Two quotes start off this TRACKSIDE, one from an early American statesman and one from a noted geopolitical analyst:

“The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.” –Senator Daniel Webster (1782-1852)

“Morally, committing the lives of citizens to waging war requires meticulous attention to the law and proprieties. … I am making the argument that the suspension of Section 8 of Article I as if it is possible to amend the Constitution with a wink and nod represents a mortal threat to the republic. If this can be done, what can’t be done?” – - George Friedman, STRATFOR

The failure of Congress to hold the President accountable for plunging us into war without a formal declaration by Congress does represent a mortal threat to our country. Congress whistles past the graveyard while the President shreds the Constitution. What Congressional authority will he usurp next? Maybe the budget. He could declare a national fiscal emergency that demands unilateral action, that a Congressional budget debate would take too long to keep the dollars flowing to his favored constituencies. Or will he just dismiss Congress as irrelevant? That in effect is what he has done by his actions.

The President has said that he wants Gadhafi to be ousted, but our mission is just to enforce the no-fly zone – he would not put “boots on the ground.” We now find that we do have boots on the ground – it was a hard swallow from Day One to accept “no boots on the ground” – somebody had to be providing time-sensitive targeting data, laser pointing for laser-guided weaponry, and battle space coordination with the rebels. To compound the folly, the Administration is talking about arming the rebels, who they admit, they do not know much about. Just what we need, more printing-press dollars being used to put weapons in the hands of al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood and to put our country deeper in debt. (But then, the Administration has experience with giving weapons to bad guys with its Operation Gunrunner on the Mexican border.)

And speaking of enforcing the no-fly zone, it would certainly be appropriate for NATO (or whomever is pulling the strings), to enunciate the enforcement rules of engagement. It appears that the no-fly zone was endangered by Libyan small craft in the harbor of Misratah. To take out this danger to our aircraft, a U.S. P-3 patrol aircraft launched one or more Maverick missiles at a 40-foot coast guard cutter that had to be beached, and an A-10 Warthog made splinters of one small boat with its 30mm Gatling gun. All in all, in the words of one commentator, it is silly to call it a no-fly zone when it is obvious that the target list goes well beyond just enforcing a no-fly zone.

The Patriot Post raised another question about the no-fly zone and the “humanitarian” basis for our undeclared war on Libya in the April 1st edition:

”Reasonable people have asked how Libya qualifies for a NATO-imposed no-fly zone and air strikes to neuter the Libyan military, but Syria is somehow different. Don’t the Syrians want exactly the same relief from a murderous, tyrannical government that the Libyans want? Isn’t the regime using deadly force against civilians? What happened to the “interests and values” about which Obama so sanctimoniously opined?”

And it is not just Syria that belies the veracity of the President’s stated rationale for taking us to war against Libya. Scan the news and you can find repressive regimes slaughtering people: Ivory Coast, Bahrain, and Yemen to name a few. Why just pick Libya? An easy target to build 2012 election campaign points? Doing the will of Europe for oil? Or something more devious? The President has said that the mission is not regime change, but it has been reported that a European diplomat admitted that the no-fly zone was but a diplomatic smokescreen designed to get Arab states on board with a military operation that had regime change as the real goal. I do not doubt it in the least. An author on the American Thinker website, in the same vein, ends his article asking:

“How do voters feel about Congress being sidelined to serve the interests of the Arab League?”

The President lies to the American people and gives Congress the mushroom treatment. Articulated or not, we are in a Constitutional crisis. When is Congress going to stand up and be counted? When is Congress going to act to protect the supremacy of our Constitution, the bulwark of our freedom?

See you Trackside.

Where were you Raj when your party was passing stimulus after stimulus, bailout after bailout of corporations that deserved to go under? Where were you while your party took over one industry after another? Where were you while your President advocated (and continues to advocate) centralization of the US economy, lead by an ineffective government?

