Pompeo announces reelection bid

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In what he described as an informal setting before a small group of supporters on Tuesday, U. S. Representative Mike Pompeo announced his bid for reelection to represent the fourth district of Kansas. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback appeared beside Pompeo and offered his endorsement.

In his endorsement, Brownback praised Pompeo’s work on sensible federal regulations and controlling federal spending. Brownback said the upcoming election is very important, with the budget and the economy being the most important issues.

In his remarks, Pompeo said that top-down direction of the economy from Washington hasn’t worked, citing high unemployment numbers specifically. He said that the good ideas he’s seen have come from governors. The requirements of states to have balanced budgets — a constraint not in effect at the federal level — is a factor, he said.

Pompeo said he’s been doing the things that he promised to do when he campaigned for office — working for small government and controlling regulation, mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency specifically.

Pompeo has been critical of President Barack Obama for his criticism of corporate jet owners not paying their fair share of taxes. Asked if Obama is getting the message, Pompeo said no, the president’s not getting the message. “I don’t think this president understands that just his rhetoric alone is doing tremendous damage to the aviation industry and its suppliers.”

On the tone in Washington, Pompeo said the dialogue in Washington has changed. In the past, he said the thought was: “Can we take this agency, and instead of growing it by eight percent, grow it by three. That talk is gone. It is now about does this agency have any usefulness? Is there a functionality that remains? Should we keep it, keep it at a smaller level, can we make it more efficient, or is it something that we ought to get rid of? We have truly changed the discourse. We are now talking, for the first time in a very long time, about the proper role of our federal government, and what Americans can afford.”

He said this change in attitude was not just his own, but that the large incoming class of new conservative representatives elected last year has shifted the conversation in this way.

Pompeo said it it is important for voters to elect people who are willing to be specific in their plans for shrinking government. Too often candidates run on a platform of smaller government, but won’t specify the methods they will use to cut government, he said, adding that changes in the role of the federal government will affect us all.

On Governor Brownback returning the grant for the formation of a Kansas health insurance exchange, Pompeo said that he voted to overturn Obamacare in its entirety, so he’s not in favor of spending money to implement it. He also said he’d like to see the returned money used for deficit reduction, and that he has introduced legislation that would require this.

Pompeo’s announcement was not unexpected — photos of organizational meetings for 2012 campaign volunteers have been spotted on Facebook and he’s been successful in fundraising — so the real news will be the announcement (or rumors) of opponents. The filing deadline is in June, with the primary election in August followed by the general election in November.

Comments

14 responses to “Pompeo announces reelection bid”

  1. BethK

    Mayor Brewer is being made into a candidate against Mr. Pompeo by his Democrat handlers and the media. Mayor Brewer’s brother-in-law is Kelly Johnston (former Sedgwick County Democrat Chairman). It is interesting to note that former Congressman Tiahrt is introducing Brewer to Republican audiences all over Wichita and helping him in his fundraising efforts.

  2. Anonymous

    Any first-term member of Congress always has to worry about getting elected for a second term. That is when opponents have the best opportunity to unseat an incumbent. There is even a rumor about Vickie Tiahrt challenging Pompeo in the primary. We need to re-elect Mike Pompeo.

  3. Anonymous

    We need to re-elect Pompeo…the air is still breathable and our water is just too darn clean.

  4. T. Rex

    I wonder about Pomeo’s support for true class warfare. How many wealthy sons and daughters are returning in body bags? Very few. That responsibility it undertaken only by the poor and middle class.

  5. Anonymous

    If Pompeo is for smaller government like he says, Why did he vote to re-enact the so called “Patriot Act”?

  6. craig

    Anonymous How much do you think it costs to maintain a one man blog and personal email list. Welcome to the 21st century where anybody can be a reporter, blogger, activist, without being controled by anybody.

  7. craig

    Anonymous I am not crazy about the personal freedoms we give up for the security I hope it provides for all our families. As a conservative activist myself I truely fear the trampling of our constitutional rights that morons like Att. Gen. Eric Holder could commit. When the Obama Admin. puts out a memo that all members of the conservative movments should be placed on a watch list I hope Mike had inside information that he felt we needed to continue the Patriot Act

  8. craig

    T. Rex It’s a volunteer army nobody forced anybody to serve. I am proud of each and everyone rich or poor that put themselves in harms way for this nation.

  9. Anonymous

    Hopefully Mayor Brewer will make a run and that way everyone will know how stupid he is. His handlers were able to “hide” him during his run for Mayor but Congress is a different challenge. Even the political assassins at the Wichita Eagle editorial board will not be able to help him. And the drug issues of his son may become an issue.

  10. Anonymous

    The “drug issues” of Brewer’s son will be in play about as much as Pompeo’s fidelity issues

  11. Peter

    Look up the file on Carlo Antoine Brewer on http://www.doc.ks.gov/kasper charged with three felonies for drug abuse, but discharged back into the community. Should we wonder why and how???

  12. Charles

    Hey Peter that government website on Carlo Brewer was cool. He seems to be laughing at the fact that he is out and roaming the streets of ICT. I wonder how long it will be before daddy has to come to the rescue again.

  13. Senator

    I wonder whether Mayor Brewer’s son had a “coin” to get out of jail free.

  14. The Red Queen

    What a joke: Brewer?
    Another joke? Tiahart

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