Shallow principled man leaves GOP: No one sheds a single tear

I can see disagreeing with a few Republicans on race issues. 

But there are racists everywhere -- even in the Democrat Party.

This fool, the former RNC Director of Hispanic Outreach who has switched his party affiliation to Democrat, is nothing but an opportunistic slug who should forever be shunned by politicians of both parties.

There is one part of the story about his party-switch that is, well, obvious: The RNC is an awful judge of character. That guy is obviously of shallow principle -- so of course, the RNC gave him a fancy job and title.

Fail.

Kansas bad, according to study

As a percentage of income, Kansas' poorest pay a higher amount in state and local taxes than their wealthier counterparts.

A study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reported that the poorest 20 percent of non-elderly Kansans pay 10.3 percent of their income in state and local taxes, while the wealthiest 1 percent pay only 3.9 percent.

You know what else the poor spend more on as a percentage of their income than the wealthy -- housing. Food. Transportation. Vacations. Healthcare. Pet care. The poor probably spend less as a percentage of their income on yachts and private jets, but that's probably about it.

This is math, people.

The only thing that would truly fix the disparity is a flat income tax rate that does not offer any tax breaks or incentives. (You'd also likely need to eliminate sales taxes and other governmental fees.)

But that's highly unlikely. Take away tax breaks and incentives and you eliminate the jobs of so many lobbyists!

Department of Labor shuffling

There’s a hole at the top of the Kansas Department of Labor.

Back in September, Gov. Brownback sent former Sec. of Labor Karin Brownlee
to the unemployment line.  Deputy Secretary of Labor Lana Gordon was given
the nod, but only in the interim.

Still no word – not even a whisper as to why Brownlee was canned. I’ve got
my own theories – specifically, when you board the Brownback train, you sit
in your seat and keep your mouth shut. You so not attempt to help read the
map or offer suggestions for scenic routes.

This is perhaps a character flaw in our ambitious Governor.  I suspect he
likes to be surrounded by ‘yes’ men and women rather than trusting the
judgment of those around him.

Anyway, rumor has it that despite their differences, Brownback offered
Brownlee an olive branch in the form of an appointment to a
well-compensated board. I think she said no, but this is third hand rumor,
so do with this information what you will.

And as for that hole at the top of the labor department? Brownback is said
to be considering a soon-to-be former legislator who lost his election,
largely as a result of redistricting snafus.

Annnd the race for KS GOP Chair is on

I was wondering whether Amanda Adkins, current Kansas GOP Chair, would
continue her rein as Queen of the Kansas GOP, but it appears she's turning
in her crown.


Kelly Arnold, a guy who has really adorable curly man hair, has announced
his intent to run for Chair of the Kansas Chair. He currently serves as
Vice Chair. And really, the only thing I know about him is that thing about
his hair. Oh, and he's originally from McPherson and now lives in Wichita.
(I think.) According to what I just Googled, he also serves as the County
Clerk of Sedgwick County.


Anyway, Arnold is running to replace Adkins as Chair of the GOP. And as is
the (strange) tradition in GOP circles, he's also announced a slate of
candidates to fill leadership positions.


His slate includes elevating Michelle Martin, a Salina attorney, from who
secretary to vice chair of the state party. For secretary, Arnold's slate
lists Derek Kreifels, the current assistant treasurer of Kansas. Arnold's
slate would see TC Anderson remain in his current role as treasurer of the
state party.


I know this is rare, but I have few opinions on this topic. Adkins and Co.
did a fine job, although with the exception of Adkins I couldn't pick the
leadership out of a line-up. I know of no scandals that occurred during the
Adkins rein, and the same can't be said of her predecessor Kris Kobach.


I guess if I had one, teeny, tiny complaint, it would be that I think the
group is hand-selected by the Governor. In my mind, that's backwards. It
should be a bottom-up process in which grassroots people elevate the
leaders among them rather than this kind of top-down leadership that I
believe is the norm in today's Kansas GOP. (And maybe always has been. As
I've said before, I'm relatively new to the whole scene.)



