Attack of the so-called mods

The good news is most of the so-called mods are running as Democrats, appropriately.

The bad news is all for them: They're going to lose and lose in ways that make even the staunchest of conservatives uncomfortable.

The KC Star reported this week that several political newcomers will be challenging conservatives in Johnson County for seats in the Kansas Legislature. Let the clown show commence.

• Leesa Gabel, so called mod Republican, will attempt to oust Rep. Keith Esau.
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• Vicki Hiatte, accurately campaigning as a Dem,  will vie for Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook's seat.
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• Dinah Sykes, so called mod, will attempt to unseat Sen. Greg Smith.
• Cindy Holscher, Dem, will take on Rep. Amanda Grosserode.

I know of a few other so-called moderates and Johnson County Dems also planning to take a stab at defeating conservative office holders. 

What do all of these candidates have in common -- other than a stunning lack of political experience? They plan to campaign on the fact that Johnson County schools are destitute. 

Yeah. That's the ticket.

It's almost like a bunch of candidates tried that just last election cycle. I won't bore you with how it turned out, but, um... you should note the very limited number of moderates and Democrats who hold office in Kansas. 

As one very wise Democratic operative put it in a post, "How the Kansas Democratic Party Drove Itself to Near Extinction" on the DailyKos: Johnson County parents weren't going to believe the argument that education was suffering when their kids "were coming home with free technology."

The Kansas liberals just can't get it through their thick skulls: Kansas is a conservative state. The sad part is their ineptitude is not creating a big enough challenge for conservatives. Competition is good, but Kansas conservatives don't really have any.

It wasn't your ovaries, Nancy. It was your last name

I’ll just say it: I am NOT a fan of Nancy Kassebaum.

Kassebaum, mainstream media gushes, was the second woman elected to the U.S. Senate by her own right, “not preceded by a husband or appointed to fulfill an unexpired term.”

She was elected to the Senate largely on name recognition. She wasn’t preceded by her husband, but her father, Alf Landon, was a wealthy oilman and former Kansas Governor AND a Republican presidential candidate in 1936.  She didn’t run for the Senate as “Nancy Kassebaum.” She ran as “Nancy Landon Kassebaum.” Her campaign slogan was “A Fresh Face: A Trusted Kansas Name.” So, yeah, she totally ran and found success on her own merit. (And if you buy that story, let me tell you about this ocean front property in Johnson County, available for a song.)

Can we please stop pretending she was elected to the Senate by plucky hard work and a winning attitude? Seriously, just stop it, Wichita Eagle. Yes, the Eagle has an exclusive story about Kansas’ Political Female Has Been of Record. (The male version is Bob Dole.)

She says, correctly, that if she were to run today she wouldn’t make it past a Kansas primary. Of course, she blames social media. Newsflash, Nance: You’re out of touch – not just in Kansas, but out of touch overall. And it ISN’T because of the Facebook and the Internets. It’s because the people of Kansas gave you 18 years in the U.S. Senate – 18 years to improve, to lead, to meet meaningful challenges – and you used that time to explode the debt, creating a federal culture rich in regulation and overspending. Gross.

She supports gun control measures, Medicaid expansion and criticizes Brownback initiatives to lower taxes. And then there’s her monstrous belief that babies don’t have an intrinsic right to life. Of course she wouldn’t make it out of a Kansas primary, and that loss would actually be based on her merit.

We should absolutely seek the counsel and advice of our elders. We should value their experience, but we don’t have to kiss a ring or pretend Nancy Kassebaum has some sort of magical legacy. She’s free to regale us with tales of her wisdom, but we should take much of her tale with a grain of salt. She’s no saint. (Actually, I’d call her a bit of a back stabber.) And for the love of all that is holy, let’s stop pretending she broke some mythical glass ceiling for women. Her daddy broke the ceiling just enough for her to work her way through. 

How to get appointed to Brownback's cabinet

A good resume helps, but most importantly, one must have ties to a certain Topeka church or Benedictine College or be a personal friend of Kim Borchers -- or live in her basement.

Brownback has found a new Commerce Secretary.  After a careful search(ish), Brownback will nominate Antonio J. Soave to replace former Commerce Secretary Pat George. The Kansas Senate must confirm Soave. Assuming he doesn't withdraw like the last guy, he should take over at Commerce in December.