Rep. Jenkins caught lying again, Ms. Smith speaks out
by Mike Nellis

Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 09:04:13 AM PDT

Rep. Lynn Jenkins' terrible awful no good very bad August is definitely extending into September.

Yesterday, her parade of failure marched on. Elizabeth Smith, the uninsured single mother Jenkins laughed at, is now telling her story. Last night on the Ed Show, she made it clear that she was "frustrated" with her Congresswoman and that she "wasn't looking for a handout" in insurance reform.

After this week, I bet Lynn Jenkins can't wait to get back home to Washington. Video below the fold...

* Mike Nellis's diary 

Here's the video of Ed Schultz's interview with Ottawa's Elizabeth Smith. I'd post it but there seems to be some trouble getting it to embed here.

Elizabeth Smith wasn't just speaking out on the Ed Show. She took her story to the streets last night speaking at a health care rally in Ottawa. We haven't been able to get our hands on the video but reports from the event says it was well very attended and organized.

Now, you might be asking yourself, how can Lynn Jenkins dig a deeper hole for herself? Apparently, by more lying. Jenkins released this statment via Scott Rothschild from the Lawrence Journal World:

Instead of playing gotcha politics on blogs and zipping off press releases to MSNBC, and using the young woman?s situation as a fundraising appeal for her political party, Congresswoman Jenkins?s office is looking into current resources available to the mother in existing programs.

There are two problems with this statement. First, in what is an obvious attempt to marginalize her, that statement implies that Elizabeth Smith is a Democrat. She is not -- she is a registered independent. Second, the LJ World spoke with Ms. Smith and she hasn't heard from Jenkins or any member of her staff. How can they help her, if they aren't talking to her?

What we've done is found Lynn Jenkins failing to do her job again. Kansans are starting to have buyers remorse. Lynn Jenkins has failed to read legislation she's voted on, she failed again by saying she won't read the health bills she opposes, she failed on a compassion level when she laughed at Ms. Smith last week, and now's she failing to do her job and help her constituents.

It's a pattern, and it's a disturbing one. Failure is the name of the game with Lynn Jenkins.

But like I wrote yesterday, it won't mean a thing if we don't have resources to build an infrastructure for our eventual candidate in the district. So many of you dug deep and helped us yesterday, but we still need your help.

Here's what I wrote yesterday for reference:

Can you help us build our party by making a small donation of $10? The stronger we are, and the more resources we have, the better chance we have of being successful in 2010. Every penny will go toward building a grassroots infrastructure -- both online and offline -- that we will utilize to ensure victory in November. Any support you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for your continued support and friendship.