting re-elected here in Kansas. Even if he was photographed having indecent relations with an emu Kansans would still elect him with 60% of the vote. Such is the crazy political culture of Kansas.

Thanks to the dailykos crew for the heads up.

The past week was a bad one for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. His plan to go nuclear was scuttled by a rougue element of moderate GOP and Democratic senators. While trying to save face and rush through the Bolton nomination he was publicly embarressed when the cloture vote he called failed. The mainstream news was full of him railing against the filibuster deal while he was contrasted with the more moderate, and seemingly more reasonable, gang of 14.

Frist suffers mightily as a result. He has failed to follow through on his promises to the religious right. He told them the nuclear option was a sure thing. Dobson and Co. were already feeling the sting of buyer’s remorse from Bush ignoring the Federal Marriage Amendment. They made clear to Frist that this was his opportunity to solidify support among their ranks. In failing, he has tainted himself and hurt his chances in a GOP primary. In addition, he has shown himself to be a weak leader of the GOP caucus. Not being able to hold ranks on such an important vote shows that Frist does not possess the leadership capabilities needed to be a presidential candidate.

What is bad for Frist is good for Brownback. As Frist falls from grace in the eyes of religious conservatives, they are more likely to gravitate to someone who they know they can trust. Brownback has been their constant friend and supporter, never shying away from even their more radical ideas. He is a known entity and has a long history with the anti-choice lobby. Moreover, Brownback voting for Brownback in a presidential primary would be seen as the final stage of the muscle-flexing by the religious right. They are tired of electing officials like Bush who give lip service to the Federal Marriage Amendment but then shelve it because of political expediency.

I think Brownback has risen considerably this past week as a contender. The George Will writeup below combined with the Frist implosion serves to strengthen Brownbacks ambition.

More and more people are beginning to take notice of Brownback’s candidacy for president in 2008. George Will wrote a good piece Sunday for Newsweek that lays out the pros of a Brownback run. There is prominent mention of the small town that Senator Brownback hails from (Parker, KS) along with that town’s population (281). I suppose that is to make him seem down to earth. I don’t buy it.

The most interesting part of the article, and the piece of information I had not heard before was when Will discussed Brownback’s chief opponent for the Christian conservative vote:

Brownback, who is not coy about his interest in the 2008 nomination, doubts that Santorum—a friend and former Capitol Hill roommate who participated in Brownback’s recent conversion to Roman Catholicism—will seek that nomination. Brownback notes that the first mini-event of the next presidential cycle—the Ames, Iowa, straw poll in August 2007—will come just nine months after Santorum’s re-election campaign ends. Other candidates will have had more time to organize in Iowa. And, Brownback says, Santorum is young, so he can wait. Santorum is 20 months younger than Brownback.

There are many people who believe that Santorum will not manage to get reelected next year. Even if he wins, as the article points out campaigning for president will already be well underway. The era of the four year campaign for president is upon us. I personally don’t believe that Santorum will run for president. If his Senate race was uncontested or weakly contested he might try for it. However, Bob Casey will be a formidable opponent. While I don’t like Casey’s positions on women’s rights, by being anti-choice he cuts the legs out from underneath Santorum’s supportive base.

This leaves Brownback sitting pretty.

While everyone will be talking about the Specter Slam discussed below… Senator Brownback also mentioned an issue on the Sunday edition of ‘This Week” that could be much more important to fighting any future presidential aspirations..

The gist: Senator Brownback wants to regulate a couple’s right to receive in-vitro fertilization.

(more…)

Sunday morning on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Senator Sam Brownback debated Arlen Specter over the subject of federal funding for stem cell research. While they are both republicans they are on opposite sides of this contentious debate. Senator Specter is suffering from Hodgkin’s disease. He vociferously argued in favor of increased federal money.

Specter’s main argument was that the 400,000 embryos currently in storage will either be used for science of destroyed. There is no chance of them all becoming children. Why waste these embryos if they could contribute ot meaningful scientific research?

Brownback, the poster child for “love the fetus, forget about the child” republicanism, attempted to argue his typical “all life is sacred” drivel. He looked noticably uncomfortable whenever Specter would hammer the point that these embryos will be destroyed anyway. This unmasked Brownback as the anti-cure neo-luddite christo-fascist that he is.

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the debate came when Brownback demanded of Senator Specter, “When did your life start?”

To this, Senator Specter answered in his weak and raspy voice, “Well Sam, I’m a lot more concerned at this point about when my life is gonna end.”

Crooks and Liars has the video.

For someone who is not officially a candidate, Senator Sam Brownback certainly is doing plenty of “exploring” in early primary states and generating supportive buzz. Today Brownback was in Iowa visiting with state GOP leaders and evangelical groups. One group in particular is certain to be important to any presidential aspirations Brownback may have. Iowa Family Policy Center is in a cooperative association with Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council.

The President of the IFPC, Chuck Hurley, attended law school with Senator Brownback and the two remain friends. Chuck is on the record enthusiastically supporting Brownback for president. The probable endorsement of Brownback by IFPC has to be a powerful motivator for Brownback to jump into the race.

Senator Brownback was also mentioned on Sunday by Pat Robertson as a strong contender for 2008. He called him “an outstanding senator from Kansas… a super guy.” Of course, this is the same Pat Robertson who said activist judges are more dangerous to America than plane-flying terrorists. So I am not sure Brownback would appreciate his endorsement at this point in time.