It seems the Democrats in Sedgwick County are so desperate to get interest in their events they have to resort to using popular Republicans! (story here)

I guess we can’t blame them, even their own elected folks in the Kansas Senate voted for Kris Kobach’s Voter ID bill – and perhaps they’ve got a great idea, it’s time for a party to celebrate!

With that in mind I’ve started a Happy Birthday Kris Kobach campaign! You can help kick this party off – just go to to the KRA Facebook page (like it while you are there!) and click the Share button under the Happy Birthday post to pass it on to your Facebook friends. Lets see if we can get this birthday party shared nationwide!

(if you don’t see the Kris Kobach photo on the KRA Facebook page, try this link )

Not on Facebook or want other ways to invite friends to join the party? You can share this blog post link or this twitter link.

Pass it on – everyone is welcome to join the party!

HB2130, a measure that would stop unions from automatically deducting political contributions from members, passed on a 75-46 vote, but not without union thugs in the galley attempting to stop the vote from happening. Video of the incident can be seen here.

After union members attempted to stop the vote through blunt intimidation, they were escorted out under Kansas Highway Troopers supervision. So much for improving the public discourse, right?

14 Republicans voted with the unions. You can see everyone’s vote here.

As members entered the chamber, female legislators reported being called derogatory names by union thugs. And the Wichita Eagle is reporting a union boss told everyone to be quiet until HB2130 came up for a vote, and then they could, “…do whatever you want.”

Absolutely disgusting behavior Kansas voters will continue to reject.

Ticket for the 13th annual KRA Gala Banquet are now on sale! Click here to register for your tickets today! Click here to get driving directions to the banquet.

Our guest speaker this year is newly elected Congressman Tim Huelskamp from the Big First District.

Tim was raised in Kansas and following high school attended a seminary in Santa Fe, New Mexico and pursued his bachelor’s degree in social science education at the College of Santa Fe. After his undergraduate education, Tim accepted a scholarship to pursue doctoral studies at The American University in Washington, D.C. Studying political science with a specialization in agriculture policy, he completed his Ph.D. there in four years. During his time at American University, Tim met his wife Angela and together they were active in assisting women in crisis pregnancies. Additionally, Tim was busy as a college instructor teaching public policy and working as a statistical analyst.

Upon graduation, Tim and Angela turned down various job offers and decided to return home to farm, ranch and raise a family in Fowler, and since then have adopted four children: Natasha, Rebecca, Athan and Alexander. Both girls are from Haiti, while the two boys were already Americans. Together they’ve managed the farm that his grandparents started in 1925. Serving since 1997, Tim was one of the state legislature’s most conservative members, even opposing his GOP leaders in the state Senate on spending issues. He will now continue his conservative voting record in Washington, D.C.

Join us in welcoming home one of KRA’s own as we celebrate the victories of 2010 and look forward to the challenges ahead!

One must look no further for evidence of this than KAKE Channel 10′s website where a condensed version was published under the byline of the Associated Press with no mention of “Analysis,” “Opinion” or otherwise with it.

The fact is in the past decade, “Analysis” has become in vogue with the press to justify using opinion pieces as news. Some claim it to be the brainchild of the mainstream media attempting to further influence the electorate. More likely it is simply the symptom of a press corps seriously strapped for cash partly due to them being completely out of touch on how to report real news relevant to the public.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear they are written in an attempt to publish select facts and influence the public. In this instance, it appears Milburn is attempting to explain away Brownback’s superior proposals on education in Kansas. It’s interesting that in attempting to place blame on the courts rather than the politicians for out of control education spending, Milburn actually validates past arguments by conservatives that unelected judges in Kansas virtually control over half the state’s budget.

While in the actual piece this isn’t necessarily the explicit message, it’s interesting to note this piece from the KAKE Channel 10 revision.

Both Republican Sam Brownback and Democrat Tom Holland say they will focus on preserving what they see as an excellent system of K-12 schools. Where they differ is how they would steer the behemoth system that consumes more than 50 percent of the state budget.

History would suggest that it’s more likely that litigation, not pontification, will decide the course.

In the past two decades, action or the threat of from the Kansas Supreme Court has played a bigger role than activity in the Statehouse.

If these last two sentences are true, then that means that unelected and unaccountable judges control our tax dollars and how they are spent, not elected officials who represent the people. This stronger language by KAKE 10 shows the power of “Analysis” pieces by the press and how they can morph into a story of their own. It just so happens that KAKE happened to take the piece in a direction that highlighted past arguments made by conservatives.

The piece also once again highlights Holland’s curious stance against revising the state’s finance formula due to increased property taxes while simultaneously advocating for increasing a district’s local option budget.

In any case, the public can analyze this, “Analysis” is just another word for “Editorial.”

It’s an interesting strategy that so far seems to be reaping what it is sewing. While Holland has consistently and loudly attacked Republican Sam Brownback from the halls of the state capital, he swung and missed when it came time for his innovative ideas on how to move Kansas forward.

