The Kenig Konnection

KS-3: Analysis of a Republican Victory

2010-11-26T23:22:00.000-08:00

Perhaps no win on election night 2010 was as gratifying for local Republicans as the return of the 3rd congressional district in Kansas to Republican control after 12 years. As of this writing, all outstanding U.S. house races have been resolved, and Republicans gained 63 seats this cycle - well in excess of the 39 needed to take majority status in the House of Representatives. With 242 members in the 112th Congress, Republicans will have their largest majority in the lower house of any party since 1949. The takeover of KS-3 by Republican Kevin Yoder played a significant role in the Republican comeback strategy of 2010.

So how did it happen? Kevin Yoder not only won the 3rd District, he won it handily with a landslide 59 percent to Moore's 38 percent, a 21 point margin. Let's look at the numbers:

Conventional wisdom holds that any Republican running in the 3rd District needs to get 55 percent of the vote in Johnson County to win the district at large (assuming that the Republican will lose Wyandotte County and the 3rd district portion of Douglas by 40-50 percent). Since Johnson County represents the population center of the district, a strong win in the county will cement overall victory despite the strong Democratic nature of Douglas and Wyandotte. In 2002, Adam Taff came the closest to beating Moore, winning Johnson County with 53 percent of the vote but falling just short of the magic 55 percent needed to win the district, losing overall by a narrow 50-47 percent margin to Moore. In 2004, Kris Kobach lost Johnson County with 48 percent of the vote, losing to Moore by 12 points. The low point for local Republicans came in 2006, when Chuck Ahner only received a paltry 38 percent of Johnson County's vote, leading to a landslide 64-34 percent win for Moore.
For the first time since 2002, a Republican not only won Johnson County but took it in a landslide. Yoder easily surpassed the 55 percent threshold, winning Johnson County with a landslide 65 percent of the vote (compared to Nick Jordan's 45 percent showing just 2 years prior). That margin in and of itself would have ensured a comfortable win for Yoder in the district, but it is Kevin's performance in Democrat-dominant Wyandotte and Douglas Counties that made the difference between a comfortable point-spread and a landslide win.
On average, previous Republican performance in the 3rd District Congressional race averaged 23 percent of the vote in Wyandotte Coundy and 27 percent of the vote in Douglas County. Yoder not only outperformed prior Republican results in these liberal areas, he increased the Republican percentage of the vote by 50 percent in each locality, an incredible 15-point increase over Republican performance in 2008 for Wyandotte County and a 12-percent increase over 2008 results for Douglas County. Yoder garnered 36 percent of the vote in KCK and Lawrence, remarkable feats for any Republican. This combination of a strong (>55%) win in Johnson County and greatly improved numbers in Douglas and Wyandotte led to a strong 59 percent win in the district.

Here's a look at the raw numbers:

So how did these impressive and historic numbers materialize? A number of factors, including Yoder's incisive and well-executed campaign strategy and Stephanie Moore's campaign blunders deserve credit for this outcome:

Selection of the "Right" candidate, a.k.a a nominee that unified the Republican Party. Contrary to popular belief, the 3rd District is not a Republican bastion. Cook's Political Report gives it a slight Republican lean of only +3, making it more of a swing district, especially now with the recent demographic shifts and influx of minorities from KCMO and Wyandotte County and recent transplants of younger, upwardly mobile career professionals lured to Johnson County by jobs at many growing technology firms and corporate headquarters. The 3rd District is diverse ideologically and has long been dominated by Republican moderates, ensuring a continuous conservative vs. moderate showdown that led to a string of election losses. The right candidate needed to assume a delicate balance and rise above the moderate-conservative divide that has fractured Kansas Republicans for so long. In short, the ideal candidate must uphold basic conservative principles so conservatives don't defect to a third party Reform or Libertarian nominee and yet be palatable to moderates to prevent them from voting for the Democrat or not voting at all. As we said back in 2008, Kevin Yoder "is known as a pragmatic voice in the legislature who transcends the moderate/conservative political divide in the Kansas GOP and is well-respected by moderates and conservatives alike." Fiscally conservative and socially moderate, yet pro-life, Kevin was the perfect candidate to unite all factions of the party.
A campaign strategy that targets northeast Johnson County. In the past, Republican congressional nominees have foolishly (and to their detriment) ignored the dense, northeast part of the county in favor of the fast-growing and sprawling suburbs of Overland Park and Olathe. Meanwhile, Dennis Moore continued to to rack up lopsided margins in these areas, enabling him to win again and again. Northeast Johnson County isn't extremely liberal, but it is not conservative territory either - it is a moderate Republican stronghold, full of fiscally conservative - socially moderate to liberal voters and in some cases, voters who are only fiscally conservative when it comes to the federal government - not to state and local government. This year, the CEOs and country club Republicans in Mission Hills had every reason to vote Republican (impending tax cuts for the rich, card check legislation, health care burdens on employers) and unease over conservative stances on social issues took a backseat as moderate Republicans throughout the region saw their disposable income plummet amid higher taxes and greater regulations. Yoder's campaign aggressively targeted northeast precincts with sustained door-to-door canvassing and phone calls throughout the campaign. In 2008, Nick Jordan only won 1 out of 9 cities in the northeast part of the county (Mission Hills). In 2010, liberal-trending northeast Johnson County turned bright red as Kevin Yoder carried 7 out of 9 cities (Fairway, Merriam, Mission, Mission Woods, Mission Hills, Prairie Village, and Roeland Park), losing only Westwood and Westwood Hills by very narrow margins.
Dissatisfaction with the circumstances surrounding the nomination of Mr. Moore's successor. Dennis Moore announced his retirement in 2008, declaring he wanted to spend more time with family. In spring of 2010, Moore's wife, Stephene, announced that she planned to run for the seat, contradicting her husband's reasoning for stepping down. To the average voter, this reeked of political cronyism - and nepotism - at its worst. A congressman announces his retirement, gives a phony reason, and paves the way for his wife, who many view as unqualified since she has no prior history in elected politics and would not have been taken seriously without her husband's name. Stephene Moore attempted to deflect criticism by stating she would be her own person and vote irrespective of her husband - even differing from him on some issues. Yet she subsequently took positions on the issues that matched her husband exactly. The slogans wrote themselves: "No MOORE: It's Not a Family Business." Even Democrats were uncomfortable: a no-name, somewhat eccentric former Republican - a perennial candidate who has run for congress several times - changed parties to run against Mrs. Moore at the last minute in the primary. Despite being outspent by more than 20 to 1 and doing virtually no campaigning, Mr. Scherrer held Moore to 79 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. This was only a sign of things to come.
Moore ran as a liberal in a very business-friendly, decidedly non-liberal district. Dennis Moore cleverly adapted to the district, stressing his blue dog credentials, voting for free trade pacts, and even voting for the 2001 tax cuts before he became beholden to his party when they gained the majority in 2006. Yet his wife strangely decided to run as an avowed liberal. Stephene Moore unabashedly took stands in favor of Obamacare, Cap-and-Trade, and union card-check legislation. Although her husband always curried the favor of the local business community, Stephene promoted her support by various unions - all of which had small memberships in Johnson County. Johnson County, a hub of small, independent businesses in Kansas City, loathed union card-check legislation and this lack of support was apparent at the debate sponsored by the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, where members applauded Yoder enthusiastically and visited his table before the debate. Meanwhile, Moore was clearly out of her element. Yoder keenly grasped on this disconnect and reiterated Moore's support for Obamacare, Cap and Trade, and Card Check, along with his opposition to all 3, and tied Moore to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (a deeply unpopular figure in the 3rd) at every opportunity. Moore claimed to be the "moderate" in the race but could not articulate what that was via a single stance or issue she supported.
Moore's unfocused and lackluster campaign. Campaign theme? Platform? Message? Stephene Moore's campaign lacked any coherency. The only consistent theme to emerge was Stephene's claim that her experience as a wife, mother, and nurse qualified her for congress. She ironically labeled Yoder as a "career politician" while asking for a vote for in the same breath - the wife of the consummate career politician who had had spent nearly 25 years of his life in elected office. Moore's campaign displayed banners that read "fiscal conservative" at local parades, even though she supported the Obama stimulus and all other spending priorities of the Democratic majority. And she simultaneously promised "moderation" to the business crowd while reassuring the unions and progressive activists that she would be a reliable liberal vote. The confusion reached a tipping point when Moore was confronted by KMBC Channel 9's Michael Mahoney, asking her to explain her claim that repealing healthcare would add several billion to the deficit. Moore stumbled and finally provided an incoherent answer that seemed to contradict her position - indicating that a repeal would reduce the deficit - clearly a mistake, as that position was argued by Yoder. In the final weeks, the Moore campaign seized on revelations that Yoder had refused a pre-breath test during a traffic stop in 2009 and released a ridiculous TV ad attempting to link Yoder to Lindsay Lohan and Mel Gibson. The ad was not only completely ridiculous and irrelevant, it violated Moore's promise to maintain a clean campaign and her professed, strong antipathy to negative campaigning. Another contradiction and episode in cognitive dissonance. Not only that, Moore had apparently realized that a campaign centered on her personality and positions would go nowhere, so this complete act of desparation was an attempt to gain votes against Yoder, not for her, by default. Needless to say, it backfired incredibly.
Yoder builds a campaign warchest. The Yoder campaign realized early on that raising money was crucial to defeating Mrs. Moore, who would have access to funding from her husband and donors who had supported her husband in the past. As expected, Stephene raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, surpassing her husband's previous fundraising records, but Yoder took several steps further. The Yoder team raised $1.5 million over the course of the race, including 703K in the 3rd quarter alone. This enabled the Yoder campaign to generate up to 15,000 calls to voters every week, knock on 1-2 thousand doors a week, and make expensive media buys that enabled them to run positive ads while also targeting Stephene Moore for taking unpopular stands and ambiguously deflecting questions about whether she'd vote for Pelosi as speaker. Moore could not compete in fundraising - although, most likely she would have outraised any of the other Republican candidates had they made it out of the primary.

GOP Reclaims Johnson County

2010-11-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

Any notion that Johnson County is trending Democratic has been refuted by this month's election results. Conventional wisdom held that Kansas City's most populous suburban county - highly-educated, highly-mobile, wealthy, and densely-populated Johnson County - was moving from a Republican bastion to ripe territory for future Democratic gains. Recent history seemed to confirm this, as Sebelius won the county in her gubernatorial re-election in 2006 and Democrat Paul Morrison also won in the same year as Democrats picked up 3 house seats, giving them a record 6 statehouse seats out of 22 from Johnson County.

Yet those gains were shattered on Tuesday, Nov. 2nd 2010 when Johnson County swung to the right in dramatic fashion, taking on a dark crimson hue. All Republicans running statewide won the county with 60 percent or more of the vote (Jerry Moran led the way, garnering 66 percent of the vote in Johnson County - a substantial increase over now fellow Sen. Pat Roberts' 57 percent in 2008). For the first time in eight years, a Republican congressional nominee won the county, and five of the six Democratic state legislators were defeated, leaving one lone Democrat (Mike Slattery - Mission) in Johnson County's 22 member statehouse delegation.

Key to this lopsided, landslide victory was the incredible turnaround in the northeast part of the county, a moderate stronghold that has veered to the left in recent elections. Jerry Moran won EVERY municipality in the northeast of the county, including the most liberal-leaning cities of Mission, Roeland Park, and Westwood (which straddles stateline and barely lies within the county). Additionally, Kevin Yoder also won the northeast region successfully, taking every city except for Westwood and Westwood Hills.

It should also be noted that Republican statehouse incumbents who won in 2008 with percentages in the 50s were re-elected with percentages in the high 60s (a dramatic shift was seen in State Rep. Owen Donohoe's race, where the incumbent won with a 26 percent margin unlike his '08 race, where he won by only 5 percent). Two Republican incubments - Sheryl Spalding and Pat Colloton - won with 74 and 75 percent of the vote this year, margins that can only be deemed as "super" landslides.

The local Democratic Party in Johnson County is demoralized and its ranks are depleted. Out of the 5 GOP pickups in local statehouse seats, we at the Konnection correctly predicted four that would switch (3 definite pickups, 1 GOP-lean), one that was a toss-up, and one that leaned Democratic. Let's look at how those predictions panned out:

1. We rated the 19th District, Furtado (D) vs. Denning (R), as most likely to switch and predicted a margin of 55-45 percent. Our prediction for Jim was exact, as he took 55 percent of the vote to Furtado's 42 percent.

2. In Overland Park's 16th District, we predicted that Amanda Grosserode (R) would defeat Gene Rardin (D) 53-47 percent. Grosserode outperformed our expectations, but we were still close in our prediction as Grosserode won, 55-45 percent.

3. We predicted that FDIC Judge John Rubin would finally take the Shawnee-based 18th District seat from Cindy Neighbor, but few predicted the incredible blowout that occured, as Rubin racked up a 59-41 percent win, far surpassing our overly-cautious prediction of a 51-48 percent victory.

4. We predicted that Greg Smith, father of slain Shawnee Mission West senior Kelsey Smith would win a suprise upset in this longtime Democratic district that has only been held by a Republican once - for a 2 year term - in its entire history and we were not only correct in our predicted, we predicted the results accurately as well - 51 to 49 percent against Democrat Lisa Benlon.

5. The Merriam and eastern Shawnee-based 23rd district came out strongly for Obama in 2008 and Democrat Milak Talia was swept up in the Obama tide after a previous loss in 2006. The district's rapidly changing Democratics led us to hesitate in predicting a strong win for Hildabrand, although his strong grassroots campaign and incredible work in the precincts would make it competitive - we didn't see Hildabrand winning the seat by more than a percentage point. Fortunately, we were wrong again as Hildabrand won by an 8 point margin, defeating Talia, 54-46 percent.

6. Mike Slattery, representing one of the most liberal districts in Johnson County, had only nominal opposition from Republican Michael Foltz, and as such, he won with 60 percent of the vote - far stronger than our predicted 56 percent. Look for Mr. Slattery's political fortunes to change when Republicans in Topeka re-draw the map and add 7-8 more house seats in Johnson County due to census results and attempt to draw a more GOP "friendly" 24th District.

Yes, folks the consensus is in: Sebelius' attempt to dramatically alter the political landscape in Johnson County has failed. Her Bluestem fund was still flush with money and thousands was spent on behalf of local Democrats this cycle just like in 2008, but their message fell on deaf ears. Johnson County's flirtation with Democrats is officially over.

A First Look at Last Week's Election Results

2010-11-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

Where do we even start? Last week, history was made. Republicans have won at least 60 additional seats in the U.S. house (and possibly up to 65 pending a few unsettled races), racking up the largest gains of any party since 1948 - far outpacing their performance in the Republican Revolution of 1994. While the GOP did not gain an outright majority in the Senate, they did gain 6 seats, bringing their numbers up to 46 in that legislative body. The GOP also made incredible gains in statehouses around the county - the GOP now dominates in Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Maine - all former Democratic strongholds. While the Democratic Party attempts to use diversity as a wedge issue and argument for quota-driven policy, the GOP welcomed the election of members of all backgrounds:

2 Republican African Americans elected to the U.S. House
The first Latino woman governor of any state (Susanna Martinez, New Mexico)
The first Indian-American woman governor of any state (Nikki Haley, South Carolina)
A young and rising Republican star in Cuban-American Marco Rubio of Florida, U.S. Senate

And many other new faces of all backgrounds and races. Too many victories to name them all, but winning Obama's Senate seat in Illinois was also a major coup!

Here in KS, we also made history. We elected a Republican governor and Republican candidates swept all statewide offices (Secretary of State, Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, and Attorney General). Republicans posted large gains in the statehouse races increasing their numbers by 16 seats, increasing an already large 76-49 seat margin to a blowout 92-33 seat margin, a history-making feat since the last time the GOP held such a super-majority in Topeka was in 1954 when fellow Kansan, Dwight Eisenhower was president! Here in Johnson County, 5 of the 6 incumbent Democratic state legislators were crushed by their Republican opponents, leaving one, lone delegate in the 22-member house delegation from Johnson County.

Our next series of blog postings will analyze some of these local races in greater detail.

Rating the Races: the JoCo House Races Most Likely to Flip Republican

2010-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

12 Days until one of the most impacting elections of our lifetime. Johnson County is represented by 22 state legislators in the House of Representatives in Topeka, 16 of whom are Republicans. Just 6 years ago, Johnson County only sent one Democrat to Topeka. Buoyed by Democratic gains in 2006 and the Obama wave in 2008, the Democrats now boast of 6 representatives from Johnson County. With an anemic 28 percent approval rating in Kansas, Obama is political anathema to most Democrats, and that rings true in Johnson County, the state's most populous, prosperous, and urban county whose flirtation with the Democrats will end this year. The Democrats stand to lose what little progress they've made in Johnson County. Here is our analysis of the Democratic seats most likely to flip this cycle, starting with those seats almost certain to move to the Republican column:

1. 19th District - Jim Denning (R) vs. Dolores Furtado (D-inc.) - this longtime Republican district that takes in a large but narrow portion of Overland Park from 87th and Metcalf to 132nd and Metcalf was represented by Tim Owens for many terms until he stepped down to run and successfully fill the senate seat vacated by Barbara Allen of Overland Park.

Incumbent Dolores Furtado, a former JoCo Commissioner, is the most liberal member of the Democratic delegation from Johnson County and won by just about 200 votes over John Skubal, the Republican and OP city councilman whom many say ran a lackluster campaign.

This year, Jim Denning, well-known CEO of Discover Vision Centers and brother to JoCo Sheriff Frank Denning, is running against Furtado on the salient themes of holding the line on taxes, cutting spending, and balancing the budget. Denning is a successful business owner who has created jobs and operates in the healthcare field, giving him keen and unparalleled insight on the recent healthcare law and reducing healthcare costs in Kansas. Jim also has the advantage of having his incredibly task-focused and detail-oriented wife, JoCo GOP secretary Marearl Denning, as his campaign manager. Jim is a top-tier candidate in a Republican year running an aggressive and top notch campaign.

Prediction: Definite GOP pickup, Denning 55-45 percent

2. 16th District - Amanda Grosserode (R) vs. Gene Rardin (D-inc.)
Former educator Gene Rardin has maintained a very tenuous hold on this district since he was first elected in 2006 after a bitter GOP primary with a classic moderate-conservative battle. Despite that, Rardin has never locked down this district, which includes a sliver of southeastern Lenexa and a large portion of Overland Park, stretching along US-69 from 91st street to 119th St., anchored by downtown Overland Park in the north. Amanda Grosserode, a young wife, mother, and darling of the Tea Party movement here in Johnson County stemming from her first 2009 protest outside Dennis Moore's office, is the Republican nominee. Grosserode has created a local profile for herself and has aggressively campaigned in the district, walking the entire district door-to-door twice already. Rardin is much older and questions have been raised about his health and ability to campaign--even at the height of Obama mania in '08, Rardin won by less than 1 percent (less than 100 votes) against a GOP opponent who never walked the district. Youthful and energetic conservative Grosserode is in a prime position to reclaim this seat for the GOP.

Prediction: Likely GOP pickup, Grosserode 53-47 percent

3. 18th District - John Rubin (R) vs. Cindy Neighbor (D-inc.)
This district, which takes in a large portion of Shawnee, including the entire eastern half of the city, has developed a reputation as a swing district, a bellweather that signals the political direction of the county at large. This seat switched back and forth between Mary Pilcher Cook and Cindy Neighbor in GOP primary battles like clockwork from 2002-2004 (Cook won in 2000, Neighbor won in 2002, Mary won the seat back in 2004), until Cindy became a Democrat and squeked out a razor-thin 159 vote margin over Cook out of more than 8,000 votes cast in the Democratic tidal wave in 2006. Even in 2008, Neighbor could only muster a 5 percent margin against John Rubin, a longtime Shawnee resident and former FDIC judge. Rubin is back again and has name ID from his first run, and should be able to pull off the win this time. Western Shawnee is more conservative than eastern Shawnee, but east Shawnee still retains a large, blue-collar worker population that is culturally conservative, which gives the district a slight conservative lean overall. Education is also a powerful issue here, with the location of Shawnee Mission Northwest, Hocker Grove Middle School, and several elementary schools (Neighbor's position on the SM school board has always been an asset), but that issue is blunted this year with the focus on the economy in a district where unemployment and home foreclosures have hit especially hard. This year, the district formerly represented by Phil Kline and Mary Pilcher Cook returns to its conservative roots.

Prediction: Likely GOP pickup, Rubin 51-48 percent

4. 22nd District - Greg Smith (R) vs. Lisa Benlon (D-inc).
This far-north Overland Park district takes in a small portion of northwestern Prairie Village and is bounded by 75th Street to the north, Switzer to the west, 91st St. to the south, and Nall to the east. For many years, this was the sole Democratic seat in Johnson County, held for many terms by educator Sue Storm who vacated the seat to run for State School Board. The district has only been represented by a Republican once - in 1994 - for just 2 years, but this could be the upset of the year. Lisa Benlon made a deal with storm to run as a Dem for this seat in '08 (having formerly served as state rep in the 17th District prior to Stephanie Sharp), but Benlon was only able to garner 53 percent of the vote in 2008, a wave year, in a Democratic-leaning district. Benlon's opponent, Joy Bourdress, lost some votes to a Libertarian candidate but garnered a respectable 42 percent of the vote. It can safely be assumed that a 2 person race would have resulted in just a 5 point margin for Benlon: 53-47 percent.

This year, there is no libertarian on the ballot and current teacher, former police officer, and well-known father to slain high school student Kelsey Smith, Mr. Greg Smith, is on the ballot. Greg has extensive name ID due to the national coverage of the tragic murder of his daughter that sent shockwaves throughout the usually safe and secure suburbs in this county. Smith is respected for the work his foundation does (in memory and honor of his daughter) in educating young women in self-defense and changing the laws state-by-state to require cellular phone providers to hand over traceable data during emergency situations. Smith's current job as an American History teacher gives him credibility on education issues and he's running on a solidly fiscally-conservative and socially conservative platform. For the first time in 16 years, this district may switch parties. Whether Smith can hold it longer than 2 years (the record) remains to be seen.

Prediction: Toss-Up/Slight GOP lean. Smith 51-49 percent

5. 23rd District - Brett Hildabrand (R) vs. Milack Talia (D-inc.)
This politically challenging district for Republicans encompasses portions of eastern Shawnee (east of Quivira and Shawnee Mission Parkway) and all of Merriam in an area that borders the Wyandotte County line and has witnessed an influx of minority voters and changing demographics the last few years. Judy Morrison retired after holding the district for the GOP for several terms by razor-thin margins that only seemed to narrow with each passing election. Prior to Morrison, the district was held by Republican Cliff Franklin, but it had also been held by Democrats throughout the '80s and into the early '90s. The district was swept up in the Obama wave of '08, sending perennial Democrat Milack Talia to victory with a lopsided 56-43 percent margin over Shawnee Planning Commissioner August Bogina, who didn't care enough about his own campaign to bother with a campaign website.

Political newcomer Brett Hildabrand has been walking the district - an essential priority for a Republican in this district - even engaging voters in the numerous apartment complexes that proliferate the area. Hildabrand has also received help from Judy Morrison, whose similar grassroots activity and fine line between active conservative and advocate for local schools and businesses enabled her to hold the district much longer than any other Republican would have in a similar environment. The district has a high concentration of Democrats that slightly exceed Republicans, so the challenge is getting all Republicans out to vote and winning a vast majority of independents. The typical moderate-conservative divide that plagues other areas of the county is not a factor here, as the Republican voter base tends to be very conservative and the district overall has a slightly culturally-conservative tilt due to the large number of blue collar workers (which may explain Talia's shift to the right this last cycle and his vote against the sales tax increase in Topeka). Hildabrand has a chance to win this, but it won't be easy. Yet the candidate's dedication and personal likeability, combined with the local and naitonal winds that favor the GOP, make this district in play, which is why this "likely Dem" seat of 2008 is only "lean Dem" now and definitely provide some surprises on Election Day depending on turnout.

Prediction: Lean Dem. If Hildabrand wins: 50.6 - 49.4 percent. Talia won't top 52 percent if he retains the seat.

