What Isn't to Hate About Kansas Republicans is to Love

Did you see this yesterday or today?

Kansas Congressman Steve Watkins charged with three felonies in illegal voting case

Watkins used a Topeka UPS store as a voter registration address

As I said in the title, yet more Republican Party hypocrisy.

If it isn't a male Republican bashing gays and legislating against them, or trying to, then being caught with a male in a sex romp, it's Republicans, like this one, that rails, along with his political party, about possible voter fraud and, voila'! Look what happens. He lists his residence as a commercial space AND GETS CAUGHT IN VOTER FRAUD.  And not one but 3 felonies, mind you.

Aren't Republicans wonderful?

I don't know for what.  Except maybe irony? Hypocrisy? Laughs when you aren't crying?

Speaking of Republicans from Kansas, we can't forget old Kris "I'm Not a Racist" Kobach

Kris Kobach Outed As A White Supremacist

And then there's this.

Kris Kobach Admits He Violated 

Ethical Rules for Attorneys

And this from 2018.

Kris Kobach Accused Of Breaking The Law

Here's a brief summary of old Kris' issues.

Kris Kobach Controversies: 

5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Then, not done there, there's this Marshall guy, also from Kansas. Here's one for starters.

Roger Marshall was convicted of 

reckless driving in 2008

It gets worse from there.

Partner's son helped reduce charge for future Rep. Marshall

“Sparks Fly” at Kansas GOP Senate Debate as Marshall Draws Continued Criticism Over Conviction Scandal

Marshall Slammed for Using Political and Business Connections to Erase Conviction, Still Facing Calls to Release Sealed Affidavit

Last night’s Kansas GOP Senate debate saw “sparks fly”as the underwhelming field of Republican candidates continued to attack each other in the “divisive and crowded” primary that has plagued Washington Republicans and left them “spooked this year.” Following a bombshell report that revealed how Congressman Roger Marshall used his political and business relationships to erase a reckless driving conviction and replace it with a minor traffic violation, Marshall faced an onslaught of brutal scrutiny from the other candidates for that scandal.

The nasty debate underscored how much of a “headache” Kansas has become for Republicans.

And what's amazing is that in all these cases, these men are all, all still in contention for their races. They haven't a) disqualified themselves or b) been thrown out, by the political party or by laws or anything.  They're still running.. That is quite the group of candidates they have running this year, I tell you what.

If you don't laugh with these guys, you cry. This political cartoon still fits them.

Thanks, Republicans!

Kansas Makes Clear What Our Problem Is

There's an excellent, even important article on the Topeka Captiol-Journal website presently that points out the biggest problem in our states but in Washington, DC, too.

Conflict-of-interest questions swirl around Kansas GOP senator

Here's the situation taken from a Facebook friend's, Davis Hammet of Loud Light, page today.

After becoming Chair of the Kansas Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Julia Lynn got a job working at Allied Global Services (AGS). Sen. Lynn endorsed and confirmed Brownback’s Commerce Secretary Soave who later was found to be steering government contracts to his friends. AGS got over $13 million in government contracts the last few years. As that scandal came to light, Sen. Lynn used her Chair position to block an investigation into those deals. When questioned about all this she said that she’s exempt from conflicts of interest... This story just made her resign from the corporate job, but she hasn't resigned from the Senate.

Money.

Money is our problem here in Kansas. And Missouri. And all across every state in the nation and, as I said above, especially in Washington, DC.

It's money that has made our health care system tied to profit instead of being universally available as all other Western, industrialized nations have. 

It's money that got us the outrageously priced higher education system we have now that also shuts people of modest or little means from being able to participate.

It's money that has our legislators writing that legislation and our laws for the already-wealthy and corporations, not for the people and nation.

For Kansas and across each state, here is what we need to do to fix this, taken from the same Facebook thread:

Lauren Smith-Sessions    It's time to address paying a livable wage to legislators so that we can elect good people that care about Kansas more than personal gain.

It's just not that complicated.

Pay our representatives at the state level enough to be there and do the work. Then, along with it, make any funds taken from any other person or company illegal.

Then, in Washington, in our Federal Government, we need to, first, overturn Citizens United. Then we need to end campaign contributions entirely. We have to think the unthinkable.

Other nations have done and do this. The UK is an excellent example. By making campaign contributions not just possible but legal, we have effectively legalized bribery. It's insane. It's not true, representational government. It's not "for the people."

Ironic, isn't it? We, the US, the "world's wealthiest nation", being crushed by money.

Link:

National Elections: What the UK Does Right and We Americans Do So Wrong