The Topeka Capital Journal highlighted Holland’s non-sense best when it quoted Holland as saying Brownback’s education plan would result in, “significantly higher property taxes and guaranteed litigation.”

Too bad for Tom that Kansas schools have been suing the state for more than a decade and in fact won a verdict for more than $1 billion in additional funding, all under the direction of a Democratic administration. The state is faced with even more litigation this year, again under a Democratic administration. So far it seems to me and many Kansans that if a Democrat like Holland had a better idea, he’s had more than enough time to propose and pass it. Holland must be pretty dense to make such a statement in light of current and previous litigation.

But Holland just couldn’t stop himself and topped off his statement by expressing his support for… you guessed it… higher property taxes.

Holland said if elected governor he would maintain the state’s constitutional obligation to equalize opportunities for children while supporting a move to grant local school boards authority to raise additional property tax for schools through the local option budget process.

Tom, what do you think “local option budget process” means? Uhh, property taxes Tom, it means property taxes. And you just said you’d support raising them.

Tuesday we found out that Holland is just more of the same when it comes to what Kansas Democrats want to happen to our state. More money for the education bureaucracy, at a time when our state can least afford it, higher taxes and more government. That isn’t a detailed plan, it’s a hastily laid sketch for disaster.

While Holland has been screaming at the top of his lung, hoping to stick anything he can to his opponent, Sam Brownback has been touring the state, actually meeting with voters and fulfilling his promise to visit every one of Kansas’ 105 counties. So far Holland has become familiar with Shawnee County, especially the capital grounds, but so far has failed to meet many folks outside of that area.

A new KWCH/Survey USA poll shows that Holland is way behind Republican Sam Brownback. Brownback leads Holland 67% to 25% with a margin of error of only 3.9%.

It’s unfortunate that Holland has decided that campaigning means calling press conference after press conference at the capital and then saying one thing when he supports another. But perhaps Holland knows he doesn’t stand a chance against the Republican wave that’s coming to Kansas this November and this is just his last desperate attempt to spend as much time as he can in the capital.

After the U.S. Senate results were in, Sen. John Cornyn issued a statement critical of the Democratic candidate, Lisa Johnston.

“Democrat nominee Lisa Johnston has clearly demonstrated that she would simply serve as another rubberstamp for President Obama and Harry Reid’s out-of-control economic agenda if she makes it to Washington.”

The “huh” moment came when the Kansas Democratic Party’s official blog came to Johnston’s aid by guarenteeing that she’ll be no rubberstamp. In fact according to them, it’s nothing more than mudslinging because, you know, she’s already told them she won’t be another rubberstamp for Harry Reid and Obama. She’s going to vote against her own party. You know, the party that’s posting her response on it’s own official blog.

“During a July 15, 2010 bipartisan candidate forum in Mound City, KS, Lisa was asked “Will you as a Senator vote according to the wishes of the people you represent even if it meant voting against your party line?” She replied, “Absolutely, without question. One of the things I am committed to is leading with integrity and having an independent mind.”

Independent mind? Right. Which is why the party’s official blog had to write about it. Because the Kansas Democratic Party has clearly demonstrated their willingness to fully support candidates that don’t 100% adhere to an all out liberal mind set.

Psst. Does party leadership’s endorsement of Chris Steineger ringer a bell? The name Mark Gilstrap jog anybody’s memory? The guy who voted against his party and got thanked with a party recruited and funded primary opponent?

Yea right, the KDP is going to support somebody who doesn’t tow the party line. Because they’ve clearly been so tolerant in the past.

Besides, how is she going to respond to a puff question like that?

“Oh yes, I believe 100% in the economic and social policies of our President and Harry Reid, both of which I know nearly 70% of the voting public in Kansas don’t approve of. I think what they’ve done for America is right on. I’d support government run health care that I know not a single sane Kansas voter supports and I’d pretty much go to Washington and jump however high Harry Reid told me I needed to jump.”

Now that would have been a truthful response. Of course it also would have been a suicidal response.

Oh, and by the way, I know the elitists at the KDP probably won’t figure this out anytime soon, but by continually referring to your candidate as, “Dr. Lisa Johnston,” all you’re doing to making her seem as if she’s better than the people she wants to represent. Only elitists like Johnston insist on people recognizing her educational status by calling her “Doctor.” We know power tripping on your students is educationally in vogue Lisa, but you should really get a grip on that before you have a Barbara Boxer moment at a candidate forum. I’m not sure what’s up with Democrats and their love of titles but apparently it’s a universal thing.

Maybe instead of Doctor, Lisa would prefer to be addressed as “Independent Doctor Lisa Johnston.” Or “Independent, committed, not a politician, independent, vote against my party, independent Doctor Lisa Johnston.” She could be like the educational elite who put more letters about how educated they are behind their name than are in their name.

Oh, that’d make an awesome “I approve this message” message.