6. 24th District - Michael Foltz (R) vs. Michael Slattery (D-inc.)
Ronnie Metsker (current GOP chair) was appointed by precinct people to finish out Ed O'Malley's term, but was carried out by the Obama tide, garnering only 40 percent of the vote in 2008. This liberal-leaning district includes the inner-ring KC suburbs of Mission and Roeland Park, and was the only JoCo house district to vote for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential race. Mike Slattery, the son of former Congressman Jim Slattery, is affable, well-liked, and does not wade into controversy. It could also be said that his voting record is somewhat centrist, although undoubtedly left-of-center still on major issues.

Roeland Park Planning Commissioner Michael Foltz is mounting a challenge, and with community roots and a disarming persona, he could make some headway, but that same mild-mannered and low-key approach seems to have infected his campaign: he has failed to raise any money and has not established a campaign presence. He does have the endorsment of the left-leaning Mainstream Coalition, which helps in this liberal-leaning district, but Slattery should hold on, albeit with a reduced margin.

Prediction: Likely Dem, Slattery 54-46 percent

To recap, Republicans will most likely gain 3 seats, with the possibility of a 4th that is currently a tossup and a 5th that has an outside change of changing hands. Johnson County Democrats will be left with just 3 seats and maybe left after the Republican comeback in just 12 days.

Democrats give up on Stephene Moore - or is it "Stephen" Moore?

2010-10-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

Stephene Moore just can't catch a break in her quixotic quest to keep the Kansas 3rd district seat in her family.

It started last week with her disasterous interview with Mike Mahoney on her source for the claim that repealing Obamacare would add $1.3 trillion to the deficit. She froze, fumbled in her response, and ultimately contradicted herself by acknowleding cost savings if the law were repealed. Moore's inability to articulately and clearly justify a key claim she has made numerous times on a signature issue on the campaign stump may be the turning point in the campaign. As if on cue, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced that it would be scaling back its $900,000 TV ad buy in the KC market for Moore, ending it's financial committement on Oct.18th, two weeks before Election Day.

And now this: this past Saturday evening at 5:00 pm, I received an automated phone survey from the DNC on the 3rd District race. Either the DNC doesn't know how to conduct a phone survey or they just care so little for this race, that they would attempt to survey voters at 7 pm on a Saturday night WHEN NOBODY IS HOME! But the highlight of the survey: the announcer mistakenly referring to Stephene as "Stephen" Moore. I'm sure many of the voters of the 3rd District found it as humorous as I did that the Democrats have so little confidence in Stephene Moore's candidacy that they clearly chose to poll her district at the worst possible time and can't even get her name right. But it did serve as an apt metaphor for the current direction of her campaign - the symbolism could not be richer.

To Vote for Pelosi or Not to Vote for Pelosi: That is the Question Moore Won't Answer

2010-10-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight was debate #4, the last and final debate between Kevin Yoder and Stephene Moore, hosted by Sun Publications, moderated by Sun Publisher Steve Rose, and televised live on local access channels.

At the fourth and final debate, Stephene still failed to directly answer whether she would vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House. Pelosi's name is so toxic, especially in KS-3, that Moore could not even bring herself to say Pelosi's name when addressing--and then avoiding--the question!

Why is Moore deceptively claiming to be a fiscal conservative and a moderate while refusing to answer whom she would support for Speaker of the House over and over again? What does she have to hide? We know she supports stimulus, Obamacare, and Cap-and-Tax (which she falsely called "just an idea" despite the fact the legislation has already passed the House).

Perhaps Stephene was still reeling from her embarrassing encounter with a local KMBC 9 News reporter, who asked her about her comment that repealing the healthcare bill would add $1.3 trillion to the deficit. When pressed, the amount changed from $1.3 trillion to $1.3 billion and she couldn't answer where she obtained that number, and then contradicted herself by saying the money would come back into the budget.

As to whether she would vote for Speaker Pelosi? You can still hear the crickets chirping.

Yoder Sets New Fundraising Record

2010-10-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

The Yoder for Congress campaign announced that it had taken in 730K in the 3rd quarter - a new record that includes over 2,000 individual donors with over 1/3 of contributions less than $100, demonstrating Yoder's appeal and the energy among grassroots Kansans for his campaign.

The previous record was most likely held by Dennis Moore, who raised 437K in the 3rd quarter of 2004. Yoder's campaign has already raised $1.5 million in the last 9 months.

As chairman of the Johnson County Young Republicans, I was happy to organize and lead a YR fundraiser for Yoder at the 810 Zone last Thursday that generated $1,000 for Yoder on the very last day of the fundraising quarter.

Energy and enthusiasm is high...just 27 days left to go.

More Headaches for Moore as Yoder campaign launches StepheneMoore.com

2010-10-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

In the most brilliant political move of the week, Kevin Yoder's campaign rolled-out www.stephenemoore.com, a satirical and critical website that places Stephene Moore and Nancy Pelosi side-by-side, marked with a "stamp of approval" from Nancy Pelosi herself. The site features a creative video that showcases Moore's DC townhouse (just mere blocks from the Capitol building) and paints her as a Washington insider. The site also chronicles Moore's exotic travel with her congressman husband on the taxpayer's dime--a total of $50,000--while turning each itemized expense as an opportunity to give a similar amount to Yoder's campaign for congress.

Perhaps most hilarious is the video of a Yoder staffer following Moore to numerous events over the course of the campaign and questioning her over whether she'd vote for Pelosi as speaker and receiving no answer again and again.

Yoder's campaign displayed savvy campaign skill in buying the domain early. Moore's campaign proved to be inept and just politically ignorant in failing to purchase the domain name of THEIR OWN CANDIDATE and prevent this type of scenario from occuring.

The Moore campaign only compounded their problems by attempting to shut down the site on a legal technicality involving the seller's right to sell the domain. Message to the Moore campaign: freedom of speech is non-negotiable. You failed to act early, now deal with the consequences.

The bright spot for Yoder in all of this: his campaign has raised 23K in online donations in the few days since the rollout and release of the mock-website was publicized, which will only help him in a race already leaning his way and that shows him with a 9-point polling lead.

The Myth of Obamacare: Healthcare Reform vs. Insurance Reform and Lessons Learned from Our Neighbors across the Atlantic and Pacific

2010-09-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

To hear Obamacare supporters and some folks who are just ignorant of the law itself tout the new healthcare law as healthcare reform only infuriates those of us who know what it truly is: it may be referred to as health insurance reform (although, reform in a positive sense is not what the law does at all) but the law is certainly not reform of the healthcare industry.

The law's provisions deal exclusively with health insurance: the mandate to purchase insurance, the requirement that insurance providers cover pre-existing conditions, new regulations mandating that employers provide health insurance or pay a fine--the list continues. The law, however, does not address the immediate and worsening crises within the healthcare industry itself: exponentially-increasing costs for healthcare goods and services; the shortage of qualified doctors and nurses to meet the growing demand of the American population, especially as baby boomers retire; the lack of portability of insurance coverage across state lines; barriers to entry and stifled competition for the emergence of new insurance carriers willing to compete for consumers; the lack of standardization and centralization of medical records; and the roadblocks to implementing new technologies for patient records and streamlining treatments.

Most believe this watered-down takeover of the health insurance industry is only a first step towards a government-run, single-payer system. If so, we could learn much from other countries dealing with the consequences of government-run, single-payer care.

I recently visited Sydney, Australia earlier this year and had the opportunity to witness a session of the New South Wales Parliament, the state legislative body governing Australia's largest state and most populous city. The main issue being debated: access to healthcare. Australia has a hybrid public-private healthcare system. Free healthcare is guaranteed for all 20 million Australians through a government-run scheme, but private healthcare facilities are also allowed to operate, and Australians can patronize these physicians and facilities at their own expense.

The parliamentary session was led by Premier (similar to the governor of a U.S. state) Kristina Keneally of Australia's leftist Labor Party, who acknowledged the federal government had not followed through on its promises to the states regarding healthcare funding, and as a result, New South Wales was experiencing critical shortages of hospital beds, vaccines, and medical equipment, along with complaints from citizens about long wait times for procedures and appointments. Leaders of Australia's right-leaning Liberal Party in the Parliament argued for decentralization of healthcare decision-making and allowing individual states and cities to allocate budget dollars for healthcare, shifting decision-making to doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators rather than bureaucrats in Canberra, Australia's capital city.

Keneally, alarmed that New South Wales residents may be inclined to support some of these common-sense policies in light of the failure of the leftist, federal leadership on the issue, immediately accused her political opponents of favoring--wait for it--privatization. She also said that New South Wales "would not return to the big business, privatization schemes of the Howard government." John Howard was the former prime minister, a conservative member of the Liberal Party and the favorite boogeyman of Australia's left since he lost his last election. Sound familiar?

The session quickly turned cantankerous as members of parliament shouted each other down and personally attacked one another over this extremely intense and volatile issue. The barrister had to quiet down the legislators several times for being out of line.

I find it ironic and revealing that the disastrous realities of centralized, government-run healthcare in Australia , Canada, and the United Kingdom are largely ignored by the U.S. media, but incite fierce debate in those countries over whether policy should move towards privatization and local control. The United Kingdom has already taken the first step: under Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, Britain's National Health Service will be downsized with most authority and decision-making devolved to the level of town councils and similar bodies.

Even in Australia, healthcare was a major issue in their most recent elections a few weeks ago. Labor lost their majority in the federal parliament and suffered major losses in New South Wales, home to Sydney and Australia's most populous state, a left-leaning bellweather for the entire country. Pundits down-under are now predicting that Keneally will lose her premiership in the upcoming state spring elections and that the conservative Liberal Party may gain control of the New South Wales Parliament for the first time in decades.

The irony of all ironies is that as Europeans move away from their socialized healthcare schemes to patient-centered healthcare with an emphasis on choice and access, the United States, long the world's leading bastion of individual freedom and liberty, will be moving further away from its own ideals and towards the failed trends of European social democracies.

Political Shocker: Yoder wins Olathe Straw Poll

2010-06-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Calling it a political upset would be an understatement. A political earthquake or watershed moment in the Kansas 3rd District congressional race is a more accurate description of what unfolded this past Saturday.

The annual straw poll, conducted during the last weekend of June at the Olathe Republican picnic, doesn't tend to be a very accurate barometer of campaign strength or electoral outcomes, only because it skews heavily conservative. In fact, the event is usually only attended by a handful of political insiders and candidates.

The Yoder campaign knew they had an uphill battle and privately conceded that the best outcome would be a very narrow margin between Kevin Yoder and Patricia Lightner in the results. Yet the eventual outcome, a 39 vote margin (156 votes to 117 for Lightner) is a testament to the strength and energy behind the Yoder campaign and their grassroots strategy. For the last week prior to the picnic, Yoder staffers canvassed neighborhoods in Olathe, notifying supporters of the straw poll and giving them coupons allowing them to vote in the poll and enter the picnic free of charge courtesy of the campaign. Yoder staffers also peppered the entrance to the picnic and the surrounding area with yard signs and Kevin Yoder himself greeted attendees as they entered the event, providing them with information and that personal connection that voters--especially undecided voters--crave.

This aggressive and intense strategy netted the campaign a plurality of votes in the poll and a win no one saw coming. And the message is that if Kevin can win an extremely conservative straw poll in the heart of Johnson County's bastion of conservatism, Olathe, then Yoder's campaign is in position for a resounding victory at the polls on August 3rd.

Some opponents have already countered with accusations of vote-buying and the lack of representation of the poll results due to the tactics used. Apparently, they have been MIA the last several years, as buying supporters' way into the picnic and steering them to the poll is a longstanding practice that has been done by many campaigns--maybe not as overtly as Yoder's campaign and others did this year, but nonetheless, it's common practice and no one has ever claimed that this straw poll is representative. On the contrary, past election results indicate that the poll is nothing more than a barometer of which campaign has grassroots support and a good organization in place to round up supporters for the vote. Tiahrt's campaign bused in supporters from Wichita, just as they did last year, so whether a campaign buys tickets for their supporters to vote in the poll or pays for supporters from out of town to vote in a poll that is supposed to be test of local support, it is to be expected and is par for the course when it comes to straw polls. Yet I don't hear these same opponents complaining that Tiahrt's people circumvented the process by buying votes.

At any rate, this poll does indicate momentum, the intensity of Yoder's support, and the efficacy of the Yoder campaign's grassroots mobilization--all necessary components to ensure a victory on August 3rd and ultimate victory on November 2nd.

There's Something Rotten in Johnson County...

2010-06-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

Johnson County Community College rightfully boasts of its well-deserved reputation as one of the nation's leading community colleges and most affordable choice for students seeking a variety of career and degree-focused programs, but a recent controversy over free speech threatens to tarnish that legacy.

Kathy Brown, a professional attorney, nurse, and student at JCCC in early 2009 alleges that the college violated her First Amendment rights and has stonewalled an internal investigation into the matter.

Brown says she was told by one professor she could not criticize Islam, and she was reprimanded by another professor for arguing her opposition to gay marriage in a private conversation with another student.

The response from college administration officials? The "Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion" (which aptly reeks of political correctness run amok) informed Brown of the unwritten and informal (but apparently, enforced) "Discomfort Policy" at JCCC, which bars any speech that could be construed as offensive or cause someone to feel uncomfortable.

After met with such ridiculous free speech restrictions and justification, Brown took her case to the JCCC Board of Trustees, but in the 15 months since she launched her complaint, but strangely, the Board has offered no details for the delay and stonewalling, and no hints that a resolution is even near.

Brown gave a detailed and impassioned account of her story and determination to achieve a just resolution and acknowledgment of wrongdoing at last month's Board of Trustees meeting, but the Board was strangely tight-lipped on the matter.

It's difficult to prove discrimination, bias, and violation of one's rights if you are not of a protected or favored class in today's society, and that challenge is compounded by
a policy that is unwritten but very much enforced.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. I have information from a current student who was belittled and asked by JCCC officials to change her shirt on two different occasions: once, when she was wearing a College Republicans shirt and on another occasion where she wore a shirt commemorating our troops' sacrifice in Iraq.

Kansas Watchdog, Kansas Reform, and Ben Hodge have reported on this local controversy. Now we at the Kenig Konnection call on JCCC and the Board of Trustees to respond to Brown's complaints, provide a resolution, hold the offending parties responsible, and end this "Discomfort Policy" once and for all.

Video courtesty of KansasWatchdog.org

2nd District: Sen. Pyle faces state investigation over improper use of campaign funds

2010-06-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

Dennis Pyle has some explaining to do. Pyle, the Hiawatha state senator mounting a challenge against incumbent Republican Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (the only house incumbent in KS facing a primary challenge--an unusual move) is being investigated by the state Ethics Commission for allegedly using funds from his state senate campaign to finance a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with campaign consultants for his congressional bid. Using funds raised for a state race for federal campaign activities is a violation of campaign finance law and could carry a heavy fine, and possibly cripple Pyle's campaign before it has the chance to gain any traction.

Pyle's response? According to KC PrimeBuzz:

“I expect the left to resort to these tactics,” Pyle said. “The people of
the 2nd District deserve a true conservative.”

News to Sen. Pyle: if you made a mistake, man up to it. This has nothing to do with being a conservative and your "conservatism" should not provide cover for breaking the law. A lapse in judgment or oversight can happen without any malicious intent--especially with the myriad of rules and regulations in Kansas campaign finance law. However, it is better to admit the mistake and move on then to feign innocence and presume that your ideology trumps violating the law.

Major GOP win in Hawaii

2010-05-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

The GOP is on a roll. After winning the governorship of New Jersey, Republicans rocked the political establishment by winning Ted Kennedy's seat in the bluest of blue states, Massachusetts.

Now, Republican can add Hawaii's 1st congressional district to their list. Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou won the special election this past Saturday to succeed Neil Abercrombie, who resigned to run for Governor. Due to the special circumstances of this race (two Democrats--Colleen Hanabusa and Ed Case--ran in this open, free-for-all, winner-take-all election), Djou did the impossible and won with 40 percent of the vote, compared to 31 percent for Hanabusa and 28 percent for Ed Case. Djou won't have much time to rest though, as he will be defending his newly-won seat in congress this November.

Hawaii's first congressional district is its most urban, and includes all of Honolulu. The win is a major victory for Republicans--not only did Djou run as a fiscal conservative opposing Obama on healthcare, Cap-and-Trade and other initiatives, his win represents the first time Hawaii will be represented by a Republican in more than 2 decades and only the second Republican to represent the islands on Capitol Hill since statewood.

And let's not forget that this district is Obama's childhood home and gave him 70 percent of the vote in 2008. Will it be difficult for Djou to retain this seat? Yes, but not impossible: George Bush garnered 47 percent of the vote here in 2008.

Here's a visual breakdown of the district's vote. Notice the sea of red!

Which state will be the next to turn from blue to red? Republicans can't take anything for granted--as the Democratic retention of Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district proved last week. But with the right candidates, the right message, and the right ground game, Republicans can continue to pile up wins in blue states.

And the Winner Is...

2010-05-07T08:24:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, UK voters came out in droves to vote in their first national elections since 2005 and the winner is...

Well, let's just say that the British Elections are like our 2000 U.S. Presidential Election Redux. It's like deja vu all over again. The Conservative Party needs to gain an absolute majority in Parliament (326 seats) to form a government on their own. The vote counting lasted long into the night, along with reports and complaints of long lines at polling places and masses of people being turned away (again, similar to our 2000 election).

Check out the BBC's live feed for the latest results, vote count, and news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/liveevent/

Most recent estimates have the Conservatives at 305 seats, Labour at 258, and the Liberal Democrats (a third, center-left party) at 57 seats. The Conservatives are just shy of a majority, and will need the support of the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition government, a phenomenon that Britain (a country that prides itself on stable governance unlike its neighbors in Europe that often see coalitions form and governments fail routinely) has not witnessed in several decades.

It is disappointing that the Conservatives under-performed considering the weakness of the British economy, the unpopularity of Gordon Brown, and a wave of scandals that have plagued the Labour party, but it is worth noting that Labour suffered it's worse showing since 1931. Based on current estimates, Labour ranks in the House of Commons will be reduced from 341 to 258, a net loss of 83 seats, while the Conservatives will increase their share from 193 to 305-307 seats, a net gain of 112-114 seats. And despite the buzz over Liberal Democrat candidate for Prime Minister Nick Clegg's performance at the debates and the possibility that his party would make its strongest showing ever, the final results demonstrated that the opinion polls were not to be trusted: the Liberal Democrats will actually lose 6 seats in Parliament, falling from 63 seats to 57.

Despite the outcome of a hung Parliament, the shift to the right in the UK in in line with recent shifts to the right throughout Europe. Add Great Britain to the list of western nations with center-right governments amidst discontent with the European social democracy-style welfare states and the high taxes, massive deficits, high unemployment, and stagnant GDP growth. France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, and now Great Britain, among many others, are trending rightward.

Barring any major surprises, it is safe to say that David Cameron will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the first Conservative to hold the nation's highest office in more than 13 years.

Tax Freedom Day

2010-04-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Americans worked from Jan. 1st to April 9th of this year just to pay federal, state, and local taxes. That's 27 percent of the year! If we were required to pay for the government spending that has added to the deficit, we'd be working until May 17th.

Check out this analysis from the Tax Foundation: http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxfreedomday.

GOP frontrunner Yoder continues momentum, raises over 500K in congressional bid

2010-04-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last quarter, Rep. Kevin Yoder sent shockwaves through the political establishment in Kansas by raising 233K in less than a month. Now, Yoder has surpassed that incredible fundraising benchmark by raising nearly $267,000 during this 1st quarter--bringing his total fundraising to over $500,000. And this was all done without personal loans to his campaign.

To put that in perspective: Kevin's fundraising prowess surpasses that of leading candidates for statewide office, clearly demonstrating the excitement and energy here in the 3rd District to replace Dennis Moore with a real fiscal conservative.

Kevin Yoder has decisively maintained momentum as the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination and the overall favorite to win the GOP primary and beat Stephene Moore in November.

The 3rd District is clearly responding to Kevin Yoder's message of fiscal restraint, accountability, and reigning in Washington spending and regulation. Yoder will cast his first vote against Nancy Pelosi for speaker, unlike Congressman Moore's wife, who has already pledged to be a party-line vote for government healthcare, cap-and-tax, expensive and economically counter-productive stimulus bills, and abortion-on-demand.

Interested in becoming a Yoder Voter?

Check out www.yoderforcongress.com.

Call these House Members Now!

2010-03-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

Konnection Readers:
I apologize for the long lapse in any updates to this blog. Work (a.k.a., real life for most of us in the private sector) has consumed my time and I recently took a brief week haitus to travel to Sydney, Australiato visit a friend. I will be updating the blog with my travel experiences in Sydney later, including some interviews and insight gleaned from their current local debate on healthcare reform and the local mood ahead of President Obama's visit later this weekend, which has (ironically) been scaled back due to the healthcare takeover his party is attempting to ram through this week. More on that soon.

For now, this is a crucial week as the Democrats still do not have all the votes they need to pass healthcare even on a simple majority vote using the "nuclear" option, especially in the house. If you oppose this heinous bill and want the congress to completely start over from scratch and work out a fiscally-conservative healthcare reform bill that empowers individuals and doctors rather than the federal government while expanding opportunity for medical innovation and promoting competition to bring down prices, contact the House Democrats listed below. The list below is provided courtesty of DickMorris.com as all of these members have been identified as swing votes whose support or opposition will make or break the bill, possibly ensuring its defeat once and for all.

Yoder raises 233K in less than a month; now considered frontrunner to replace Dennis Moore

2010-01-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

Wow. Nick Jordan, Patricia Lightner and others have yet to release their 4th quarter fundraising numbers, but it's safe to say that Rep. Kevin Yoder is the frontrunner in the Republican race to replace Congressman Dennis Moore.

Yoder raised $233,000 in less than a month, having filed for office Dec. 16th and meeting the 4th quarter deadline for reporting contributions at the end of that month. This fundraising total is enormous and does not include any personal loans by Yoder himself.

Watch as other candidates in the race drop out. Yoder has generated significant momentum in the primary race and dollars to spend which will allow him to rise above the myriad other candidates and differentiate himself and his message to the Republican primary electorate. Additionally, this pace of fundraising will deter prospective Democrats from entering the fall general election and confirms that Yoder will remain an extremely formidable opponent heading into the general election, as well as the frontrunner and favored candidate.

From Yoder's Press Release:

Representative Yoder is in his fourth term in the Kansas House and represents parts of Overland Park and Leawood (20th District). As Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, he has led the charge to reduce state spending and balance the state’s budget of over $13 billion without increasing taxes.

“Kansans are tired of the onslaught of taxes, regulation and overspending in Washington” said Yoder, “As Congressman, I’ll fight every day for the taxpayers of our district. We must send a strong message to Nancy Pelosi and politicians in Congress that we will not sit idly by while they bankrupt our country.”

Representative Yoder’s campaign will be focused on bringing fiscal responsibility back to Washington, common-sense solutions to create jobs for Kansans, rebuilding our economy, and stopping job-killing policies such as ‘cap-and-trade’, ‘card check’, and the government takeover of health care.

It's Official: Eilert files for County Chair

2010-01-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

Longtime Overland Park Mayor and current 4th District County Commissioner Ed Eilert filed today to challenge incumbent Anabeth Surbaugh.

Here's a link to his campaign's press release on today's announcement.

This race will be one of the most-watched and most expensive races locally, as it pits two high-profile county figures against each other. Surbaugh cannot be underestimated (she's won several races since her first election to the county water board), but if an anti-incumbent mood is indeed sweeping the country, look for Eilert to benefit. Credited for Overland Park's robust economic boom and growth over the past two decades, Eilert has extensive business and civic coonnections--and being a popular officeholder in Overland Park (pop. 171,000) is a major benefit, and means that Surbaugh will have to offset that expected voter advantage by racking up large margins in the northeast of the county and out west.

The Massachusetts Miracle and its Impact on the 2010 Elections and Obama's Agenda

2010-01-24T11:24:00.001-08:00

A week ago, a special election shocked the political establishment and produced one of the most stunning political upsets in history.

