Todd Tiahrt Archives | Voice For Liberty

Aug

WichitaLiberty.TV: Primary election results, and a look forward

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: We’ll take a look at some of the primary elections results this week. What did voters say, and what should we look for in the November general election and the future past that? View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 54, broadcast August 10, 2014.

Aug

By Bob Weeks

Elections in Kansas: Federal offices

Kansas Republican primary voters made two good decisions this week. Kansas held primary elections this week. The primary election, of course, does not determine who wins the office; it only selects one Democratic and one Republican candidate to move forward to the November general election. But in many cases, the primary is the election, at least the one that really makes a difference. That's because in Kansas, often there may be no Democratic Party candidate. Or if there is a Democrat, that candidate may have little money available to campaign in a district with a large Republican voter registration advantage.…

Aug

By Bob Weeks

In Kansas, hypocritical criticism of voting records

Kansas fourth district voters may want to be aware of voting record of a congressional challenger, and whether his criticism of his opponent for similar behavior is hypocritical. Todd Tiahrt has criticized Congressman Mike Pompeo for missing recent votes. A Tiahrt campaign press release contained: "'Mr. Pompeo’s job is not to raise money or have political events -- his job is to vote.' stated Todd Tiahrt." It's not uncommon for officeholders to be absent during campaign season. Relevant to this is Tiahrt's own voting record four years ago. At that time he was campaigning for the United States Senate while…

In Kansas fourth district, fundamental issues of governance arise

Aug

By Bob Weeks

In Kansas fourth district, fundamental issues of governance arise

The contest in the Kansas fourth district is a choice between principle and political expediency, and between economic freedom and cronyism. While some news articles and political columns have described the contest for Republican Party nomination for United States House of Representatives between Todd Tiahrt and Mike Pompeo as a yawner, as between two candidates with few and only minor distinguishing positions -- there are important differences. The press is starting to notice. In the Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberly Strassel made the case for this contest's importance as a bellwether of Republican sentiment: A big decision comes Tuesday in…

For Tiahrt, economic freedom is not a good thing, it seems

Jul

By Bob Weeks

For Tiahrt, economic freedom is not a good thing, it seems

Kansas congressional candidate Todd Tiahrt has criticized Charles Koch and Americans for Prosperity, leading us to wonder if Tiahrt understands or embraces the principles of economic freedom and free markets. In a recent speech, candidate for United States House of Representatives Todd Tiahrt criticized Americans for Prosperity and Charles Koch, telling an audience "in general, they try to fight programs that they think are not good for Koch Industries." He also said that for Mike Pompeo, Tiahrt's election opponent who is supported by Americans for Prosperity, they "think it’s all about the money." These allegations are contrary to positions and…

For Rep. Tiahrt, Cash for Clunkers was a good spending program

Jul

By Bob Weeks

For Rep. Tiahrt, Cash for Clunkers was a good spending program

When the Obama Administration needed additional funds for the Cash for Clunkers program, Todd Tiahrt was agreeable to funding this wasteful program. As summarized by the Congressional Research Service: "Makes emergency supplemental appropriations of $2 billion for FY2009 and FY2010 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program (Cash for Clunkers Program)." This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 316 to 109. Among House Republicans, the vote was 78 to 95 in favor of passage. Todd Tiahrt was one of the…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Voting attendance an issue in Kansas fourth district campaign

Todd Tiahrt has criticized Congressman Mike Pompeo for missing votes this month. But when Tiahrt was campaigning for the United States Senate while also serving in the House of Representatives, he missed a lot of votes. From July to September 2010, Tiahrt missed 76 of 151 votes. That's missing 50.3 percent, which placed him in the 99th percentile for missing votes during those months. Data is from govtrack.us. Tiahrt has made a point of mentioning a specific vote that Pompeo missed, on July 10 for H.R. 4923: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015. During Monday's debate…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

How earmarks pay off for the earmarkers

The case of a Kansas Congressman benefiting from earmark spending once out of office should make us glad the practice has ended, and we should be wary of those who call for its return. The case of United States House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Member Todd Tiahrt and Neumann Systems is an illustration of the revolving door between government and the private sector. It started with an earmark. An Air Force budgetary document indicates that the earmark spending was at the direction of Congress: "In FY 2006, Congress added $1.2 million for the High Power Fiber Laser Program, and $0.5…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

In Kansas fourth district campaign, PAC contributions are an issue

Candidate Todd Tiahrt criticizes Mike Pompeo for accepting PAC money as campaign contributions, but over his career Tiahrt has accepted PAC dollars in greater proportion than has Pompeo. In a press release and on the campaign trail, candidate for the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas Todd Tiahrt has criticized Mike Pompeo for his acceptance of PAC, or political action committee, campaign contributions. An example from a June 19 press release reads "PAC Man Pompeo’s special interest money means special interest legislation." Later in the same release: "So, was Mr. Pompeo representing Kansans…

Did Rep. Mike Pompeo vote to fund Obamacare?

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Did Rep. Mike Pompeo vote to fund Obamacare?