“My name is Independent, committed, honorable, independent, not really a Democrat, independent, Doctor Pepper, independent, Doctor, Doctor Lisa Johnston, and I have to tell you I approve this message because I’m clearly smarter than you and I’m not quite sure you’d figure that out without me telling you.”

All kidding aside, does anybody really think Johnston (PhD, MD, DO, MSKJLEKKWIUTH, blah…) won’t be just another “Yes” vote for Reid and Obama?

Nah, I didn’t think so.

Candidate Rob Wasinger of Cottonwood Falls polled at only 12%, which is still within the margin of error of his showing in previous polls. Today’s results show what previous polls have illustrated for some time now, that if Rob Wasinger continues to be a candidate in this race, he may single-handedly split the conservative vote and give a win to liberal Jim Barnett or Tracey Mann.

In any other election year, Rob would more than likely be a perfectly acceptable candidate. But in today’s political environment of candidates saying one thing and then once elected doing another, it’s vital that voters in the First District elect a candidate with a proven track record of conservative values. Tim Huelskamp has a 16 year record as a state Senator where he has consistently fought for conservative principles, whether they be popular or not.

In light of Sen. Huelskamp’s outstanding record and superior position in the polls, conservative voters should rally around his candidacy immediately.

With only a week until election day, it has become clear that Rob cannot win this election; all he can do is hand the seat to a liberal Republican for years to come.

Rob Wasinger is a good man and candidate, but in this particular race the choice just couldn’t be more clear. Trusting that Rob values the conservative movement more than his personal political career, it would be prudent for him to end his campaign and immediately support Tim Huelskamp.

In fact, the ad is so new the campaign hasn’t even uploaded it to its YouTube channel yet. I’ll add the link here when it is online.

Goyle’s previous ads make no mention of his party affiliation or previous ties to the ACLU or other liberal groups. In expected liberal Kansas style, Goyle attempts to portray himself with the usual buzz words “independent” and “Kansas values.” In a bit of irony, Goyle’s own campaign website header proclaims, “Good ideas don’t come with a party label. All that matters is whether it’s right for Kansas.”

That is, of course, as long as you make it past your primary. When that’s in doubt, then a party label comes in pretty handy.

It looks like his election year make-over was a little too effective. The latest poll in the fourth district had Goyle 3 points behind his Democratic challenger, Robert Tillman. Tillman claims to have spent less than $5,000 on the race while Goyle has collected over $1 million in campaign funds.

As Bob Weeks at Wichita Liberty noted previously, this year Raj Goyle voted more conservatively than Jean Schodorf, who is running for the same seat. What an example of things politicians will do to convince a voter they’re something they’ve never been in the past.

Could Kansas be the next South Carolina? It certainly looks like the Goyle campaign thinks it might.

KRA endorsed Mike Pompeo is the conservative candidate in the fourth district. Unlike Goyle or Schodorf, he’s run an issues oriented, hard hitting campaign that shows why his military and business experience is what’s needed in Washington.

The name “Kansas Republican Assembly” has been officially registered with the Kansas Secretary of State since January 1999 to a Mr. Kris Van Meteren, one of the original founders of the KRA and who is still active in the group and conservative politics in Kansas. It is based on this registration that KRA operates under the name “Kansas Republican Assembly” and can rightfully claim to be the the official KRA. It is also on this evidence that anyone else claiming to be the KRA, Kansas Republican Assembly or the official Kansas Republican Assembly are purposefully misleading Kansas voters.

In fact, there is no record of any other group beginning with the name “Kansas Republican” registered with the Secretary of State until 2003 when the Kansas Republican Victory Fund, a KRA PAC, was registered. Again, no activity until 2005 when the name “Kansas Republican Action Assembly” was registered to a Mr. Mark Gietzen of Wichita. Mr. Gietzen is also the current leader of a group which has settled on the KRA name in his quest for personal glorification in the political arena.

Mr. Gietzen failed to file with the Secretary of State and forfeited the KRAA name in October 2007. It was subsequently bought by a Mr. Jared Suhn of Topeka, another original founder of the KRA and business associate of Mr. Van Meteren. Thus both the KRA and KRAA names are owned by this organization, and anyone else using them without permission is in violation of Kansas law.

In response, Mr. Geitzen registered the name “Kansas Republican Assembly (Actual)” in 2008. This is the name he operated under after giving up the name KRAA. He has subsequently again failed to register with the Secretary of State and no longer owns the “Actual” name.

Mr. Gietzen has proven over the years to be more interested in self glorification than in promoting conservative values. The only break the KRA has experienced was when Mr. Gietzen decided to leave on his own and attempt to form his own group. It appears thus far he has been unsuccessful in replicating the hundreds of members the real KRA has across the state.

