Sam Brownback
From dKosopedia
Sam Brownback is a Republican U.S. Senator from Kansas.
Brownback presents himself as a consistent Christian conservative. "I am pro-life and whole life," he claims by way of explaining his opposition to abortion domestically and apparent support for the U.S. as world policeman to stop the Darfur genocide.
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Background
Brownback holds a degree in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University and a law degree from the University of Kansas. His first elected public office was Secretary of Agriculture for the state of Kansas. He was elected to the House Of Representatives in 1994 and then elected to the Senate in 1996 to finsh Bob Dole's term. In 1998 he was re-elected to a full six year term, and again re-elected in 2004. Raised a Methodist, Brownback converted to Roman Catholicism in 2002 under the influence of then and now former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
Brownback's work to bring genocide in Darfur to the world's attention marks him as more than just another cranky theocon--he has worked to create a record of bipartisan collaboration on that issue, which might blind moderates to his more draconian views on civil rights, welfare, free speech, and Islam.
Brownback does not have any military service - he had not turned 18 when the draft ended in 1973. [1]
2008 Presidential Campaign
From January 20, 2006 to October 19, 2007 Brownback was a candidate for the 2008 Republican nomination for President. He piggybacked his announcement to run for president on that of the better known Democratic Senator from New York Hillary Rodham Clinton in an attempt to win additional news media attention. Brownback's party primary election niche was that of a non-Mormon Christian conservative who appeared to timidly oppose the War in Iraq—a pusillanimous position to take on the most important issue of the day, to be sure, but it reflected the sentiment of a significant segment of the Republican primary electorate. They knew something was very wrong with the War in Iraq and wanted to get the U.S. miltiary out of the quagmire without having to acknowledge responsibility for having supported the war in the first place.
Timeline:
- Brownback revealed how long he thinks his 2008 campaign could survive in comments made on April 19, 2007: "You have to get in it in Iowa, you've got to stay in it in New Hampshire, you have to win it in South Carolina." If he is knocked down in any of the early contests he will go away.
- May 2007 - At one of the debates, he raised his hand to show that he did not believe in evolution.
- Oct. 19, 2007 - ended campaign for President.
Cheap Piety
- Brownback proudly admits to his participation in a "behind-the-scenes" religious organization, called "The Fellowship" or The Family, that considers politicians it favors to be appointed by God; organizes these politicians into off-the-record cells to study government-by-Bible; and looks to history's strongmen from across the spectrum—Lenin, Pol Pot, and yes, Hitler—for leadership lessons. Other active participants include Senators James Inhofe (R-OK), John Ensign (R-NV), Jim DeMint (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), and Reps. Zach Wamp (R-TN3), Joe Pitts (R-PA16), Frank Wolf (R-VA10), and former attorney generals John Ashcroft and Edwin Meese III.
- On Monday, January 30, 2006 Brownback asserted (Associated Press) that he meant no offense to homosexuals when he quoted Matthew 7:16, "You'll know them by their fruits," while criticizing countries such as Sweden that permit same-sex marriage. Brownback insisted that his quote "was in no way referring to sexual orientation." Pity that Brownback's pieties don't include prohibitions against hatred, irrational prejudice and lying.
Committees
- Committee on Foreign Relations
- Joint Economic Committee
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Appropriations
External Links
- BROWNBACK, Sam Dale from Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- "God's Senator" -- profile in Rolling Stone
Blogs
- The Anti-Sam A site dedicated to the savaging of Sam Brownback
- "Sam Brownback is a Fruit" -- outtakes from the Rolling Stone profile of Brownback, with further exploration of Brownback's notorious "fruit" remarks.
- Anybody But Brownback
References
- Michael Luo. "In Crowded G.O.P Field, a Lesser-Known Hopes to Capitalize on the Issues." The New York Times. March 12, 2007. A18.
- Associated Press. "Brownback: 'Fruits' Comment Not Gay Joke." January 30, 2006.