Democrats understand that attempts to write off their major defeat in the deepest of blue states to a bad candidate (which Martha Coakley was) misses the mark completely. Scott Brown was a little-known state senator, initially disparaged and written off after winning his party's primary for the special election as too conservative to even be competitive in Massachusetts. Voter anger and frustration over the Cornhusker Kickback, the Lousiana Purchase, backroom deals on healthcare, the lack of transparency, legal rights for terrorists--all of these cannot be understated. Brown did not run away from these issues--he emphatically embraced his role and promised to be the 41st vote against overtaxation, the president's healthcare plan, and campaigned against legal rights for terrorists, going as far as to argue that waterboarding is not torture. Martha Coakley, meanwhile, embraced Obama's policies, a last minute visit by Obama to prop up her failing candidacy was not enough to overcome the voter's desire for change, even in the bluest of blue states where Obama is still relatively popular.

Within a few weeks, Scott Brown transformed a 30 point deficit in the polls into a lead of anywhere from 2-9 points. Coakley out-fundraised him significantly, but in the final weeks, Brown capitalized on his chances and the excitement nationally that a Republican could be elected statewide in Massachusetts to raise millions from grassroots and small donors online.

The ultimate result? Many anticipated an extremely close election that might result in court battles and multiple recounts. The final result was anything but that--A 52-47 win, and a margin of over 100,000 votes--a 5 point margin, which, by Massachusetts standards, is landslide territory (the last Republican to win an election statewide in MA, Mitt Romney, won with only 50 percent of the vote in 2002).

Up until the results were being counted, I still had doubt Brown would pull it off. This is Massachusetts--they haven't elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate in almost 40 years and this was the seat that Ted Kennedy--the Senate's liberal lion--held for 47 years. The state's liberal reputation and voting demographics contradicted Brown's momentum and rise in the polls.

The map below from the New York Times shows the unbelieable--how Massachusetts was transformed from a deep-blue state to a sea of red. Brown managed to improve Republican margins over McCain's performance in 2008 in every county and every locality--even in the Democratic stronghold of Boston, where Brown increased the GOP share of the vote by 11 percent over McCain's '08 vote percentage against Obama.

Some key points from last Tuesday's elections:

Brown won 75 percent of Independents in Massachusetts, 22 percent of Democrats, and nearly all Republicans, dealing a death-blow to Coakley's candidacy. Brown's strong win among independents mirrors Obama's dramatic loss of independent support in 2009 and the movement of independents overall to Republicans in generic congressional ballot polls, something that began last November as independents swept Republicans to power in Virginia and New Jersey by significant margins.
Brown won by winning the suburbs--the middle-class enclaves surrounding Boston, Cambridge, and Springfield. Large wins in Worcester County, Plymouth County, Essex County coupled with smaller, but significant wins nonetheless in Revere, Waltham, and Quincy enabled Brown to put together the margins needed to win statewide. For what its worth, I stayed in Revere, an inner-ring suburb with 50,000 residents just outside the Boston city limits when I traveled to Boston this past summer, and the usually Democratic-voting suburb suprisingly swung towards Brown, demonstrating his appeal and the shift in the electorate in the Boston 'burbs and throughout the state. In a stinging bit of irony not lost on MA Democrats, Cape Cod, including the community where Ted Kennedy lived, swung towards Brown in this special election.
Brown's win in the Massachusetts suburbs is emblematic of the trends that began in last November's off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey. In Virginia, the northern Virginia suburbs swung back to the Republicans enabling their 3 standard bearers for the state's top offices to win in a stunning trifecta, and resulting in a net gain of 6 seats for the GOP in the statehouse. Voter-rich Fairfax County just outside of Washington, D.C., turned bright red by casting it's votes for Republican Bob McDonnell, backing a Republican for statewide office for the first time in several years, and sending two Republicans to the statehouse from previously-held Democratic seats. New Jersey's suburbs followed a similar course, as Chris Christie won a majority of New Jersey's counties, including Monmouth, Essex, and the NYC suburbs.

Conventional wisdom dictates that low-turnout elections favor Republicans while higher turnout favors Democrats. Again, that has proven to be false, as the 54 percent turnout in last Tuesday's special election rivaled statewide, midterm elections and was only surpassed by presidential elections in the state.

Obama made a last-minute appearance in Boston to stump for Coakley, but even that was not enough to pull Coakley over the finish line. Obama is now 0 for 3 in using his supposed personal popularity to push his party's candidates to victory. As his approval continues to tumble, watch as more Democratic incumbents decline Obama's help and campaign appearances. If Obama can't deliver in Massachusetts, his personal pitches will be futile across the country.

Youth are moving towards the GOP. Brown won voters aged 18-29 by 9 points last Tuesday. This follows the election last November where Republican Bob McDonnell captured 55 percent of young voters.

the Mass GOP is energized by the results and have already noted three congressional districts where Brown performed extremely well and where the party may have a good chance at knocking off some longtime Democratic incumbents. These districts in particular look competitive for the GOP next November, and some high-profile Republican recruits have already indicated they will run. For a state with monolithic, one-party representation of its 8 congressional seats for decades, this is a welcome development, and may mean that we will have to dial-down our anti-Massachusetts rhetoric. Clearly, appeals that invoke "Taxachusetts" and Massachusetts vs. the rest of the United States are no longer applicable. San Fransciso is still an appropriate symbol of loony, far-left liberalism run amok however.

Expect the Massachusetts election to result in a renewed flurry of Democratic retirements from the House and second-thinking by prominent Democrats considering an entry to hotly contested races. Case-in-point: Beau Biden, considered by Democrats to be their only hope of retaining the open Senate seat in Delaware, has indicated to his dad now that he does not want to run. Does the political tsunami last Tuesday have any bearing on his decision not to run? We think so. Consider the Delaware Senate seat now a very likely pickup for Republican Mike Castle.

Locally, the MA results may affect whether Dems recruit a top-tier challenger (if there even is one) for Dennis Moore's seat here in the Third District of Kansas, and whether Ike Skelton decides to retire rather than run in what is shaping to be the most difficult race of his career in Missouri's 4th District

Remember when pundits were lamenting the loss of Republicans in the northeast and the death of Republicans in New England, claiming the party would never be viable or competitive again? A newly-elected Republican senator from Massachusetts shattered those predictions, and the party is likely to build on their success in the northeast by electing a Republican Senator from Delaware in Rep. Michael Castle, a good chance to be competitive in the Connecticut Senate Race, a chance at taking out Gillibrand in New York and electing a Senator Pataki or King, and Pat Toomey is now the favorite to beat Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. Additionally, Republicans are well on their way to winning a Senate seat in New Hampshire with Attorney General Kelly Ayote. So Massachusetts, Delaware, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut may all be represented by Republican senators and the addition of several representatives in the House delegations. Not bad for a party that's "dead" in the northeast!

Massachusetts voters have finally revolted against that state's one-party rule, oppressive taxation, and most of all--the Obama-Pelosi agenda. Now the revolt continues in the 49 other states leading up to 2010.

Top of the Week Headlines and Happenings

2010-01-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

A local Johnson Countian with an interest in politics has created a new blog where he provides thoughtful commentary and analysis on national issues from a center-right perspective. Kansas has a dearth of thoughtful political blogs, and Kevin Edwards new addition is much welcome. Check it out at www.JKevinEdwards.com -- I've added the blog to my favorites blog listings on the right.
Are you an 18-40 year old Republican in Johnson County? The Johnson County Young Republican Transition meeting has been rescheduled for this Wednesday, January 13th at 6:30 pm at Old Chicago (119th and Metcalf). Anyone interested in becoming more involved in the 2010 elections is welcome to attend--we also have several Executive Board positions still open, including Secretary, PR Chair, Membership Chair, and Vice - Chair of Membership. If you know any interested parties, please spread the word! Hope to see you there, and contact jocoyrs@gmail.com if you're interested in a board position or would like to join the organization.
Are Republicans finally embracing online technology and social media? The Brownback campaign is not only embracing the technology--they're creating the latest wave of 21st century social media communications. The Brownback campaign recently launched a revolutionary "SamForGov" iPhone application, the first-ever iPhone application used by a gubernatorial campaign in America. Check out more at: http://www.brownback.com/news/2010/jan/06/brownback-campaign-offers-revolutionary-new-app-pu/
Speaking of the Brownback campaign, the buzz in Topeka is that Brownback will soon name his running mate for lt. governor. Word is that strategically, the nominee will be a Johnson County pol and a woman. Some of the names mentioned: Karin Brownlee, Julia Lynn, Charlotte O'Hara, and Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn. Any word on who his running mate might be or anything to add to the buzz? Leave a comment and start the conversation.
There are 6 candidates for the 3rd District Congressional seat at this point (a possible seventh, who hasn't decided yet). Three of those candidates have the potential to make it a race and actually raise money: Nick Jordan, Kevin Yoder, and Patricia Lightner. Jordan and Yoder are taking the fundraising lead. It's anyone's guess as to how this primary race will wrap up, but Steve Rose at the Johnson County Sun has already predicted a Yoder win in the primary and in the general--returning the 3rd District to Republican control after more than 10 years. Watch for Yoder to go head-to-head with Jordan. In the end, Jordan's greatest liability remains his lackluster and disappointing '08 campaign. As the new kid on the blog, Yoder's age, freshness, and experience managing the state's budget will all prove to be assets as well as the deep reservoir of goodwill he has built up among moderates and conservatives alike.
Republican precinct committee members in northeast Johnson County have convened to appoint replacements for two state legislative seats in the past four weeks. State Sen. David Wysong's announced retirement created a vacancy in his district, which was filled by Rep. Terrie Huntington (she ran unopposed). Due to the unusual circumstances of this election, Huntington will face election in the fall, the only state senator to do so. The 7th Senate District is the most liberal-leaning district held by Republicans in Johnson County and encompasses the most inner-KC suburbs of Merriam, Fairway, Prairie Village, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Westwood, Westwood Hills, and Roeland Park. Wysong won with a less-than-impressive 54 percent in '08, and Huntington will have to work hard to keep this seat under Republican control in 2010. Likewise, Huntington vindicated her state rep seat to run for the open state senate seat, and precinct people from the 24th house district chose Dr. Barbara Bollier over former Roeland Park Mayor Steve Petrehn to take Huntington's place. Bollier touted herself as a pro-choice, fiscal conservative who would resist cuts to public education. Petrehn's speech and positions placed him slightly to the left of Bollier, but it seems that Bollier will fit the mold of the district well and is not represent a significant change from Huntington. As state house districts go, this is also one of the most competitive and difficult to hold for a Republican, so Bollier has her work cut out for her.
Can a Republican win in Massachusetts? Ted Kennedy's untimely death has created a vacancy for his seat, setting up a special election on Jan. 19th. State Senator Scott Brown (R) is within single digits (9 points) in one poll of Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley. Now, a new Democratic poll actually shows Brown leading Coakly by one point. If Republicans win this seat, Democrats will be stripped of their 60th vote needed to pass Obama's healthcare takeover. These numbers are a wakeup call for Democrats--Republicans in ordinary times should never have a chance at winning a U.S. Senate seat in the bluest of blue states. If Republicans win this seat, this will be the equivalent of a political earthquake heard around the country. Even a single digit loss is extremely significant in this state and signals a growing unrest with the direction taken by the Democratic majority in Washington. Watch these results closely.

JCYR Board Positions Open for 2010

2009-12-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Johnson County Young Republicans has several vacancies to fill on its Executive Board for 2010 (one-year terms), please join us Wednesday, January 6 at Old Chicago (119th and Metcalf) at 6:30 pm. The positions of Secretary, Treasurer, PR Chair, Membership Chair, and Vice - Chair of Membership are still open. We know that some of you have expressed interest, so if you were unable to come to the Holiday party, this is your chance. Likewise, if you know any interested parties, please spread the word! Hope to see you there, and contact us if you have any questions: JoCoYRs@gmail.com.

If you are interested in getting involved, 2010 is the year to start. This will be a banner election year both here in KS and nationally as all 435 members of the House are up for re-election and 1/3 of the U.S. Senate. We have a real chance to take back the House and make significant gains in the Senate.

Here in KS, we will be electing a Republican Governor in Sam Brownback and will finally put the 3rd District back in GOP hands after Dennis Moore's announced retirement. Additionally, Republicans have an open U.S. Senate seat to hold and are looking to retain the Secretary of State's office and Insurance Commissioner's office while taking back the State Treasurer position and the Attorney General's office. The races don't end there--here in Johnson County, we have 22 state representatives up for re-election, including 6 Democrats who need strong Republican challengers--3 of whom won with less than 5 percent of the vote in 2008. We have an explosive race for county chair and several notable county commissioner races.

Brandon Kenig
Chair-Elect
Johnson County Young Republicans

Jerry Moran: the Clear and Consistent Conservative

2009-12-15T21:12:00.000-08:00

The Moran-Tiahrt race for Sam Brownback’s Senate seat will be the most expensive, high-profile primary race in Kansas next year. The inevitable battle lines have been drawn and the accusations have already started flying. Unfortunately, some activists have attempted to attach labels to both Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran based on the moderate-conservative divide that has fractured and paralyzed the Kansas Republican Party in the last few decades, despite the fact that both men have long and distinguished conservative records in congress.

Perhaps most perplexing is the contention by some that Tiahrt is the ‘real conservative’ and Moran is a “moderate.” When pressed on this, the Tiahrt supporters cannot offer any substance to back up this claim and instead propagate this unfounded line of demarcation between the two candidates based on the fact that Tiahrt constantly dials up the rhetoric by energizing the base with fiery speeches on abortion, gay marriage, and guns, or that Moran has garnered endorsements from several “moderate” elected officials, business, and civic leaders. Moran and Tiahrt agree on the major social, fiscal, and national security issues facing our country, but unlike Tiahrt, whose career and background indicate an infinite need for self-marketing and personal sales pitches, Moran hails from the western plains of the state and his plain spoken nature does not move him to arouse passions in his audience or conflate personal popularity with his principles—he believes that his conservative beliefs and principles, shared by a majority of Kansans, will sell themselves.

While both Tiahrt and Moran display remarkable conservative credentials and would represent Kansas well in the U.S. Senate, significant differences in their records and votes do exist—differences that supersede lofty rhetoric and grand promises. Actions speak louder than words and defying the opposition and even your own party and president to stand on principle speaks the loudest—a key distinction that only Jerry Moran can claim.

The Konnection believes that once you look past the headlines, rhetoric, and platitudes that come and go with every political campaign, and acutely analyze congressional votes and records, the choice is clear: Congressman Jerry Moran is the clear and consistent conservative.

Moran may not be as loud and as effective as Tiahrt in broadcasting his accomplishments, but when it comes to conservative—not Republican—principles, Jerry Moran has stood up to liberals, Democrats, and even his own party and president in the face of popular legislation that he knew would have disastrous consequences for the American people.

On fiscal issues, Moran has demonstrated that he will safeguard taxpayer money, scrutinize lawmakers’ pet projects, and combat bureaucratic waste and mismanagement. Moran has fought for a balanced budget and attempted to reduce the deficit through his votes—which included votes against the $54 billion dollar No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush’s massive federal intrusion into local education (which Tiahrt initially supported), and votes against the trillion dollar Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit pursued by President Bush and House Republican leaders (which Tiahrt also supported). Moran has consistently voted against excessive spending and growth in government—even when the spending and government expansion initiatives were supported by his own party. Is it any wonder that big-government Republican and former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is supporting Tiahrt and criticizing Moran? Hastert could not count on Moran to be a vote for business as usual in Washington—Jerry sided with taxpayers instead of the status quo. While Moran signed on to balanced budget amendments and initiatives to give the President line-item veto power to strip wasteful earmarks and frivolous spending measures from critical legislation, Todd Tiahrt was busy casting votes for bridges to nowhere in Alaska and a multi-million dollar airport named in honor of Democrat John Murtha to serve a handful of passengers in central Pennsylvania.

While Tiahrt has the endorsement of big-spending establishment Republicans such as Dennis Hastert, Jerry Moran has garnered the support of the Senate’s leading conservatives: Sen. John Thune (SD), Sen. John Coburn (OK), Sen. Richard Burr (NC), Sen. Jeff Flake (AZ), and arguably the Senate’s leading social and fiscal conservative, Sen. Jim DeMint (SC). These conservatives recognized that Jerry supported overhauling the tax code by co-sponsoring the FAIR Tax long before it was a popular position, and that Jerry has been clear in his support of fiscal restraint—he is one of only 17 Republicans who have voted against every bailout and every stimulus starting with the financial bailout last October—an independent and principled conservative stand that his primary opponent cannot claim. Jerry has not wavered and he has not waffled; his record is clear.

That record attracted the attention of the fiscally-conservative, limited government group Club for Growth, which gave Moran its second-highest rating in 2009 among the Kansas delegation for voting down earmarks—96 percent. In contrast, Tiahrt earned an abysmal 29 percent rating from the group, second-worst only to Kansas’ lone Democrat, Congressman Dennis Moore, who earned a 0 percent rating from the group.

And if Tiahrt’s management of his campaign is any indication of his spending habits when he reaches the other side of the capitol, the future does not bode well for our pocketbooks. Tiahrt’s campaign outspent more than it raised in the third quarter of this year, a harbinger of things to come and a reminder that old (spending) habits die hard.

Even now, Jerry continues the fight for limited government, leading the charge against the Obama healthcare plan and cap and trade. On illegal immigration, Jerry vocally argues and votes in favor of border control and the rule of law while Tiahrt sponsored the DREAM Act, which included amnesty and in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

We at the Konnection are discouraged by the fault lines developing in this race and the effort by some to resort to trivial labels and longtime divisions to gain traction in the primary. Truth be told, Kansas Republicans of all stripes---moderate and conservative—are more united than ever. While right-of-center Kansans have disagreed from time to time on a social issue here and there or a spending measure, we have always agreed on the basic principles of limited government, low taxes, and individual responsibility. The overwhelming Democratic majority in the federal government and the life-altering policies emanating from Washington have only solidified and amplified the concerns shared by moderates and conservatives in Kansas and throughout the country—unified opposition to a government-run intrusion into healthcare dubbed “public option;” opposition to economically damaging cap and trade environmental regulations; unease over massive federal spending increases; fear over the inevitable and impending tax increases; and a renewed call for state sovereignty and action through local government over escalating federal encroachment into our personal lives. We think Kansas Republicans and right-of-center individuals throughout our state recognize the ramifications of the Obama-Pelosi agenda and yearn for a check and balance on that power—now is the time to send a united message and ensure that whomever emerges from the 2010 Republican Primary for U.S. Senate has the full support of the party, grassroots activists, and concerned Kansans.

We at the Konnection recognize that we may have just added fuel to the fire in the intra-party debate between Tiahrt and Moran, but we felt it necessary to highlight the few, but significant issues of difference between Tiahrt and Moran—issues we believe will lead any reasonable Kansan to conclude that Jerry Moran is the clear and consistent conservative in the race. Again, we reiterate that both Tiahrt and Moran would represent Kansas well and defend our values against the far-left, ideology-driven policies that dominate Obama and Pelosi’s Washington, but Jerry Moran has the clear record of defending conservative principles without waffling or remaining neutral on key votes, and he consistently votes on principle, yielding not to opposition or party pressure—even from colleagues on his side of the aisle.

In the next election, Kansans will send a message to Washington opposing heavy-handed, trickle-down bureaucratic solutions to all of our problems, and as a conservative reformer, Jerry Moran is the best candidate to deliver this message—after all, he has already delivered this message clearly and consistently during his 12 years in the House.

Call These Senators Now!

2009-11-20T13:38:00.001-08:00

The Senate is set to vote on Healthcare this Saturday night--when no one is paying attention (convenient, right?). Contact these senators NOW, no matter what state you're from--their votes will impact all of us, from California to Maine, from North Dakota to Texas.

If you live in the KC area, I'd add Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to the list, even though she is a supporter of the president's plan. It's time to lay on the pressure! Call Sen. McCaskill's offices here in KC: 816-421-1639 or in DC: (202) 224-6154.

From the RNC (www.gop.com):

Healthcare Protest: A Faceoff in Shawnee

2009-11-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

MoveOn.org and Kansas Democrats organized a protest outside Shawnee City Hall this past Saturday morning to protest against the "Healthcare Freedom Amendment" proposed by state Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook (R-Shawnee), which would allow Kansas to opt out of any Federal takeover of healthcare and preserve the right of Kansans to maintain choice in healthcare. More than 18 other states have amended their constitutions to preserve their rights in this crucial debate, yet the far-left extremists who organized Saturday's rally oppose any attempt to provide real choice for Americans unless that includes a "public option" (which many of the protesters readily admitted as a trigger for an eventual single-payer system which would overtake private insurers in the long run).

Conservative groups learned of this planned protest and pounced, and within hours (via the blogosphere, emails, and Twitter), Obamacare opponents were alerted and made plans to attend.

From what I could see, there were about 50 Obamacare supporters there at maximum, and at least twice to 2 and half times that many opposing Obamacare, lining Johnson Drive, Nieman Road, and filling the parking lot of Shawnee City Hall. This was somehat ironic, considering that the KS Democrats had organized the protest and had been out-organized by the counter-protesters. I estimated overall turnout to be 150-200.

Police did not provide a buffer, so protesters from both sides confronted eachoter at times in somewhat heated debates.

The anti-Obamacare protesters included young, old, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and many seniors. The other side was very predictable: union workers, idealistic college students from KU, Young Democrats, and local liberal activists.

I shot this video of a local union thug yelling at an anti-Obamacare Marine and spitting at him. The union guy also confronted and intimidated some other counter-protesters at the rally, attempting to prevent them from taking photos and videotaping the liberal activists.

The pro-Obamacare protestors also sarcastically mocked those on the other side, exclaiming "welcome to Kansas" and "I hope you had a great trip." I found this humorous and mildly ironic considering that their side frequently busses in protestors ala ACORN and has done so for numerous "grassroots" pro-healthcare reform protests throughout the county

Here are some more clips of the two sides attempting to drown each other out. In the first clip, the fringe left begins yelling "It's our country too!" (Who said it wasn't?). In the second clip, the protesters shout "Pass the bill!" as the counter-protestors yell "Kill the bill!" The chants later morph to "Yes We Can!" and "No You Can't!"

When confronted with claims that the bill would provide taxpayer funding for abortion and access to illegal aliens, the liberals claimed that the bill would do nothing of the sort. Yet many of the protesters were sporting professionally-printed Planned Parenthood signs and a few wore Planned Parenthood apparel.

I snapped this photo of a young boy, not more than 7 or 8 years old, holding a "Students for Planned Parenthood" sign. I always hate it when any side or cause uses children to advance their agenda and this was no exception. I'm sure this kid had no idea what Planned Parenthood is or what he was supporting with his sign, but the presence of Planned Parenthood at the rally seemed to contradict the organizers' claim that the congressional bill would not fund abortion.

Here's one of those oh-so "civil" signs used by the Kansas Democrats/MoveOn.org crowd, which makes use of an explicitly suggestive and derogatory term.

Some of the usual suspects were also there. Kathy Cook, Executive Director of Kansans United for Public Education (KFUPE) proudly wore a branded support with a message reading "Support Candidates Who Fund Our Public Schools" and held a sign with a message thanking Congressman Dennis Moore for his support of the healthcare bill. Cook's group regularly hounds public officials and engages in personal political attacks against candidates and elected officials who do not support their agenda.

As of this writing, the House of Representatives passed the healthcare bill by the slimmest of margins, 5 votes with an uncertain fate in the U.S. Senate. Despite that, and KS Democrats' attempts to declare widespread support for the bill (at the protest, they ridiculously claimed that 82 percent of Americans support a public option) the real polling shows otherwise. The latest Ipsos/McClatchy poll from late October shows 49 percent opposed to Obama's healthcare plan and 39 percent supporting it.

A Republican Resurgence in Suburban America; Dems lose newfound hold on nation's suburbs

2009-11-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's elections proved that the GOP is on a major comeback and the party is vibrant and alive. The results of the NY-23 congressional race notwithstanding (the drama that occurred with the nomination of a liberal Republican, the entry of a Conservative Party challenger, and the Republican suspending her campaign and endorsing the Democrat led to a narrow Democratic win a district that should revert back to the GOP in 2010), Republicans made incredible gains in Virginia and New Jersey.

To repeat The Washington Post headline, the GOP reclaimed Virginia: Bob McDonnell was elected Governor in a landslide with 59 percent of the vote--much higher than Democrat Tim Kaine's 52 percentage win in 2005 and Democrat Mark Warner's gubernatorial win in 2001 with 53 percent of the vote. The Republicans swept all three major statewide offices--Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General--only the 2nd time in the last 40 years one political party has swept all three offices in one election.