Mr. Gietzen has been a perpetual candidate for office, thus far always being rejected by the voters. In 1996, he sued a previous opponent for libel when his opponent rightfully criticized Mr. Gietzen’s family values after being charged with abuse of his first wife. In the mailer, his opponent, Mr. Paul Feleciano, stated:

“Unfortunately, for those of us who will not lie for any reason, the ‘political lie’ seems to be more acceptable than it has ever been. My opponent, Mark Gietzen, is a case in point. Mark’s favorite subject for any political discussion is ‘family values’. It seems ironic that this strong family advocate has a public record in Kansas courts of being just the opposite. His treatment of his wives show that actions do, indeed, speak louder than words.

“In July 1986, Mr. Gietzen was charged with battery (spousal abuse) of his first wife. As a result of this crime he was placed on probation for twelve months, and subsequently was divorced. In August of this year his second wife, of two and a half years, filed for divorce.

“If this constitutes Mr. Gietzen’s philosophy of ‘family values’, can we trust his judgment in making decisions that will impact each and every one of you?”

On appeal, the Kansas court noted that Mr. Gietzen failed to refute the statements made by Mr. Feleciano, which were in fact supported by previous court documents and statements made by Mr. Gietzen. The court went on to state that the admission by Mr. Gietzen was essentially an admission of guilt on his part.

Gietzen’s cause of action is based on libel. Senator Feleciano filed a motion for summary judgment, in which he set out most of the facts which are recited in his letter to the voters. These facts were set out as uncontroverted statements of fact. While Gietzen responded to Senator Feleciano’s motion for summary judgment, he did not controvert any of the uncontroverted statements of fact. It is well settled that uncontroverted statements of fact in a party’s motion for summary judgment are deemed admitted by a party who fails to controvert those facts.

The net effect of Gietzen’s failure to controvert the uncontroverted facts set forth in Senator Feleciano’s motion for summary judgment is to admit that the facts stated in the motion for summary judgment are true.

In fact, Mr. Gietzen has made it a habit to lie to the public and the press in any such fashion that will bring attention to himself. Just this past month, an email was sent using the KRA name regarding a candidate forum in the Fourth Congressional District. Not only did the email falsely state that the debate was to be between senate candidates Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran, but it also attempted to take credit for the forum itself. The debate was actually organized and hosted by the Sedgwick County Republican Party, and not Mr. Gietzen’s made up KRA.

In fact, he went further and once again claimed that his organization is the only one, “recognized by the RNC.” This is in fact a lie that Mr. Gietzen has enjoyed perpetuating for years, to the detriment of the RNC. In fact, it so bothered the RNC that they were forced to send a cease and desist letter to Mr. Gietzen, which he has apparently subsequently ignored.

The fact is that there is only one KRA in Kansas, and the group, if it can be called that, that Mr. Gietzen leads in Wichita is fraudulent. Mr. Gietzen himself has a history of not only questionable personal choices but also a very questionable public reputation as well. Any candidate associating him or herself with Mr. Giezen or his group should take care to be well versed in his past actions and fully evaluate if they want to be linked to a liar and self-admitted wife beater.

Once again, Mr. Gietzen has placed himself on the ballot for the Kansas House of Representatives in District 96. We sincerely hope that once again the voters will be well informed of Mr. Gietzens past actions. If so, we are confident that he will once again be rejected. We can only hope that media organizations, now well aware of his personal and public reputation, will limit their own association with him.

And will an un-elected Democrat Secretary of State give Republican candidates the run around?

State Representative Bill Light

State Representative Bill Light withdrew his candidacy for re-election to the Kansas House May 12. Light was facing a strong conservative challenge in the August primary by Dan Widder of Ulysses.

In a Hutchinson News article, Light claimed that his retirement had nothing to do with his conservative challenger, even claiming that he didn’t know Widder. However, the article notes that Light filed for re-election in January and told the Hutchinson News in November that he liked to file in January before the start of a legislative session, “so that all will know my intentions.”

When contacted, Widder stated that he had attended a legislative coffee a few weeks ago where he questioned Light about the upcoming budget debate. While he didn’t disclose his planned challenge to Light, he said that Light certainly knew who he was.

So apparently something happened during this legislative session that changed Light’s mind about serving another term. That something, I believe, is Light’s realization that voting for a massive tax increase and facing a serious conservative challenger meant his chances at winning another term were little to none.

When asked about Light’s withdraw, Widder reiterated that it changed nothing as far as he is concerned.

“I don’t plan to do anything differently,” Widder stated.

In his bid to be placed on the ballot, Widder and campaign volunteers collected the signatures of more than 175 registered Republicans in his district. Widder stated that he contacted the Kansas Secretary of State’s office prior to beginning to collect signatures and asked what the procedures were for being placed on the ballot via petition. Widder’s campaign then collected the signatures and submitted them to the Sec. of State’s office.

However the Sec. of State rejected the petitions stating that they needed to be signed by the volunteers that collected the signatures, according to Widder. So he directed all volunteers that collected signatures to sign the petition and resubmitted it to the Sec. of State’s office.

