Talk:Steve Watkins

Photograph request

Can any Wikipedia editor provide a public domain photograph of the candidate? Activist (talk) 22:15, 3 October 2018 (UTC)

Per your suggestion, I have formally submitted a photo request.--TommyBoy (talk) 00:39, 11 January 2019 (UTC)

Rally

Trump is scheduled to appear at a rally with KS SOS and Republican gubernatorial nominee Kris Kobach and Watkins in Kansas today at 2:00 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time. For support for Watkins, this is a 180 degree turnaround from opposition just a few months ago and I expect there will be substantial coverage that will merit addition to the article. Activist (talk) 10:39, 6 October 2018 (UTC)

Section name

Hello, the current section name "Allegations of sexual assault" does not conform to the sources nor to WP:NPOV. The sources speak of "sexual misconduct" and "unwanted sexual advances". The "assault" mentioned in multiple WP:RS is alleged by Watkins to be directed at himself and other Republicans, so probably not suitable for a section heading. 2600:8800:1880:188:5604:A6FF:FE38:4B26 (talk) 18:33, 22 November 2018 (UTC)

COI editing

@Muboshgu:, @Binksternet:, @FourViolas:, @Mifter:, @Projects2323: Just a note. The subject of this article writes, " 01:40, 22 November 2018 Projects2323 (talk | contribs) m . . (5,710 bytes) (-8,305) . . (I am Steve Watkins. My lawyers and I edited this page because it was heavily biased.)" (undo | thank) (Tag: Visual edit), after IP editors were blocked, using WP:SPA Projects2323. Activist (talk) 13:37, 23 November 2018 (UTC)

@Muboshgu:, @Binksternet:, @FourViolas:, @Mifter:, "jjoice" is apparently Jim Joice, the recent director of the Kansas Republican party and is now a staffer for Watkins. This article will require some vigilance regarding determined COI editors. Activist (talk) 01:34, 5 January 2019 (UTC)

Activist, good to know, thanks. – Muboshgu (talk) 03:21, 5 January 2019 (UTC)

@Muboshgu:, @Binksternet:, @FourViolas:, @Mifter:, An IP editor, geolocated in England, has removed information about former Kansas Republican Party director and Watkins Chief of Staff, Jim Joice, three times from the article in recent days. The article's subject has become very controversial in the past two weeks, though the reasons for same have not been publicly disclosed, and there are apparently Repbulican efforts trying to persuade him to resign or to get prominent Republicans to primary him next year. Activist (talk) 00:45, 31 August 2019 (UTC)

Activist, oy. My eyes are on it. – Muboshgu (talk) 00:57, 31 August 2019 (UTC)

On September 7, User SunCrow made eight consecutive edits to this article. They included the following:

Watkins' Chief of Staff Jim Joice termed any rumors regarding the reason for his conduct, "absurd."

Watkins attempted to erase references to some stories about his behavior from his Wikipedia article, as shown in its edit history. He made at least six edits in November 2018. A subject line regarding one change read "I am Steve Watkins. My lawyers and I edited this page because it was heavily biased".

In another, well-sourced information about concerns the state Republican party had about Watkins, was deleted.

Kansas Republican Party leaders were sufficiently concerned regarding any speculation that they held a conference call on August 20 to discuss potential fallout according to the Kansas party’s executive director, Shannon Golden.(ref name=reporters/) Watkins' former Chief of Staff, Colin Brainard, who had worked for Watkins' Republican predecessor, Lynn Jenkins for a decade, stepped down as chief of staff earlier in August and it followed the resignation of Watkins' executive assistant in July.

