Brownback’s toxic petri dish
by digby
I wrote a piece for Alternet last week about that loveable extremist Sam Brownback, taking a look at his history which is more interesting than you might think. For instance, did you know that his chief of staff for some years was none other than Paul Ryan? And that Ryan is credited with “mentoring” his conversion to Catholicism?
Anyway, here’s the opener:
Liberals throughout the land breathed a sigh of relief when Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas stepped down in 2008 and later decided to run for governor. Yes, the nation’s gain was a loss for the good people of Kansas, but Brownback’s special brand of right-wing fundamentalism was so extreme that many felt it was better to try to contain him in a single state rather than inflict him on the whole of the country. Judging from the four years he’s been in charge of that unfortunate state, their concerns were well-founded.
Read on — he’s every liberal’s worst nightmare in every way. And now he’s every Kansan’s worst nightmare too. In fact, his failed “experiment” in Koch induced economic governance may very well cost him re-election.
Of course, as is always true, they’ll say he was obstructed or didn’t have enough time or was squishy in some way because conservatism can never fail, it can only be failed. In this case it’s going to be a much tougher argument to make. He got everything he wanted …
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