Once again, Widder said, the petition was rejected. This time another contact in the Sec. of State’s office said that each page of the petition needed to be signed on the back with the volunteer that collected those signatures. Widder stated that he simply put all the signatures together into one petition and had all volunteers sign together. Further, the Sec. of State’s office claimed that volunteers should have only signed and dated the petition after collecting all of the signatures. Due to time constraints and lack of communication with the Sec. of State’s office, Widder elected to file by fee.

Widder claimed that he made numerous phone calls to the Sec. of State’s office before beginning to collect signatures and at no time did anyone detail to him that volunteers must sign the back of each petition page they collected. Widder said each time he called he seemed to get a different reason why he couldn’t file via petition.

The Sec. of State’s office is currently being held by un-elected Democrat Chris Biggs. Biggs is one of five Democrats holding statewide office that were not elected but rather appointed by either former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius or current Gov. Mark Parkinson. Both Sebelius and Parkinson appointed only Democrats, regardless of the party affiliation of the previous office holder.

And as this Kansas Liberty article notes, Bigg’s appointment also means that the state’s three person canvassing board is now held entirely by unelected Democrats. The board is tasked with verifying the state’s election results.

The 124th House district may be a template for the rest of the state and a significant sign of how the August elections may pan out. Gov. Parkinson and other Democrats claim that they will be rewarded for raising taxes on Kansas families, but Light’s withdraw seems to indicate that liberal Democrats and Republicans know otherwise.

Democrat Dennis Moore also withdrew for re-election this year after voting in favor of national health care and multiple bailouts. The two situations are eerily similar.

Kansas Senator and KS-04 Congressional candidate Jean Schodorf

When push came to shove, State Senator Jean Schodorf clung to her pro-abortion beliefs and was the deciding vote in downing HB 2115, a compromise abortion reporting law that fell one vote short of a veto override in the Senate.

Schodorf claims that she’ll be working on a “compromise” bill in the future, but I wouldn’t hold my breathe. Former Governor and abortion cheerleader Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a similar piece of legislation last year. If Schodorf was serious about passing something meaningful then she should have been working on it during this session rather than waiting for another inevitable veto from current pro-abortion Gov. Parkinson.

The Senator further claims that she sided with pro-abortion legislators because of the way the bill was brought forward in the, “dark of the night.” One wonders if this distaste for the process covers tax increases and budget bills. I’m willing to bet it doesn’t. Her “reasoning” is nothing more than a lie, and if Schodorf votes in favor of a tax package not thoroughly vetted in committee then she’s nothing more than a hypocrite.

Couple this with the fact that next year there will be a different Governor who’s veto pen legislator’s won’t need to worry about and her vote was absolutely pointless. Pointless unless her aim was to make her pro-abortion beliefs crystal clear for far left activists. If that was the point, then she’s performed quite well.

See also:

• Lone State Senator with Congressional Ambitions Kills KS Abortion Override

“During Senate action today, Sen. Schodorf announced she was emailing an invitation to Kansans for Life and Planned Parenthood to meet with her to create a ‘compromise bill. Sen. Schodorf’s 11th hour announcement was the height of hypocrisy as she has already supported this exact language in 2008 — prior to her re-election. After she was elected, she voted AGAINST the provisions of HB 2115 in 2009, as she did again today.”

• “Mainstreet Republican”

A search for each author’s name was performed in Newsbank. Newsbank has current articles from the Emporia Gazette, the Hays Daily News, the Hutchinson News, the Manhattan Mercury, the Newton Kansan, the Ottawa Herald, the Southwest Daily Times, the Topeka Capital-Journal, and the Wichita Eagle. An additional search was performed for the Kansas City Star (which is headquartered in Kansas City, MO and not included in Kansas searches in Newsbank) and online with the Lawrence Journal-World. (The Journal-World keeps previous news coverage online, unlike other the other newspapers that take down their articles after a certain period of time.)

The search for “Art Hall” returned two relevant articles in 2010, one from the Wichita Eagle and another from the Hutchinson News. These articles covered Hall’s testimony to a Kansas House committee. A third article in the Kansas City Star mentioned Hall’s findings but his study wasn’t the focus of the article. A search of the Star’s and Eagle’s blogs returned no entries.

The search for “John Wong” returned many relevant articles. An April 20 article in the Wichita Eagle outlines the study’s findings, as well as a special blog entry on the 19th. The study was also highlighted in a budget piece in the Eagle’s regular section on the 19th. This was all followed up with a favorable editorial three days later.

Similarly, an April 20 article in the Hutchinson News highlights the pro-tax study, as well as an article in the Kansas City Star. The Lawrence Journal-World had an article online devoted to the study, however a search of ljworld.com revealed no such article for the KU study. The Topeka Capital-Journal also featured the Wong study, with no such balance provided to the Hall study.

Perhaps the slant in coverage is due to the study’s findings, or even it’s timing. It’s certainly too bad that the Kansas media can’t be bothered to examine the two studies and detail their differences. At the very least it should be worthwhile to note that the pro-tax study was done in a vacuum and only covers one year, while the KU study takes into account changes in spending habits and long term effects over a six year period.

