Kansas GOP Insider (wannabe): July 2013

Monday, July 22, 2013

A bureaucrat has a birthday

In the future, July 22 may become a statewide holiday. 

It's Bob Dole's birthday, you see, and politicians and wannabes are fawning all over themselves to offer praise to the former state senator on his 90th birthday. (Conservatives, check your Facebook feed, you'll see what I mean.)

An example? Here's Rep. Kevin Yoder's status:

"Today we wish a very Happy 90th Birthday to Senator Bob Dole. Senator Dole embodies the spirit of service above self and has spent his life devoted to making our state and country better."

Um. Not exactly. While I admire Dole's service to our country in World War II, that's not why we know his name today, and it's certainly not why every public official in the state is bowing at the altar of Bob Dole today.

No, they're cheering his decades of "service" in the U.S. Congress.  It gives me the heebie jeebies. 

I do NOT understand why we praise politicians for winning elections. I mean, good on them, but it's not exactly jumping on a landmine to save a friend. U.S. Senators belong to one of the most prestigious and wealthy clubs in the entire world. Once elected, their job -- which is actually winning elections, but I digress -- involves grandstanding and knocking down anything standing between them and a television camera.

When Senators arrive in Washington, most probably have something that passes for principle. But once they've been there a few years, their entire universe appears to revolve around getting the mainstream media to call them "thoughtful" which in normal people speak means stabbing conservatives in the back. Trust me on this: Dole's knife drawer at home is missing several slicers.

Back when Dole was a Senator, he was of the willing establishment -- penning bad deals for Americans alongside the Democrats. He raised taxes, because heaven knows if there's one place running short on cash in this country, it's the hallowed hallways in Washington, D.C. Dole's "deals" lead Newt Gingrich to deem Dole "the tax collector for the welfare state."

We last heard from Sen. Bob Dole in December of last year.  That's when the frail, wheelchair bound media sensation took to the Capitol to lobby for the U.S. signing a U.N. treaty on disabled rights. It was a terrible idea
Before that, we heard from Bob Dole advocating for "healthcare reform" in 2009. So that was helpful, because the resulting ObamaCare is really becoming a point of national pride. On a positive note, Dole's healthcare reform lobbying earned him the praise of the New York Times.

I am more than happy to highlight the selfless acts of World War II veterans. I am continually in awe of their service. They truly saved the world. But Bob Dole didn't do it alone, and in the meantime, he profited handsomely from his "service" in the U.S. Capitol.

I do not understand bowing at the altar of bureaucrats. They are more than compensated for their efforts. 




Monday, July 15, 2013

Dems' sacrificial lamb -- 2014 edition

So, there's going to be an election for Kansas governor in 2014. Short of a dead puppy or young boy sex scandal, there is no way on earth Gov. Sam Brownback loses the race. 

And so it is with great anticipation that political watchers are wondering -- who will the Democrats offer up as a sacrificial lamb in 2014? 

 Like a delicate lamb headed to slaughter, I give you Paul Davis. Davis currently serves as the minority leader of the Kansas House. He's from Lawrence. (The fact that I know he's planning to run officially makes this THE WORST KEPT SECRET in all of history.)

I can count the Democrats with whom I am a confidante on no hands.

All of the signs of an impending sacrifice to the lords of Kansas politics were there: Davis completed some bizarr-o world listening tour this year. 

And he's been everywhere -- EVERYWHERE -- rallying the troops. To the casual observer, it might appear that Davis is everywhere because there are a total of two Democrats in Kansas, and he's one of the duo. But to the trained political eye, it was obvious he was gearing up for a big run.

Well, let me throw it out first, the only things missing in this sacrifice are a white dress and virginity. He's taking the reins of the Kansas Democratic Party and running his horse right into the volcano -- or something like that.

Strangely, I hear the Democrats feel confident about his chances. Which makes me feel like cooking them some soup or sending them flowers, because this pony show is going to end badly for Paul Davis. 

A quick recap of 2010: Tom Holland, the Democratic candidate for governor, was sent through the sausage machine and his extremities were sent to the far corners of the state as a warning to others. Well, not exactly. But Holland lost. Hugely. It was Brownback in a landslide with almost 64 percent of the votes. Holland received 32 percent. 

On a positive note, Holland outright won Douglas and Wyandotte Counties, so there's that. And I fully expect Davis will do a little better due to Brownback fatigue. Heck, I'm sick of Brownback, too. 

That doesn't mean I'd vote for a Democrat though, and neither will any other conservative of conscience. That said, Davis may collect a few more votes in Johnson and Sedgwick Counties, but beyond those two? That's his ceiling. If 2012 is any indication, Kansas is MORE conservative than it was in 2010. And Davis is Nancy Pelosi minus the botox. 

But my Democratic friends are confident. Because hope springs eternal?? (I suspect their confidence comes from a lack of common sense. I mean, these are people who bought that "Hope and Change" thing TWICE so...) But if asked, they'll tell you their confidence comes from a little thing called Dennis Moore's campaign contributors. 

Whatever helps them sleep at night.