McDonnell won 90 percent of Virginia's counties (Deeds only won 10 counties), a major gain over former Governor Tim Kaine's (D) 2005 victory and completely flipped the counties of Northern Virginia to the Republicans after Obama solidly won them last November 2008 (the transformation of Northern Virginia in Tuesday's elections--both in the statewide races and the House of Delegate races--will be profiled in an upcoming blog posting).

Additionally, the GOP posted a net gain of at least 6 seats in the state's House of Delegates (with one race still pending due to a possible recount), increasing their 53-45 majority (8 seats) in the state legislature to a 59-39 majority (20 seats). Bob McDonnell, a native of northern Virginia's Fairfax County, also recaptured that critical Democratic-leaning stronghold and won big in Northern Virginia, the state's population base, which also threw out several incumbent Democratic state representatives.

In New Jersey, Independent Chris Daggett's double-digit support in pre-election polls failed to materialize and even though both sides expected a close margin with the possibility of recounts and court battles, Christie won by over 100,000 votes (4 percentage points) in a race that was not as close as predicted (Corzine supporters were stunned and questioning the numbers all night long). Christie's win over Corzine is all the more remarkable when you consider that the last Republican to win NJ's governorship, Christine Todd Whitman, won in 1993 by only 1 percent, so Christie's 49-45 percent win is extremely significant--Republicans don't win in NJ period, and when they do, it's extremely close. While Obama campaigned with Deeds in Virginia, the president capitalized on his image to a much greater degree in the NJ election, appearing with Corzine five times before the election and lending his top pollster to the campaign. The message to Democrats in 2010: Obama's support is not necessarily an asset and may be a net negative if his approval ratings continue to fall and the economy is still faltering.

The county-by-county comparisons in NJ in 2005 (when Corzine was first elected over Doug Forrester) and this year is striking. In 2005, Republican Doug Forrester only carried 8 out of New Jersey's 21 counties. In 2009, Republican Chris Christie carried a majority of Jersey counties--13 out of 21, posting a net gain of 5 "blue" counties previously won by Corzine, including the highly-populated, Democratic-leaning suburban county of Middlesex while increasing Republican margins in right-leaning Republican suburban counties of Monmouth and Ocean.

The critical story of the night was the Republican recapturing of the suburbs in races across the country. In Northern Virginia and New Jersey, Democratic-leaning suburbs turned red, but a Republican resurgence in the suburbs extended to GOP victories in other states.

Some other victories last night that may have been missed:
1. A special state senate election in Michigan resulting in a GOP pickup
2. Republicans won almost all seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (justices are elected there) and the suburban counties near Philly (Bucks, Montgomery, etc.) voted for the Republican candidates for the state supreme court, signalling a troubling trend for Arlen Specter in 2010--if Republican Pat Toomey improves Republican margins in the critical Philly suburbs, Arlen Specter has no hope of retaining his Senate seat.
3. GOP won back majority control of the Nassau County/Long Island NY county government after 10 years in the wilderness
4. Westchester County, an inner New York city suburb, elected a Republican to the county government over a longtime Democratic incumbent.

Overall, a great night for Republicans and proof that that despite the warnings of naysayers and pundits, the party is not dead or confined to the south. We can win the highly-educated, populated suburbs of the country (Northern Virginia), and we can win in the northeast and New England, in places like New Jersey and Long Island NY with the right candidates, a focus on local issues that matter to voters, and applying specific conservative policy solutions to voter concerns.

Election Day 2009: An Obama Referendum and Republican Resurgence?

2009-11-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

In three states tomorrow, voters will head to the polls to and vote in off-year elections viewed to be a referendum on Obama's policies in the first 10 months of his presidency. The elections in Virginia and New Jersey, where voters will elect new legislators to their statehouses and choose new governors in seats currently held by Democrats, could provide insight into a possible Republican resurgence in 2010. In 1993, Republicans re-captured the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey before going on to gain control of congress in the 1994 Republican revolution.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell is expected to handily win the governor's race in Virginia after 11 years of Republican control. Additionally, Republicans are expected to win the lieutenant governor's seat and attorney general's seat (based on recent polling) as well as increase their margins in the House of Delegates and State Senate. McDonnell, a native of northern Virginia, is expected to even perform well there--in the state's most urban and populated suburbs of Washington, D.C., which had been trending strongly Democratic until recently: just this year, Fairfax County elected a Republican to a formerly Democratic-held county commissioner's seat, a Republican came within half a percentage point of winning a county commission chair election, a Republican came within 16 votes of winning an Alexandria-based state house seat, and two Republicans actually won positions on the Alexandria city council.

New Jersey, one of the most Democratic states in the nation, is on the verge of throwing out incumbent governor and Goldman Sach's millionaire Jon Corzine in favor of U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. This race will be a bitter fight to the end, but despite recent appearances by Obama, campaign momentum had remained with Christie in recent days.

Voters in New York's 23rd congressional district are going to the polls in a special election to fill John McHugh's seat after his appointment by Obama to be Secretary of the Navy. Republican leaders chose liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava as their nominee but faced a revolt from conservative activists when Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman entered the race. Scozzafava saw her support plummet in the polls in this very rural and strongly Republican upstate New York district as Republican heavyweights from Sarah Palin to Fred Thompson to George Pataki endorsed her Conservative Party opponent, so she suspended her campaign this past weekend and true to form, endorsed the Democrat in the race. Polls show this to be a tight race, but conservative Hoffman has the edge in most polls and now has the backing of the Republican Party establishment.

Lastly, although not as high profile as the other 3 races, voters in California's 50th district in the ultra-liberal San Fransisco bay area will choose between Democrat John Garamendi and Republican David Harmer after Democrat Rep. Ellen Tauscher was appointed to a federal position by Obama. Tauscher won this district with 65 percent of the vote in 2008 and Obama won the district 65-33 percent, but recent polls give Garamendi a lead of only 7-10 points. If the Republican comes within single digits in a liberal district just outside San Fransisco, this will be yet another sign of public unease with Obama and Pelosi's Washington.

As far as New Jersey, Virginia, and NY-23 are concerned, if Republicans win 2 of these 3, a major case can be made for the impending Republican gains and possible takeover of congres in 2009.

Here are my predictions:

VA:
McDonnell (R) – 58%
Deeds (D) – 41%

NJ:
Christie (R) – 47%
Corzine (D) – 44%
Daggett (I) – 9%

NY:
Hoffman (C)– 47%
Owens (D) – 40%
Scozzafava (liberal R) – 13%

BREAKING: Ethics investigation, scandal involving several congressmen, including Tiahrt

2009-10-30T11:47:00.001-07:00

The Politico and The Washington Post are breaking a major story--the Department of Justice and the house ethics committee are investigating whether a former Appropriations Committee staffer and employee of PMA (a prominent consulting/lobbying firm) used "straw man donors" to improperly funnel money to members on the house appropriations committee, including Congressman Todd Tiahrt.

More as this story develops and its ramifications for Tiahrt's campaign for the U.S. Senate here in KS...

Ed Eilert to speak to JoCo Young Republicans

2009-10-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Johnson County Young Republicans will be meeting this Wednesday, Oct 7th at 7 pm at Old Chicago at 119th and Metcalf. Former Overland Park Mayor and current Johnson County Commissioner Ed Eilert will be their guest speaker. Eilert is running for JoCo Commission Chairman against current incumbent Annabeth Surbaugh in what is predicted to be the most high-profile race locally in next year's general election. Eilert served as an Overland Park city councilman for four years before becoming the city's major for 28 years during its rise as Kansas City's leading suburb in population growth, business relocation, and economic development. Eilert was elected to the Johnson County Commission in 2006 and continues to serve on the boards and committees of many local civic and community organizations.

This race for the county's top post pits two well-known JoCo establishment politicians against each other. Surbaugh, a longtime commissioner prior to being elected commission chair, has always maintained a cadre of endorsements from Johnson County's movers and shakers and retains savvy political skills--she cannot be underestimated. However, Surbaugh has faced increasing criticism in the past four years for county budgetary woes, decisions to participate in cross-state tax initiatives such as bi-state, and the county's relationship with the cities and municipalities. Conservative activist and reformer Charlotte O'Hara came within a single percentage point of knocking off the well-funded, well-known Surbaugh in 2006.

Eilert brings star power and his longtime record and tenure as Overland Park mayor, fueling the growth and development of Kansas City's largest suburb in the '70s, 80s, and '90s. Eilert is running on a fiscally conservative platform and can match Surbaugh in fundraising abilities, name recognition, and crucial endorsements. Surbaugh's supporters would argue that she maintained stability and steered the county through some of its greatest economic challenges and a debilitating recession, while Eilert's supporters would argue that with her somewhat brash management style and her focus on bi-state initiatives, she has alienated municipal leaders and neglected the needs of the county, while refusing to take the difficult but necessary steps to reign in spending. Surbaugh's supporters charge that running a city, however large, does not compare to running a county and that Eilert is a novice compared to Surbaugh.

I would rate this race as favoring Eilert, but it would be a mistake to ever count Surbaugh out. However, Surbaugh is in the race of her life and this unusual matching is giving many of Johnson County's civic and municipal leaders headaches as they attempt to choose between two leaders they like fairly well.

What do you think?

Gallup Poll: Government doing too much to solve our problems

2009-09-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

57 percent of Americans, the highest number in more than a decade, think the government is doing too much to solve our problems--becoming involved in actions that should be left to individuals and businesses. 45 percent believe there is excess government regulation of businesses. A majority of Independents share these views as well as one-fourth to one-third of all Democrats.

Americans have always preferred local control and governance that is closest to them. The massive expansion of the federal government in all sectors and industries after the financial crisis has only reinforced Americans' cynicism and skepticism towards corrupt, inefficient, and unaccountable federal bureaucracies.

Is Congress listening? Are you listening Mr. Moore? You supported the stimulus, cap and tax, and government-run healthcare against the wishes of your constituents. You have also co-sponsored union card check legislation to intimidate employers and employees alike. Congressman Moore is no blue dog, but he should be blue in the face from swallowing all the deceptive and fabricated claims of moderation and fiscal responsibility he rattles off to constituents at home while voting against their interests in D.C.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/123101/Americans-Likely-Say-Government-Doing-Too-Much.aspx

Upcoming Political Events...

2009-09-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Townhall with Sen. Sam Brownback

Sen. Sam Brownback, the next governor of Kansas, will be holding a townhall at Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe this Monday, Sept. 21st from 6-7 pm at the Bell Cultural Events Center (2030 E. College Way). Brownback will discuss healthcare reform and other public policy issues at the forum.

Join the Johnson County GOP/YRs at the Overland Park Parade

Next Saturday is the Overland Park Fall Festival Parade, one of the largest parades in Johnson County. You can bet all local elected officials and candidates for 2010 will be there, including candidates for statewide and federal office from all over Kansas. Join the Johnson County Young Republicans as they team up with the county GOP to march in the Overland Park Fall Festival Parade Saturday, Sept. 26th at 2:00 pm in historic downtown Overland Park. The county party and YRs will be marching alongside a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner and need volunteers to walk with us, wave to the crowds, help carry our JCRP banner, and hand out cards. Are you a candidate for office in 2010 or an elected Republican official? If so, please join us!If you would like to walk with us, please email JoCoYRs@gmail.com for more details.

House votes to defund ACORN; Cleaver backs sex-trafficking enablers

2009-09-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ever since young journalists Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe went undercover and did the type of seasoned, investigative reporting that the mainstream media no longer does, we have learned that not only is ACORN shady and corrupt in their voter registration practices, they also encourage tax fraud, prostitution, and sex trafficking of minors.

Even the White House, which relied on ACORN to propel Obama to victory in the '08 primaries, is calling for investigations of the radical and corrupt leftist community group.

Led by Nebraska's great senator Mike Johanns, the Senate voted 83-7 to cut housing funding for ACORN, after the U.S. Census severed all ties with the group, which was to have an oversized role in the 2010 population count.

And now the U.S. House of Representatives has voted 345-75 to cut all funding to ACORN (Roll Call Vote. 718). It seems that Democrats are running for the hills and can't distance themselves enough from ACORN and these damaging revelations. All Democrats that is except for Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri's 5th District. Kansas City's congressman voted with 45 of his vacuous and corruption-prone colleagues to retain funding for this criminal outfit. Cleaver should be ashamed and the citizens of the 5th District should be outraged.

Even liberal Dennis Moore of KS' 3rd District had the common sense not to cast an outright vote supporting corruption--Cleaver was the lone congressional voice in KC supporting the politics of corruption.

If you live in Jackson County, call Congressman Cleaver or email him and ask why he supports taxpayer funding for encouraging sex trafficking of minors, prostitution, and tax fraud. Demand answers for his indefensible vote to continue the funding of corruption-as-usual.

Contact Cleaver and let him know ENOUGH is ENOUGH! You do not want your hard-earned taxpayer dollars going to an organization that encourages tax fraud and the sexual abuse of women and children.

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver
www.house.gov/cleaver

DC Office: 202-225-4535
KC Office: 816-842-4545
Independence Office: 816-833-4545

9.11.01: We Will Never Forget

2009-09-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

As we remember the lives lost and sacrifices made on this tragic day, let us not forget the ongoing, persistent threat of Islamic terrorism against U.S. and Western interests around the world.

Our government, to their credit, has thwarted at least 21 large-scale terror attacks against Americans since 2001, including the most recent discovery by the FBI: planned attacks by a 39-year old North Carolina contractor and home-grown terrorist who converted to Islam and travelled to Pakistan to train for jihad.

We witnessed the violent bombings of a hotel complex in Mumbai, India last November, which resulted in the murder of 300 civilians including 5 Americans. This year, we witnessed the bombing of a hotel in Indonesia popular with westerners. And so the war on our values, our culture, our democracy, our entire way of life--continues.

With our faltering economy and the increasingly contentious debate about the government's takeover and intervention in healthcare and private industry, it is relatively easy to become disillusioned with our domestic problems and lose focus on the serious foreign policy threats we still face, from the emergence and mobilization of strengthened terror cells to the provocations of state supporters of terrorism like Iran. We live in a dangerous world that is increasingly destabilized and in the midst of major geopolitical power struggles among ever-changing nation states. We must therefore remain vigilant and always on the defensive.

9/11...We can and must never forget.

Two Events This Thursday

2009-08-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Rep. Jerry Moran, 2010 candidate for U.S. Senate, will be the guest speaker of the Johnson County Young Republicans at a special meeting this Thursday.

Date: Thursday, Aug. 27th

Time: 7:30 pm

Place: the new Johnson County GOP headquarters (JCRP) at 12663 Metcalf in Overland Park (127th and Metcalf, next door to The Peanut).

The JCYRs will be meeting at The Peanut for happy hour and social at 6:30 pm and then head over to the JCRP offices to hear from Congressman Moran. Moran will speak and take questions on his campaign, Obama's healthcare push, the out-of-control national deficit, and other policies.

______________________________________________

Former Overland Park state representative Patricia Lightner is running for congress and hopes to replace Dennis Moore and become the first Republican to take back the 3rd District since 1998. She's holding her first meet-and-greet this Thursday.

"Perk up the 3rd District" with Patricia Lightner

Date: Thursday, August 27th

Time: 5-8 pm

Place: Mr. Toad's Pub & Perk
NW corner of 135th and Quivira
Overland Park, KS

Come here Patricia talk about her background, her campaign, and her vision for bringing a message of liberty and fiscal restraint to Washington

Questions? Email patricia@patricialightner.com

BREAKING NEWS: White House predicts $9 trillion deficit

2009-08-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

That's $9,000,000,000,000 over the next 10 years--more than the sum of all previous deficits since America's founding. The White House also says that our debt will encompass 75 percent of our entire economy by the decade's end.

Yet the president continues to spend money on a stimulus of destructive spending and government healthcare that will cost trillions of dollars. Is it any wonder his approval is at 49, 50, and 51 percent in most polls (average: 51. 8 percent) and he's actually polling below 50 percent in Ohio and Florida? The percentage of Americans who disapprove of Obama has doubled since his inauguration. And Republicans now have a chance at gaining control of the House of Representatives in 2010 and taking out Harry Reid in NV while possibly taking Senate seats in CT, NY, DE, IL, PA, and CA just to name a few?

Since the stimulus has failed miserably at stimulating the economy so far, maybe the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ERRA) should be renamed the Enduring Recession and Retracting Economy Act (ERREA).

Patricia Lightner for U.S. Congress

2009-08-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Former state rep. Patricia Lightner has hit the ground running in her campaign to oust liberal representative-in-name-only Dennis Moore and return a Republican to congress from the 3rd District. She's launched an introductory video and website, and she's on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Check out her website at: www.patricialightner.com and sign up for her eNewsletter and Twitter updates.

Battle for the 3rd District

2009-08-20T12:04:00.001-07:00

Dennis Moore's unquestionable support for socialized medicine and his refusal to engage constituents in a town hall format (due to some perceived "death threats") are causing angst and anger throughout the 3rd District. There is solid evidence that Moore could be very vulnerable in 2010, this year, for the first time in his 11-year career in the House.

Several prospective candidates have emerged: Jason Mara of Olathe, Biotech industry businessman John Rysavy, Iraq War veteran Sgt. Dan Gilyeat, former state representative Patricia Lightner, and Overland Park City Councilman Terry Goodman.

It remains to be seen whether more candidates jump in the fray (as they smell blood in the water) and when some of the candidates already in the race drop out.

At this time, Patricia Lightner seems to be the strongest candidate. Lightner has name recognition, having served in the Kansas state legislature from 1999-2004 as the 29th district state representative for Overland Park and chairing the house Insurance Committee. Lightner, a former contender for the congressional seat in the 2004 GOP primary, currently serves as Vice President of State Government Relations for HSBC.

Lightner recently spoke to the Johnson County Young Republicans:

TONIGHT: State Senator Mary Pilcher Cook with special guest U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback

2009-08-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

3rd District Republican candidates for congress to speak at JoCo Young Republicans meeting

2009-08-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

Join the Johnson County Young Republicans this Wednesday, August 5th at 7 pm at Old Chicago (119th and Metcalf) as they welcome two Republican candidates planning to take on embattled, unpopular incumbent Democrat Dennis Moore. Two declared Republican candidates running for the 3rd District congressional seat in 2010 currently held by Dennis Moore--Patricia Lightner and Daniel Gilyeat--will be speaking to the group.

Patricia Lightner served in the Kansas state legislature from 1999-2004 as the 29th district state representative for Overland Park, chairing the house Insurance Committee. Lightner, a former contender for the congressional seat in the 2004 GOP primary, currently serves as Vice President of State Government Relations for HSBC.

Sgt. Daniel Gilyeat is a single father who served two tours in Iraq and was given a new home by the television show Extreme Home Makeover. Come here how these candidates plan to defeat Dennis Moore and return the 3rd District to Republican representation.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T00:49:00.000-07:00

Amid the fireworks, food, and family fun, let's reflect and remember that what we are celebrating: that we are the most free, most democratic, most open society and country on earth. This country and system of government did not happen by accident--the vision and principles of our Founders were grounded in the beliefs of God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--principles that are not subject to interpretation or to the whims of those who yearn for a "living," "breathing," constitution. Our Constitution has endured for 220 years with just 27 amendments. Contrast this to France, which has had over 5 Constitutions or Germany, or a number of other countries like the United Kingdom which do not have constitutions to specify the liberties and rights of the individual and the limitations of the power of the state.

Only in the United States could Charles Carroll, a Catholic from Maryland sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 alongside of Thomas Jefferson, a Protestant, at a time when religious wars were waging in Europe. Yet the delegates to that first continental congress found common agreement in the belief of God-given rights and liberties--the foundation for a new type of government by the people, of the people, and for the people.

BREAKING News: Sarah Palin Resigns as AK Governor

2009-07-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Lt. Governor Sean Parnell will take office later this month. Palin resigned before finishing her term; shocking the political establishment, and gave no indication of her future plans except to successfully outline her administration's accomplishments while stating that she wanted the state to get back to business and she was tired of the distractions and ridiculous ethics complaints--efforts by her opponents to stymie her administration.

Will Palin go into private life? Is she gearing up for a run for the presidency in 2010? If so, it would be more practical to finish out her term. I happen to think she may be gearing up for a Senate run in 2012, possibly challenging fellow Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski in the GOP primary (unless Murkowski chooses not to run for a second term).

What do you think? How does this affect the Republican presidential field for 2012?

Tax and Trade: a vote to destroy the American economy

2009-06-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Cap-and-Trade (which I call Tax and Trade, since that is what the bill really does) passed the House yesterday evening by only 7 votes. Eight misguided and ignorant Republicans joined the 83 percent of House Democrats in supporting the bill. 44 Democrats joined 95 percent of House Republicans in opposing the bill.

Fortunately, the legislation faces a good chance of defeat in the U.S. Senate, as 60 votes are needed to prevent a filibuster and several Democrats from rural, energy-producing states could be persuaded to vote against the disaster--Landrieu from LA, Nelson from NE, Tester and Baucus from MT, Specter and Casey from PA, Udall from CO, Begich from AK, Lincoln and Pryor from AR.

Perhaps most remarkable, environmental group Greenpeace and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have joined forces in opposing the bill--the Chamber correctly condemns the bill for killing jobs and economic growth; Greenpeace argues that the bill will do nothing to help the environment and substantially reduce pollution.

What are the provisions of this gargantuan 1,000 page bill with a 300 page addendum?

The bill will implement an arbitrary and corruption-prone system of doling out a limited number of carbon credits or usages to businesses. Any attempt to use energy beyond the government allowance will require higher fees, a.k.a. taxes
This scheme will result in higher utility costs--electricity, heating, oil--for all Americans. Estimates range from an additional $175-$1000 a year for the average American family, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
This disasterous bill will hurt all U.S. businesses, especially small businesses which are the backbone of our economy (since they do not have the money, lobbyists, and clout to bribe the bureaucrats for exemptions and additional credits). Unemployment will soar and GDP growth will slow dramatically or possibly go negative
Also included in the bill: new federal zoning mandates for all property owners. Now, when buying land for commercial use or making simple adjustments and renovations to your own property, you will be required to apply for a federal permit to ensure environmental compliance in addition to complying with local county and municipal zoning regulations. A bureaucrat in Washington will decide what constitutes an "acceptable" and environmentally-compliant use of undeveloped land in western Douglas County, Kansas

KS' own congresswoman Rep. Lynn Jenkins sent an email newsletter to her constituents highlighing the disasterous and indefensible aspects of this bill, the purpose of which is to lower global temperatures just several hundredths of one degree in the next 20 years. Jenkins has also produced a short series of videos called "Cap and Trade 101" where she succinctly summarizes the legislation and its impact on families, businesses, and agriculture, along with the FAQs--you can view them here at her House website.

Numbers from the CBO (most likely on the low side) are profiled in this recent NY Times article.

Pelosi was able to lock in support from members with an unprecedented blitz of deal-making and pork-barrelling. It is too soon to tell if the same strategy will work on members of the Senate.

Despite numerous protestations and appeals from residents of the 3rd District, Rep. Dennis Moore ignored his constituents and voted with Nancy Pelosi for this disasterous bill--he couldn't bring himself to join the 44 moderate Democrats in the House who opposed it. His constituents are watching and will not forget. Moore will not have Obama on the ballot to pull him across the finish line in 2010, but he will have his countless controversial votes that go against the majority of his district. Fiscally responsible he is not. Independent he is not. A liberal lackey for the most extreme elements of his party's agenda--he is.

News Highlights...

2009-06-21T22:39:00.001-07:00

I've been extremely busy lately, so not much time right now, but here are some points to ponder:

Obama's approval is down to 57 percent acc. to Gallup, which has always had his approval rating higher than other polls. Rasmussen (the only pollster to accurately poll the percentage outcome of the 2008 presidential election), has Obama at a mediocre 53 percent approval, with 46 percent disapproving. Could his insistance on rapid passage of his nationalized healthcare proposal and the fear over its price tag and implementation explain the president's fall from grace? Or is it his tepid response to Iran and relunctance to stand with Iranian dissidents who support democracy and reform? Or is the fallout from North Korea's saber-rattling? Or the fact unemployment continues to climb and the effects of the stimulus seem to be nil? Discuss.