The tale of these two studies may end up being a sad testimony to the state of the Kansas media rather than how badly a tax hike would be to our state’s economy.

“Other candidates talk about opposing taxes, but Tim Huelskamp has a proven track record of fighting tax increases to prove it,” said Huelskamp spokesman David Ray. “That’s why he won numerous awards for keeping taxes low and why the Club for growth has endorsed him.”

In additional to high profile national endorsements, Sen. Huelskamp was one of only two candidates to gain a preference vote of the Kansas Republican Assembly Board of Directors. To gain a KRA Board Preference, candidates had to get a 4/5ths vote from board members. In addition to being a friend of the taxpayer, Sen. Huelskamp has been a friend of the pro-life and pro-marriage movement in Kansas and has proven to voters he is worthy of their vote.

The KRA encourages you to donate $25 to the Huelskamp campaign today to help keep this message on the air.

• Huelskamp launches television ad
• Air war begins in Kansas first district GOP primary
• Huelskamp Launches First TV Ad

To pass, the amendment needs a two-thirds supermajority of 84 votes in the House. Today’s vote was 76-44. Listed below is how the votes came down according to party and yea or nay. Click the members name to get their contact information and call, fax and email them TODAY.

Republican Yeas: Aurand, Bethell, Bowers, Brookens, Brown A, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Colloton, Craft, Crum, DeGraaf, Donohoe, Faber, George, Goico, Gordon, Grange, Hayzlett, Hermanson, Hineman, Holmes C, Holmes M, Horst, Huebert, Jack, Kelley, Kerschen, Kiegerl, King, Kinzer, Kleeb, Knox, Landwehr, Light, Mast, McLeland, Merrick, Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Neufeld, O’Brien, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Patton, Peck, Pottorff, Powell, Prescott, Proehl, Rhoades, Schroeder, Schwab, Schwartz, Seiwert, Shultz, Siegfreid, Spalding, Suellentrop, Swanson, Tafanelli, Vickrey, Whitham, Wolf B, Wolf K, Worley, Yoder.

Contact (preferably by phone) the Republicans below and ask them why they voted against limited government.

Republican NAYS: Nays: Bollier, Hill, Quigley, Roth, Sloan.

Contact (preferably by phone) the Democrats below and ask them to once again vote yea. They will be under pressure to change their vote.

Democrat YEAS: Lukert, Maloney, Meier, Palmer, Svaty, Wetta, Williams.

Contact (preferably by phone) the Democrats below and ask them why they voted nea and ask them to change their vote.

Democrat NAYS: Ballard, Barnes, Benlon, Brown T, Burroughs, Carlin, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Feuerborn, Finney, Flaharty, Frownfelter, Furtado, Garcia, Gatewood D, Gatewood S, Goyle, Grant, Henry, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Mah, McCray-Miller, Menghini, Neighbor, Pauls, Phelps, Rardin, Ruiz, Slattery, Swenson, Talia, Tietze, Trimmer, Ward, Winn.

These Representatives didn’t vote. Keep in mind that they may have not been able to vote due to illness. Contact (preferably by phone) the Representatives below and ask them to make an effort to vote for the Healthcare Freedom Amendment.

Didn’t Vote: Fund (most likely would have been a yea, is currently hospitalized according to fellow House members), Hawk, Henderson, Johnson, Peterson.

As a quasi government agency, Amtrak has been loosing money for years and only continues to operate because of federal subsidies. While federal money is outside the control of KDOT, a KDOT press release notes the one time infrastructure improvement costs and annual operating cost of the four different plans.

For example, the first plan estimates an annual ridership of 92,500 at an annual cost burden to the state of $3.2 million. This doesn’t include an estimated $114 million in improvements for the line to operate. And the $114 million doesn’t include local improvements like platforms and train stations, which would have to be provided by local Kansas communities. Just taking into account the state’s annual costs, it comes to $34.60 per rider.

A more expensive alternative would bring in an estimated 174,000 annual riders but would cost the state $8 million a year in operating expenses. Excluding $476 million in infrastructure improvements, that’s just under $46 a rider. If one includes the infrastructure costs and extends out annual costs for 30 years, the cost per rider increases to just over $137 a rider.

Why would KDOT push for a service that would require $8 million a year be taken from their budget when they are canceling new construction and repair projects left and right? Rather than subsidize passenger rail service to potentially $46 a rider or more, couldn’t those millions of dollars be better spent maintaining Kansas roads that would benefit everyone rather than the few who find passenger rail service so nostalgic that they advocate government subsidies to keep Amtrak going?

Couple this with a continuing push to renovate the state capital because ‘material is so cheap’ and lawmakers so desperate to tax rather than cut spending that soda pop is now on the radar, and it certainly leaves Kansas taxpayers wondering just what happened to our government’s priorities.

Take the Kansas Democratic and Republican Parties. Kansas Republicans just recently celebrated Kansas Days. It was an opportunity for Kansans of all walks of life to gather together and discuss the future of the state of Kansas and the Republican Party. The Kansas Republican Assembly brought in spectacular guest speakers who’s work brought down the uber-corrupt ACORN organization and significantly reduced their federal funding.

