Maybe it makes sense to hide until the legislature is out of session. That way Brownback doesn't have to address how he would solve the budget problem. But if his slide in the polls continues, he may have to come out of hiding before the session ends. After all, the budget crisis may continue until a special session that runs well into June.

But it's not like we don't know what Brownback will say. He's already signed every "no tax" pledge out there. So the Brownback solution is more budget cuts. He is locked into a "no new taxes" mode permanently, both by his pledges, and by those who back him.

Brownback's solution will be "pie in the sky." Grow the economy, grow Kansas! Bring new businesses to Kansas! Let's grow our way out of this budget crisis! Excessive government spending is the problem!

And I don't think Kansans will buy his "rosy scenario" that if we just elect Brownback, he will show us prosperity. Supply side economics hasn't worked in Kansas. It hasn't caused tax revenues to increase. But it has achieved one goal of Brownback and his followers: it has caused the systematic defunding of social programs and schools in Kansas. You see, tax cuts are how you dismantle the "welfare state" that Brownback complains about. Tax cuts, especially at the state level, don't lead to more revenue. But they do cut off the blood suppy to schools, prisons, roads, seniors, KPERS, and every other state program.

I served on a KDOT advisory panel with John Wong, the WSU economist. He is a very impressive guy, and his recent study done at WSU indicates that Gov. Parkinson's temporary one cent sales tax would cause less damage to the Kansas economy than allowing the coming budget cuts. But with Brownback, government is like a malignant tumor. Cut off the blood supply, and the tumor dies.

Someone once said that "all political careers end in failure." And the longer Brownback is invisible, the greater the chance that his 2010 Governor's race will be his Waterloo.

Brownback dropped out of the 2008 Iowa Caucus Presidential race due to lack of support. Brownback's predecessor, Senator Bob Dole, won the Iowa Caucuses twice.

As Brownback lays low, his Democratic opponent, State Senator Tom Holland is out asking for votes, asking for support, asking for volunteers. It's nice to be asked.

And right now Brownback is taking Kansas voters for granted, and using his cloak of inevitablity. It's pretty hard for a Republican to lose ANY election in Kansas. But right now State Senator Tom Holland is reminding me of former Coffeyville Juco basketball player James "Buster" Douglas. Nobody gave him a chance of beating Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson on February 11, 1990. But once he knocked out Tyson, Tyson's boxing career was basically over.

I like Holland's chances. I like them a lot. Especially when he's the only one out there working. Holland started with a "puncher's chance" to win this fight. But right now he's the only one in the ring. And his chances get better every day.