Activist (talk) 10:30, 17 September 2019 (UTC)

removal of section

Section itself was redundant, and the contents are just trivia. The "Defund Planned Parenthood" bill had 104 co-sponsors. Section had been added by an apparent COI editor. valereee (talk) 16:52, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

@Valereee: Edits removing well-sourced text, and the addition of unsourced text and claims made by IP editors and other registered editors who clearly have COI, is overdue for being rectified or deleted. If c.v. padders and COI editors can add copious text inflating the alleged Watkins' accomplishments, they can at least provide requested RS for same. Walkins has admitted to padding his own article and has apparently had others do it for him. Activist (talk) 10:31, 19 April 2019 (UTC)

Activist, I agree. Maybe just remove everything for which no sources have been provided? --valereee (talk) 13:20, 19 April 2019 (UTC) ETA: saw you'd removed a chunk, I removed a chunk that no one else is apparently talking about. --valereee (talk) 13:38, 19 April 2019 (UTC)

Rumors of Resignation

Ok. How do we deal with news articles that he might resign? We have to follow with WP:RUMOUR. FunksBrother (talk) 18:48, 23 August 2019 (UTC)

There have been articles for the past few days concerning bipartisan pressure upon Watkins to resign. During the general election, there were many published reports of both substantial resume inflation and inappropriate activity of a heterosexual nature. I can't imagine that he would be pressured to resign for lying about his background, or there would be a great many others in congress in the same position. The #metoo movement is an entirely different situation. I have no idea what the problem is, but if he's getting pressure from both sides of the aisle, it is almost certainly extremely serious and well known in the halls of Congress. I suspect this will be somewhat resolved after the weekend and we won't have to decide what is okay and what isn't. He and his family spent over a million bucks getting him elected during his close primary and the general election, so I can't imagine that he's going to walk away quietly. I have heard no reports that he intends to resign. Activist (talk) 19:53, 23 August 2019 (UTC)

Your intentions of adding the text was in good faith. However, this is an encyclopedia. If he does resign, a short spiel about how he was being pressured to resign in the previous days/weeks needs to be noted in the article. FunksBrother (talk) 15:45, 24 August 2019 (UTC)

Page move - request for assistance

I moved the page "Steve Watkins" to "Steve Watkins (baseball)" The article was a stub about an extremely obscure baseball relief pitcher whose MLB career lasted five weeks late in the 2004 season in which he pitched seven strikes in relief with an ERA of 6.78. That worked okay/ Then I tried to move Steve Watkins (politician) to take the baseball player's article's name with no clarification as to career. It didn't work, because I was informed, there already was a Steve Watkins page, even though I had briefly eliminated the title. In my efforts to change the "Steve Watkins (baseball)" page to simply "Steve Watkins," I used the term "disambiguation" that now seems to be indelibly part of the title. The article content remains intact. The advice I got was "be bold." That appears to have been a mistake. Activist (talk) 13:49, 18 September 2019 (UTC)

Activist, I think I've cleaned up the mess. Page moves sometimes require an admin to delete pages. We have WP:RM for this. – Muboshgu (talk) 14:20, 18 September 2019 (UTC)

You did a great job in straightening out the difficulties. Thanks so much for your assistance. Activist (talk) 00:38, 19 September 2019 (UTC)

Probs

Ran across this article and decided to overhaul it. It needed an overhaul. Badly written, scattered, confusing, overly detailed, disorganized, and sometimes incomprehensible. Just bad. It's a lot better now that I overhauled it, but more work is needed. For one thing, there is almost nothing on Watkins's political positions. For another, there is absolutely nothing about his committee activity, his legislation (if any), or his voting record. Nothing. Obviously, Watkins has a ton of baggage, and the article is right to include it. It just shouldn't focus only on that stuff to the exclusion of everything else.74.67.45.185 (talk) 06:08, 30 December 2020 (UTC)

Afghanistan Paragraph

One of the claimed resources is not avaible. The other does not even contain the name of Mr. Watkins. Cite some proper resources. Janos Neman (talk) 11:47, 22 February 2023 (UTC)

NPOV issues

Like [User:74.67.45.185] I came across this article, and... wow. I have never seen so much bias in Wikipedia. This is how and why Wikipedia has earned a bad reputation.

I'm a Kamala liberal. But most contributors just copied and pasted Watkins's hit pieces and call it his biography.

News Flash: political news is bias. I know. I produce it. In fact, this entry is such a disgusting disgrace, it's almost newsworthy.

