Here’s some reporting and opinion on the campaign for the Republican Party nomination for United States Senate from Kansas between Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt.
What Kind of a Senator? (Burdett Loomis, Kansas University political science professor) Tiahrt’s endorsements come from the party establishment, while “several of Moran’s most prominent backers are well-known senatorial gadflies,” writes Loomis in this piece that looks back at the last four elected senators from Kansas. Where I would quibble with him is in his claims that both candidates have “clearly satisfied their constituents.” With the approval rating of Congress at 11 percent, it’s hard to make a case that anyone in Congress is doing a good job, even though almost all members are reelected each cycle.
Pay attention to five factors in Moran vs. Tiahrt (Steve Kraske, Kansas City Star) “Cakewalk? Or a race so close that it turns your knuckles white, then red, then purple and blue? Those two forecasts are in play in the Jerry Moran-Todd Tiahrt war for the U.S. Senate that’s rapidly turning off Republicans all over Kansas.”
Millions going up in flame in Tiahrt-Moran race (Ric Anderson, Topeka Capital-Journal) “The latest campaign spending reports showed that Moran had plowed $3 million into beating Tiahrt in the primary election, while Tiahrt had spent $1.74 million. Come on, nearly $5 million to split hairs?”
Kansas GOP Senate hopefuls’ ads could help distinguish, but might backfire (Dave Helling and Steve Kraske, Kansas City Star) “In TV commercials now playing across the state, Republican hopefuls U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt and U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran are bitterly accusing the other of misinformation and distortion in the race’s final days. The ads feature all the familiar traits of televised political pitches: ominous music, grainy photographs, lots of small print and misleading claims.”
Gloves are off in Kansas U.S. Senate primary (Steve Kraske, Kansas City Star) “It’s one haymaker after another in the Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate in Kansas.”
Moran, Tiahrt join Tea Party Caucus (Rick Plumlee, Wichita Eagle) “Both Rep. Jerry Moran and Rep. Todd Tiahrt, two of three Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in Kansas, have joined the newly formed Tea Party Caucus.”
Candidates decry tactics – Moran criticizes political survey; Tiahrt complains about mailings (Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal) “Yvonne Starks turned down the volume of pundit Rush Limbaugh’s radio show Wednesday to articulate why listening to telephone polling in praise of U.S. Senate candidate Todd Tiahrt and critical of primary rival Jerry Moran determined her vote in the August primary. ‘That poll last night was the clincher,’ said Starks, a Republican Party activist from Olathe. ‘There were half-truths, contorted lies. That is despicable.’”
Bias cited in poll (MATTHEW CLARK, Pittsburg The Morning Sun) “Holly Friesen thought that it was no big deal to take a phone poll regarding this year’s primary campaign. But, after participating in the robo-call poll on Tuesday, Friesen, a Manhattan resident, had a completely different view of things.”
Tiahrt, Moran have raised $18 million over careers, much from big business (Fred Mann, Wichita Eagle) “Todd Tiahrt was first elected to Congress in 1994. Jerry Moran was first elected in 1996. Since then, between them, they have raised more than $18 million in campaign contributions. Those contributions give some insight into their bases of support.”
U.S. Senate candidates clash over who’s most conservative (George Diepenbrock, Lawrence Journal-World) “Both Jerry Moran, of Hays, and Todd Tiahrt, of Goddard, have criticized each other on issues including immigration, government spending and taxes, health care and what to do with terrorist suspects.”
Earmarks and Kansas elections (Bob Weeks, Voice for Liberty) “So how do the two veteran Kansas Congressmen rank on earmarks and ‘pork’ spending? The Club for Growth compiles a scorecard called the RePORK Card. This measures votes on ’68 anti-pork amendments’ in the 2009 Congress. Club Executive Director David Keating writes ‘The RePORK Card will help taxpayers measure the dedication of their representatives to changing the culture of corruption that surrounds pork-barrel spending.’ For 2009, Moran scored 96 percent, voting against 65 of the 68 measures. Tiahrt scored 29 percent, voting against 20 of the 68.”
Club for Growth gives slight nod to Tiahrt over Moran (Bob Weeks, Voice for Liberty) “Of the groups that analyze legislators and their votes, the Club for Growth produces a scorecard that focuses on votes relating to economic growth.”
Tiahrt, Moran vote ratings show slight difference (Bob Weeks, Voice for Liberty) “The campaign for the Republican Party nomination for the United States Senate from Kansas between Todd Tiahrt of Goddard and Jerry Moran of Hays is making national news. The issue is over who is the most conservative. A new article in U.S. News and Word Report states: ‘Both Tiahrt and Moran have portrayed themselves as fiscal conservatives, favoring lower taxes and less spending by the federal government.’”