Then take the Kansas Democratic Party. The last weekend in February they’ll hold their annual Washington Days convention. As the name suggests, Kansas Democrats could quite frankly care less about Kansas when Washington is calling. Just ask Kathleen Sebelius.

And who does the KDP choose to bring in as their headline speaker? Someone who roots out corruption wherever it may lay? Maybe a freedom loving open government fighter? After all, weren’t the Washington Democrats supposed to usher in a new era of openness? Oh no! They choose to bring in a California Democrat. Because California is doing so well, I guess Kansas Democrats think we should be more like them. After all, once you’ve celebrated Washington in all it’s corrupt glory, what’s left but to bring in a California liberal?

There’s a lot to be said about a name. And Kansas Democrats show their true colors by celebrating Washington and the power of the feds rather than the spirit and hard work Kansans bring to the table.

“Soon-to-be-former Secretary of State Thornburgh spent the last two weeks telling fellow Republicans who we should nominate to replace him, then turned around and, with 7 days notice, handed the office to the Democrats for the last year of his term,” said KRA President Don Small. “Republicans and Democrats alike are scratching their heads over what motivated him to make this move right now. He’s taking advantage of relationships built with a firm that has a business relationship with his current office and will now use that to gain personally, while not finishing the job Kansans elected him to do.”

Small continued, “We look forward to electing Kris Kobach as Kansas Secretary of State and seeing him implement reforms that are needed to ensure the integrity of our elections, as well as overseeing the many other duties of this office.”

References:

http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional-local/11672891-1.html

We are very excited to announce our keynote speakers for the 12th Annual KRA Gala Banquet are Doug Giles and his daughter, Hannah Giles!

Doug Giles is the creator and host of ClashRadio.com, a winner of seven Silver Microphone Awards and two Communicator Awards. He is a popular columnist, minister, artist, campus lecturer and author. His column is read worldwide each week on TownHall.com and his articles have also appeared in several national publications including The Washington Times, New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. Ann Coulter has said of Giles, “Doug Giles is a substantive and funny force for traditional values.”

Doug is also the father of Hannah Giles, the 20 year-old journalist who played the role of a prostitute in the recently released videos exposing corruption within ACORN. She developed the idea behind the videos while interning at the National Journalism Center in Washington. In September, Hannah and co-star James O’Keefe released the first of several undercover videos showing ACORN staff offering advice on how to conduct numerous illegal activities. Hannah’s and O’Keefe’s bravery is directly responsible for the Census Bureau and numerous other agencies severing ties with ACORN. Congress also voted to strip the organization of its federal funding and the organization remains under investigation.

Click here to register now or click here for directions to Heritage Hall!

In response to all the misinformation this resolution was getting some RNC members proposed a couple of alternative resolutions. One of them is based on what the Republican Party Platform says which seems very logical to us. We’ve posted this one below. What do you think? Share your thoughts here as I’m sure our RNC members will drop by to see what you think.

Proposed RNC Resolution on Accountability of Candidates To the Voters

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan believed that the Republican Party should support and espouse conservative principles and public policies; and

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan also believed the Republican Party should welcome those with diverse views; and

WHEREAS, the Republican National Committee shares President Ronald Reagan’s belief that the Republican Party should espouse conservative principles and public policies and should welcome persons of diverse views; and

WHEREAS, Republican faithfulness to its conservative principles and public policies and Republican solidarity in opposition to Obama’s socialist agenda is necessary to preserve the security of our country, our economic and political freedoms, and our way of life; and

WHEREAS, Republican faithfulness to its conservative principles and public policies is also necessary to restore the trust of the American people in the Republican Party, to prevent the emergence of a third party movement, and to lead to Republican electoral victories; and

WHEREAS, in addition to supporting candidates, the Republican National Committee provides financial support for Republican state and local parties for party building and federal election activities, which benefits all candidates and is not affected by this resolution; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Chairman of the Republican National Committee is empowered to take into account a candidate’s faithfulness to the Republican Party’s conservative principles and public policies, as established in the Republican Party’s national platform and resolutions by the RNC, in making the decision, in the best interests of the Republican Party and its principles and consistent with the Rules of the Republican National Committee, that a candidate shall receive financial support from the Republican National Committee; and

RESOLVED, that the Chairman of the Republican National Committee shall require that, as a condition to a candidate’s receipt of a contribution or coordinated expenditure from the Republican National Committee, the candidate agrees to refund such funds if the candidate endorses a Democrat candidate in that race during that election cycle or endorses a Democrat candidate for President in the next Presidential election; and

RESOLVED, that upon the approval of this resolution the Republican National Committee shall deliver a copy of this resolution to each of Republican members of Congress, all Republican candidates for Congress, as they become known, and to each Republican state and territorial party office.

