Senator Sam Brownback

CQ Politics has moved its rating of ultra-conservative U.S. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), the leading contender to date, from Safe Republican to Likely Republican in response to the entry of a strong Democratic candidate.

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Pro-choice advocates in Kansas have had to put up with a lot over the years. But now, as the state gears up for the 2010 governor's race, the delicate balance could be shattered by the current front runner: Republican Senator Sam Brownback.

In his first direct email to supporters since leaving the race for the White House, Sen. Sam Brownback has used the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade as a fund-raising catalyst for his political action committee.

Henry Hyde's death may be a metaphor of end times for the vitriolic anti-abortion movement, as indications from formerly rabid Kansas, and red-hot-competitive Iowa, open the door for aggressive assertion of progressive prevention policies. Are the candidates and Congress connecting the dots?

Next week Operation Rescue takes their show on the road to Kansas to Dr. Tiller's clinic and Operation Save America prepares to "commemorate" convicted killer Eric Rudolph's sentencing - at the site of the Birmingham, clinic he bombed; and all of the usual suspects will be there.