I dug. Here are a few things:

- Literally, the entry's most frequent contributor, Activist, is so bias against Watkins that he or she wrote a big rant describing Watkins as Baron Munchausen.  Then deleted it, probably because he realized that even they crossed a line.   NPOV Violation
- One of you, at one point, deleted his Watkins's Committee assignments??  NPOV Violation   
- Where are his Caucuses?  NPOV Violation
- All references to local players in Watkins's primary violate NPOV.  Find any other like entry that references people comparable to:  State Senators Steve Fitzgerald, Dennis Pyle, Caryn Tyson, Blake Carpenter.   Isn't it obvious that they are interjecting themselves into Wikipedia, or it's the handiwork of some local liberal newspaper.  

- I've written about politics for over 20 years, but have never seen campaign PAC contributions described as "to underwrite". NPOV Violation - How about "Elections, 2018... campaign platform, motto, political positions..."?? NPOV Violation - Where he placed in the Iditarod is above the fold? NPOV Violation. - No reference to DA Kagay's possible corruption? Watkins's indictment hitting moments before a debate and the day before voting began? WTF Violation

This is why my peers and I avoid Wikipedia. Disgusting entry. Ebonyny (talk) 17:21, 30 March 2023 (UTC)

Ebonyny, first off, we do not comment on editors. Activist is a good contributor who understands policies of WP:V, WP:NPOV, and WP:RS to name a few. So, we don't care if you are a "Kamala liberal", which is not a thing that exists. We care that edits made to the page follow policies. Literally everyone has biases. Activist can blog as they choose off Wiki, as long as any of their POV stays out of the article.

Watkins' committee assignments are in the page. What caucuses are not? Wikipedia articles are a work in progress, so the lack of a piece of information is just an omission, not a bias. If you present information with sources, it can be added. These other things you mention are not NPOV violations, as long as they are presented as they are in the reliable sources. The Iditarod is not mentioned "above the fold", it is below.

Please make specific points about changes you would like to see made with sources that support the changes. Or, feel free to avoid Wikipedia. – Muboshgu (talk) 17:35, 30 March 2023 (UTC)

The content "He also admitted that he had lied to the detective when he denied having voted in Topeka's municipal elections" is false. The reference used to support that claim does not even attempt to make that claim. Ebonyny (talk) 17:01, 21 July 2023 (UTC)

Extensive References to Local Politicians

There are multiple State and Local politicians referenced in this entry. Caryn Tyson, Steve Fitzgerald, Dennis Pyle, Blake Carpenter. There is insufficient reason and no precedent for this.

Look at comparable Wikipedia entries -- members of congress - 1 term or not - and you won't find any references to a single local politician. These individuals and their role in an entry regarding the life and career of Steve Watkins is not significant enough to be included. They read like the local new, not a Wikipedia entry. Factz7266 (talk) 19:02, 11 October 2023 (UTC)

Are you aware of the expression all politics is local? We have a wiki article on it. Why wouldn't local politicians be relevant, especially when considering the "local" issue of where Watkins lives? What is or is not on other politicians' pages is irrelevant. Most don't have residency challenges. – Muboshgu (talk) 19:39, 11 October 2023 (UTC)

If all politics is local applies as it's used here, can you find any other comparable Wikipedia entries that reference local competitors' activities as they are in this entry?

I'm not trying to be argumentative; I care about the truth.

I read every single entry of every single House Rep from the 112th Congress to the 118th Congress. This is the only entry I found that references local debates and players at all - much less multiple times. Actually, this is the only entry so bias. I challenge anyone to find a more bias entry.

Most of these local political fights have nothing to do with the DA's allegations of Watkins voting in the wrong City Counsil district. Watkins admitted that months before the allegations.

If you're going to protect bias language and use sloganeering to do so, it's worth understanding the basics. The allegations didn't challenge his residency. They alleged he voted in the wrong city council race, which he admitted to doing. He claimed it was an accident. Had it been intentional, it would have constituted voter fraud. But there was never a debate about where he lived or what he did. He wrote his mailing address not physical address on an absentee ballot - not uncommon for expatriates, which he was for some 10 years.

