If you live in the Kansas City media market you get the benefit of being exposed to campaign ads for both Missouri and Kansas. Since there’s not a lot of top of the ballot action in Missouri this election cycle and there’s a whole lot of upset in the wind in Kansas we’ve been exposed to a significant number of Kansas campaign television ads. Representative Lynn Jenkins’s (r) campaign has been running this ad a lot:
Lynn Jenkins (r): My whole life I’ve been guided by certain values – hard work, being frugal and accountable. It’s why I became CPA. And it’s why, in Congress, I’ve cut my own office budget, returned over half a million dollars to the Treasury to pay down the debt. And I’ve never taken a pay raise. Because the way I see it, it’s not the government’s money, it’s your money. I’m Lynn Jenkins and I approve this message.
Did that $500,000.00 cut in her Congressional office budget come in franking (mail) or staffing constituent services? We don’t know, but there is a significant difference therein. We’ve never understood the right wingnut “I’ve never taken a pay raise” meme either. Are they saying that only wealthy people who can afford to keep a home in their District and in Washington should run for Congress? That doesn’t sound too conducive to representing the nation as a whole, does it?
So, we’re seeing a lot of the ad on television. This from a member of Congress in a supposedly “safe” seat who has a lot more available campaign cash than her opponent. Or is it a safe seat?
And then, today, via Twitter we see this, from Margie Wakefield (D) who is challenging incumbent Lynn Jenkins (r) in the 2nd Congressional District race:
Margie Wakefield @MargieforKS
We’ve known all along that Jenkins is in trouble. Now, her friends in GOP leadership know it, too. From @politico [….]12:37 PM – 13 Oct 2014
Heh. That’s why you challenge the incumbents in every race.