After all Mr. Goyle, you are a prominent politician, a former ACLU lawyer who, according to your own campaign finance records, has numerous political contacts in Washington D.C. When your party was heading up the take over one industry after another, what were you doing to stop it? You say you want to represent the people of south-central Kansas, but in reality that is something you can do without a title or an office in D.C., isn’t it? So what have you done besides produce an ad to get yourself elected to stop the bailouts, to stop the madness?

Nothing Mr. Goyle. You’ve done nothing.

You’ve done nothing because you are 100% in lockstep with Speaker Pelosi and President Obama. Your lower than the corporations you skewer in your ads, a politician who will do anything, say anything to get elected.

Take a look at the ad and decide for yourself. Goyle has been described as charismatic and charming by some, but this ad certainly doesn’t show it. Goyle comes across as so wimpy he must feign anger at policies his party continues to support.

Click for Moore's full letter to supporters

In an email to supporters today, Stephene Moore called herself a, “moderate and fiscal conservative.” What exactly that means, of course, is anyone’s guess.

It’s no secret that her husband has been anything but a fiscal conservative after supporting government take overs of every industry you can think of, from the financial sector to automobiles to our health care system. In an article on PrimeBuzz of the Kansas City Star, Stephene stated that she basically agreed with her husband’s votes, noting only that she wanted more oversight (control) of the bank bailout bill, leaving the reader to postulate that she would have supported such a bailout if more oversight had been included. What exactly is “moderate” or “fiscally conservative” about more taxes and more bailouts isn’t explained in her letter.

In this year’s election there are numerous candidates calling themselves “moderate” and “fiscally conservative” when their record reflects something much different. The fact is if voters want the change they thought they were getting in 2008, they must look past the buzz words certain candidates love to throw around. And that includes “conservative” that apparently every Republican candidate liked to call themselves before August, again many times in spite of a very liberal record.

Now, as far as how one can be a “moderate” and “fiscal conservative,” I’m at a loss. It would seem the label machine at Moore’s campaign headquarters seems to be working overtime.

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.

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.

Raj Goyle, D-Wichita

Only two House Democrats voted against the massive budget bill in the House yesterday, one that will require the largest tax increase in Kansas history. One was Patrick Maloney of Kingman. He replaced Dennis McKinney, who is one of many Democrats to be appointed to a statewide seat. The other was Raj Goyle of Wichita.

Goyle is a former ACLU attorney and liberal member of the Kansas House. Goyle is running for Congress in the fourth congressional district around Wichita, and just recently was the only House Democrat who voted to end the corporate income tax in Kansas. This vote was very out of character for him, and this weekend’s budget vote was even more strange.

Goyle has a measly 9% rating with APF-Kansas for the 2009 legislative session.

Could it be that Goyle is now voting how he knows the voters in Wichita want him to vote, just so he can get elected to Congress and then later vote however he wants, a la Dennis Moore?

Nahhh, that’d never happen.

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”

“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

The header and message that greeted those who signed up for email updates from the Stephene Moore campaign website yesterday. Click the image to enlarge it.

Webpage displayed when unsubscribed is clicked from the Stephene Moore campaign emails. The constant contact email and information is for the Stephene Moore campaign. Click the image to enlarge it.

After announcing her candidacy and telling the Kansas City Star, “I’m not entitled to the seat,” it seems that Stephene Moore, wife of current Congressman Dennis Moore, doesn’t have a problem with using her husband’s campaign resources to try and keep the seat in the family.

As previously noted, Mrs. Moore had some website problems yesterday morning. Apparently, those problems were resolved later in the day only to be replaced with another, more curious problem: a header with Dennis Moore’s picture and the words Congressman Dennis Moore greeted those who signed up to receive email updates from the Stephene Moore campaign.

Once confirmed, subscribers were greeted with an incredible statement from the Stephene Moore campaign.

Welcome to Stephene Moore for Congress. We are happy to have you as a member of our community. Your email address and interest preferences have been recordedin our database. In the future, you will receive periodic emails specific to your interests.

Privacy is important to us; therefore, we will not sell, rent, or give your name or address to anyone. At any point, you can select the link at the bottom of every email to unsubscribe, or to receive less or more information.

Thanks again for registering. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Stephene Moore

I guess that privacy thing only applies to non-family members, huh?

