Morris, Vratil appear to endorse Democrat for reelection

A Thursday Winfield Courier article cited Senate President Steve Morris and Vice President John Vratil as saying the reelection of Democrat Greta Goodwin would be critical to retaining moderate leadership in the Senate.

Calling Goodwin the ’21st Senator’, the Courier cites Morris and Vratil as saying the Senate seat will be pivotal in deciding Senate leadership positions in January.

Goodwin said she was sometimes called the “21st senator” among the moderate Republicans who control the Senate leadership. Those senators want to see her back. Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood, chairman of the judiciary committee, said hers was one of the key races that will determine the Senate leadership next year. Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, agreed.

The Winfield article comes on the heals of an AP story where Anthony Hensley, Senate Minority Leader, wouldn’t rule out using a little known rule to block conservative leadership.

The Senate majority leader and minority leader are chosen only by fellow party members. But all senators vote on the president and vice president after the majority party designates its choices. By custom, the minority party defers to the majority party’s choices. But if a conservative is designated as the next president, Hensley said, Democrats could use their votes to prevent that person from taking the top job. Hensley acknowledged doing so would be unconventional and probably unprecedented. Still, Hensley said: “It’s not outside the realm of possibility.”

Even after the heated primary where Senate leadership fed $45,000 into KTRM hit pieces against conservative challengers, including calling a former Congressman a racist, the Courier article comes as a surprise just under two weeks out from the election.

While conservatives and moderates have always had their differences, the party has a history of coming together for the general election and focusing on the work at hand of defeating Democrats and electing Republicans.

To be fair, Vratil and Morris didn’t come out and say they endorse Goodwin and the paper was curiously unable to produce any quotes from the pair. And the statement that the Goodwin/Abrams race will play a role in Senate leadership elections is a factual statement.

However, the way the article is presented, it seems as though the pair hope Goodwin will win so that they can keep their power.

In the same token, it would be folly for one to assume that the appearance presented in the paper is accurate without some verification. It shouldn’t escape anyone’s notice that the article hardly mentions Abrams at all and even goes so far as to say, “Polls show Goodwin with a slight lead over her opponent, Steve Abrams, of Arkansas City, according to sources within the Democratic Party.” Because we all know how reliable those Democratic polls are, right Jim Slattery?

For the sake of party unity, it would seem prudent for the two to clarify their remarks publicly and either validate or clarify their remarks to the Winfield Courier. If however, the appearance of the article is correct and Vratil and Morris have publicly supported a Democrat in order to keep their leadership positions, one has to seriously wonder how they’ll be able to effectively lead after having demonstrated that power is more important than party or any kind of value system they may have held.

In the end, what Republicans need to take to heart is that this race will be critical. Will it again play a pivotal role in deciding critical pieces of legislation like CARA, coal plants and more? Now is not the time to forget the folly of two years ago when Gene Rardin was handed a House seat by Republican leadership only to turn around and be the deciding vote on important coal plant legislation.

And lest you think all hinges on this one race, think again. Conservatives have many candidates across the state that need your help now! Any one of them could be the vote that changes the course of our state the next four years.

Steve Fitzgerald for Senate District 5 – Donate Online!
Mary Pilcher-Cook for Senate District 10 – Donate Online!
Jim Zeller for Senate District 18 – Donate Online!
Steve Abrams for Senate District 32 – Send a check now!