Moboshgu, again, I'm trying to be fair. When Watkins comes out and said multiple times things like 'it was a mistake, obviously I don't live at UPS store'. How can you claim to be intellectually honest in the "Allegations of Voter Fraud" section, particularly the Blake Carpenter quote?

Also, speaking of intelligential honesty, how can you justify deleting Watkins' campaign slogan and in the 2018 "Elections" portion? That was a quote from the Topeka Capital Journal. It also included him quoted as why he chose it. It's fundamental to his 2018 election, yet you delete it? How do you justify that?

You seem to be deleting things that are neutral and emphasizing negativity. There are many examples. Have respect for what we're trying to make Wikipedia -- reputable. Be emotionless, especially non-partisan when you contribute. Factz7266 (talk) 23:00, 23 October 2023 (UTC)

Last week I came across a hit piece by the Kansas City Star. I rarely read the Star because it's so notoriously biased. But what caught my eye was the republican they were bashing that day had been out of office for 3 years. Steve Watkins. That piqued my curiosity and I did some digging. This Wikipedia entry is truly unethical. Those who contributed the most: @Muboshgu @Activist and the rest of you should either recuse yourself from covering this guy, check your biased, or read the facts.

@Factz7266's critiques seem valid. @Muboshgu -- what's your response?

All politics is local --> then why is Watkins the only US Congressman in at least 8-years to have quotes from locals - much less multiple quotes. It clearly reads like a local newspaper covering a primary - not about, as Wikipedia put is "description of a person's life"

Again, reread the facts. There was never allegations about his residency. He voted using his mailing address. He admitted to this, and claimed it was an error. One point justifying it being an error is that no one can live in a UPS store. That's Watkins's statement in the Sheriff's report, but you insist on the Blake Carpenter quote? Can you at least acknowledge that the information is presented in a biased manner?

I couldn't believe a Wikipedia contributor would delete a well cited campaign slogan. After looking it up, I realize how unethical you all are. How do you justify that?

Why is Watkins's dog mushing in his Career section? I admit it is significant, but it was never a career. Also, @Muboshgu, can you at least admit that, by putting nothing about his mushing except for where he placed / how he didn't finish comes across as biased?

Read this:

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/content/news/Steve-Watkins-on-the-trail-475616633.html

"...he says he isn't running the Iditarod to win, place or even finish. Instead, Watkins says he's here to inspire kids and honor his heroes."

"I always race on behalf of teachers and veterans," Watkins said. "Teachers shape the minds that influence the future. They're always under resourced, notoriously under paid, and they're my heroes. Veterans are also my heroes, I hope to inspire veterans, particularly disabled veterans, ones suffering from injuries or PTSD. I say 'come on, just because our wars are over doesn't mean our lives are.' We can still do great things, we can still contribute to society and we can still help our country grow."

This is sad. Wikipedia should be better this this. Take pride in your work. 165.166.14.50 (talk) 22:43, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

You lost me at "the Kansas City Star is biased". It's the paper of record for the KC area and it's journalism is WP:RS. I don't know if you were reading an op-ed, which wouldn't be RS but for its fact-based reporting. I can also tell you that I am not a significant contributor to this page. Most of what I've done here is revert vandalism. – Muboshgu (talk) 23:05, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

@Muboshgu, it's commendable that you are vigilant against vandalism. Considering your position as a content adjudicator, it is important to address the fundamental points raised. If you find yourself unable to do so or feel "lost," perhaps reevaluating your role is warranted.

Regarding Watkins's dog mushing content, it currently only presents the results of his Iditarod races. Would you agree that this coverage falls short of adequately representing his endeavors? I encourage you to read this article from The Washington Post Steve Watkins has Iditarod and Mount Everest in his sights, which provides a more comprehensive perspective. Do you concur that a more balanced portrayal is needed?

Could you explain the removal of his Campaign Slogan from the Elections section? Additionally, why were his Caucuses removed? In an entry about a legislator, it seems reasonable to include legislative accomplishments. Watkins introduced legislation that became law. 206.74.61.129 (talk) 20:46, 4 January 2024 (UTC)