How does a header with Dennis Moore’s picture end up on the confirmation page for Stephene Moore’s campaign updates? This is a Constant Contact website with identifying information linked to the Stephene Moore campaign. As such, there’s only two possibilities as to what is going on.

1. Mrs. Moore has hired some highly incomptent staff that had uploaded an image from her husband’s campaign rather than her’s. In this case Stephene is guilty of nothing more than perhaps being incompetent herself and demonstrating why she shouldn’t be allowed to hold elective office.
2. Stephene has taken control of her husbands Constant Contact account and changed the identifying information but failed to changed the header displayed when someone signed up with the campaign.

In the case of number two, one has to ask if this isn’t borderline illegal. Constant Contact costs money. Is the Dennis campaign making an in-kind contribution to Stephene? If so, will this show up on her next campaign finance report? How does Stephene choosing to use her husband’s contact account square with her statement that she’s her own person and not entitled to the seat just because of who she’s married to?

Or better yet Stephene, after you’ve answered all of those questions, would you produce just ONE voter who actually, truly and wholeheartedly thinks, and has told you, that they think you’re ENTITLED to the seat just because of who you’re married to? If you know somebody like that, what kind of scary people have you been hanging out with?

Click the image to enlarge

Stephene Moore, wife of Democrat Congressman Dennis Moore, finally announced yesterday that she’ll try to keep the seat in the Kennedy, err, I mean, Moore family, this November. She’s already indicated she supports cap and trade, government run health care, and the TARP bailout. In other words, Moore of the same. (Gee, didn’t see that overused line coming at all, huh?)

My question to Mrs. Moore is who’s lying, her or her husband? Let’s remember why Dennis said he was leaving office.

Congressman Dennis Moore said Tuesday that his decision not to run for re-election is all about family and a promise he made to his wife.

Moore said they talked about him leaving office after five terms, but he will finally step down after serving six terms. He also put to rest the rumor that he was not running because of health reasons.

Leaving for family huh? I guess the family (and when I say family I mean Mrs. Moore) got pretty used to her Washington lifestyle and isn’t quite ready to give it up yet.

On a lighter note, it looks like Stephene’s off to a rocky online start.

KRA poll results for the third congressional district

Patricia Lightner narrowly won the KS-03 poll with 199 votes. Daniel Gilyeat was second with 193 votes, followed by John Rysavy and Nick Jordan.

The Kansas Republican Assembly endorses candidates in all statewide races from Kansas House to US Senate to Governor during their annual convention, set for June of 2010. Members from across the state will gather to voice their choice for a conservative, Republican candidate.

Previous KRA polls for KS-04 and KS-01 can be found here.

KRA will have it’s annual convention in June 2010 where its members will vote on endorsements for the 2010 primaries in various statewide races.

The primary race in Kansas’ Third Congressional District just got a lot more crowded with Dennis Moore announcing he’s quitting rather than face Republican opposition.

You can vote for your choice for a Republican nominee in our poll on the right. We’ve tried to list any candidate running or somewhat seriously considering running.

We’ll announce the results at a later date.

When Congressman Moore’s office was contacted, they stated that any citizen in Kansas has the right to request to not be filmed. While this is true, it certainly could have been done in a more tasteful manner, without the obvious contempt for those delivering petitions and letters to Rep. Moore’s office.

Further, a congressional staffer works for the public, and if they are uncomfortable with being filmed while working for the public, then maybe they should find a different line of work.

Congressman Moore and Nancy Pelosi’s Democrat majority said if they were elected, they would usher in a new era of open government. Perhaps Congressman Moore should educate his staff that they work for the people, and as part of the new “open” government, we the people have a right to know and see what happens in our office!

Results of the KRA fourth district poll

Looks like a lot of fourth district campaigns “got out the voters” so to speak in the just closed KRA poll.

Dick Kelsey won 41% of the total votes with a record 5,110 votes. Jim Anderson was second with 34% of the vote and Mike Pompeo was third with 24%.

