The Midwest Young Republican Conference threw a big party here last week and picked Senator Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, as their favorite Presidential Contender. Brownback was picked via a special Valentine’s Day straw poll in which (the EYE is not making this up) conversation heart candies were placed in the Valentine’s bag of their favorite contender. Brownback pulled 28.5 percent of the heart candies to Senator John McCain’s 26 percent.