Steaks and stakes

The Plaza III Kansas City Steakhouse only exists in two cities -- Kansas City and Boston. That made the site for this year's Kansas delegation reception at the Democratic National Convention blatantly obvious, with a festival-of-flesh menu of beef-on-a-stick, sauteed beef, fried beef ... add in beefcake and Captain Beefheart and you'd have a perfect party.

So, delegate Judith Loganbill, whaddaya think of the food?

"The crab cakes are to die for!" said the state rep. from Wichita.  

Freethinkers, be them Dems. And the Plaza III delegation kickoff showed Kansans in their full sunflower glory, chowing down before getting down to business.

With the reception titled in her honor, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was the official star of the evening. But the real star was "Hollywood" Dan Glickman, former Wichita congressman, former U.S. agriculture secretary, current head of Harvard's Institute of Politics, and soon-to-be head of the U.S. film lobby. True to new form, Glickman arrived late, left early and never hovered with any one person too long.

Slattery on 2nd

Lesser luminaries, like former congressman Jim Slattery -- a power lobbyist in his own right -- stuck around long enough to talk KS politics.

Slattery's got authority on a budding race -- the Second District Democratic quest to get Slattery's seat back from incumbent Jim Ryun, in which challenger Nancy Boyda is raising serious money for a seriously uphill battle.

Slattery thinks she can do it. He also thinks John Kerry can become president. But in the Heartland, he said Democrats better make economic and foreign affairs the election's focus.

"If the election's about guns, gays, God and government," he said, "Democrats  don't have a prayer."