Todd Tiahrt and the Republicans: having it both ways

So Todd Tiahrt and his band of Republicans are supposed to be for "small government" and nearly no government at all, to hear them say it. Heck, the way they talk, you'd think they were all "slash the government" Libertarians. But right now, ol' Todd is running like a banshee for office, so what does he come up with? Check it out: Todd Tiahrt, who is running for U.S. Senate in Kansas, said he will press for a federal law to require cell phone companies to help find missing persons... The issue involving cell phone companies arose in the case of the late Kelsey Smith. She was abducted and killed in 2007... The proposal would require cell phone companies to release records to investigators working on missing persons cases. So, sure, the Republicans are for "small government." Unless they're running for office. Or trying to help their big, corporate friends... Or... Apparently, Republican George W. Bush's intrusive and far-reaching "Patritot Act" just isn't enough for these people. Link to original post: http://www.kmbc.com/news/24408955/detail.html

Skelton and Moran---two "top travelers" in Washington

There is a study out right now from the "Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit that uses technology to try to make government more transparent. In early June the organization released its latest massive data dump on the expenditures that House representatives make from their Members Representational Allowances, or MRAs." They "show what the House spent on itself in the last six months of 2009 and first three months of 2010." Frequent fliers: The top two travelers in the House? Democrats Chellie Pingree of Maine, who has 197 travel expenditures, and Ike Skelton of Missouri, who had 163 expenditures. Neither was close to being the top spender, however. One high-spending traveler was Republican Jerry Moran of Kansas, who had 145 expenditures and an $82,000 taxpayer bill. Not good, Jerry. It's not good if you want to get elected to the Senate. And not good if you don't want Todd "I'm more Conservative than you" Tiahrt attacking you. Link to original post: http://www.aolnews.com/house-money/article/the-other-congressional-spending-how-the-house-spent-1-billion-on-itself/19522761

On Moran and Tiahrt right now

Two recent news events occurred having to do with this senate race in Kansas that need to be noted. First, In their Republican primary campaigns for the U.S. Senate in Kansas, Jerry Moran raised nearly $90,000 more than Todd Tiahrt during the second quarter, according to a report filed this week with the Federal Election Commission. Moran also had nearly $1 million more in cash on hand than his congressional colleague at the end of the second quarter on June 30. So Jerry's kicking Todd's butt, money-wise. Secondly, Jerry Moran is still 14 points ahead of Todd T. in a very recent poll by SurveyUSA conducted for KWCH-TV in Wichita. Sure, Tiahrt gained a bit of ground but he's still pretty far back in popularity if we can trust this poll--and there's no reason to think otherwise. So, now, prediction: watch for the Tiahrt campaign to come out very ugly, very soon, and start attacking Jerry Moran even more, for not being "Conservative", Right wing and "Republican" enough. This political party has long been "eating its own young" and it will now continue here, more locally. Links to original posts: http://blogs.kansas.com/gov/2010/07/14/moran-raises-90000-more-than-tiahrt-in-second-quarter/ http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/20/2095460/poll-shows-moran-leads-in-gop.html

Conservatives vs. Conservatives and the Religious vs. the Religious

There is a terrific article out yesterday in the Kansas City Star about "The two leading Republican candidates for Kansas’ open Senate seat Tuesday night clashed on a central question: Who is the strongest conservative in the race? And this, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what has been going on in this country and the world far too much in the last decade or more. If you're "Conservative", you have to be ultra-conservative--and prove it, in both religion and politics. If you're a Christian, by gosh, you want to prove that you're out-doing all the other religious people in the world, let alone your own church. I had a roommate once who was raised in an uber-religious, Christian, right-wing family. Fortunately for him--and it was the only way I could have lived with him--he got an education and got away from all that crap. But here's the funny thing--"Mom and Dad" raised the kids to be ultra-religious. Predictable, right? So the other son (there were 2 boys) becomes a minister, for heaven's sake (pun intended). It just couldn't get any better than that, right? But here's the rub: Sonny-boy Minister becomes Uber-Uber right-wing, religious and conservative. What a hoot. He thinks he's more--probably much more--religious, "close to God", conservative, fundamentalist and "holy" than the folks. They've been outdone. It's insane. Each one trying to outdo the other, in a competitive, religious way. And that is what is, fortunately for the rest of us clear thinkers, tearing apart the Republican Party, what with the breakaway Libertarians and now the "Tea Party", etc., etc. They all want to go further "Right" and outdo the other. And that's just what Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran did last night, apparently, at this debate. And that's what the Sunnis and Shii'as do in the Middle East, in Iraq and thereabouts. Only they kill each other. You'd just be very hard pressed to get the Republicans, either of these 2 candidates or any Christian or group of Christians to see the similarities between them and the Muslims killing one another. Did you know there is incredibly little difference in doctrine between the Sunnis and Shii'a Muslims? Yeah, there is. BUT THEY KILL EACH OTHER. It's insane but it's what they do and, to date, there is no stopping them. Same with Republicans, in a lesser way (--though no killing. Yet. That we know of). They keep shredding their political party but there's no stopping them, God bless their shiny little heads. We got rid of Communism, virtually worldwide and its supposedly life-threatening nature and at first I thought it was going to be the gays that would get demonized to the exclusion of all others but no. It's conservatives and fundamentalists in religions and political parties that are tearing each other apart. And you know what? May they have at it as long as they wish. Link to original story: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/06/2067255/moran-and-tiahrt-debate-whos-the.html