It's almost certain now that Brownback will be our next governor. Thornburgh saw the reality and accepted it--however, I think our secretary of state still has a bright future in politics if he wants it. Brownback has managed to unite the party behind him like never before--he has Moran, Tiahrt, Jordan, and Jenkins leading his campaign in each of their congressional districts, and he has the backing of prominent moderates and conservatives throughout the state--Pat Roberts and Bob Dole are leading his statewide campaign team and Overland Park lawyer John Petersen (former Gov. Bill Graves' finance chair) is chairing Sam's campaign in Johnson County.

This shifts the focus on the blockbuster battle between Tiahrt and Moran for Sam's U.S. Senate Seat. Thoughts?

The Johnson County Republican party is organized and ready like never before--the county party has prominent new offices at 12651 Metcalf (127th and Metcalf, next to The Peanut) and th county party will have a presence at the Lenexa Days Parade. Their new office Grand Opening is Saturday, July 11th from 11-2 pm. Join them for free food, socializing, and meet local GOP candidates running in 2010.

Jerry Moran's Johnson County Townhall

2009-06-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sen. Reid: Sotomayer's judicial record does not matter--no plans to read any of her past decisions

2009-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

It's bad enough when our representatives in Washington assume we do not care how much they are spending or insult our intelligence by wasting time on the taxpayer's dime by calling in a speed-reader in an apparent mocking gesture and insult to the vast majority of Americans who naively expect their representatives to actually read legislation before they vote on it.

But now we have this from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

He sidestepped questions about her past decisions, telling reporters that he's never read any of the hundreds she's written during her 17 years as a federal judge. And, he added, "if I'm fortunate before we end this, I won't have to read one of them."

Is this a joke? With a salary of $174,000 a year, gold-standard healthcare plans that are unmatched by any other employer or profession, and over 4 months of taxpayer-subsidized, paid vacation a year, I guess expecting senators who will be voting on Sotomayor's nomination to actually study and read her judicial record is just expecting too much. Maybe our elected body should be content with judging whether she meets racial and gender quotas for the court and ignore her legal opinions and decisions--after all, why pay attention to details? Supreme Court Justices only serve for life anyway and are never subject to a public vote of confidence or approval.

For the record, Sotomayor has an impressive legal background and history, and I'm sure she herself would agree that she should be judged by her legal body of work and opinions--after all, professors up for tenure are judged by their research, surgeons are evaluated based on the procedures and operations they have performed, and entire corporations are judged on past earnings and profitability ratios. Shouldn't we expect a judge to be "judged" on her past work?

Sen. Reid is an embarrassment--it's no wonder nearly half of Nevadans have an unfavorable opinion of Reid and 45 percent say they would definitely vote to replace him. Reid may follow in Dascle's footsteps in 2010.

Presidential Positioning

2009-06-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced today he will not run for re-election to a third term as Governor of Minnesota, fueling speculation that he's setting up a presidential run for 2012.

Coincidentally, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) was making the rounds in Sioux City, Iowa today, greeting voters. Ensign claims no presidential ambitions, just a desire to demonstrate leadership and propose solutions (code speak--he's running for president, folks). Ensign heads the Republican Policy Study Committee in the Senate and would be an interesting contender in 2010--a strong, affable leader from a critical swing state.

Gov. Parkinson denies military easy access to ballots

2009-05-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

We here at the Konnection have been pleased with Gov. Parksinson so far. He demononstrated the type of bipartisan, centrist decision-making we so admire when he compromised to allow for the building of a coal-fired plant in Holcomb, a welcome development that enables our state to move forward with a comprehensive energy policy and address other issues, such as the looming spending cuts. As a former moderate Republican who changed parties not out of ideology but out of self-interest and self-advancement, Parkinson has proven to be a maverick who seems more willing to compromise and find bipartisan solutions rather than scoring points with the Washington liberal elites and far-left blogger community (as Sebelius did).

Well now we must part ways with the new Governor. Today, Parkinson vetoed election reform legislation that would have allowed our military men and women easier access to the polls by registering to vote and casting their ballots online. The entire legislation was vetoed by Parkinson due to the inclusion of a provision which would add a signature and affidavit line to advance ballots--a needed addition to prevent and combat election fraud. Unfortunately, Parkinson found this requirement too burdensome and confusing. It seems that Parkinson's commonsense, centrist pragmatism is giving way to desire to placate the liberal base of the Democratic Party, especially after Kansas Democrats' angry reaction to his compromise on the coal plants and his failure to choose a viable, 2010 contender for governor as his Lieutenant Governor.

The U.S. military turnout in 2006 was an abysmal 17 percent, due in large part to the onerous regulations and requirements that our servicemen and women mail their ballots weeks, even months--in advance, and even then, military ballots are routinely rejected due to technicalities.

Our many thinks to J.R. Claeys, Republican candidate for Kansas Secretary of State, for bringing this story to our attention. As Secretary of State, Claeys will implement crucial election reform to prevent voter fraud and expand voter access, especially to our military men and women. To find out more about Parkinson's veto and J.R.'s candidacy, read J.R.'s blog entry on today's veto:
http://www.jrclaeys.com/content/blog/00202000.php and visit his website: www.jrclaeys.com.

Elephant Club Luncheon Tuesday, May 19th

2009-05-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

The Johnson County Elephant Club has their first event scheduled for this Tuesday, May 19th. The Elephant Club. The primary purpose is to provide an opportunity for members of the Johnson County Republican Party to become more fully informed on issues facing our elected officials and to provide support to our candidates. The county party hosts a luncheon or dinner forum for Members of the Elephant Club, and Johnson County Republicans. The Elephant Club is a select group of Johnson County Republicans who have demonstrated a commitment to our party. Elephant Club events are scheduled at different times and dates to provide maximum participation of Republicans and Elected officials. The Elephant Club Events also provide candidates an opportunity to meet with Elephant Club Members, Party Leaders and Republican voters.

Annual Membership is $100 per year and includes this first event. Prices per event, including this luncheon, are below.

MAY 19 - LUNCHEON - 11:30 - LEAWOOD HERFORD HOUSE Annual Elephant Club

Registar & Pay Online! Cash or Check at the Luncheon!

Elephant Club Member Luncheon: $25.00 Non- Member: $40.00

Table of 8: Member: $175.00 Non-Member: $300.00

PROGRAM: JCRP Update ; Ronnie Metsker, Chair What's NEW for YOU!

Featured Speaker: Steve Howe, JOCO District Attorney

Legislateve Update: Sen. Karen Brownlee, and Rep. Pat Colloton

Reservations, PLEASE: e-mail Marearl at mdenning@kc.rr.com or JOIN ONLINE! http://www.johnsoncountyrepublicanparty.com/

Hereford House · (913) 327-0800 5001 · Town Center Dr, Leawood

YOU will also receive our NEW JCRP logo lapel pin so you can proudly show your support of the Johnson County Republican Party. Please join the JCRP Elephant Club through our website, online through PayPal. http://www.johnsoncountyrepublicanparty.com/ Click on the Donate tab in the upper right hand area by the Calendar. Or mail your Elephant Club Membership to: JCRP, PO Box 12446, Overland Park, KS 66282-2446

Elephant Club members will also receive Club e-mail notices and links to State and National Party Events. Elephant Club Members receive the JCRP discount for our events.

A Republican Resurgence in Alexandria?

2009-05-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

OK, I must take a break from KC Metro/Kansas/Missouri politics to comment on recent developments in Northern Virginia. Since I lived in D.C. for six months while interning for Sen. Brownback, I developed an extensive knowledge of the Capitol region and really love it, despite it's liberal politics--and I still go back to visit whenever I can. I love the entire area, including the District, Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County in Virginia and and the suburban counties and enclaves in Maryland.

The deepening Democratic trend of politics in Northern Virginia in the the past several election cycles seems to have peaked in 2008 with Obama winning the state of Virginia for the Democrats for the first time since 1964. Yet, the recent off-year elections show Northern Virginia, and particularly, Alexandria, taking on a slight-red hue.

Earlier, we chronicled the special election for Fairfax County Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, where the Republican came within 0.5 percent of winning. We also commented on the Republican takeover of a vacant Board of Supervisors seat held by the Democrat who ran for chairman of the board, which opened up her seat for a special election.

Alexandria, a historic port city that has figured prominently in American history and served as home to many of the nation's founding fathers, remains a premier D.C. bedroom community and a liberal bastion in Virginia. Typically, the vote ceiling for any Republican candidate in local, state, or federal elections in Alexandria is 35 percent, which makes it extremely difficult for any Republican to win the city. Obama captured the city easily with a landslide 72 percent of the vote. The last Republican presidential candidate to win Alexandria was Ronald Reagan in 1980.

When Brian Moran vacated his state legislative seat, based in Alexandria, to run for governor, no one gave Republican Joe Murray a chance, but the Republican rocked the political establishment and gave Democrats a heart attack when he only lost to the Democrat by 16 votes in this heavily-Democratic city.

Well, Alexandria Republicans have more to celebrate. The two candidates the party backed in this month's city council elections both won (Frank Fannon ran as a Republican, but Alicia Hughes, as a federal government employee, could not run with the party label, although she had the party endorsement). For the first time in several years, the Alexandria City Council will have Republican representation, and not just one Republican, but two! The city is not carved into districts, so all candidates ran citywide and the top 6 candidates received spots on the council. Fannon, running as a Republican won with the 3rd highest vote total citywide out of 10 candidates total (mostly Democrats) which makes his win all the more remarkable (maybe Alexandrians are ready for some real change)! Fannon's success ensures that he will remain a Republican to watch. Alicia Hughes, a young African American and federal employee who works for the U.S. Patent Office, ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility and sound budget management--as a young, minority woman Republican, she also represents the future of the party and it is not to early to speculate on higher office for her as well (state assembly? congress?)

All in all, these signs point to a trend, not just an anomaly, and Democrats are on notice--their stranglehold on Alexandria and Northern Virginia is not permanent, nor should it be taken for granted.

More Americans pro-life rather than pro-choice

2009-05-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time in more than 15 years of polling, more Americans self-identify as pro-life (51 percent) over pro-choice (42 percent), according to Gallup. Almost an equal number oppose abortion in all circumstances as those who support abortion in all circumstances, with the vast majority in the middle, although this survey shows a significant increase in the percentage of Americans who oppose abortions in all circumstances.

So if the extreme positions on abortion are relatively equal and compare to past surveys, what has changed? Well, the change in self-identification can be attributed to the vast moderate middle; Americans who have always been uneasy with abortion and favored every restriction possible, except for an outright ban on the procedure.

The Obama administration's radically pro-abortion policies have probably contributed to this shift in self-identification, as this polling is supported by other recent polling, including a Rasmussen survey that found strong opposition to Obama's reversal of the Mexico City policy, which allows taxpayer funding for abortions overseas, and the 42-39 percent lead for Republicans as the party whom Americans most trust on the issue of abortion.

Rep. Lynn Jenkins delivers the weekly Republican address...

2009-05-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Kansas' own Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins was chosen to give the weekly Republican radio address, commenting on spending, taxes, President Obama's first 100 days, and Republican solutions to curb spending, create jobs, and control the debt.

Poll: Sebelius unpopular with majority of Kansans...

2009-05-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Probably due to a combination of issues: her opposition to the coal plants, inability to compromise with the legislature on a variety of issues, her inability to lead on the state budget debacle, her focus on finding a job in Washington, and her long absences away from Kansas during the 2008 campaign.

Survey USA says that 50 percent of Kansans disapprove of Sebelius' job performance while only 46 percent approve.

Maybe Sebelius saw the writing on the wall and opted for the cushy HHS job in Washington over possibly losing a bruising 2010 U.S. Senate campaign.

Jack Kemp, RIP

2009-05-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

A conservative legend passed away yesterday. The Hon. Jack Kemp, a celebrated football player, and New York congressman of 18 years, was an instrumental player in the Reagan Revolution and one of the co-sponsors of the Reagan tax cuts, which brought a close to the Carter recession. Kemp served as HUD secretary in George H.W. Bush's cabinent and ran for vice-president as Bob Dole's running mate in 1996. Kemp's legacy is secured through the establishment of the Jack F. Kemp School of Political Economy at Pepperdine University, a center and program that will advance Kemp's unique commitment to American democracy, free markets, and Judeo-Christian values.

On a personal note, during my participation in George Washington University's Semester in Washington program, I had the opportunity to take a campaign management class at the lobbying offices of Whitmer & Worrall with instructor and firm co-partner Mr. Tom Worrall. Tom and Jack Kemp were great friends, and my classmates and I were introduced to Mr. Kemp during one of our classes and had the benefit of discussing the state of modern-day politicals and political messaging with Mr. Kemp.

Kemp's legacy and contributions to the conservative movement will not be forgotten.

Who will Mark Parkinson pick as Lt. Governor? Probably not a Democrat who likened Tea Party protesters to Nazis

2009-04-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

Mark Parksinson was sworn in yesterday as the 45th governor of Kansas. Now, speculation swirls as to who he will pick as Lt. Governor, although the bench is relatively thin now without Mr. Morrison, and the choice will make little difference in next year's gubernatorial race, where Sen. Sam Brownback is virtually assured of becoming Kansas' next governor with little Democratic opposition. The names being mentioned are State Sen. Laura Kelly, Kansas Securities Commissioner Chris Biggs, Board of Regents member Jill Docking, and Wyandotte County State Senator Chris Steineger.

Now, Steineger had long been mentioned as a Democratic candidate for governor, and the only Democrat who could give Brownback an iota of competition in what will still be an uncompetitive race. Steineger is a centrist Democrat who is relatively fiscally conservative and appeals to culturally-conservative, blue collar Kansans as well as some Republicans, although he does propose foolish and questionable legislation at times, such as his universally derided proposal to combine Johnson and Wyandotte counties into one county--WyJo--which was disliked and mocked by officials from both counties.

Steineger suprised Republicans and outraged some in his party by attending and speaking at conventions and summits sponsored by the tax reform group Americans for Prosperity, and appearing at a recent anti-tax tea party earlier this month.

Feeling the heat from his liberal base, Steineger sought to alleviate concerns that he's going soft on his party and ideology by providing a response on the blog Kansas Jackass. Here is an excerpt of Steineger's response:

When Democrats don’t show up to compete with right wing hate mongers, we forfeit the chance to win over the many Americans who ARE NOT hard core right wingers, but more precisely, are economically and financially
worried.

During WWII, Eisenhower, Churchill and the other Allies knew that we couldn’t beat Hitler and the Nazis by staying at home. They knew that the only way to win was to invade the Nazis’ turf and take it from them and that’s exactly what happened. Indeed, on the campaign from Normandy to Berlin, the Allies also learned that thousands of German troops no longer believed in Hitler’s message, were willing to surrender, and find a better system to live by. Those who changed their minds built the modern Germany which provides universal health insurance at a sustainable price, and will soon be the first nation to close all coal-fired power plants and make the upgrade to clean, renewable sources of electricity.

Barack Obama has reached out to Cuba and Venezuela by having conversations with Castro and Chavez. Barack Obama reached out to Iran by delivering a congratulatory message on a recent Iranian holiday. Indeed, certain partisan extremists label him a traitor for doing so. As a follower of American foreign policy, I am glad Obama reached out to countries and leaders who previously were thought of as “off limits”. Obama understands that people don’t always agree with their leaders. Although seen shaking hands with leaders who have spoken hate towards us, Obama shows their followers, their people, that we Americans are likeable people and that we would like their friendship.

Wow, where to begin? Steineger seeks to express solidarity with average Kansans concerned about taxation, rising spending, and the amount of debt placed on the shoulders of their families and children, and Steineger has the audacity to call them "right-wing hate mongers"? Even more disturbing, he draws an analogy between engaging tea party attendees with the Allies invading Europe and combating Hitler and the Nazis. But he doesn't stop there--after comparing thousands of average Kansans to Nazis, he compares engagement with these citizens to engaging Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and Ahmadinejad in diplomatic relations--all are draconian dictators responsible for the deaths of thousands and the loss of freedoms of millions of their citizens. Yet engaging peaceful, concerned Kansans of all political stripes is equivalent to engaging Hitler's Nazis and some of the most totalitarian and extremist dictators currently in power?

Steinger's comments failed to placate liberal outrage, and the state senator now faces the wrath of those in the middle and right whom he libeled in his blog response, those who took him for an honest and credible voice of reason when attending these events.

In a rare event, Steineger has angered his base and offended the moderate-conservative Independents and Republicans he would need to win over in a statewide election to remain semi-competitive.

This abominable, offensive rhetoric has now damaged Steineger's prospects of being the Democratic standard bearer for Governor and wiped out any chance that he would be a relevant, slightly-competitive candidate against Brownback in next year's gubernatorial race on the rare chance he is the Democratic nominee.

Latest Polling: Americans may vote for a check in 2010 on Democratic power

2009-04-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

Rasmussen's new polling on the generic congressional ballot finds that 41 percent of Americans would vote for their district's Republican candidate while 38 percent would support the Democratic candidate. Republicans trailed in this poll for the better part of last year and only recently have started to tie or lead the Democrats on this critical measure of voter preferences in the next midterm election. Now, based on these numbers, the Republicans would certainly gain seats, but the GOP needs those numbers to rise to a 7-10 point spread to have any hope of regaining a majority in the House of Representatives.

53 percent of Americans now believe the next president will be a Republican.

Confidence in how the government is conducting the war on terror (or as the Obama administration has now decreed, "overseas contigency operations") is at an all time low. Only 42 percent of likely voters believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the war on terror. This number has steadily dropped from 50 percent a few weeks ago and 62 percent in February.

Hmmm...could it have anything to do with the Obama administration's decision to release CIA memos on enhanced terrogation techniques, giving our enemies our playbook, and announcing that those critical techniques are no longer allowed and that photos of CIA agents performing these techniques will be released to the public, leaving the CIA demoralized and in disarray, incapacitating the CIA and hindering the ability of the agency to protect us and recruit younger, more savvy members to the agency.

I don't know...I'll let you decide that one for yourself.

GOP leads on several issues, closes the gap on others

2009-04-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

The recent Rasmussen survey on partisan trust on major U.S. policy issues provides some surprising insight and demonstrates that the GOP has narrowed its credibility gap with the Democrats substantially on several issues. Shockingly, on the issue of the economy, where the Dems held an advantage for the last few years and a double-digit advantage leading into the 2008 November election, the Republicans only trail the Democrats by 3 points, 42 to 45 percent, essentially a tie when you factor in the margin of error. Americans now trust the Republicans more on the issues of taxes, abortion, and immigration (the Democrats had held single digit leads on all three of these issues for the last several months) and Republicans increased their advantage on national security to an 8 point lead. As the new administration's lurch to the left has led to the enactment of new policy on social issues and implementation of massive spending, it seems that the American public has responded by moving more towards the GOP on these issues, probably as a response to the Dems moving too far too the left and overreaching.

Unbelievaly, the GOP is now tied with the Democrats on the issue of social security, a pet issue and advantage for the Democrats for the last 3 decades. Democrats only hold a two point advantage on Iraq and a 2 point advantage on government ethics (the follies and corruption scandals of congressional Democrats like Charlie Rangel and the failure of Obama appointees to pay their taxes probably contributed to this new polling dynamic). Republicans have even managed to narrow their deficit on reliably Democratic issues such as healthcare and education to the single digits.

What does all this mean? While Obama remains relatively popular, congressional Democrats are not (as witnessed by this poll on the issues and the approval ratings of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi). Americans seem to be tiring of one-party rule and 2010 could be a very good year for Republicans, especially in the House of Representatives.

Obama's approval drops to 56 percent

2009-04-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

And the percentage of Americans who disapprove is at an all-time high, 44 percent, according to Rasmussen.

Wasinger announces campaign leadership team...

2009-04-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

Wasinger Announces Leadership Team

Business and community leaders

across Big First to lead team

COTTONWOOD FALLS -- Today, Rob Wasinger announced 14 members of his Kansans for Wasinger Leadership Team, led by Co-Chairs Dick Friedeman and Bill Halvorsen.
The Kansans for Wasinger Leadership Team will play an instrumental role in expanding support across the Big First for the Wasinger campaign. Members will be added as the campaign progresses.

"I am honored to be supported by a great group of business and community leaders across Kansas," said Wasinger. "Together, we will work to spread my message of bringing economic prosperity to Western Kansas while ensuring our way of life."

Kansans for Wasinger Leadership Team Co-Chair Dick Friedeman said, "I am pleased to support Rob Wasinger as co-Chairman of his campaign for Congress. Representing the Big First is a big job, but I know Rob is up to the task. He's a good family man who has his priorities in order and will fight to preserve our way of life. Rob knows small business owners and farmers across the the Big First work hard everyday. He'll take that same work ethic to Congress on our behalf. I am proud to support Rob's efforts to be the next Congressman from the 1st District."

Added Kansans for Wasinger Leadership Team Co-Chair Bill Halvorsen: "Rob combines an understanding of our state's people with insight into the issues of our time. We can send this good man to Congress with confidence that he knows what we think and how to look out for us. With his experience he knows his way around and how to protect our interests when Congress makes the important decisions in the years ahead. Rob will do us well in Congress."

Wasinger is a native of Hays and has served Kansas as a former staffer to then-State Senate Majority Leader Jerry Moran, Governor Bill Graves, and most recently as chief-of-staff to U.S. Senator Sam Brownback. Wasinger has been endorsed by former Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson.

Wasinger is amidst a 69-county tour of the "Big First."

Kansans for Wasinger Leadership Team:

Co-Chairs

Dick Friedeman, Great Bend -- Partner, Watkins Calcara, Chtd.; Chairman, Barton County Republican Party

Bill Halvorsen, Cottonwood Falls -- Member, Chase County School Board; Kansas Law Enforcement Official

Finance Chair Jim McVay, Great Bend -- Trial Attorney, Watkins Calcara Chtd.; Deputy U.S. Special Counsel, Bush Administration

Treasurer
Marilyn Wasinger

Hays Steering Committee

Mike Spinden, Cottonwood Falls -- Partner and Manager, Maddog Cattle Company; President, Chase County Farm Bureau; Member, Kansas Livestock Association (KLA)

Phil Guries, Salina -- Executive Director, Salina YMCA

Mike Johnson, Courtland -- President and CEO, Swedish American State Bank

Lynda Fort, Ulysses -- Executive Director, Kansas Bed and Breakfast Association; Regent, Daughters of American Revolution; former Chair, Grant County Fair Board; Member, Grant County Board of Zoning Appeals
Mac Griffin, Sublette -- Small Business Owner
Kit Griffin, Sublette -- School Teacher

Terry Nelson, Norton -- Vice Chairman, First State Bank; member, KLA; Nelson Farms, Inc.; Valley Feeds Mill, LLC; Husky Hogs, LLC; Almena Agri Services

Andrew Murphy, Great Bend -- Chief Operations Officer, Innovative Livestock Services, Inc.; Member, KLA

Richard Chambers, Hutchinson -- Executive Vice President, Central Bank and Trust Co.; Board Member, Hutchinson-Reno County Chamber of Commerce; Board Member, Hospice of Reno County; Board Member, Hutchinson Town Club; former President, Hutchinson Rotary Club

Lynn Peterson, Abilene -- Small Business Owner; Abilene City Commissioner; former Mayor of Abilene

Taxed Enough Already--Tea Party Day!

2009-04-14T16:45:00.001-07:00

Grassroots "Tea Parties" to protest the exploding national debt, runaway, wasteful spending, never-ending corporate bailouts, and rising taxation are being held across the nation this April 15th-Tax Day, with over 2,000 tea parties planned across the country.

Check out this link to view a map listing the details of the 2,000 tea parties nationwide:

http://teapartyday.com/map.aspx

Here are the details for the local tea parties scheduled in the KC metro area:

Missouri:

City: Kansas City
Time: 4:00 pm, speakers begin at 5:00

When: April 15

Where: Liberty Memorial

Kansas:

City: Overland Park

When: April 15, 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Where: Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd.

Other Info: http://kansascityteaparty.wordpress.com/

Guest Post by Rob Wasinger, Candidate for U.S. Congress, 1st District of KS

2009-04-01T20:13:00.001-07:00

The Konnection is pleased to publish the following guest post by Rob Wasinger, congressional candidate for Kansas' 1st congressional district, which will be vacated by longtime Rep. Jerry Moran, who is running for Sam Brownback's senate seat. So far, Mr. Wasinger faces Tim Huelskamp, Tim Barker, and Sue Boldra in the GOP primary.