A television ad by Todd Tiahrt claims that Mike Pompeo voted seven times to fund Obamacare. What are the facts about those bills? The seven bills referenced in the Tiahrt ad are appropriations bills that fund numerous departments and agencies of the federal government. Three of the bills were to fund the operations of government for as little as one week. One bill was 475 pages in length. Most passed with broad support of Republicans, including the Kansas delegation. Some reduced funding that had been authorized by the previous Congress. Somewhere deep within these bills there may be funding that…

In Kansas fourth district, national security a dividing issue

Jul

By Bob Weeks

In Kansas fourth district, national security a dividing issue

A letter composed by 14 national security experts clarifies the debate over the role of the National Security Agency, its surveillance programs, and the safety of Americans. This is an issue in the campaign for the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas. Challenger Todd Tiahrt has criticized Mike Pompeo for supporting the NSA data-gathering programs, saying that the programs spy on Americans. Pompeo has maintained that the programs are necessary to protect Americans from terrorism and other threats, and that there is sufficient oversight to protect privacy. I think the most important part…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Congress is better without earmarks

Controversy over the timing and efficacy of an earmark divert attention from the fact that earmarks are bad government. Congress is better without the practice. United States Congressional candidate Todd Tiahrt calls for a return to earmark spending in Congress, pointing to a million-dollar grant he obtained for Wichita to help defray costs of the Wichita Police Department in investigating and capturing serial killer Dennis Rader, or BTK. The Daily Caller has a report, as does the Wichita Eagle. Neither story is supportive of Tiahrt's claim that earmarks were responsible for the capture of the BTK killer. Speaking to the…

Quasi-lobbyist runs as earmarker in Kansas GOP primary

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Quasi-lobbyist runs as earmarker in Kansas GOP primary

Washington Examiner writer Tim Carney notices the curious stance of a Republican candidate in the Kansas fourth district primary: He likes earmarks. Washington Examiner senior political columnist Timothy P. Carney knows how Washington works. Of his 2006 book The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money, Paul A. Gigot, who is Editorial Page Editor of the Wall Street Journal wrote "Politicians like to say that government is on the side of the little guy. But with impressive documentation and persuasive examples, Tim Carney shows how government power and regulation are typically used to assist the powerful."…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Club for Growth PAC Endorses Mike Pompeo For Congress

From Club for Growth, whose motto is "Prosperity and Opportunity through Economic Freedom." Club for Growth PAC Endorses Mike Pompeo For Congress Club for Growth President Chris Chocola: “Mike stands on principle to do what’s right for Kansas and America.” May 29, 2014 Washington, DC -- The Club for Growth PAC announced today that it is endorsing Republican Congressman Mike Pompeo for re-election. Congressman Pompeo represents Kansas’s Fourth Congressional District. Former Congressman Todd Tiahrt has announced that he is challenging Congressman Pompeo in the Republican primary. “Congressman Mike Pompeo is a taxpayer hero with a 90% on the Club for…

Jun

By Bob Weeks

For Tiahrt, earmarks are good government

Appearing today on The Joseph Ashby Show, candidate for United States House of Representatives Todd Tiahrt defended the practice of earmarking federal spending. The ending of earmarks, he said, has shifted responsibility for allocating funds from Congress to the executive. Earmarks do not increase spending, he said. He said that Congress should take away the president's pen, and should do that by allocating funding properly. When pressed by the host, Tiahrt repeated that earmarks do not increase spending. This is the standard argument: Earmarks simply direct the spending of money that is already authorized to be spent. Earmarking does not…

Jun

By Bob Weeks

In Kansas fourth district, charges of alignment with Speaker

Charges made on the campaign trail by Todd Tiahrt that his opponent is "Boehner's boy" aren't supported by Mike Pompeo's voting record. At a recent event in Wichita candidate for the Republican Party nomination for U.S. Congress for the Kansas fourth district Todd Tiahrt spoke about his opponent, incumbent Mike Pompeo. Tiahrt told the audience: "Now, Mr. Pompeo was also tied very closely to John Boehner. In fact he's the only congressman in Washington D.C. that's been appointed to two select committees. No other Member of Congress has been. But Boehner's boy has." This criticism is meant to appeal to…

Jun

By Bob Weeks

A referendum on earmarks

From The Weekly Standard, analysis of the primary contest in Kansas district 4, where Mike Pompeo and Todd Tiahrt are candidates. Post by Voice For Liberty.

May

By Bob Weeks

Voice for Liberty Radio: Todd Tiahrt

In this episode of WichitaLiberty Radio: Former United States Representative Todd Tiahrt spoke to the Wichita Pachyderm Club on Friday May 16. Tiahrt is the current Republican National Committeeman for Kansas. He is said to be considering running for the position in Congress that he previously held, and which is presently held by Mike Pompeo. Tiahrt was introduced to the Pachyderm Club members and guests by Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn. Shownotes Todd Tiahrt, LLC. Wikipedia page

May

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday May 23, 2011

Wichita City council. As it is the fourth Tuesday of the month, the Wichita City Council handles only consent agenda items. The council will also hold a workshop. Consent agendas are usually reserved for items thought to be of non-controversial nature. Today's Wichita Eagle spotlights one item where the city is proposing to hire an outside firm to inspect the roof of the airport for damage from last September's storm. Some, including Council Member Michael O'Donnell (district 4, south and southwest Wichita) wonder why the city can't do the inspection with it's own engineering staff and resources. ... Of further…

May

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday May 19, 2011

Kansas growth clusters. H. Edward Flentje, Professor at the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University: "For starters, the Brownback economic plan sends a mixed message; it argues against state policies that target incentives to the lucky few but then proceeds to target individuals moving to 'rural opportunity zones' for special income-tax breaks and payoffs of student loans." The hope of the governor is that counties that have been losing population can be revived. But Flentje tells of the difficulties these rural counties face: "Rural Kansas relies much more heavily on state and federal assistance,…