Results as of last Friday can be found here. Clearly a few campaigns motivated some folks to sit by the computer and vote their heart out. It’s always nice to have dedicated volunteers!

Tim Huelskamp was the previous run away winner in the first district poll. While here, take the time to vote in our new poll on how to fund additional highway improvements in Kansas. (Yes, you can vote AGAINST tax increases if your heart desires. I somehow figured out how to include that in the poll.)

You can vote for one or two options in the new poll on your right.

Poll results for the fourth district Republican primary as of Friday morning.

This weekend will be your last chance to vote in our poll for the fourth district Republican primary. The response has been significant, so we’re going to give everyone a few more days to voice their opinion before the results are posted.

Results as of 10:30am Friday are posted on the right.

Multiple votes are allowed from the same IP after a small time out period.

Just as a reminder, polls on the KRA website are quite unscientific since anyone is invited to vote in our polls.

But it’s fun to see who conservatives in Kansas currently favor, nonetheless.

Democrat Dennis Moore recently attended a liberal fund raiser with House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Fwank (D-Mass.) What would “Blue Dog” Dennis Moore have in common with liberal Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank?

Whatever they have in common, it must mean a lot to Dennis. After all, why else would Moore risk walking right out on the street in crime ridden Washington D.C.?

Say what you will about Barney Frank, but the guy got Dennis Moore to do something his constituents couldn’t; come out in public.

Dennis, you’re a brave, brave soul. Don’t you know how crime ridden the streets of D.C. are? I thought you were a former district prosecutor? I mean, we’re just really concerned about your safety here. Don’t you know there were just “60,000″ right wing wackos in D.C.? What if a couple of them stayed behind? What then Dennis???

I guess safety is all relative depending on how many Benjamin’s are at the meeting.

What a joke.

In fact, the only guy I can think of that’s more of a political joke than Dennis Moore right now is Sun Publisher Steve Rose. He announced today that he’s running against Dennis Moore in 2010, even though he’s endorsed him in every election since 1998! I’m in disbelief that Steve’s friends don’t care enough about him to tell him he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in h*ll of winning.

Somebody send Steve a memo that only Republican’s can vote for him in a primary. And unlike him, a majority of them don’t belong to the country club.

Steve’s fundamental problem is the consistent amount of Republicans that have voted against Dennis Moore since he was elected. Granted there wasn’t enough of them to defeat Moore, but they’ve been clear and consistent in their distaste for the guy. Why would they now vote for a registered Republican Dennis Moore mini-me?

Good luck Steve. You’re gonna need it with the book of campaign material you’ve written for your primary opponents.

Results from the most recent KRA poll

The results are in from the first district and it looks like Sen. Tim Huelskamp is the run away winner.

Now you can look to your right and vote in our new poll for the fourth district. Click the links below for website information. I was unable to find website information for “Wink” Hartman or Jean Schodorf. If you are aware of one, email webmaster @ kansasra.org.

• Mike Pompeo
• Dick Kelsey
• Jim Anderson

Unfortunately, the labels and platitudes have confused what should be a simple charge. Elected Republicans should govern by the principles they profess in campaign rallies and advertisements. Those principles were once the difference between the parties. The Democratic Party has always been an amalgam of special interests and constituencies with specific needs and wants cobbled together with government programs and spending. The Republican Party, at its best, is a party of broad ideas and principles. For example, those who tend to vote Republican believe in limiting the size and scope of government and respect the guarantees of individual freedom and liberty of our Constitution; they respect life and its diversity; and they understand that free market capitalism, the glue that holds the Republican party, and our Nation, together, is both the most efficient and most moral economic system.

Elected Republicans, particularly in Congress, have expanded government; ignored the Constitution; bailed out failed big businesses with taxes collected from successful small businesses; and spent, and spent, and spent. The Republican Congressional network of wasteful earmarks, corporate welfare and politically motivated subsidies simply recast the Democratic model of purchasing votes (ethanol anyone?). Now, Republican leaders express surprise that in a fiscal arms race to decide which party can spend the most, the Democrats have won.

Republicans can only govern creatively and effectively when the deeds and actions of their candidates match their words.