NOTEBOOK: Safe seat doesn’t save Brownback

At a Friday press conference with U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, an AARP Kansas spokesman scolded Kansas’ other senator for not voting to stop cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.

Sen. Sam Brownback, who isn’t facing a re-election challenge this year, was the lone dissenter among Kansas congressional members who recently voted to prevent many physicians from turning away new Medicare patients.

“Sen. Brownback, we are sadly disappointed with your refusal to help your fellow Kansans,” David Wilson, volunteer state president for AARP Kansas, said.

The senator recently said he opposed the bill because it was a Democratic attempt to restore Medicare payment levels at the expense of insurance companies.

Private insurers are to receive smaller federal payments for the alternative program Medicare Advantage, according to the bill.

Brownback, the lone legislator in Kansas’ delegation who is not up for re-election this year, has said he will step down after this term ends in 2010.

Labeling slip-up

The Topeka-based Kansas National Education Association labeled Light a “pro-public schools” candidate Wednesday but erred by calling him a Democrat.

Light laughed when told of the mix-up. The organization later posted a corrected version of the news release on its Web site.

“I’ll just chalk it down to an unintentional mistake,” he said.

To former Grant County Commissioner Gene Schwein, a Republican challenging Light in the Aug. 5 GOP primary, the slip-up was telling.

“I think it is kind of a funny reference because he votes like a Democrat,” Schwein said.

Schwein disagrees with Light’s procedural vote to kill legislation blocking cities from setting up registries to recognize gay or non-married couples.

Light has countered that he favors home rule for local government. He did back a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between a man and a women.

Waiting game?

Party officials accuse Roberts of technically violating federal “Stand By Your Ad” requirements in a spot that criticizes his likely November opponent, Democrat Jim Slattery.

The allegations state that Roberts’ image was improperly obscured from the screen during an introductory audio statement and lacks a required ending disclaimer.

The Roberts camp has since tweaked the spot, moving its disclaimer to the end and using a different image of Roberts. It’s also pledged to keep running the ad.

Bob Biersack, an FEC spokesman, said the time it takes for the commission to resolve complaints varies according to the situation.

But it’s possible that allegations filed in July or August might not be resolved prior to a November election, he said.

“I wouldn’t call it common,” Biersack said of a pre-election decision. “I wouldn’t call it impossible either.”

No escape

Sebelius traveled last week to England’s Farnborough International Air Show in England, one of the largest international gatherings for makers of aircraft and military equipment.

A New York Times political blog, “The Caucus,” reported catching up with the Democrat at one point during the show.

But Sebelius didn’t discuss her chances to become the Democratic vice presidential nominee, the blog reported. She did say she was handling the constant media attention.

“It makes me a little uncomfortable. It’s a little strange,” Sebelius reportedly said. “But it’s not something I can do much about.”

Her conclusion? “I hope it puts the focus on Kansas. Maybe they’ll buy airplanes.”

The full blog entry can be found through: http://tinyurl.com/5fw8pt.

Ballots bilingues

The federal Voting Rights Act requires that counties offer bilingual ballots if residents not proficient in English make up 5 percent or more of the county’s general population.

Kansas Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brad Bryant said the next federal census taken in 2010 will determine whether more counties are added to the list.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if a few other counties were included,” Bryant said. “There were probably others just below that mark in 2000.”

Finney, Ford, Seward, Grant, Haskell and Kearny counties currently have bilingual ballots and other materials, such as voter registration cards, available in Spanish.

“We’ve got quite a few documents and materials translated now,” Bryant said. “But the main things are the ballots and translators at the polling places.”