I also think I've said this before, but I'd like to see another slate --
not because I don't like the current leadership. Just, a little competition
never hurt anyone. In fact, I'd argue it makes us stronger.


Anyway, Arnold recently sent a letter to grassroots folks seeking their
support. Here's what he had to say:


I am running for Chair of the Republican Party because I believe in Kansas
and I believe that conservative principles will lead our state and our
country on a path to prosperity.  We must continue to fight back against
Democrats who want to make government bigger and more involved in Kansans’
lives.


 I have been intimately involved in our grassroots Republican Party for
over a decade, not only serving in numerous leadership roles, but more
importantly volunteering for hundreds of campaigns to get conservatives
elected. Additionally, I was reelected this year as Sedgwick County Clerk.
 I look forward to working with you over the next few weeks as we refine
our message and work to make sure our conservative principles become a
reality by winning important elections for years to come.

Mods get down and they get up again

Republicans are setting up the firing range. Our targets – one another.

At least, that’s what I believe is probably the case with a new group
calling itself “Moderate Kansas.”

The group has created a very vague website and is happily tweeting
(@ModerateKS) itself into the state’s lexicon.

The website,  www.moderatekansas.com, is red. That’s about all there is to
see. There’s a motto: A Rational Voice for the Majority of Kansas. But I
don’t know what that means. It’s awfully hope-y change-y to me. You can
ascribe whatever values suit your purpose to it.

According to their Twitter account, they are planning an organizational
meeting to write a platform in January.

If I had to guess, this is the reincarnation of the so-called moderate
Republicans. I just think we’ve heard this song before. The tune was catchy
for awhile and then wore thin, kind of like “Tub Thumping,” by Chumbawamba.
(They were one-hit wonders for a reason.)

I guess the mods are hoping they’ll get back up again after getting knocked
down in the primary election last August. This time, however, it appears
they hope to start a third party.

Look, I get it.

I am far more Libertarian than what currently passes for a Republican these
days. We’ve got Gov. Sam Brownback pimping for wind credits. You’ll never
find a Kansas Republican that doesn’t think farm subsidies are a brilliant
piece straight from central planning.

There are days, many of them, when I seriously consider trying to build the
Libertarian Party. I guess if this group of Moderate Kansas really gets
going, there might be chance to splinter even further.

If nothing else, it will be interesting to watch.

Repulsive

He's disgusting.

Speaker of the House John Boehner makes me puke. I could live with his orange vanity spray tan. His helmet head hair is almost acceptable. It's his smug face I can't handle. (Also his accent. I don't like it. He sounds like he's from the Appalachians, which I didn't know were in Ohio, but according to Wikipedia, they are, so OK. Fine.)

This guy needs to be ceremoniously dumped as Speaker of the House. He's a pandering, vain fool. Moments after the dust settled on a very painful Nov. 7, Boehner announced that House Republicans would consider "new revenues."

Maybe, Mr. Speaker, you should ask your members before you start running your mouth. YOU are not their boss. We are. And I would hope to high heaven that my Representative (Paging Congressman Kevin Yoder) would not vote to allow another red cent from the American people into the U.S. Treasury until real cuts are made. (And cutting defense and only defense is not a compromise. Let's just get that idea out of the way.)

Speaker Boehner sticks his foot in his mouth almost as often as he spray tans. I'd like to suggest a more thoughtful, less pandering challenger to Boehner for the Speaker's position. How about Rep. Paul Ryan?

Please, please, please remaining members of the House GOP, do not cast another vote for John Boehner as Speaker. I will hold it against you, and other voters may well too.

Straight jackets and tin foil hats

I hate to sound like a bitter, angry liberal, but, that election was stolen.

I see no other way we ended up with the outcome we got.

It isn't just the presidential race, although if I had to pinpoint which of the losses on Tuesday night hurt the most, that one gets top billing.

I've never placed much stock in polls. And I think they've only gotten less reliable as land lines become obsolete and groups like the Tea Party distrust pollsters and in my experience are unwilling to answer their questions.