A Message from Rob Wasinger, candidate for U.S. Congress

I have been busy travelling across all 69 counties in the 1st District of Kansas recently, meeting Kansans, renewing old friendships and making new ones. I hope I will see many of you on my journey, but I want to take a moment to introduce myself to the Kansas blogosphere, as well.
I want you know what I stand for, and I hope you will stand with me.
My name is Rob Wasinger, and I believe I am the right person to succeed Jerry Moran to represent the people of the First District of Kansas in Congress. Let me tell you what I would fight for as a Representative, and explain why I am uniquely qualified for fight for it.
Many boomtowns across America are experiencing for the first time the despair that comes with seeing once-promising communities emptied out before their eyes. What some of these big cities are feeling as a sudden shock, rural America has suffered as a slow bleed for far too long.
The good news is that while the boomtowns were built on sand, our homes were raised on good land and solid foundations. But under the old, failed policies of high taxes and burdensome regulation, our communities have fallen into disrepair.
I have a vision of how conservative values and policies will refresh our country, allowing rural and small town America to build upon our strong foundations and lead the way to a thriving and competitive economy. I believe in a set of policies aimed at breaking down the barriers to prosperity for rural America, unleashing the ingenuity and productivity of the American worker.
Central to this vision is a New Homestead Act, a spiritual successor to the Homestead Act that Abraham Lincoln signed and which helped to populate the rural areas of the Great Plains. Today, it is clear that we need bold new initiatives to reinvigorate our heartland.
Where growth and opportunity have been choked off, we should cut back the weeds of government, allowing skilled individuals, small businesses and new investments to plant roots and thrive.
With some simple but well-targeted measures for our rural communities, we can help existing businesses to survive and develop while attracting new businesses and high-tech ventures. We can reward hard work and responsibility by making it easier to build savings and gain access to credit. We can make it easier for the next generation to return to their rural roots after they graduate.
I know the value of this. After finishing college, I returned to my home in Kansas. I want my children and yours to stake their future in the heartland, as well. In order to accomplish that, we must have policies that ensure prosperity for rural America, not just policies that create prosperity for Washington, DC.
I believe that I am uniquely qualified to fight for Kansas from day one, to make this positive vision a reality. I have worked for representatives of the people of Kansas for almost 15 years - both in Kansas and in the nation’s capital. I have become well-versed in how the federal government affects all our lives, and especially those of the rural communities we have in Kansas. I have seen first-hand how Washington works, and I have seen why it fails.
More fundamentally, I am a husband, and a father to 9 wonderful children to whom I hope to leave a vibrant heartland and a better country. I am a conservative, because I believe it is the conservative values of freedom, responsibility and virtue that will make our world a better place for my children.
That is who I am and why I am here. I hope you will give me the chance to prove my values, my conviction and my vision as the Representative from Kansas. I hope you will join me in the fight we have ahead.
For more information, to donate, or to sign up as a supporter, please visit my website.

http://www.robwasinger.com/s/

Q and A with John Kanaga, candidate for JCCC Trustee

2009-03-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Konnection recently interviewed John Kanaga, candidate for Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees in the April 7th election. Kanaga is one of 10 candidates seeking a position on the 6-member board which oversees policy and budget for the community college. You can find out more about Kanaga's candidacy at www.johnkanaga.com.

1. Why are you running for JCCC trustee?

Public service has become a passion of mine since I first worked on a congressional campaign several years ago. I have since helped others in their pursuit of this passion and I felt it was time that I got involved. I believe the purpose of a community college is to provide affordable and accessible education, which Johnson County Community College clearly does, and I intend to continue that tradition if elected to the board of trustees. This being said, the first meeting after the election will have the budget vote, and I will not vote for an increase in the mill levy. Increasing the burden on the taxpayer in these economic times would not be prudent, and we must look within to find the necessary fund for the college to continue at its current success.

2. What is the single most important issue you will have to confront if elected?

The biggest challenge currently facing JCCC and its board is the budget. It will become increasingly difficult in the upcoming years to continue the fiscal balance that has allowed the current growth and success of the college. With lower valuations the income from the mill levy will be lower than it has been in years. With the approval of a small increase in tuition it is important that the school looks within to find the money to continue its success.
A major opportunity for the college is an increase in non-degree programs for the residents and businesses in the community. For example a recent grant for a sustainability office at the college will directly translate into opportunities for local businesses to increase sustainability training through the school.

3. How does your experience and perspective qualify you for the office and how do you differentiate yourself from your opponents?

I come with a unique and new perspective to this board. I believe I have the most direct experience with the modern education system that this board governs. I have received two bachelor’s degrees (in economics and geography) from the University of Kansas, and am currently pursuing my J.D. at the University of Kansas School of Law. With this education I have developed an understanding and appreciation for an open and diverse environment at institutions of higher learning. I bring the unique insight of the consumer of JCCC’s product, and I will work tirelessly to ensure its continued excellence and accessibility.

Kathleen Sebelius--Tax Cheat #5

2009-03-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Now, we have the 5th Obama nominee who owes back taxes--and it's none other than my home state governor, Kathleen Sebelius, who has now managed to further embarrass the great state of Kansas before a national audience. According to CNN, Sebelius revealed "unintentional errors" on her 2005, 2006, and 2007 tax returns to the amount of $7,040 in back taxes, which she has now paid back. Sebelius' husband is a magistrate judge--it's a pretty sorry state of affairs when a governor and her spouse--a magistrate judge--are either too incompetent to figure out their taxes or they attempt to cut corners and find loopholes in the tax code. My open-ended question for all: Are there any elected Democrats who do pay their fair share of taxes while singing the praises of higher taxes for the rest of us? Do I hear crickets chirping.

Of course, we just now hear about these tax problems--thank you Kansas press and thank you Kansas City Star for doing your job and uncovering this previously, since this started four years ago! This could have been an issue in her 2006 re-election campaign, but whether or not the KC Star and Wichita Eagle knew about it, this would have put them in a tough position of jeopardizing their favorite politician's re-election chances. Report hard news or engage in political posturing? And some still wonder while newspapers are disappearing faster than American auto industry jobs.

To recap Obama's tax-evading nominees so far:

Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative, owed $10,000 in taxes

Tim Geithner, Treasury Secretary, owed $34,000 in taxes

Tom Daschle, HHS Secretary, owed $128,000 in taxes

Nancy Killefer, Chief Performance Officer, owed unemployment taxes

April 7th Elections

2009-03-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

In just one week, Johnson County residents will be voting in local municipal races for mayor and city council, as well as school board, water board, and countywide races for Johnson County Community College. These low-turnout, low-intensity races have not generated much buzz, but they could have profound implications for all of us (for example, local school boards are responsible for mill levy increases).

Many of the county's cities have intense races for mayor and city council--some of the races could be characterized as bizarre, unpredictable, incendiary, and disorganized, such as the municipal races in Roeland Park and Merriam. As these races are officially nonpartisan, the Kenig Konnection usually refrains from making endorsements, however, we will take this time to highlight the school board races and the JCCC Trustee races.

For Olathe School Board, we endorse known Republicans Mike Poland and Jim Churchman, who are known fiscal conservatives who have worked hard to protect taxpayers while ensuring that Olathe schools grow and prosper.

For Shawnee Mission School Board, we endorse Cynthia Jarrold, for the simple reason that she is not Cindy Neighbor. Neighbor serves simultaneously as state representative and SMSD board member and we feel that she should step down and allow someone else to run for SMSD--her work in Topeka in the legislature keeps her busy enough, and serving on the school board requires additional time and energy, which she just does not have. We know very little about Jarrold other than her PTA experience, but we believe she remains a much better alternative to liberal Neighbor.

Voters will have the option of selecting up to four candidates for JCCC Board of Trustees. Jerry Cook, Bob Drummond, Ben Hodge, John Kanaga, Melody Rayl, and Stephanie Sharp are the known Republicans running for a position on the 6-member board. The ballot includes 10 candidates.

Soon, we will post an interview with John Kanaga, candidate for JCCC trustee, about his campaign. In full disclosure: Kanaga and I have worked together on previous campaigns, and I know Kanaga well--much more so than most of the candidates running for the position in this cycle, which is why I fully support and endorse his candidacy.

Off-year elections show encouraging signs for the GOP

2009-03-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Republicans won the three federal elections held in 2008 after Obama's November landslide win (Chambliss was re-elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia, and Republicans won two house contests in Louisiana, including Louisiana's most Democratic district, the New Orleans-based 2nd congressional district, which has not been represented by a Republican since the 1800s).

Next Tuesday, March 31st, the party and Michael Steele, the new chairman at the helm of the RNC, will face an early, crucial test. A special election will be held in New York's 20th congressional district, vacant after Gov. Patterson's appointment of Rep. Kirstin Gillibrand to Hillary's senate seat. The 20th congressional district is slightly Republican (+3 R) and was held by Republican John Sweeney until 2006, when he lost his seat to conservative, Blue Dog Democrat Gillibrand. The upstate district stretches along New York's eastern border, taking in the far-flung NYC exurban areas and the more rural areas, up to the Adirondacks, Catskill Mountains, and Hudson Valley.

State Assembly leader Jim Tedisco is running on the Republican side and Wall Street Businessman Scott Murphy is representing the Democratic party. Murphy faces fire for his Wall Street dealings, a major concern especially for New Yorkers who have lost many of their savings and investments in scandal-ridden Wall Street, which is practically next door to this district. Murphy's anti-death penalty views--even for known Islamic terrorists--have also been criticized. Yet, this is still a close race, with most polls showing either candidate leading by just a point or two.

We predict this will be a close race, and despite the millions spent by outside liberal special interest groups, we predict a win by Tedisco is the realm of 3-5 points. The Republican base will turn out, but the Democrats will have trouble producing the momentum and turnout needed on their side. If you want to help push Tedisco across the finish line and ensure another seat flips to the GOP, visit www.jimtedisco.com and make a last minute donation.

Later this year, the Republicans have great opportunities in November's gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. New Jersey always seems like fools' gold for the GOP, but every once in a while, the stars align just right and New Jerseyans eventually tire of Democratic party corruption (see Christine Todd Whitman's win in 1993 and re-election in 1997). Gov. Jon Corzine's approval ratings are at an anemic 30 percent. Corzine faces voters' wrath for slashing state jobs, raising taxes, and his former work for Goldman-Sachs. Polls show Republican U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, who is running on reform platform, with an 8-9 point lead over Corzine.

In Virginia, the Republicans have great opportunities in November's gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. The GOP has rallied around Attorney General Bob McDonnell in VA, while the Democrats face a crowded and divisive primary, and most polls show McDonall leading his probable Democratic proponents. A win here would be a major boost for the GOP, which has not held the governorship in 8 years.

Judging by recent elections in northern Virginia, Republicans have reason to be happy. In January's special election to fill Brian Moran's state house seat, Republican Joe Murray almost won, losing by only 16 votes in the heavily-Democratic, Alexandria-based district just minutes from D.C., scaring the lights out of local Democrats who never expected an election to occur with a margin of less than 20 points, much less an election with a margin of 0.59% !

Recently, a Republican almost won the chairmanship of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (for KC locals, this is similar to Annabeth Surbaugh's position as chair of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners or Scott Burnett's chairmanship of the Jackson County legislature). Since Republicans only hold two seats on the board in D.C. metro's most heavily-populated and most affluent county. Additionally, a special election just occured for one of the Board of Supervisors seats vacated by the Democrat who ran for chairman--the election was won by a Republican, a change-over in the previously Democratic-held seat.

A Republican does not need to win northern Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford) to win the state, but the GOP must hold their own and do reasonably well, remaining competitive. If local elections are any indication, the GOP may be more competitive in this region for this fall's gubernatorial race than in many years prior.

Special U.S.-British relationship in jeopardy

2009-03-16T23:55:00.000-07:00

Obama the candidate promised to restore American diplomacy and our international standing around the world, yet in his first few months in office, his administration managed to singlehandedly botch the century-intact Anglo-American relationship with our staunch ally, Great Britain. The first blow: Obama announced in January he was returning the bust of Winston Churchill back to the British, a gift and sign of solidarity from our ally acrross the pond that has remained in the Oval Office since 9/11. British diplomats were bewildered by this and reiterated that the gift belonged to the American people, but Obama insisted on rejecting it, while providing no explanation.

Blow #2: As he arrives in the U.S. for his first official state visit with Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is told Obama will not be attending the joint press conference that is planned, leaving the British scrambling to arrange a solo act for PM Brown.

Blow #3: The leaders exchange gifts--a customary tradition that should include thought and consideration as to the relationship between the two nations. Gordon Brown gives Obama a pen holder carved from the H.M.S. Resolute, a British naval ship commissioned in 1880 that carries great significance and sympolism for the presidency, as the famed "Resolute Desk" in the Oval Office was carved of the same wood and given to President Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880. Brown also gave Obama the framed certificate for the ship and a seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill.

Obama's sole gift to Brown? A DVD box set of some American movies, a set sold in big-box retailers, chain stores, and even gas stations across America. Even more embarassing, Obama does not seem to realize that Brown cannot watch the films in the UK, as U.S. DVDs are formatted for "Region One" format and will not play on UK DVD players, which are formatted for "Region 2."

The embarrassing faux paus extended to the exchange of gifts for the children between the leaders' wives. Brown's wife bought the Obama girls outfits from one of Britain's most trendy and upsale clothing retailers. In return, Michelle Obama had a staffer run down to the White House gift shop to buy a few toy helicopters for the prime minister's sons.

Adding insult to injury, when an Obama administration official was asked by a British reporter about this series of slights towards our most reliable democratic ally, the official responded:

There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment."

This astounding and outrageous response, while verifying typical liberal disdain for western democracies and the moral relativist view that Britain is equal to Iran morally, should have been the topic of discussion by political pundits on cable news and should have even made local newscasts for the stir it caused across the Atlantic. But alas, you can hear crickets chirping--no coverage on this side of the pond.

Naturally, the British are miffed and the British press has reported thoroughly on this, while the U.S. press has conveniently ignored the story.

And just this week, unnamed British officials say the PM's office cannot get through to the White House in their attempts to coordinate the upcoming G8 summit. Their calls are unreturned and unanswered.

Don't believe me? You can read about it here and across the pond in these publications: here and here.

Who says money doesn't grow on trees?

2009-03-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

After giving us the largest spending bill in American history, Obama and congressional Democrats are not done yet. While the Democrats were quick to remove funding for the D.C voucher program, depriving thousands of D.C. students a quality education and putting their futures at risk, they found time to insert over $5 billion for pet projects in the $410 billion omnibus bill that includes, among other priorities, money to build Polyponesian sailboats. I seem to recall candidate Obama pledging to go through the budget "line-by-line" (even though the president doesn't legally have line-item veto, but Obama is not one to let the facts obfuscate his soaring campaign rhetoric).

Some of the tantalizing pork:

$200,000 for "Tattoo Removal Violence Prevention Outreach Program"
$5.8 million for the creation of a "Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate"
$473,000 for the National Council of La Raza
$2 million for the promotion of astronomy in Hawaii
$143,000 for the Las Vegas Museum of Natural History (where Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid's son serves as a board member--mere coincidence, right?)

Money may not grow on trees, but at the rate the treasury continues to print money to fund corporate bailouts, spikes in social spending, and pork projects, we will need to start planting trees.

Here Comes Obama Tax Cheat #4

2009-03-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

OK, this is beyond ridiculous and is just insulting. Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, nominated by Obama for U.S. trade representative, owes $10,000 in back taxes and becomes the 4th Obama nominee in a slew of appointments to fail to pay their fair share to the government (I'm sure it was a slight oversight or "clerical error"- $1 here, $10,000 there, etc). Obama's inability to find a decent Democratic public servant or political figure who actually pays taxes reflects the incompetence of the Obama administration in their vetting of nominees or the lack of integrity and rank hypocrisy of leading Democrats who sing the praises of high taxes publicly but do everything privately to ensure they do not have to pay their fair share--only we do.

To recap the list of Obama nominees with tax problems:

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner owed $34,000 in back taxes and interest on income during his employment at the U.S. Monetary Fund
HHS Secretary nominee Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination after the revelation that he owed $128,000 in back taxes and did not report his use of a limousine and chauffeur on tax forms, giving new meaning to the expression "limousine liberal."
Obama's pick for performance officer, Nancy Killefer, failed to pay unemployment taxes for her household help

The profiles in liberal hypocrisy continue. Is it any wonder Obama's approval rating was as low as 59 percent last week and his negatives are steadily climbing?

KC Tea Party/Bailout Protest

2009-02-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

Come protest against the Obama Administration's trillion dollar boondoggle of a spending package at the KC Tea Party this Saturday, Feb. 28th from 10 am to 12 noon at J.C. Nichols Fountain (47th and J.C. Nichols Parkway). Protesters will be walking 1 mile to Sen. Claire McCaskill's KC office at 4141 Pennsylvania Ave.

What: KC Tea Party/Protest against government spending fest
When: Saturday, Feb. 28th from 10 am to Noon
Where: J.C. Nichols Fountain (47th and J.C. Nichols Parkway

Bring your own signs and get creative!

The Konnection Recaps Kansas Days for NewMajority.com

2009-02-10T00:03:00.000-08:00

I recently summarized the activities at "Kansas Days," the annual state Republican convention and celebration of Kansas statehood and was pleased to have my article published on NewMajority.com, a new website run by David Frum dedicated to reform and renewal of the Republican Party and providing articles and blog updates on national and state politics from around the country from a variety of voices on the center-right.

To check out my piece, co-authored with Earl Glynn, visit www.newmajority.com and or click on this link.

BREAKING NEWS: Michael Steele elected the new RNC chair

2009-01-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

Former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele was elected chair of the RNC today with 91 votes. The Konnection is pleased with the choice of Steele, who brings youth, vision, and innovative ideas to revitalize a struggling party. We trust that with Steele as RNC chair, he will be a much more visible head of the party, unlike Mike Duncan, and will ensure that the party not only increases its outreach to youth and upgrades its infrastructure technologically, but will also work to make conservatism more relevant, viable, and attractive to voters who have fallen away in recent years.

This marks a generational shift and for the first time, both the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties are African-American.

Upcoming Elections: Obama-mentum or GOP-led Comeback?

2009-01-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Only a few states have off-year, odd-numbered year elections and these races can often provide insight or a glimpse at trends. While Republicans have been demoralized with Obama’s large win and the Democratic stranglehold on both houses of congress, they can take comfort in the fact that they have won all three congressional elections that have occurred after Nov. 4th (Chambliss’ re-election in Georgia, and two house seats in LA—one of them a pickup in the defeat of indicted Dem. Incumbent William Jefferson in an ultra-liberal New Orleans district the GOP has not held since the 1800s).

New Jersey and Virgina have upcoming gubernatorial elections. VA Attorney General Bob McDonnell has a clear field on the Republican side and has a slight advantage in the race, which would be a pickup for the GOP. According to a Rasmussen poll conducted last month, he leads Dem. Brian Moran by 41-37 percent, runs dead even with Rep. Creigh Deeds 39-39 percent, and leads Dem. Frontrunner, Clinton advisor, and former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe 41-37 percent. At this time, unaffiliated voters are leaning towards McDonnell. Although is is still too early, this is great news for Virginia Republicans.

And now, a Rasmussen poll of this year's NJ Governor's race:

New Jersey always seems like fool’s gold for the GOP. Time and time again, polls show unpopular Democrats doing poorly in polls against Republican challengers only to win in November and retain the advantages of the state’s Democratic party machine. But let’s not forget that New Jersey had a Republican governor as recently as 2002 and has held a lock on the governor’s office for more than 20 out of the last 30 years. Could this be the year that residents of the highest-taxed state in the union reject institutionalized corruption once and for all? Corzine’s approval rating is below 50 percent—an ominous sign for any incumbent—and his association with Goldman Sach’s has hurt him with public disapproval of the banking bailout at an all-time high. Combine that with the state’s budget woes, fiscal mismanagement, and soaring taxes, and U.S. attorney Chris Christie, who has won kudos for prosecuting corruption in the state, may have a serious chance after all as this poll suggests. The GOP may go for 2-0 in pickups in an off-year, which could signal a very good year for Republicans looking ahead to 2010.

Looking to 2010, the latest polling out of California is most shocking—if the numbers are to be believed, the Republicans have a good chance of holding on to this bluest of blue states with a Republican more in line with party values than Ah-nuld. Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman formerly worked on Romney’s campaign before becoming McCain’s finance director and is known as a fiscal hawk—which should be attractive in a state with a ballooning deficit and no taxes left to raise. Whitman leads two of the leading Democratic contenders and is within striking distance of former Gov. Jerry Brown.

Of course, other Republicans including CA state insurance commissioner Steve Poizner and newly-elected Congressman Tom McClintock have expressed interest in running for the state’s top job and it remains to be seen if either of them can be as competitive as Whitman when matched up against the top Democratic contenders.

Terror Targets: New York, D.C....and Kansas?

2009-01-17T00:27:00.000-08:00

Several months have passed since the media and political pundits began pondering the ramifications of Obama’s campaign promise to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, and as politicians and media speculated on potential domestic sites for the terrorist prison here in the U.S., it became obvious that the Obama administration was considering the disturbing possibility of placing these dangerous terrorists in Ft. Leavenworth—just minutes from the Kansas City metro area. Fortunately for us, Kansas has two hardworking senators in Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, who have already introduced legislation in the Senate to block any proposal to house the prisoners at Leavenworth. Additionally, Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, who now represents Leavenworth as part of Kansas’ 2nd district, has also been an outspoken opponent of the idea and has introduced house legislation to block it. Yet Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has remained silent on the matter for months (perhaps due to her friendship and endorsement of Obama and the desire not to impede his election chances). Well, now Sebelius has given an detached statement claiming to oppose the use of Leavenworth to house the prisoners, while reiterating her support for closing Guantanamo. Too little, too late.

The other day, Geraldo was discussing this issue on a panel in a segment of Sean Hannity’s new show on Fox News when one of the panel members who favored keeping Guantanamo open asked Geraldo where he thinks the prisoners should go. Geraldo shot back, “put them in Fort Leavenworth, no one lives there.” Brushing aside Geraldo’s arrogant and elitist reaction for a moment (I doubt he would be so quick to advocate the housing of terror suspects in his own backyard of New York City), Geraldo’s statement displays remarkable ignorance. For Geraldo, like most other media, entertainment, and political elites, Kansas City is just flyover country—the part of your travel where you nap, have that intoxicating in-flight beverage, or snack on airplane food while bouncing back and forth between the east and west coasts. It is doubtful Geraldo has even been to Kansas City, much less Leavenworth, or he would know Leavenworth has a population of 35,000 and is just minutes from one of the major population centers of the Midwest with a metro population of over 2 million.

The new administration’s potential decision to transfer terror suspects to the continental U.S. could be one of its first major missteps and prove to be incredibly unpopular. These suspects are undeniably dangerous---61 of the suspects who were released were recaptured on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. In Guantanamo Bay, the suspects are isolated from civilian populations and other prison populations, ensuring safety for all involved and lessening the risks posed by a prison escape.

If the prisoners are transferred to the U.S., there will be an obvious and eminent security risk for all civilian populations living in a 50 mile radius of the prison, as they would be directly in the path and possible target zone of escaped terrorists. Also, if the terror suspects are not housed in a separate facility completely, but are housed with other prisoners, the risk increases for radical Islam to spread among the general prison population, a disturbing trend already taking place in prisons throughout the country, most notably in California.

Lastly, the most grave and unmentioned threat would be the international impact and attention on any area of the country that houses the prisoners. The prison location and its nearest metropolitan area would immediately become a target for terrorism by Al Qaeda and splinter cells around the world.

These reasons alone should be enough to counter any move to transfer suspects to the continental U.S, but unfortunately, Kansas remains a possible target by the incoming administration, and rather than exert her heavy influence over the administration’s policy, Sebelius has chosen to put her ambitions first. “Change we can believe in” may become way more than we bargained for—a national security risk we cannot afford.

