The TKC Weekly Power Rankings

Nobody in Kansas City could ever be as powerful as Penny Mathis in a bikini.

But the locals made a lot of interesting moves this week that are worth ranking:

POLITICOS

1. John Rizzo - The MO 40 District winner refused to go negative or play media games but instead made a case to uphold his win and the Democratic Process in Kansas City.

2. Mike Talboy - The GOP onslaught is headed the way of Missouri but this Kansas City Democrat Leader has managed to keep his friends stay safe with steady fundraising and support.

3. Jason Kander - He's not taking his re-election for granted and can be seen busy as ever on the campaign trail.

4. Jacob Turk - Possibly within striking distance of Congressman Cleaver we learned this week.

5. Sly James - His fundraising efforts have not slowed down as much as the opposition had hoped and word is, now that he's a consistent fundraiser he will continue to improve upon his performance.

NEWSIES

1. Marcus Moore - Kansas City's only reporter in Chile this week put his bilingual skills to good use and set a great example of a cowtown reporter crossing a cultural divide.

2. Larry Seward - Lots of great interviews and a couple of breaking news credits to his name this weeek.

3. Bryan Busby - Is there ANYBODY in Kansas City who doesn't think of this weather dude like a friend? The answer: Nope, Busby's universal appeal is the stuff of local legent.

4. Eric Wesson - He's everywhere at once and one of the strongest and most well-informed voices on the Eastside.

5. Al Wallace - He earns a bit of recognition because his delivery is exciting but he's one of the few sports guys who doesn't seem to be trying out for ESPN every time the camera turns his way.

MOST POWERFUL KANSAS CITY ACCESSORIES

1. A durable phone - These past two days, I've learned my lesson that the technology at the center of this thing we call blogging is incredibly fragile.

2. A good backpack - Don't care if it makes me look like a crack addict and maybe grown men shouldn't carry backpacks everywhere . . . But my KICKASS backpack should be an example to everyone traveling that utility and not fashion or petty professionalism is most important.

3. A good notebook - A money quote is always lurking somewhere.

4. Loose change - Downtown KC is nothing more than a collection of greedy parking meters during the day.

5. Comfortable shoes - Common theme on this category - Serious people dress for work while d-bags put on a KC fashion show.

As always, this list has been compiled according to scientific TKC polling and market research data and it's the strongest guide to local powerful people.