We can take from this election that the pollsters are smarter than they look and the American people are getting dumber and dumber, or we can trust what we know of our friends, family and countrymen -- we are a center-right country.

And yet, we somehow elected in an electoral college landslide the furthest left president in the history of this country. Those facts don't jive.

In 2008, the Republicans fielded an absolute horrible candidate -- the trollop John McCain. While the Democrats ran a youthful black candidate who spoke eloquently about "hope and change." Sure that was a vague and meaningless slogan, but we're dealing with 30 percent of the population who probably have to write "L" and "R" on their shoes to know which one goes on which foot. Vague and meaningless works for those people.

We were also dealing with Bush fatigue. (I still miss that guy. I mean really, really miss him.) He spent too much money, presided over too much warring and joined the Democrats for some of the worst legislation ever passed. (Ahem. No Child Left Behind. Medicaid Prescription Drug Benefit.) So, if a voter like me, who adored GWB was sick of him, it's no surprise that less partisan Americans thought it might be time to try something else in 2008.

We have none of those excuses in 2012. I recognize that I live in reddest of red Kansas. (And trust me, Wednesday morning when I woke up I said a grateful prayer of Thanksgiving that I live in a place where the people  utilize common sense and refuse to be helpless dependents of uncaring bureaucrats). However, I am well traveled -- probably better traveled than just about anyone I know. I've spent oodles of time all over this country, and I am telling you, by and large, Americans aren't as liberal as the media or even this election would suggest.

When I spent several weeks in Boston, the breadbasket of liberal ridiculousness, I was shocked when almost every single person I met was a conservative. I mean, almost to a man. I was there in an industry that has nothing to do with politics. I mean less than nothing. Many of the people I met were even union people, and they were not fans of the Democratic Party.

Yes, that's situational, but I am telling you even in the cities where I expect to be surrounded by screaming liberals dressed in vagina costumes, more often than not I find I'm sitting and chatting with a conservative or at least a Republican.

So fast forward to this election. We have a president who no longer seems all that popular. Instead of massive Greek columns and filled-to-capacity stadiums for his speeches, Obama was attracting tens of people even when he had The Boss and Jay Z at his side.

All of the momentum and enthusiasm seemed to rest with Romney. Massive crowds. Winning independents. By all accounts, it was going to be close, but if it was a landslide, all signs pointed to it being a Republican landslide.

Instead, Obama won. Handily in the Electoral College. I quit watching when it was Obama at 303 electoral votes and Romney at less than 200. (I still haven't had the heart to look at a completed Electoral College map.)

If it ended there, I'd simply think the power of incumbency and Obama's personal story took him over the top. But it didn't end there. The bad hits just kept coming on Tuesday night. Somehow every single swing state in which there were tightly contested Senate races, the Democrat won.

I don't believe it. I just don't. I don't think that's ever, EVER, happened in my lifetime, in which the Democrat won every single tight race. That just doesn't happen. And somehow, Mitt Romney received 3 million fewer Republican votes than John McCain did. I just don't believe that's possible. I just don't.

And so yes, I am saying here I think the Dems cheated in a handful of swing states. They jiggered machines. They voted early and often. The dead rose from their graves and cast ballots for the Democrats. I truly believe this. Cheating wouldn't require too much effort in the correct precincts and polling places. I'm thinking of precincts like the elementary school in Pennsylvania with a giant Obama mural. The polling places where Republican judges were thrown out.

I honestly believe that when the panic settles and reasonable analysis begins to take shape, we will learn there was widespread voter fraud. I honestly believe that.

And that's really the only reason I'm mentioning it here. For now, it's politically incorrect (and should be) to even suggest we just had an Argentinian election in which the outcome was known long before the polls closed, but that's what I'm saying (anonymously) here. It's what I believe.

To believe otherwise is to suggest that the majority of our countrymen are happy to be bonded in velvet handcuffs. We want to be Greece. We want to be dependent. We want a bureaucrat telling us what to eat, how many children to have, how much money we're allowed to spend on unnecessary goods.

I simply don't believe the majority of my fellow countrymen are that stupid.