Up-and-coming Kansas Republican Rockstars: the Future of the Kansas GOP

2008-12-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

Kansas Republicans, in contrast to the national outcome, made gains against the Democrats in 2008 and 2010 promises to be a banner year for Republicans, as Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh and Sen. Sam Brownback jockey for the GOP nomination for governor in order to put that office back in Republican control (it will be), and Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt run for Brownback’s U.S. Senate seat. In addition, a slew of state senate seats will be up for grabs, all 125 state house seats will be up, and all statewide offices will be up (the Konnection has received credible tips that attorney and state GOP chair Kris Kobach is set on re-claiming the attorney general’s seat for the GOP). Meanwhile, here are some Kansas Republican pols on the younger side who we believe will be powerful leaders in the future based on their current successes:

Kevin Yoder—this young KU law school grad and current attorney is now serving his 3rd term in the house representing an Overland Park-based district that includes the headquarters of Sprint. Yoder is known as a pragmatic voice in the legislature who transcends the moderate/conservative political divide in the Kansas GOP and is well respected by moderates and conservatives alike. Yoder won his race this year with more than 60 percent of the vote and is constantly mentioned as a favorite for Johnson County DA in the future, state senate, and even congress. Yoder was recently named chair of the power Appropriations committee.

Julia Lynn—another young, energetic, and bright newcomer, Lynn faced a strong opponent in Olathe Superintendent Ron Wimmer in her first election bid after being appointed to Kay O’Connor’s seat by the GOP precinct committee members in 2007, but Lynn won by a resounding 10 percent. Lynn was recently named vice chair of the Tax and Commerce committees, a major accomplishment for a freshman legislator who will be making waves in Topeka and throughout her political career.

Kasha Kelly--this dynamic Arkansas City representative has championed budget reform, fiscal responsibility, and led the implemention of the state's first sunshine laws to promote state budget transparency online. Kelly has incredible skill and drive, which makes her a rising star in the party.

Lance Kinzer--this third-term Olathe lawyer carefully researches the issues and knows the Kansas constitution like the back of his hand. Kinzer has championed reductions in state spending and a strict constructivist view of the state constitution. He has also worked across the aisle and written critical legislation to downsize government and halt its growth. Look for Kinzer to run for AG someday.

Lynn Jenkins—popular state treasurer took on native son and former congressman Jim Ryun and overcame long odds, defying the pundits and winning. But she didn’t stop there—Jenkins promised new Republican leadership, running on a strong platform of the core issues of low taxes, cutting wasteful spending, eliminating earmarks, and sealing the borders. In one of only a few defeats of incumbent Democrats nationwide, Jenkins returned the 2nd District to Republican control. Jenkins will be a powerful force in Washington and strong voice from Kansas, serving as a prime example of the type of campaign Republicans need to run if they want to regain power.

Steve Howe—conservative, bridge-builder, 15-year veteran of the Johnson County DA’s office who united Republicans around his candidacy and defeated political opportunist and turncoat Rick Guinn in November, despite being heavily outspent. I personally know Steve well and worked in the DA’s office with him and he will be an honest, effective, and tireless advocate on behalf of the citizens of this county. It will be refreshing to move beyond the political posturing, corruption, and controversy-plagued administrations of Morrison and Kline. The question is: what is next in Howe’s political future?

Mark Gilstrap switches to GOP

2008-12-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

The media has inundated us with reports of Republican defections to the KS Democratic Party in recent years, yet there is only brief mention of Kansas City, KS State Senator Mark Gilstrap’s recent defection to the Republican Party. Gilstrap, the most conservative Democrat in Topeka, has supported Kline for Attorney General, and is a pro-life social conservative with fiscally-conservative tendencies. Sebelius’ unprecedented endorsement of Gilstrap’s primary opponent led Gilstrap to lose his longtime seat in the Democratic primary. Really, Gilstrap had no choice as his party all but abandoned him and decided it had no use for someone who wasn’t going to tow the liberal party line of the governor. Gilstrap returned the favor by endorsing Republican Steve Fitzgerald in the general election.

Republican Steve Fitzgerald has come within four points of winning this KCK seat twice now. The Konnection believes that Gilstrap should and must run as the Republican nominee in 2010—his odds of beating Kelly Kultala would be great, since he is well-known in the district and would attract a substantial Democratic crossover vote. Additionally, the lost of an additional senate seat would reduce Democratic numbers in the state senate to an abysmal 8 members in the 40 member body—a profound failure considering Sebelius massive fundraising efforts and long-term goal of increasing the party’s numbers in that body and in the state house.

The Political Upset of the Decade

2008-12-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

Joseph Cao: One of the new faces of the GOP

Two special congressional elections were held in Louisiana yesterday. Republican physician John Fleming narrowly beat popular former Democratic attorney Paul Carmouche by 300 votes, holding this seat for the GOP. But LA-2 was the scene of the most shocking upset of the night, astounding all political pundits and observers. This New Orleans based district takes in only two parishes (counties) in Louisiana—Orleans and Jefferson—and due to its demographics (an urban, majority black district), it has long been the most Democratic district in the state. That changed Saturday in a historic moment when New Orleans voters voted out disgraced and indicted Congressman William Jefferson and elected Republican attorney Joseph Cao to congress, 50 to 47 percent. Some quick facts on this historic win:

Cao becomes the first Republican to represent this New Orleans-based district since 1891—a span of more than 100 years
Cao becomes the first Republican to represent a majority African-American (60 percent black) congressional district in America
Cao becomes the first Republican to represent a U.S. congressional district with a 28 point Democratic lean (Obama won this district with 75 percent of the vote)
Cao becomes the first Vietnamese-American to serve in congress and he comes from the party of real diversity, the Republican Party

Now, naysayers will dismiss and downplay the results, claiming this was a vote against Jefferson, not a vote for Cao, and that Jefferson’s federal indictment and legal troubles doomed his re-election bid, combined with low turnout for a special election originally postponed due to Hurrican Gustav. All of those factors are valid reasons for explaining Jefferson’s loss, but those factors alone do not explain Cao’s win. Jefferson was under federal indictment in 2006 and still won re-election convincingly. The difference this year? The Republicans recruited an inspiring reformer who represented the growing diversity of his district, someone with an intriguing life story (Cao arrived in the U.S. as child from Saigon in the aftermath of Vietnam War as his family sought to escape communism), someone well-connected with his community, with a history of service and volunteer commitment to the city of New Orleans. Cao built coalitions that included former Democratic candidates and independents, knocked on more doors and held more community forums than any Republican challenger in the past. In addition, his efforts were complemented by the NRCC and Louisiana Republican Party, which waged an aggressive campaign against Jefferson and micro-targeted certain wards in New Orleans while blanketing the suburbs with TV, radio, and print ads. The result? Jefferson only very narrowly won Orleans county (New Orleans), losing many of that city’s wards while Cao won suburban Jefferson County, beating Jefferson overall by 3 percent.

Jefferson’s ethical and legal lapses were not enough to cost him re-election in a district with a 28 point Democratic edge—the incredible effort of the Republican Party in fielding a top-tier candidate and supporting him in every way possible with the full heft and resources of the national, state, and local party apparatuses should and will provide a blueprint for how Republicans can win even in the bluest of districts. Let’s not forget that Republican Jim Ogonowski came within 5 points of knocking off Paul Tsongas' wife in Massachusetts in 2007. With the right message and the right candidates, the GOP can win again everywhere, becoming a dominant party in the northeast again and refusing to cede any district to the Democrats.

These two Republican victories in Louisiana, combined with Saxby Chambliss’ double-digit win in Georgia last week are evidence that the Republican party is not dead and that conservatism is still alive and well. Since Obama’s victory, the Republicans are 3-3 in special congressional elections, and with the right message and right candidates, the party can make huge gains in 2010. That is, if it takes anything from these special elections and creates an organizational framework going into 2010.

As for Louisiana, the fact that the most liberal and Democratic district of the state has elected a conservative Republican further underscores the state’s sharp turn to the right in the last decade. Just six years ago, a majority of Louisiana’s congressional delegation was Democratic—now only one of its 7 congressional seats is held by a Democrat (and that seat, held by Charles Melancon, was formerly held by Republican Billy Tauzin, and it is expected to switch back to Republican control in 2010 or 2012, giving Louisiana complete GOP control of its delegation). Louisiana also has a GOP governor and senator, and was one of only a few states to give John McCain a greater share of its vote in this year’s presidential election than George W. Bush in 2004.

2008 proves Kansas is less purple and more red

2008-11-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

Despite the Obama phenomenon nationally, and the Democratic presidential candidate's coattails pulling Democrats across the finish line in races around the country, Kansas Democrats actually lost ground. Despite Gov. Sebelius' use of shadowly 527 groups like the Bluestem Fund, and the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by Kansas Democratic Party and out-of-state groups, far surpassing the resources of key Republican and conservative groups, the KS Democrats only have a net gain of one state house seat to show for their efforts (Republicans still hold a 77-48 edge in the lower chamber). Additionally:

Sen. Pat Roberts won re-election with 60 percent of the vote. Jim Slattery's 36 percent is only a little better than what he garnered when he ran against Bill Graves for governor in 1994, before heading to DC for his lobbying career. Despite eager attempts by the KC Star and other liberal media to paint this race as an upset opportunity, the numbers show that there was no chance of Slattery defeating the popular and well-liked Roberts
KS Democrats actually had a net loss of one state senate seat (a net gain for the GOP). In the 40 member senate, the Democrats are now just down to 9 seats.
One of the greatest successes: GOP state treasurer Lynn Jenkins defeated incumbent Nancy Boyda in the 2nd congressional district 51 to 46 percent, one of only a handful of races nationwide where an incumbent Democrat was defeated. KS now has 3 Republicans in its congressional delegation and one Democrat.
Several Republicans targeted by Sebelius' machine won handily. Former Shawnee state representative Mary Pilcher Cook handily won her race to succeed Nick Jordan in the state senate, defeating her opponent by 10 percent despite being heavily outspent and targeted by outside liberal groups.
Sen. Julia Lynn, running for the first time to retain the seat she was appointed to, faced Olathe Superintendent Ron Wimmer in a heavily targeted race against an opponent with great name recognition. Lynn turned the tables on her opponents and won by 10 percent in a race the pundits told us would be "close."

Kansas Republicans should be proud--the "Roberts effect" outweighed the "Obama effect" and despite all her organizational efforts, Sebelius will leave Cedar Crest with less Democrats in office than when she first took the oath of office. Combined with the still resounding 287,000 Republican registration advantage statewide, Republicans will be in great shape as 2010 approaches. Next time: watch as we chroncile some new, some old faces in the party and who we think has the right skills and message to advance as the future of the Kansas GOP.

Where do we go from here?

2008-11-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

Tuesday’s results were devastating for Republicans. The good news (if any): Democratic projections for 60+ seat majorities fell short, and it looks like the Democrats will only have 57 or 58 seats, just short of a filibuster-proof majority.

Are we still a center-right country or has the United States shifted far-left by giving an openly liberal, far-left candidate 53 percent of the vote (the first Democrat to receive over 50 percent of the vote since Jimmy Carter)? Well, political control of our government (now dominated by the Democrats) tells one story but the voter referendums tell another story. 86 percent of Missourians voted to make English the official language of the state, 57 percent of Nebraskans voted down affirmative action in education and hiring decisions, and three states (Florida, Arizona, and California—yes, California) voted to amend their state constitutions to ban gay marriage.

And despite the lofty predictions, voter turnout rose this year, but not substantially, and not anywhere near the highest turnout ever. So far, the numbers show that 123.5 million people turned out to vote, up just over a million from the 122.3 million that turned out in 2004. The African-American vote only increased from 11 percent to 13 percent this year, but Obama garnered 93 percent of their vote vs. the 88 percent garnered by Kerry in 2004. That was enough in to make a substantial difference, handing the election to Obama, with an 8 million vote lead in the popular vote, 66 million to McCain’s nearly 58 million. Additionally, McCain underperformed Bush in most counties and states, which means that with turnout almost identical, Obama did not win—McCain lost. The Republicans failed to turn out for McCain as they did for Bush in 2004 and 2000 (maybe they were discouraged by the polls and media?) and Obama handily won the Independents, due to anti-Bush fatigue.

That being said, the GOP was beaten badly and must now re-brand, re-group, and re-form. The party must return to its roots while devising pro-growth, free-market solutions for today’s problems, instead of relying on traditional buzzwords, sound bites, and nostalgic appeals to the Reagan era. Reagan’s success was due to his innate ability to create a center-right coalition, communicate his principles, and find solutions to the problems of the 1980s. We must do the same—we need to emulate Reagan in style and method, but not in solutions—we must combat the problems of the 21st century with solutions rooted in local control, limited government, and free markets—we know liberals will rely on higher taxes and an ever-growing government behemoth, but it takes skill, effort, and the masterful art of communication to respond to these challenges head-on with free-market solutions that the American people will respond to and embrace.

It would be easy for us to hide, to become depressed, to want to crawl into our holes and just shrug everything off. We need to stay and fight, hold the Obama administration and its fans in the media accountable, and ready to seize on the opportunities that occur when the spell wears off, there is no longer a buzz, and Americans realize that these ultra-liberal policies are not helping, but hurting them, and Obama's promises were just that--unfulfilled promises. We need to be ready to lead and ready to present a bold, unmistakable alternative to help the country wake from it's ill-considered jolt to the left. It starts with the congressional elections in 2010, and the next presidential election in 2012.

We need to build the grassroots organizations now to compete with the Moveon.orgs and Daily Kos' of the left. We need to expand and develop our use of electronic technologies in reaching out to voters, and we need a coordinated, strategic youth outreach effort to bring youth back into the fold (Reagan and Bush 41 won the youth vote; Republicans must and can bring these voters back into the fold). Lastly, we need a younger, more inspirational and more relatable generation of new, reform-minded Republicans in tune with our ideals who can reach out to a broad cross-section of America. We need Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Eric Cantor, Michael Steele, Linda Lingle, Tim Pawlenty, Norm Coleman, Mike Pence, Mario Diaz-Balart, Devin Nunes, Marsha Blackburn, John Thune, Kevin McCarthy, and many others. This is our party. Let's take it back.

"Spread the Wealth"

2008-10-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

If there is to be an upset of historic proportions in this campaign, and McCain confounds conventional wisdom, the pundits, and the odds, he will have one man to thank: Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher. Obama's campaign invaded Joe's neighborhood, coming to his yard, and Joe had the audacity to ask a tough question--one that the media has been awol on for the entire campaign--and received a suprisingly truthful (if unintentional) answer: "I think that when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody," Obama stated. Never has so much been said in so few words. Obama is someone who doesn't resent or regret tax increases--he thrives on them, and requires them. He sees western Europe's economies as the models for the United States; he knows that if he is elected, taxes will be raised on not only the rich, but also the middle class, because there is no way he can afford to spend billions for his new programs while only taxing the rich--the money is just not there. We have insight and an intriguing view into Obama's worldview with this exchange between "The One" and Joe the Plumber. The question is: will America wake up in time?

This may be one of those moments that turns the tide of the entire campaign.

Races to Watch: KS State House

2008-10-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

With several open seats this cycle, the KS legislature will look very different come January 2009. Here's a look at some of the top races:

1. 24th District--Ronnie Metsker (R) vs. Jim Slattery (D)
When Metsker was selected by Republican precinct committee members to fill the vacany left by Rep. Ed O'Malley's departure, he was consider the more conservative candidate. In his almost 2 years in office, Metsker has skillfully navigated the moderate-conservative divide in the state and positioned himself as an authority on education in this district, gaining the endorsement of several education special-interest groups (also assisted in no small part by his wife, Susan, who sits on the Shawnee Mission School Board). This time around, Metsker faces Mike Slattery, son of U.S. Senate candidate Jim Slattery, who won his race against former 2006 Democratic challenger Andy Sandler by only a few votes literally. This district encompasses the KC inner-ring suburbs of Mission, Northern Overland Park, and Southern Roeland Park, and is becoming increasingly liberal (as proven by O'Malley's single digit win in 2006 and the fact that the 24th was the only house district in Johnson County to go for Kerry in the 2004 election). Slattery has greater name recognition in the 2006 Democratic challenger, Andy Sandler, but since voters are unlikely to send his dad to congress, we are going to bet they will not send his son to the legislature either. The close Democratic primary left some wounds that have been slow to heal, and we do expect the increase in turnout and the new voter registration numbers to have an impact, but we expect Metsker to pull out a 4-5 point win.

2. 16th District--Jim Yonally (R) vs. Gene Rardin (D)
Yonally held this Overland Park/eastern Lenexa seat (which follows 95th Street to Quivira south to 119th Street, and includes such staples as Johnson County Community College and Oak Park Mall) until he was beaten by Dennis Kriegshauser in the 2006 primary, in one of the county's classic moderate-conservative battles. Kriegshauser then went on to lose by only 2 votes out of more than 8,000 cast, in an election marred by potential voter fraud and registration fraud. Rardin, a first term Democrat, has not done much in the capitol to warrant another term, but he has worked the district and has more signs up and fundraising appeals. Yonally escaped the prospect of a bruising primary, and as a moderate, should be a lock for this district, but there are indications that he has not worked as hard as he should and has been slow to organize. High Democratic turnout and enthusiasm may be a factor, but that will also be blunted by high and energized Republican turnout in a presidential election year. Rumors concerning Rardin's deteriorating health may also affect voters' attitudes towards re-electing Rardin. Complete toss-up.

3. 22nd District--Lisa Benlon (D) vs. Joy Bourdess (R)
Sue Storm's decision to step down from this seat to run for State Board of Education puts this seat in play for the first time in more than 10 years. For many years, Storm served as the sole Democrat from Johnson County in this northern Overland Park-based district that takes in a sliver of Prairie Village and is bounded by 75th and Switzer on the west side, Nall on the east side, and 91st Street to the south. Lisa Benlon's decision to switch parties and run as a Democrat may be a factor, although Benlon enjoys a reputation and resume as a leading voice for public schools due to her previous work as a state representative (preceeding Stephanie Sharp in District 17) and her work in public relations for the American Cancer Society. However, Benlon is not running in her old district--she's a carpet bagger who made a deal with Storm to run as a Democrat and move to 22nd District, which will not sit well with some, and many just do not know her story and background. Joy Bourdess, homemaker and longtime GOP activist and resident of the district, is working hard and running an incredibly organized, grassroots, disciplined campaign, making this a tight race and the one race to watch for an upset--a chance for the GOP to take back a seat it hasn't held in years. This race may go down to the wire, but Joy's lack of real opposition in the primary and her early grassroots organization (contrasted to Benlon's slow start and perceived misplaced-confidence) could result in an upset, but Benlon does have the endorsement of Storm, which does matter in this left-leaning district. Just way too close to call.

4. 23rd District--August Bogina (R) vs. Milack Talia (D)
Judy Morrison retired after winning several razor-thin margins in this district, which includes eastern Shawnee (east of Quivira and Shawnee Mission Pkwy) and all of Merriam. Merriam's proximity to KC gives this district a high number of Democrats, producing very close races, including the 2006 election, in which Morrison only beat her heavily-underfunded opponent by 3 points. Shawnee Planning commissioner Bogina has name recognition in Shawnee, but the district only includes only 6 Shawnee precincts, so the challenge is for him to introduce himself to Merriam voters. Talia is known here, for his past failed election attempts and has been rejected, and has a reputation for negative attacks. This district is most likely to be impacted by increased Democratic registration, which gives Talia the boost, but Bogina's reputation and experience in the community ensures it will be close. The deal-closer: can Bogina reach out to conservative and moderate Dems in the same way Judy Morrison did to seal the deal? We give Talia an ever-so-slight edge in a race that is still too very close to call.

5. 18th District--John Rubin (R) vs. Cindy Neighbor (D)
My hometown district, and in many ways, a bellweather district that signals the political direction of the county at large. This seat (formerly held by Phil Kline) shifted back and forth between Mary Pilcher Cook and Cindy Neighbor in GOP primary battles between 2000-2004 like clockwork (Mary won in 2000, Cindy won the primary in 2002, Mary won again in 2004) until Cindy joined the Democratic party and managed a razor-thin 159 vote win over Cook out of more than 8,000 votes cast in a Democratic-tidal wave year. This time, Mary's running for Nick Jordan's senate seat, and newcomer John Rubin brings gravitas with his experience as an FDIC judge, federal administrative law judge, and a jurist in the Navy JAG corps--experience that is especially relevant considering the state of the economy. Cindy, meanwhile, has displayed somewhat erratic behavior while in office and on the campaign trail. She tried to block the implemention of Alexa's law, which charged those who killed a pregnant woman with a double crime--for taking the life of the mother and her unborn baby. Cindy tried unsuccessfully to kill the bill in committee than reluctantly supported it in a full house vote. Her cheesy mailers that read more like a high school senior's resume than an accomplished legislator, combined with her propensity for rudeness towards constituents and comments that come across as out of touch (in reference to seniors being unable to pay their property taxes under her proposals, she opines that they should have planned better), makes this seat a top GOP target. Many Democrats in the district have been disappointed in her, and if we are to see a large crossover vote for any candidate, it will occur here, among more moderate Dems. No libertarian is running this year, so Rubin has the slight edge. Voters here seem to be schizophrenic in who they choose, making this a classic swing district, but with a new face on the ballot in a year no worse for Republicans than 2006, an energized GOP base voting in a presidential election, and a lack of opposition from the right, Rubin has the slight edge and should pull out an upset in the low to mid single digits.

Stay tuned as we profile the last two races to watch: 19th District: John Skubal (R) vs. Dolores Furtado (D) and 39th District: Owen Donohoe (R) vs. Joe Novak (D)

Races to Watch: District Attorney and State Senate

2008-10-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

It’s a blockbuster election year, not only on the national level but on the local level as well. Here in Kansas, only one thing is certain: Sen. Pat Roberts will be re-elected handily. Dennis Moore is in the fight of his life to hold on to the KS 3rd congressional district after revelations of his involvement in the financial mess, and the 2nd District race between Jenkins and Boyda is a tossup—with the edge going to Jenkins.

Here, just like in 2006, we will profile Johnson County’s hot races—the races that will be the closest and can go either way.

District Attorney: This ho-hum race lacks passion and excitement, but Republican turncoat-turned Democrat Rick Guinn is flush with money, endorsements, and has TV ads up. Howe has less money, but has the GOP united behind his candidacy. Despite Guinn’s financial advantage, this race leans Republican, due to the county’s GOP leanings, and the fact that Howe is not Kline—and has all Republicans supporting his candidacy.

State Senate:

1. 8th District—Tim Owens vs. Judy Macy
This central Overland Park-based senate district, formerly held by Barbara Allen, went for Bush in 2004 55 to 45 percent. Macy is a former legislator and has some name ID, but she’s been removed from politics many years, and does not enjoy the same level of recognition and experience as Owens, a former Army officer, OP city councilman, and current state representative. Owens has the distinct advantage in this race, but the vote margin will be modest, not large, and Macy has the ability to ensure a competitive race right through election day. In the end, Owens should definitely come out the winner—just not by a landslide, most likely a margin in the high single digits.

2. 10th District—Mary Pilcher Cook vs. Pete Roman
Sen. Nick Jordan vacated this seat to run for congress against Dennis Moore. Cook stunned her critics when she won her primary against State Board of Education member Sue Gamble by 14 points—a much larger margin of victory than expected. The 10th district takes in most of eastern Shawnee, Lake Quivira, and a portion of northeastern Lenexa, making it much less reliably conservative than Cook’s former house district. Although Cook is much more conservative than Jordan, who united the party and retained the seat for a decade, she still has the advantage in this Republican-leaning district, against Pete Roman, a perennial Democratic candidate who has run for this seat many times. Still, this will be a fight—the KS Democratic Party is pouring money into this race to aid Roman, and amount of mailers and calls ensures this will be one of the most watched races this cycle. Cook as shown that she is a prolific fundraiser though, and should pull out a win in the low to mid single digits.

1. 9th District—Julia Lynn vs. Ron Wimmer
This reliably conservative district takes in portions of southwest Lenexa and a broad swath of Olathe. Normally not in play, Olathe Superintendent Ron Wimmer’s decision to run as a Democrat puts this race at the top of the list. Wimmer, a former Republican, is no liberal, and his experience in education and moderate stances will garner attention from many voters, as evidenced by some of his supporters, including JoCo movers and shakers such as Ben Craig and Bank of Blue Valley president Bob Regnier. However, even though she took Kay O’Connor’s place, Julia Lynn is not a polarizing figure, yet she is a stalwart conservative who is known for impeccable constituent services and keeping open lines of communication with her district. She is in the fight of her life, and really, this race could go either way, but Lynn’s very likable, and her ability to lock up her base early, work across the aisle, and vote her district (even at odds against her own base at times) will work to her advantage, so we predict she will squeak out a 3-5 point win. This will be the closest state senate race in the county.

