Recap: Democrats' Dreamfest '09

We won't spend a whole lot of time on the Democrats Dreamfest '09 that took place in Wichita yesterday. So here are some of the highlights:

• Chin Up: Governor Mark Parkinson attempts to reassure his party that it's not as bad as it looks for 2010...that they have a real shot at something...he wasn't really specific. Convenient that he's decided not to run but tells his party, best of luck guys!
  
  
• Primary?: Parkinson is backing Larry Gates who is under investigation by the AG's office for Medicaid fraud. Chris Steineger is still considering a run. Could we see a primary to see who will take on Brownback? Let's hope so!
  
  
• Stop the Partisanship!: Senator Tom Holland from Baldwin City said he's "strongly considering" a run against Lynn Jenkins in the 2nd because of her "partisanship". We can't wait until he tells Kansans he supports the Obama agenda. What was Obama's latest approval number in Kansas? Oh yeah, 39 percent. Good luck with that Tom.
  
  
• It's Bush's Fault: Not a surprising tactic that's STILL being used. Parkinson is confused as to why Democrats are "starting to get criticized for the financial failure brought on by the Bush administration" -- 10 months into Obama's presidency. He just doesn't get it. Regarding Browback, "Lt. Gov. Troy Findley, a former legislator from Lawrence, said, “What we don’t need to happen in Kansas is for an extremist brand of the out-of-touch politics of the Bush years moving into the governor’s office.” (LJ World)
  
  
• For Senate: Someone named Schollenberg to run for Brownback's seat...announcement video of him on a hotel bed. strange.
  

Oh and here are some pretty entertaining Tweets from the day:

yonahana: So excited to eat at Braum's for lunch. Anyone who wants to join is welcome #demofest09 - no we'll admit Braum's is delicious.

MikeNellis: Governor Parkinson is feeling his inner Barack Obama. #p2 #demofest09 - wow...so many things wrong with that sentence.

ColinCurtisKS: @RajGoyle is awesome! He got a standing ovation at #Demofest09! #p2 #raj10 - shocking..a Dem getting a standing ovation at a Dem conference. They sure love their ACLU lawyers.

immunis: We're the DemocratIC party, not the democrat party. Don't talk like the opposition! #demofest09 #fail - nah, Democrat party : )

If Dems Controlled Kansas...

The Kansas Democrats will once again make their case to the people of Kansas in 2010. They'll scream, complain, unleash their bitterness and sit there scratching their heads after they lose. Kansans have lived under judicial fiat (Supreme Court mandating school funding), Barack Hussein Obama's bff (Queen Kathleen), and the host of characters to step forward in 2010 should be equally as entertaining...Raj Goyle, Dennis McKinney, Larry Gates, etc.

But here is a great reminder of what the Kansas Democrats really want to do to our state.

Enter the Sierra Club. This morning the Sierra Club will "announce litigation against a Kansas electric utility." It's taking place in Lawrence...anyone want to bet on Westar? Besides the costly cap and trade tax Nancy Pelosi and Co. are trying to pass at the federal level, we have our own little green activists vying for more litigation right here in Kansas. Oh, and the press conference being put on by the Sierra Club is in association with the Sierra Club’s National Coal Day of Action.

Greenies are also holding up a project in Lawrence, Kansas according to Transportation Secretary Deb Miller:

Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Deb Miller said any long-range plan could include funding for the South Lawrence Trafficway, which is currently being challenged in federal court by environmentalists who say the project would harm the Baker Wetlands.

“Should this alignment survive that legal challenge, I don’t think there is any question it will be on the long list of projects that are highly sought after in a new transportation program. And then, whether or not the South Lawrence Trafficway is included in the bill will probably depend on just how big the program is,” she said.

And we can't forget Queen Kathleen's killing of the coal plant in Holcomb before she took her comfy position as HHS Secretary, where she's been showing reporters how to sneeze.

Democrats will try in 2010 to appear "independent" and "middle-of-the-road", but groups like the Sierra Club and radical environmentalists would have far too much control over energy policy if Dems somehow took the reins of power in Kansas.

In Case You Missed It - KS-04

State Senator Dick Kelsey, who is running for Congress to replace Rep. Todd Tiahrt, is the first candidate in the race to go up on the airways. His first TV ad started running on Monday and his first radio spot began yesterday - recorded by former Governor Mike Huckabee who has endorsed the Senator's bid. Check out the TV spot below.



Other Republicans in the race at this time are RNC National Committeeman Mike Pompeo, State Senator Jean Schodorf, oilman Willis "Wink"Hartman, and retired pilot Jim Anderson. The only Democrat in the race at this time is Raj Goyle - we'll more on him and his liberal roots! So come back for more on Goyle!

Raj Goyle: the Democrats' Glimmer of Hope?

While the Republican field to replace Congressman Todd Tiahrt is crowded, state representative Raj Goyle, Wichita, is the only Democrat to file for that race so far.

Over at the liberal Forward Kansas blog, one of the contributors, Colin Curtis, admits that things "don't look bright" for Democrats in 2010 in Kansas, but that Raj Goyle is their "glimmer of hope". On that first point, we agree wholeheartedly. Spot on, analysis Curtis. On your second point...really?

Goyle is the darling of the left in Kansas and predictably frames himself as an "independent" leader - remember when Sebelius said such things? Now her "independence" has her leading the charge for government-run health care. And since Goyle's own campaign website makes the claim for being "independent", we will take the liberty to look at just what kind of leader he would be in Washington.

Without giving anything away quite yet, let's say Kansans won't want a guy like Goyle teaming up with the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank. As Kansans learn more about Goyle's ideological roots, they'll see this man is far from the mainstream. And if he is the Democrats' saving grace come 2010, they are in even bigger trouble than they realize.