tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420606308195597312012-02-16T12:41:37.536-06:00In Kansas City area politics, there are two separate but equally important groups: The candidates who run for office and the political operatives that get them elected. These are their stories.K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comBlogger1111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-13371562334887712422011-08-31T01:01:00.000-05:002011-08-31T01:01:27.948-05:00

As the calendar approaches Labor Day, one could say that politically speaking, we are in the calm before the storm.  With people taking their last opportunity at vacation, school starting, and football games occupying people's time on weekends, politics is taking a bit of a back seat.   This is a good thing, because in politics as in all areas of life, people sometimes need time to breathe and

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-52005891326779369492011-07-10T21:10:00.006-05:002011-07-10T21:35:25.822-05:00

This week when I received my Johnson County Sun in the mail, I initially thought that perhaps I had been sent a paper from 2001, not 2011.  The reason was this headline: Some fear GOP could fracture Naturally, as a blog writer which focuses on area politics, this headline grabbed my attention -- what inside story was I missing, perhaps?  The article by Loren Stanton, which focused on what was

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-70796615793047431342011-06-21T01:59:00.002-05:002011-06-21T02:04:35.309-05:00

This post is the second in a series of ten -- five covering "good but unpopular ideas" and five covering "bad but popular ideas" -- all with the theme at looking at the long term direction of the conservative movement. A few weeks ago, at the first Republican Presidential debate, Congressman and Presidential candidate Ron Paul was asked about his stance on marriage -- and his answer was an

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-18161326500801501162011-05-25T23:11:00.004-05:002011-05-27T00:51:10.447-05:00

In our last post, we talked about the upcoming battle of ideas within the conservative movement.  Along those same lines, in that post, we discussed that over the next few weeks and months, this blog would be discussing some ideas in greater detail -- 5 generally popular ideas that we think are bad ideas, as well as 5 generally unpopular ideas that we think would be good. We have decided to

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-68622469359149475332011-05-10T01:12:00.012-05:002011-05-10T02:47:53.787-05:00

Last week, the 2012 Presidential Campaign began with the first presidential debate among some of the prospects for the Republican nomination. On the stage were Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, and Gary Johnson. Absent were Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump, as well as possible candidates Mitch Daniels, Jon Huntsman, Mike Huckabee, and Sarah Palin.What

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-78502973642416196742011-04-19T23:36:00.001-05:002011-04-19T23:39:35.101-05:00

The November 2010 election brought a great deal of new hope to many in Kansas who have long dreamed about a state government that would be truly reflective of its citizens -- socially and fiscally conservative, enacting legislation that would protect a culture of life, encourage marriage and traditional values, defend liberty and freedom, uphold the rule of law, and promote economic prosperity

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-91045946997126321162011-03-05T03:22:00.008-06:002011-03-06T23:55:52.196-06:00

Steve Rose, chief mouthpiece for the Dick Bond-wing of Johnson County politics, has largely been off our radar for the past few months. The largest reason is that due to some kind of contractual issue, his column was removed from the front of the Johnson County Sun and with it, his automatic access to tens of thousands of Johnson County residents who received the Sun in their mailboxes or

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-88774665043193067642011-02-14T23:18:00.004-06:002011-02-14T23:21:11.632-06:00

Today, it became apparent that this image is now the logo of the Republican leadership in the Kansas Senate:Find out why in our RedCounty.com article entitled "32 Republicans in the Kansas Senate? Think again!" -- which you can read by clicking here.

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-47521785704220161022011-02-13T20:55:00.006-06:002011-02-13T21:58:04.634-06:00

When this blog started, our goal was "telling the story behind the story of Kansas City area politics -- both of the politicians themselves as well as political operatives such as key individuals, PACs, and other groups of influence."We've largely focused on key individuals, even governing bodies, but have not talked as much about the key organizations that play a role in both politics and policy

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-45934182001437853842011-02-02T23:56:00.011-06:002011-02-03T21:00:15.128-06:00

Right now, in the Kansas Legislature, there is much debate about proposed legislation that would allow grocery stores like HyVee and convenience stores like QuikTrip to sell hard liquor. The proponents, largely made up of convenience stores and grocery stores, have put together a group called the "Coalition for Jobs and Consumer Choice" to advocate for this change.The arguments that proponents

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-31137796862915470762011-01-06T01:54:00.008-06:002011-01-06T11:42:16.309-06:00

In the past, this blog has covered some of the problems with the City of Lenexa, specifically the continual waste of time, energy, money and resources that is the unnecessary Lenexa City Center project. Here's a recap for those of you not keeping score at home:- Turning a previously easy-to-drive one-mile section of Renner Road into a drivers' ed course by installing not one, not two, not three,

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-9378421436767129882010-12-14T00:27:00.003-06:002010-12-14T01:17:58.492-06:00

Today, the United States Senate, by a wide margin, cleared the way for the recent tax deal agreed upon by President Obama and Republican leaders to eventually pass the upper chamber, meeting a key test vote in which only a few Republicans a handful of liberal Democrats opposed.For those who haven't followed the news in the last week, the Republican leadership and President Obama have agreed on a

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-24840776456512323152010-12-02T00:55:00.004-06:002010-12-02T02:24:30.416-06:00

We are now a month past the general election, and the next two to four years in Kansas politics are beginning to take shape. As Governor Brownback and his transition team line up their appointments for the new administration, and as several legislative seats change hands in the process (either by virture of the Nov 2 election or subsequent resignations or appointments), the transition we are

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-29475709397032571892010-11-20T02:46:00.005-06:002010-11-20T03:55:40.293-06:00

As we have become accustomed to in modern politics, even though we are not even to Thanksgiving of 2010 yet, rampant speculation has already begun on the 2012 Presidential race -- specifically, the potential field for the Republican nomination. Much of this early fervor is centered around one woman -- Sarah Palin.To be clear, though this blog is a huge fan of Sarah Palin, we have yet to decide on

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-33651392810903900232010-11-11T00:56:00.005-06:002010-11-11T02:21:34.144-06:00

In the Kubler-Ross model of the "five strages of grief" after a devasting loss, the first stage is denial, followed by anger, bargaining, depression and finally, acceptance. In the case of long term Johnson County RINO's Dick Bond and Bob Vancrum, this model seems to be playing out true to form in their reaction to the devasting loss of one of their own -- Larry Winn -- to hard-working

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-34833482316724965782010-11-04T22:39:00.004-05:002010-11-04T22:59:47.735-05:00

Hey, Democrats! Want to know how to avoid crushing losses in the future like you suffered on Tuesday night?How about NOT electing bigoted, left-wing candidates like State Rep. Gene Rardin, who in this pathetic blog post, attacked his opponent, