"Dear Sam Brownback, I am pleased that Kansas has a governor who respects the sacred nature of life. In the upcoming legislative session, I urge you to apply your pro-life principles to all people and support the repeal of the death penalty in the state of Kansas."
I'm no fan of Sam Brownback. I once wrote an editorial for the Emporia Gazette comparing him to Tom Hagen in "The Godfather Part II." There's a lot about his theo-ideology that I detest and think is dangerous to the rights of Kansas women, in particular.
But...
Ever since his conversion to Catholicism, Brownback has made more skeptical noises about the death penalty and more enthusiastic noises about helping convicts find their way to rehabilitation. This might actually be an opportunity -- seriously! -- for liberal Kansans who are interested in that variety of social justice.
More to the point: He's going to be the governor for the next four years. Liberal Kansans can spend that time bitching about him (or bitching about the state's voters) or they can work on rebuilding their coalitions while spotting opportunities for common ground with him in the meantime. I think such collaboration will be more difficult in Congress, but: Just because your allies have gone away doesn't mean your causes have. I'm proud of my friend for turning her electoral despair into positive action. We should all follow her lead.
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Also, during his years in Congress he repeatedly sponsored bills and voted for and endorsed efforts to send life saving dollars to Africa to help fights AIDS and poverty.
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