The Pittsburg (KS) Morning Sun came out a few months ago with an editorial praising Nancy Boyda, freshman Congressman from the Kansas First District, as "a real person making decisions she thinks Kansans want."  The editorial went on to name two votes to demonstrate this line of thought; a "yes" vote for the ethics reform bill, and a "yes" vote for a "pay-as-you-go" requirement for the House.  It is my feeling that the Morning Sun came out a bit too early in their endorsement.

Let's look at those two topics.  First of all, ANY Congressperson that would vote against an ethics reform bill leaves the door open to the thought that "this person can be bought", and so this particular Yea vote is a nullity.  Either Boyda votes yes, or she is a target not only to the Republican Party but also to favor-seeking lobbyists.  This was a no-brainer, especially for a first-term Representative, and as such doesn't deserve special plaudits.

Second, "pay-as-you-go" for a Democrat simply means "tax-and-spend".  The design of the bill was that the House cannot spend more than they did last year without finding new sources of revenue or cutting spending in other areas.  Since the Democrats control the House, the only cutting they are willing to do would be in military spending, and "new sources of revenue" is just a synonym for "raise taxes".  In this vote, Boyda shows she's a socialist ("take from those who have to give to those who don't have"), and thusly deserves no credit here either.

In the rest of the voting since this editorial (reprinted in the Kansas City Star on 21 January 2007), Boyda has been in lockstep with Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats in blocking needed funding for the troops in Iraq, as well as happily tacking on earmarks to fund pet projects that have no relation to the actual bill being debated.  The Pittsburg Morning Sun endorsed Boyda far too quickly, and for the wrong reasons.  Kansas put a follower into the House last year, and the sooner Boyda is removed from that position, the better for the Sunflower State and the country.