Problem with DC.js series chart grouping and sorting

dc.problem.seriesChart.js

var createSVG = function($scope, config) {
  var getLabel = function(variable, circle) {
    return variable + " (" + circle.name() + ")";
  };

  var getLabels = function() {
    var ret = [];
    _.each(config.groups, function(group, name) {
      _.each( $scope.filterOnSet(group, name).all(), function(obj) {
        var circle = obj.key.circle;
        ret.push( getLabel(obj.key.variable, circle) );
      });
    });
    return ret;
  };

  var onClick = function(d, xCoord, yCoord) {
    var variable = d.data.key.variable;
    var config = {
      variables: { x: d.data.key.variable },
      pooled: false,
      somSpecial: true
    };

    // remove the old histogram window, if any
    $scope.window.handler.removeByType('histogram');
    // draw a new one
    PlotService.drawHistogram( config, $scope.window.handler );
  };

  var resizeSVG = function(chart) {
    var ratio = config.size.aspectRatio === 'stretch' ? 'none' : 'xMinYMin';
    chart.select("svg")
    .attr("viewBox", "0 0 " + [config.size.width, config.size.height].join(" ") )
    .attr("preserveAspectRatio", ratio)
    .attr("width", "100%")
    .attr("height", "100%");
      // chart.redraw();
    };

  // var sortByLowerCase = function(a,b) {
  //   var aLower = a.valueOf().toLowerCase(),
  //   bLower = b.valueOf().toLowerCase();
  //   if( aLower < bLower ) { 
  //     console.log (aLower, " < ", bLower);
  //     return -1; }
  //   if( aLower > bLower ) { 
  //     console.log (aLower, " > ", bLower);          
  //     return 1; 
  //   }
  //   console.log(aLower, " = ", bLower);
  //   return 0;
  // };

  // var sortByLabel = function(a,b) {
  //   var aLabel = getLabel(a.key.variable, a.key.circle);
  //   var bLabel = getLabel(b.key.variable, b.key.circle);
  //   if( aLabel < bLabel ) { return -1; }
  //   if( aLabel > bLabel ) { return 1; }
  //   return 0;
  // };

  // 1. create composite chart
  $scope.histogram = dc.seriesChart(config.element[0], constants.groups.histogram.nonInteractive)
  .chart(dc.barChart)
  .dimension(config.dimension)
  .group(config.filter(config.groups))
  .seriesAccessor( function(d) {
    return d.key.variable;
  })
  .seriesSort(function(a,b) {
    return d3.ascending(a.toLowerCase(), b.toLowerCase());
  }) //sortByLowerCase)
.valueSort(function(a,b) {
  var aLabel = getLabel(a.key.variable, a.key.circle);
  var bLabel = getLabel(b.key.variable, b.key.circle);
  return d3.ascending(aLabel.toLowerCase(), bLabel.toLowerCase());
  }) //sortByLabel)
.width(config.size.width)
.height(config.size.height)
.elasticY(true)
.elasticX(true)
.brushOn(false)
.renderTitle(false)
.colors(config.colorScale)
.title(function(d) {
  var variable = d.key.variable;
  var totalVal = config.totalReduced.value()[variable];
  var value = d.value.valueOf();
  var totalStd = d3.round(totalVal.valueOf().stddev, 3);
  var circle = d.key.circle;
  return [
  'Circle filter: ' + circle.name(),
  'Variable: ' + variable,
  'Mean of ' + variable + ": " + d3.round(value.mean, 3),
  'STD (all samples): ' + totalStd,
  'Sample count: ' + d.value.n || 0
  ].join("\n");
})
.x( d3.scale.ordinal().domain(config.groupNames) )
.xUnits(dc.units.ordinal)
.margins({
  top: 10,
  right: 10,
  bottom: 90,
  left: 40
})
.childOptions({
  colorAccessor: function(d) {
    return d.key.circle.id();
  },
  barPadding: 0.30,
  gap: 5
})
  .valueAccessor(function(d) { // is y direction
    var variable = d.key.variable;
    var mean = d.value.mean;
    var constant = 100;
    var totalVal = config.totalReduced.value()[variable];
    var totalStd = totalVal.valueOf().stddev;
    var totalMean = totalVal.valueOf().mean;
    return ( mean - totalMean ) / totalStd * constant; 
  })
  .keyAccessor(function(d) {
    var circle = d.key.circle,
    variable = d.key.variable;
    return getLabel(variable, circle);
  })
  .renderlet( function(chart) {
      // rotate labels
      chart.selectAll('g.x text')
      .attr('transform', "rotate(-65)")
      .style("text-anchor", "end")
      .attr('dx', "-1em");

      chart.selectAll('rect').on("click", onClick);
    })
  .on("postRender", resizeSVG)
  .on("postRedraw", resizeSVG);


  // hide y axis
  // $scope.histogram.yAxis().ticks(0); //.tickFormat( function(v) { return ''; } );

  $scope.histogram.render();
};