Journal-World continues to peddle moderate myth

In an earlier item, I noted that Rep. Dennis Moore (R-KS) was just as liberal as the average Democrat House member. This was in response to J-W reporter Scott Rothschild writing that Moore “is viewed as a moderate to conservative Democrat.”

Rothschild returned on November 18 with another article to help Moore and the newly-elected Nancy Boyda perpetuate the myth that they are moderates.

"Both Moore and Boyda said that although Pelosi may be viewed as to the left of most Kansas voters, they intend to stay in the center," Rothschild writes.

Further, "Moore said Pelosi as the new House leader 'will have to look out for all of the party,' which includes the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 44 moderate to conservative Democrats that he belongs to."

In its 2005 ratings of legislators, Americans forDemocratic Action (ADA), “America's oldest independent liberal lobbying organization,” ADA noted that it considers representatives with "Liberal Quotients" of 40-60 percent "moderates." Using that criterion, just four Democrat members of the House would be considered moderates. (And, no, there are not 40 Democrat members of the House with LQs below 40 percent. In fact, there is not one single Democrat member of the House with an LQ below 40 percent. In others words, there are no conservative Democrats currently in the House.)

My guess is that Boyda, like Moore, will have an LQ well above 60 percent. A true moderate has served the Kansas Second before. Democrat Jim Slattery, who served the district from 1983 to 1995, had a lifetime LQ of 56 percent. However, Boyda is no Jim Slattery.