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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

A TEE Party activist displays his T-shirt

Around 80 citizens attended AFP’s TEE Party in the capital. Activists stood outside the House chambers to greet legislators as they entered and then moved to the viewing balcony to see our government at work. One activist had a campaign flyer from her Senator stating that she had worked to remove the franchise tax, eliminate the estate tax and make Kansas a more tax friendly state. She planned to remind her Senator what she said on the campaign trail.

At noon activist regrouped for a quick lunch. A few legislators joined the group including Sens. Susan Wagle, Dick Kelsey, Mike Petersen and Rep. Steve Brunk. A few organizers quickly addressed the group, including FairTax from Kansas City, Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn and grassroots activist and TEA Party organizer Amanda Grosserode.

FairTax activists have plan in place to bring the FairTax to Kansas. A bill is currently working its way through the Missouri Senate. Advocates noted the devastating effects that could happen here in Kansas if Missouri becomes much more business and tax friendly than Kansas.

Karl Peterjohn gave some tips on effective lobbying. He spoke about the important impact citizens can have on their government.

Amanda Grosserode mention another protest for Congressman Dennis Moore. Details will be announced on their website soon.

Participants were encouraged to visit legislators in the Docking State Office building and in the capital. Some plan to stay and hear the Governor’s address at 4pm if possible. Buses leaving for Johnson County and Wichita will still leave on time at 4pm however.

Reactions from citizens vary. A common theme seems to be the amount of taxpayer funded lobbying that is occuring under the dome. A group from invisiblekansas.com was also under the dome urging no cuts to their taxpayer funded activities. There seems to be every constituency imaginable under the dome lobbying legislators right now except taxpayer citizens.

While I wasn’t able to be at the rally in Overland Park today, I was with you in spirit! Meadowlark has a photo journal up about the rally.

There’s also a great piece on KDOT’s new claim that 10,000 jobs will be created with our state’s share of “spendulus.” In short, many states are simply taking the average yearly wages of a construction worker and dividing it into the total amount of money they get, leaving virtually nothing to pay for construction materials and other costs.

I’d further point to today’s Capital-Journal article, where $2.5 million will be spent to buy new buses for Topeka transit.

That earmark for Topeka comes from $16 million set aside for urban transit, with $6.6 million going to Wichita, $2.8 million to Johnson County, $1.9 million for Wyandotte County and $1.9 million to Lawrence. A total of $14 million is going to rural transit projects, but those recipients haven’t been determined.

How new buses will create jobs is beyond me.