Recently two political celebrities visited Wichita to campaign for candidates for the Republican Party nomination for the United States House of Representatives from the fourth district of Kansas.
Joe the Plumber for Jim Anderson
Joe the Plumber, who gained national attention for his questioning of candidate Barack Obama, appeared in Wichita on January 28 at a town hall meeting on behalf of Jim Anderson.
Speaking before — should I refer to him as “Joe” or “Plumber”? — Anderson said he was born in Boise. After college, he started working for Eastern Airlines as a pilot, finishing his career with ATA Airlines. His job brought him to Wichita, but then his job was eliminated. Although offered a position in another town, he and his wife decided to stay in Wichita and raise their three children here.
Anderson said he has always wanted to make a contribution to government, and that’s why he’s running for Congress. He said he can’t take it anymore watching our country “slip down the slope into socialism.” When the fourth district position became open, he said this is the time to run for office.
Anderson said he is a Reagan Republican and believes in limited government based on the enumerated powers in the Constitution. Everything else, he said, is supposed to be relegated to the states, but that’s not the way it is right now. He said he supports the Fair Tax, which he said would be the best way to generate revenue for a limited government.
2010 is a turning point for our country, he said, and he told the audience that it’s crucial to stand up and speak loudly.
Joe the Plumber said he’s received many requests to campaign for candidates across the country, but he’s being selective in who he decides to campaign for. It’s about the individual, and not party politics, he said.
When he speaks across the country, often at tea parties, Joe said he speaks on four issues: individual responsibility, accountability, education, and the Constitution.
On individual responsibility, Joe said that our political leaders and celebrities are quick to lay blame elsewhere when caught doing something bad. “Freedom means responsibility,” he said, and Americans have accepted responsibility for a long time. The tea party movement is evidence of people taking responsibility, he said.
Joe said that parents need to take more responsibility for their children’s education.
Joe said that Jim Anderson truly wants to represent the fourth district. It’s a big job and responsibility, he said, being a public servant. He said that Anderson wants to serve his fellow man, and there’s no higher calling than that.
Answering a question from the audience, Anderson said that state’s rights are very important to him. He said that we should be running our own state, rather than tolerating so much federal government intervention. He said he supports term limits for federal elected officeholders. He said he will not vote for any earmarks.
Mick Huckabee for Dick Kelsey
Former Arkansas governor, presidential candidate, and winner of the 2008 Kansas Republican Caucus Mike Huckabee appeared in Wichita on February 24 on bahelf of candidate Dick Kelsey.
Before Huckabee’s appearance, Kelsey spoke about his campaign for Congress. “Leadership does make a difference,” he said, and our country is in need of leadership that is willing to take a stand and find solutions to tough problems. In the campaign there are four conservatives, and Kelsey said he is the only one who has a proven voting record. The type of experience he has gained, he said, will be necessary to be effective in Washington.
In his remarks, Huckabee told the audience of over 200 why it is important to elect Kelsey to Congress. He said he’s come to know Kelsey, and has talked to people who have served in the Kansas Legislature with him. Huckabee said Kelsey is a principled individual who has convictions. He’s not bull-headed, though, Huckabee said, as Kelsey knows that it is the responsibility of legislators to make things function.
Huckabee added that Kelsey brings experience to the race, and that he has a record that is consistent with what he’s campaigning on. “You will not find him saying things as a Congressional candidate that are polar opposite of the way he voted here in Kansas. … That alone is the best reason that I can possibly think of to elect him.”
Huckebee said that although times may be tough now, America will rebound. He said America will see a political and spiritual revival. Electing people like Dick Kelsey is part of making this happen.
He also said that those who value low taxes and those who are worried about the national debt should vote for Kelsey, as should those who believe in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.
Answering a question, Huckabee said that Republicans will take back the House of Representatives in this year’s elections, and they have a good shot at taking back the Senate, or getting close. The Democrats are in a state of disarray, he added. Republicans need to have a clear and concise message, as they shouldn’t assume they’ll win just because voters are angry at Democrats. He added that third party conservative or libertarian candidates mean defeat for Republicans.
Huckabee said he hasn’t decided on another campaign for the presidency, saying he hasn’t ruled it out.
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