Trounced at Polls, Kansas GOP Is Still Plagued by Infighting (WP)

[LiberalFighter]

Article

Phill Kline is not one to slink away -- and the ideological wars inside the Kansas Republican Party show no sign of ending.

The fiercely antiabortion Republican attorney general in Kansas lost his reelection bid in November when moderate Republicans voted in droves for Paul Morrison, a longtime Johnson County district attorney who became a Democrat in hopes of vanquishing Kline.

Statewide, Kline got barely 4 in 10 votes. In Johnson County, the state's most populous county, his loss was more dramatic. That made it especially shocking after the election when Republican precinct leaders in the county chose Kline to finish the final two years of Morrison's term as prosecutor.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), a vocal Kline foe, refused to sign his nomination papers, a ceremonial task, lambasting a "small narrow group of partisan political operatives" for choosing him. At the Westside Family Church in Lenexa, after precinct leaders backed Kline over a Morrison aide 316 to 291, Republicans showed just how divided they are.


Should be an interesting election year in 2008 in Kansas.

[rockymountaindem]

1. They will still vote Republican

These are the people who brought you Sen. Brownback.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Did you read the rest of the article?

Along with Kline getting whomped in the county that Republicans elected him in a caucus as Prosecutor the moderate Republicans are fed up with Republicans like Kline.

I'm sure there will be many more that considered themselves Republican that will leave the party just as the one mentioned in the article.

They just need to keep chipping away.

[MuseRider]

4. I have a feeling that things

are going to keep changing and looking up for us here.

We have been working hard but the Republicans, the RW nutcases among them, are doing most of the work for us right now.

Things are looking up here in the mid section of the country.

[LiberalFighter]

6. We shouldn't let them do all the work LOL

We should make sure we highlight and invite the Republicans to make idiots of themselves.

[VegasWolf]

9. I'm chipping away by chipping away at organized religion. Once these people see their

preachers as they really are, meth-addicted, boy buggering, pompous hypocrites and not as the vocal mouth piece of some god that they must pleasure in order to avoid eternal damnation, then they will be better off. They need to see religion for what it really is, a very sophisticated program to remove money from their wallets and transfer that money into the hands of their "leaders".

[n2doc]

2. I hope the Far, far right nuts win

Makes it easier for the Democrats to push them out. Go ahead, please become a medieval party, GOP, I am sure that is going to be popular....

[last1standing]

5. I never thought I'd see that headline.

We've come a long way with the 50 state strategy, let's not abandon it now. Did you hear that Mr. Carville, Mr. Emmanuel, Mr. Schumer?

[depakid]

7. Bottom line is that Kline needs to be disciplined by the state bar

for his behavior. The fact that Kansas officials won't do that is a continuing black mark on the state.

Hell, even North Carolina went after the Duke Lacrosse prosecutor- and arguably Kline has done much worse.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Phill Kline does as much for the Kansas image as does Fred Phelps,

or the anti-evolution farmers in Kansas. It's appalling that Johnson County Republicans would have even dreamed of placing Kline, a complete asshole, in a high-profile job, a very demanding job just vacated by the outstanding District Attorney of many years who just took his job as Kansas Attorney General (after becoming a Democrat), Paul Morrison.

The difference in the two people is horrendous. Paul Morrison has been a powerfully effective prosecutor, prosecuting the RIGHT people the RIGHT way, Phill Kline has ALWAYS been a half-baked, obsessed, hate-filled right-wing perennial loud-mouthed hack/bully.



Phill Kline



Paul Morrison, Democrat.

Paul Morrison went to the podium after learning he had won, looked at his celebrating supporters, and said, "You know, it's at times like this that I wish I had prepared a speech."

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ha. Very enjoyable remark. He's a completely capable speaker.

He'll do a great job putting Kansas back in the world of the mentally competent, working with Democratic Governor Kathleen Sibelius.

[tanyev]

10. WHY does the Republican Party get to choose the person

who finishes out Morrison's term? Shouldn't that be done by the county judge or county commissioners? Or the new AG?

[LiberalFighter]

11. Generally, the vacancy is filled by an election called by the county chair

The only ones eligible to vote in such manner are precinct committeepersons within the same district and political affiliation of the person who vacated the position.

In this case, I believe the person actually switched parties after winning the election. So even though he is now a Democrat he ran as a Republican when he won the election.

This only applies to state or local elections. It does not apply to US Representative or US Senate vacancies.

[tanyev]

12. Wow. I don't think Texas does it the same way.

I've never heard of such a thing.

[LiberalFighter]

13. This is how it is done in Indiana

Personally, I think this is the best way unless it involves major offices. Otherwise, it becomes a burdon financially on the county or counties involved.

In 1989, Quayle became VP and left the position of US Senator open. The Governor appointed our US Representative to fill that slot. Under US Law there still had to be an election in 1990 even though the term expired in 1992. Election vacancies for US Senate are filled at the next general election. Appointments are valid until that election.

That then left a vacancy in our district for US Representative. That election was open to both parties. The difference there was each party had a caucus to elect their candidate to run in the special election.