Indications are that Brownback, Metsker, other Kansas Republican leaders are working against conservatives
To be upfront, the following information should be considered “unsubstantiated rumors.” Though, to be fair, it is extremely difficult to invalidate GOP-related rumors when:
- Senator and most-certainly-going-to-be-Governor Sam Brownback’s campaign manager David Kensinger refuses to communicate. I made two unreturned phone calls to his office with regard to Brownback steering committee member Lynn Mitchelson (RINO-Mission Woods), who is directly responsible for much of the waste and corruption over the last decade at Johnson County Community College. Mitchelson is the living definition of the phrase, “The cover-up is worse than the crime,” having spent an unknown thousands of dollars and violated numerous JCCC Board Codes of Conduct while unsuccessfully covering up his violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (for background, read this letter from the Kansas Press Association and the Kansas Association of Broadcasters). It’s a reasonable question for Senator Brownback: why allow a corrupt politician like Lynn Mitchelson to be a key member of your campaign committee?
- Johnson County Republican Party Chairman Ronnie Metsker does little with regard to intentional outreach towards conservatives, even though self-described “conservatives” make up 55-60% of any poll of Johnson County Republican voters (for an example, see this SurveyUSA poll for the Kline/Howe 2008 primary election). He and I talked last week, at my initiative, and we are tentatively planning on meeting in the next month or two.
That said, the primary concern among conservatives is that Senator Brownback is today working against the candidacy of 3rd District Congressional candidate Patricia Lightner, a 3-term state representative from Johnson County. Lightner is a fiscally conservative, pro-life Republican. Indeed, Lightner is currently the strongest candidate who is also a known fiscal conservative.
Recent concerns/rumors:
- Within the last two weeks, it’s understood that an in-person meeting occurred in Kansas City, regarding the 3rd District Republican nominee. Invitees included Charlotte O’Hara, [county GOP leader] Ronnie Metsker, [state GOP leader, former Brownback employee] Amanda Adkins, Ernie Straub, [former State Senator] Nick Jordan, Greg Musil, [State Representative] Arlen Siegfreid, senior Brownback staff, and senior [US Senator] Pat Roberts’ staff. It’s not clear who should be considered among the “organizers” versus merely the “attendees.” Not one current congressional candidate was invited — not John Rysavy, not proven conservative and former state legislator Patricia Lightner, and not war veteran Daniel Gilyeat.
- It’s thought that some sort of survey or polling is currently being done: again, not including Patricia Lightner.
- Sam Brownback is actively promoting former State Senator Nick Jordan, and Brownback is actively discouraging financial donors from supporting Patricia Lightner. The conservative Senator Mary Pilcher Cook — Nick Jordan’s senator — has endorsed Patricia Lightner, even though it’s commonly known that Jordan is actively considering entering the race.
- Ronnie Metsker openly says that he’s not a “right-winger,” or something similar. But what Metsker does believe is not commonly known; many conservatives would like to know why Metsker finds it to be a helpful strategy to distance himself from conservatives.
Cross-posted at RedCounty.com.
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Benjamin Hodge publishes the Web site KansasProgress.com, based in Johnson County, KS, in the Greater Kansas City area. Hodge is a delegate to the Kansas GOP, a former state representative, and a former trustee at Johnson County Community College. You can join Hodge’s efforts on Facebook, through his personal Web site, on Twitter, and through his PAC.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Stay on them the cheats. Just ordered my 500 copies of NO APOLOGIES….OK not that many but there are a lot of people I want to give it to. I can’t wait to see the man’s blueprint for restoring American excellence, I hope it’s thorough and I’m not let down. I don’t expect to be based on what I’ve seen and heard so far.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Isn’t Nick Jordan suppose to be pretty conservative both socially and fiscally.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:43 pm
No, Jordan is no more fiscally conservative than George W. Bush.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Lightner has done nothing since she entered the race. Didn’t you support Jordan last time? We need to win this race, not kill ourselves in the process.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:17 pm
#4, if by “nothing” you actually mean “forming a strong grassroots organization and laying the groundwork for what may soon become a strong fundraising effort,” then your comment makes sense.
If by “kill ourselves in the process,” you mean “act like the 2002-2006 US Congressional Republicans, who spent money like they were Democrats from the 1980s, and who meanwhile lost the votes of many independents who heard Republicans say one thing and do another,” then I can understand why you are enthusiastic about Nick Jordan, who, just like those Republicans, has supported the unnecessary growth of Kansas government.
Republicans win by acting like Republicans. Nick Jordan is a very nice man, but I will support a fiscal conservative if I have the choice, and Nick Jordan is not a fiscal conservative.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I’m sick and tired of the Party elites in Johnson County sticking their noses up in the air at the thought of an upstart candidate like Dan Gilyeat or John Rysavy getting the nomination for Moore’s Congressional seat. Patricia Lightner is not a friend of the Second Amendment or Term Limits. She’s a good politician who is also a lawyer. It’s time for new blood in D.C. and we don’t need any Roberts, Brownback,or McCain RINOs who are betraying our nation by giving in to big spending.
All of the political cowards getting in the race now are opportunist and they will get a lot of support for no effort. Wake up third district. Send a Marine to D.C. to clean up this mess. Go read Dan’s response to the President’s week-kneed speech at:
http://danielgilyeat.com/blog/read/dans_statement_about_the_presidents_afghanistan_policy/
and read his response to a Lib named Joe at:
http://amanwithawarriorsheart.blogspot.com/2009/12/dan-responds-to-e-mail.html
also posted at Political Chips
December 5th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Lightner is *NOT* as pro-life as you would think.
December 9th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Lightner is a very strong pro-life candidate who has been endorsed by Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook, perhaps the most pro-life member of the Kansas Senate. Any notion she is not pro-life is ridiculous.
As for the Second Amendment, just a quick trip to her website reveals one of the strongest statements I’ve seen on the 2nd Amendment: http://www.patricialightner.com/askpatricia092309.html
Those claiming that Lightner hasn’t anything are blind – in fact, she’s been the only candidate doing ANYTHING period.