Chief Sponsor:
James Bopp, Jr. NCM IN

Co-Sponsors:
Avie Axdahl NCW MN
Donna Cain NCW OR
Cindy Costa NCW SC
Debbie Joslin NCW AK
Peggy Lambert NCW TN
Carolyn McLarty NCW OK
Pete Rickets NCM NE
Steve Scheffler NCM IA
Helen Van Etten NCW KS
Solomon Yue NCM OR

President Obama issued a “presidential determination” on Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

The presidential notice alters a key provision of the 1999 Defense Authorization Act that required that the president notify Congress whether a transfer of missile and space technology to China would harm the U.S. space-launch industry or help China’s missile programs.

Section 1512 of the 1999 law requires the president to certify to Congress in advance of any missile equipment or technology exports to China that the export will not harm the U.S. space-launch industry and that “missile equipment or technology, including any indirect technical benefit that could be derived from such export, will not measurably improve the missile or space launch capabilities of China.”

Why was this law necessary? Because Clinton-Gore Administration was very willing to sell missile technology to China in the 1990s. As a result, sensitive technology was passed along to China which may be used to vaporize American cities. But laws don’t seem to apply to President Obama, who governs by his own will while his media cheerleaders look the other way.

It was foolish for us to do this in the 1990s and is even more dangerous for us to do it now.

The chief sponsor of this resolution is Kansas National Committeewoman Helen Van Etten. Talking with her today she said,

“I feel the Republican National Committee needs to call on President Obama to restore strict limits on the transfer of missile and space technology to China and call on Congress to exercise its oversight authority to ensure that the Obama administration does not undermine United States security and sovereignty by selling valuable missile and space technology to China. “

If you agree, let your RNC representatives know as they’ll likely be voting on this later this month when they meet in Hawaii. You can find the Kansas RNC member info here and the other states’ RNC member info here.

Proposed Resolution to Keep U.S. Missile Technology from China

WHEREAS, President Obama’s socialist policies are advanced through unprecedented and colossal deficit spending involving trillions of dollars with this deficit spending being financed in significant part by Chinese purchase of U.S. treasury bonds; and

WHEREAS, China is the largest creditor of the United States, holding more than $750 billion dollars in U.S. government debt yet the Obama administration continues to try to persuade China to buy more U.S. treasury bonds and fails to address China’s concern about the devalued dollar due to Obama’s deficit spending; and

WHEREAS, on September 29th 2009, Obama shifted authority for approving sales of missile and space technology to China from the White House to the Commerce Department; a shift that loosens export controls and benefits Chinese missile development, and increases the possibility for “mishandled” missile technology transfers to China; and

WHEREAS, in the Clinton administration such a transfer of technology improved China’s long-range nuclear missile accuracy and reliability and also enabled the Chinese military to demonstrate an anti-satellite missile capability, which has become a major threat to U.S. military’s heavy reliance on satellites for command, control, and communication; and

WHEREAS, the Annual Report to Congress: Military Power of the People’s Republic of China, 2009 states that China continues to develop and field disruptive military technologies, including those nuclear, space, and cyber warfare, that are changing regional military balances and that have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region; and

WHEREAS, China has already begun to initiate hostile activities such as waging cyber warfare by attacking the Pentagon and White House computer networks; and

WHEREAS, the American people have good reason to be concerned about the demonstrated hostile actions and intentions of China directed toward the United States, Taiwan, and the rest of the world; and

WHEREAS, the American people have good reason to be concerned about the foreign policy implications of huge deficits that create a dependence on hostile foreign nations for financing; and

WHEREAS, the American people have good reason to be gravely concerned that President Obama is willing to trade missile technology to China in order to finance the huge deficits needed to fund his socialist policies;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

THAT the Republican National Committee calls on President Obama to restore strict limits on the transfer of missile and space technology to China and calls on Congress to exercise its oversight authority to ensure that the Obama administration does not undermine United States security and sovereignty by selling valuable missile and space technology to China

AND FURTHER THAT upon the approval of this resolution the Republican National Committee shall deliver a copy of this resolution to each of Republican members of Congress, all Republican candidates for Congress, as they become known, and to each Republican state and territorial party office.

Chief Sponsor:
Helen Van Etten, National Committeewoman for Kansas
Co-Sponsors:
Cathie Adams, State Chairman for Texas
Bruce Ash, National Committeeman for Arizona
Evie Axdahl, National Committeewoman for Minnesota
James Bopp, Jr. National Committeeman for Indiana
Donna Cain, National Committeewoman for Oregon
Cindy Costa, National Committeewoman for South Carolina
Demetra DeMonte, National Committeewoman for Illinois
Peggy Lambert, National Committeewoman for Tennessee
Carolyn McLarty, National Committeewoman for Oklahoma
Randall Pullen, State Chairman for Arizona
Pete Ricketts, National Committeeman for Nebraska
Steve Scheffler, National Committeeman for Iowa
Ruth Ulrich, National Committeewoman for Louisiana
Solomon Yue, National Committeeman for Oregon