Moore's ties to the financial crisis exposed!

2008-10-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Nick Jordan’s campaign announced yesterday that just last year, Moore and five other house members sponsored a bill to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

This euphemistic bill, however, included an amendment that "guts the one provision that made it worth the effort,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Federal regulators would not longer be able to adjust or limit the size of loans issued by the mortgage giant—even if they were too large and might pose risk to the financial system.

Of course, we all know that the mortgage mess led to the collapse of the housing bubble, the increase in debt, the failure of many financial institutions and the current financial crisis. We now know that not only was Dennis Moore partially to blame, he willingly and proactively blocked the very regulations which would have prevented the financial meltdown.

Is this a surprise? Of course not—Moore has accepted campaign contributions of more than $30,000 from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He’s just looking out for his friends, giving them political favors and paying them back in a typical Washington, political quid pro quo, the kind of corrupt and abusive politics Americans detest.

Even more astonishing and in the same vein, Moore received $34,000 in contributions from companies that benefited from the $700 billion bailout passed just a few weeks ago.

10 years of corrupt, status quo politics or a fresh new face with years of verifiable accomplishments on the state and local level? That will be for the voters to decide on Nov. 4th.

Nick Jordan's Newest Ad

2008-10-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Clear, concise, and effective. This ad takes Moore to task for his support of the largest corporate bailout in history, and his financial ties to the financial culprits.

After years of slyly running negative ads on his opponents, Moore is now in the hotseat for his record (or lack thereof), his financial ties, and his controversial vote of the largest corporate bailout in history.

Jordan v. Moore

2008-10-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Nick Jordan and Dennis Moore debated this past Sunday at JCCC. Having attended these congressional debates the past 2 cycles (Ahner in 2006, Kobach in 2004), I was struck by the number of Jordan supporters present: this was the first year that Republican supporters outnumbered Moore supporters significantly.

Also, unlike previous years, instead of coming across as upbeat, happy, and bipartisan, Dennis was snippy, tired, frustrated and petty. His futile attempts to link Jordan and President Bush were straight out of the Washington Democratic playbook, and his inability to talk about his own record was apparent. Jordan strategically challenged him on his support of the $700 billion bailout (Moore was the only member of the Kansas delegation--Republican or Democrat--to support the controversial Wall Street bailout). Moore dodged questions regarding his failure to hold hearings as a member of the financial services committee and his thousands of dollars in contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, instead arrogantly accusing Jordan of not knowing or talking to the "right" people as he did (the Treasury secretary, the president, and congressional leaders--who are all responsible for this mess in the first place). Jordan called Moore out on his hypocrisy--you cannot claim to be a fiscal conservative concerned about the national debt and criticize the president when you turn around and vote for the most expensive corporate bailout in history, adding $1 trillion to the national debt.

The best moment of the debate came when Moore defended his lackluster record by claiming that the President had not provided any leadership. Jordan replied that an effective congressman does not wait for the president to lead--he himself leads.

The debate was a knockout and Moore lost. I have never seen him this bitter and tired.

Bad News Boyda casts a vote for corruption

2008-09-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, is under investigation for tax fraud and not reporting income and assets, such as his property in the Caribbean, for the past decade at least.

Nancy Boyda originally promised a complete investigation, but then blocked a vote on the investigation and voted against removing him from his powerful chairmanship. Could it be because Rep. Rangel has given "Bad News Boyda" over $22,000 in campaign contributions?

Someone who cannot pay their own taxes should not be managing the taxpayers' money. Nancy Boyda was more than willing to stand up to General Petraeus and rudely walk out when he was speaking. Yet she's unwilling to take on a corrupt member of her own party, a flagrant and unrepentant porkbarreler who recently misappropriated taxpayer funds to fund the building of a center in his name in his home district.

Looks like "Bad News Boyda" is unwilling to tell Rangel the bad news, but she has no qualms disrespecting an honorable military general. Looks like she's fitting in well with the do-nothing congress which promises more of the same and politics as usual.

The Konnection gets a facelift...

2008-09-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Konnection is currently undergoing major style, design, and formatting changes. I've finally decided to move over to Blogger's new platform, which is more streamlined and offers user-friendly approaches to integrating multimedia technology with blogging--something that required much knowledge of HTML code before and tedious time trying to facilitate placement of those applications on the web blog.

First and foremost, we are glad to have our own logo (recently modified) but now front and center at the top of the webpage.

The Konnection has also decided to provide you with easy access to Republican candidates and their campaign websites with the "Campaign Central" section in the right sidebar, which will list Republican candidates in Kansas and include their bright, flashy logos for one-click transfer to their campaign websites. We will be adding more candidates to the section as time goes on, and wnat it to serve as a resource for information on federal, state, and local candidates.

Watch for more changes to the blog to faciliate more user feedback, interaction, discussion, and greater use of multimedia content.

And let me know what you think or what you would like to see added.

Vote or Die? Not quite, but the word "vote" was said at least a dozen times in last night's Emmys

2008-09-22T12:26:00.001-07:00

So last night the Emmys took place, and if you're anything like me, you were curious to see how political the awards would be. I was watching to see if the best comedy in the world, NBC's "The Office," would clean up the show, but the winner of many awards was the extremely biased HBO miniseries Recount, which chronicled the 2000 election and recount hysteria in Florida--from the viewpoint that the Bush campaign stole the election.

Presenter after presenter implored Americans to vote this year, and it was painfully obvious that each presenter wanted to tell Americans whom to vote for, but they were also aware of the backlash that would cause among fans and viewers and they didn't want to hurt Obama's election as they hurt Kerry's bid in 2004. Martin Sheen urged voters to vote "at least once" on Election Day. I was puzzled by that--did I hear correctly or was that a not-so-subtle endorsement of voter fraud? Jon Stewart and Steve Colbert managed to get away with what the presenters could not do explicitly--be political. Colbert's musings on his bag of prunes and how an "old, shriveled prune" was the choice for him this year, even though it would be four more years of the same, produced smirks from the Hollywood elite, but came across as overused, not funny, and too overtly political. Colbert and Stewart were singing to the choir--now, if they has joked about Obama too, they might have come across as equal-opportunity offenders, but of course they would not dare do that. Too bold, too risky.

Overall, despite the explicit attempts to be apolitical, the Emmys (ironically) were staged with heavy political undertones, and the fact that a provocative, politically-biased miniseries reaped the most awards and attention only added to politically-charged atmosphere at the awards show last night. And having each celebrity presenter extol the virtues of voting and urge us commoners to vote does not endear me to their cause or candidate. They just come across sounding preachy, and when you watch an awards show, you want to be entertained--you are trying to escape politics and political lecures. So, in a nutshell, I do not think the tactic of trying to be neutral and encourage Americans to vote for Obama was successful.

Dennis Moore puts party first, country second

2008-09-17T16:27:00.001-07:00

Unlike Sen. McCain, our own 3rd District congressman Dennis Moore chose to put his party first and his country second today when he signed on to Nancy Pelosi's energy plan, instead of a comprosmise plan backed by House Democrats and Republicans.

Dennis Moore will say that this plan "compromises" by allowing drilling and funding alternatives to oil, but the plan does:

DOES NOT permit drilling within 50 miles of the U.S. coast, although 90 percent of known oil reserves are in this area!

DOES NOT permit drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The area proposed for drilling occupies just 2,000 acres (0.01 percent) of the more than 20,000 million acres. And this area is desolate and inhabited by few lifeforms.

Dennis Moore has consistently opposed energy exploration and has always voted AGAINST drilling in ANWR in Alaska. The do-nothing congressman who few in congress have heard of does do a good job though of impeding economic progress and ensuring that gas prices remain high.

Had enough? Call Dennis Moore at (202) 225-2865 and tell him to put his country first and his party second.

10 years is enough. We need "more" out of Washington, and that requires that we vote "Moore" out of Washington. Vote Nick Jordan for congress on Nov. 4th. Visit www.nickjordan.com or www.wakingupwashington.com.

McCaskill claims McCain will jail rape victims who have abortions

2008-09-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

Outrageous? A complete lie? You bet.

From the desparate Missouri Senator:

“If women are going to kick the tires,” McCaskill said, “they’re going to find out that this is a ticket that wants to put women in prison for having an abortion after they have been raped.”

Apparently, the senator needs help with some facts. Fact #1: McCain has always been in favor of an exception for victims of rape and incest. Fact #2: If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the issue would go back to the states, and there is no indication that abortion would carry a jail sentence. On the contrary, many crimes have no sentence and do not merit prosecution.

Congressional Quarterly correctly called out the senator on her desparate attempt to keep Obama's campaign alive.

If you live in Missouri and you've had enough, call Claire's D.C. office, and tell her that you think it is despicable to slander and outright lie about McCain's record like this. Tell her you've had enough with this level of fraud and deception and that these types of scare tactics have no place in this election. Tell Claire to stop working for Barack Obama and to start working for Missouri.

Call Claire at (202) 224-6154 and let's send a message that this level of vitriole and deception will not be tolerated.

Gallup congressional poll shows Republicans gaining

2008-09-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

In a stunning reversal, Republicans are now within a few points or leading Democrats in the generic congressional ballot question which asks voters which party's candidate they would support in their congressional district election. Just a few months ago, Democrats held a 15 point lead, 55-40 percent. Now, Republicans have closed that deficit to just 3 points (a 48-45 Democratic lead among registered voters) and among likely voters, Republicans now lead by 5 points, 50-45 percent. See more here.

Additionally, the enthusiam gap among voters of both parties has tightened. While Democrats enjoyed a double-digit lead in enthusiasm for their candidate for most of the year, Republicans are about just as enthusiastic as their counterparts, 60 percent to 67 percent.

As Republicans gain in congressional election polls, McCain continues to lead Obama in national polls and gain on leads on most issues of importance to the American people, and Sarah Palin continues to have higher favorability ratings than all 3 other national candidates, Democrats are taking note of this ominous sign. A recent news article interviews several Democratic candidates who fret that McCain's popularity and Obama's gaffes and inability to connect with voters will damage their party's chances in November. Campaign managers of Democrats running in swing districts are urging their candidates to distance themselves from Obama and refrain from attacking McCain.

"Democrats on Capitol Hill Fear Obama Fallout (Financial Times)"

The Palin Pick: By the Numbers

2008-09-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

The indefensible, heavy-handed media-driven attacks on Palin have backfired. Rassmussen polling shows that 51 percent of Americans believe reporters are trying to hurt Palin with their news coverage.
The attack against her as being inexperienced is not working: 44 percent of Americans believe Palin is more experienced than Obama to be President of the United States
Palin's favorability ratings stand at 58 percent--surpassing McCain, Obama, and Biden. Palin's counterpart on the Democratic side--Joe Biden--is only viewed favorably by less than half of American voters--48 percent
Republicans (89 percent) and Independents (52 percent) believe Palin helps McCain. Only 69 percent of Democrats and 45 percent of Independents believe Biden helps Obama

The Polls

McCain now leads in most of the major polls: He leads Obama in the National Gallup Poll by 3 points (48 to 45 percent)
McCain leads Obama in the Zogby poll, 50-46 percent
And the first double-digit lead in the race so far this year: Gallup/USA Today polls shows McCain leading Obama 54-44 percent among likely voters--a 10 point lead and the largest so far this year!
Survey USA shows McCain leading now on most issues of concern to the American public. The poll data reveals that voters believe McCain has a better plan for Iraq (14 point advantage), a better plan for energy independence (12 points), a better plan for healthcare (1 point advantage) and a better plan for education (5 point advantage). Obama's only lead is on environmental issues (and he only has an 8 point advantage).

Republican Convention tops DNC in viewers

2008-09-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

McCain's acceptance speech made history for the most number of viewers ever to watch a candidate's acceptance speech primetime at a party convention. 38.9 million people watched McCain accept the nomination of the GOP--500,000 more than those who watched Obama give his media-driven, much anticipated speech among the gaudy ruins of a Greek Temple before 80,000 at Invesco Field.

Of course, the excitement and energy needed to boost McCain's ratings over Obama's came from Sarah Palin's speech the night before, which was incredibly impressive and successful: 37.2 million viewers, coming extremely close to Obama's 38.4 million viewers. Biden's VP speech only garnered 24 million viewers.

By choosing fellow maverick Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be on his ticket, McCain was able to do what no one thought he could do: breathe new life into what was expected to be a less enthused RNC, less anticipated and less watched. The RNC matched the DNC in enthusiam, excitement, and exceeded them in ratings and viewership. McCain has now also erased Obama's short and small convention bounce and has overtaken a lead that is above the margin of error in most current polling surveys.

(source: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Television_44/McCain_s_edge_38_9_million_viewers.asp

McCain taps Sarah Palin as VP!

2008-08-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

The GOP dream ticket is here. Sarah Palin, the 44-year old reformer who took on the Alaska GOP establishment, is running on the ticket with McCain. A youthful, dynamic political newcomer and reformer who has solid conservative credentials, Palin has the opportunity to become the first female vice president of the United States and will court independent women voters and disaffected Hillary supporters. Palin is one of the most popular elected officials in the nation--her approval rating is in the 80s.

While Obama chose to go with a blast from the past, McCain broke with the past and has opted for a fresh march to the future. Obama is ready to return to the politics of the past: big government, high taxes, expensive programs. Hope? Change you can believe in? More like change that you can recognize because it was tried in the 1960s and '70s. Obama proposes nothing new--more money, more regulation, retaining the status quo when it comes to excessive government regulation, restriction of energy sources, jobs fleeing overseas, failing schools, and a policy of non-intervention and timidity in world affairs. Do we really want four more years of Jimmy Carter? We've tried this before. Americans who want a clear break from the Carter years and a real change (grounded in actual policy proposals and accountability, not just more spending) from the Bush years should vote for the McCain-Palin ticket--independence, experience, reform--America First.

Back in March, we at the Konnection listed Palin as one of our top 10 VP pics for McCain. This is what we had to say about her then and we stand by it:

Young, attractive, beautiful, and savvy Alaska governor ran on ethics reform and has helped clean up the corruption of former GOP Governor Frank Murkowski. She was also the most popular governor in the nation--last summer, her approval rating hovered in the low 90s.

The gift that just keeps giving: Obama insults KC by mistaking it for St. Louis

2008-08-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone from the KC metro knows that Kansas City and St. Louis are major rivals--from conventions and tourist dollars to legislative appropriations and funding, these two I-70 rivals have always fought to have the upper hand, and the 1985 World Series between the Royals and the Cardinals was a spirited demonstration of the intense rivalry between citizens of the two cities.

Barack Obama was in Kansas City tonight to speak to airline workers bracing for an upcoming round of layoffs, and while addressing delegates during the first night of the DNC in Denver by satellite, Obama mistakenly said he was in St. Louis. His daughter had to correct him by saying "where are you, Daddy?" to which Obama hastily mumbled, "oh, Kansas City."

Excuse me? I know that we should just expect these flaps (like when Obama said he had campaigned in all 57 American states, an odd flap unless he was thinking about the 57 internationally recognized Islamic states of the world), but this is getting ridiculous. It's an insult and slight to Kansas City when he confuses us with St. Louis--and he's spending the night here!

I expected more from the savior of the planet and the "The One." But it's not like St. Louis and Kansas City have similar sounding names, or are interchangable--the cities could not be more different--opposite sides of the state, opposite histories, opposite cultures.

Obama is either just lazy or completely uninformed and unprepared. In either case, these latest examples prove that the state senator and community activist from Illinois who has yet to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate is not ready to to be leader of the free world.

Joe Biden: Obama's gift to the Republicans

2008-08-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much Barack Obama! You passed up your best opportunity to win (Hillary Clinton), you opted not to appeal to moderate voters in swing states (Evan Bayh, Tim Kaine), and you opted not to appeal to disgruntled female Hillary supporters (Kathleen Sebelius). Obama instead chose to play it safe and go with a longtime D.C. insider and power player. Looks like the candidate of change is quickly becoming the candidate of status quo.

Just what does Joe Biden bring to the ticket? He ensures Obama will win Delaware. Now Obama can be confident he'll win "The First State" by 12 points instead of just 10. Additionally:

Joe Biden has been in the Senate for 30 years--longer than McCain.
Biden's criticism of Obama from the primaries will be replayed by McCain--namely, that Obama is untested, unprepared and not experienced enough to be president
On an episode of Comdedy Central's The Daily Show, Biden said he would be honored to run on a national ticket with McCain because he believed the country would be better off
Biden's January 2007 comments, which will live on in infamy, especially with the twist of irony in Obama's selection of Biden as VP. “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
Joe Biden voted against the first resolution to use force in the first Gulf War (1991) but voted for the authorization to use force against Iraq in 2003. Can someone explain this one to me? And since Obama railed against Hillary for her vote for the war, and used it as a battle cry for why he should be elected instead (citing his "judgment"), how can we now trust his judgment when he chose an opponent who voted exactly as Hillary did? If that one voted disqualified Hillary for national office, according to Obama, why does it not disqualify Biden?

What's in a label? (Conservative, Moderate, Liberal)

2008-08-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been pondering the use of labels by the local media outlets here in Kansas City and I think many are coming to the realization of how labels are incorrectly applied. For full disclosure, I consider myself a moderate conservative, but I've been called a liberal and a far-right conservative at different times (when you're running for office, it's especially entertaining to receive email side-by-side accusing me of representing opposite sides of the spectrum).

I find it revealing that in Kansas, according to our local news media, there is no such thing as a "liberal" Democrat. All Democrats are "moderates" (including Dennis Moore, who now votes with Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats 97 percent of the time, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Nancy Boyda, and others). Despite liberal voting records and professed solidarity with the fringe of their party, Democrats in Kansas are always "moderates. On the contrary, at least according to Johnson County's own opinion tabloid The Sun, there is no such thing as a conservative, only "ultra conservatives." All other Republicans are moderates.

Other terms like "mainstream" are apparently owned and monopolized by certain special interest groups--attempts to use this age-old, un-registered moniker will land you in hot water by those who think they have enough money and influence to own words.

Of course, this phenomenon is not restricted to the local media. I cringe when I hvear McCain referred to as a liberal--he may not be very conservative, but he is no liberal--he has a solid pro-life voting record, has supported the military, and voted for spending limits, spending cuts and an end to earmarks. Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, is referred to as a conservative primarily for his pro-life and anti-gay marriage platform. Yet Huckabee supported increased taxes, increased spending, in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in Arkansas, and opposed school choice. Yet somehow, he is labeled by many as a conservative. And Rudy Giuliani, who is pro-abortion, is the best example of conservative city governance in American history and one of the most fiscally-conservative mayors in the country, is frequently referred to as a moderate or a liberal. And the best example--the media love to still refer to George W. Bush as a conservative despite a record over the last four years that deviates significantly from conservative principles.

Point of the story: these words are not owned by anybody, and be wary when supposedly non-partisan special interest groups and mainstream media outlets tend to use these terms as identifiers when referring to candidates and personalities. Do your own research--one or two issues does not identify you ideologically, or even a tendency to win elections on normally unfriendly turf for your party. Look at a candidate's record, their governing philosophy, their stance on a broad range of issues, and examine how a candidate approaches the issues, their role, their relationship with colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and their responsibility to their constituents. That matters much more than media or special interest-driven political labels of convenience.

You're either with us or against us: Dems punish another member for stepping out of line

2008-08-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

Time and Time again, the Democrats have extended a fake olive branch to moderates and independent thinkers only to yank it back anytime a representative decides to vote their district or exercise their independent judgment.

We saw it with Joe Liebermann in 2006 and more recently here in KS with Mark Gilstrap, as he became the first KS Democrat and sitting incumbent to be betrayed and cannibalized by his own party and the sitting governor for daring to be pro-life and fiscally responsible. Also, just this week, Nancy Pelosi announced that if the Dems gain more seats in the Senate in this November's elections, Liebermann could be "punished" for his support of John McCain by being removed from certain committees and chairmanships he currently enjoys.

Now we have a California legislator who exercised her own judgment and voted against the Democratic-backed budget and now faces her punishment--the relinquishment of her Capitol office. See this story here.

The message Democrats seem to be sending: remain loyal to the party above all else (country, district, constituents) or face retaliation. It begins with losing chairmanships and other perks and will eventually lead to outright opposition by the highest officials in government: governors, sentators and congressmen.

The Dems on the federal level down to the state level seem to be saying arrivederci to any party member who refuses to advance the agenda of the extreme, leftist fringe. The Dems will find that this may be a good way to consolidate power, but it's not a smart strategy for retaining power.

Obama losing, McCain gaining key voting segments

2008-08-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

McCain has gained on Obama among several key segments according to a new Zogby poll:

McCain has gained on Obama among several key segments according to a new Zogby poll:
Obama only has an 11-point edge now among voters 18-29 years old, leading 49-38 percent. McCain has gained 20 points
Obama now only leads by 5 points among women, 43-38 percent for McCain. McCain has gained 10 points on Obama
Obama has lost an 11 point lead among independents. He and McCain are now tied.
Obama’s support among Democrats has dropped from 83 to 74 percent
Obama 11 point lead among Catholics has evaporated; McCain now leads Obama in the Catholic vote by a 15 point margin

More on the findings of this poll can be found here.

Tomorrow is Primary Day...

2008-08-04T13:57:00.001-07:00

Get out and vote!

Two Primary Endorsements...

2008-08-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Konnection tends to stay out of primaries, but we are taking the unusual step of making a primary endorsement in two races. First, the Konnection wholeheartedly endorses Steve Howe for Johnson County District Attorney. One questions how effective Kline’s campaign will be if Kansas Democrats are able to tie every Republican running for office to Kline, resulting in a loss of several house seats in Johnson County and the major loss of the campaign season—Nick Jordan’s attempt to take out Dennis Moore. We have a chance to elect a Republican to congress and advance the Republican agenda locally, and all of that would be cast in serious doubt with a Kline candidacy. Is it really worth it to lose ground in multiple races across the state just to make a point? Tomorrow, Johnson Countians will have the opportunity to elect a seasoned prosecutor and committed conservative in Steve Howe.

Additionally, the Konnection endorses Lynn Jenkins in the 2nd District primary to take on Democratic incumbent Nancy Boyda. We want to stress that both challengers are worthy and good Republicans to take on Boyda, and we believe both can win (Boyda’s incompetence and ineptitude ensure a competitive race no matter what). We believe that in an election year where Washington establishment figures are more unpopular than ever, and voters are looking outside of Washington for problem-solvers, Lynn Jenkins offers the best hope to turn the 2nd district red again. Jenkins is running on a solid conservative platform—tax cuts, sealing the borders, and controlling spending—highlighting the failure of Republicans on those issues in the past and the need of Republicans to stick to these core principles if they ever want to be in power again. Ryun’s long tenure in Washington and record, while praiseworthy and solidly commendable for the most part, are not what voters seek at this time—they want outsiders, not insiders. The Kansas state treasurer offers the best chance to re-gain this seat for the GOP, and we trust that she will stick to her principles. Do we agree with Lynn on everything? Certainly not—we don’t agree with Ryun on everything either. But overall, Lynn’s platform strikes a tone and tenor of reform, the same type of reform that led Newt Gingrich and the Republicans to gain the House of Representatives in the revolution of 1994. It is that kind of aggressive, bold stand that we want to see from Republican candidates this year, and Lynn epitomizes local Kansas values of hard work and self-reliance, service to state and community, bold advancement of basic conservative ideals, and an agenda of congressional reform.

Brandon Kenig for State Board of Education

2008-07-31T08:57:00.001-07:00

Well, as most of you already know, I've made the jump from blogging and working on local campaigns to local electoral politics. I'm running for Sue Gamble's place on the State Board of Education for District 2. I'm running on a platform of Accountability, local control, and ensuring our students retain a competitive edge in the global economy.

For more information on my campaign, check out my new campaign website:

http://www.brandonkenig.com/

You can sign up on my website as a supporter, endorse me, and donate to me via PayPal.

It's time to get back to the basics--science and math--while preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow, not the jobs of yesterday.

Vote Brandon Kenig for State Board of Education in the August 5th Republican primary

Your financial support will be put to good use:

$20 buys 6 yard signs

$10 buys 75 palmcards

$20 buys 6 yard signs

$35 covers the cost of 30 mailings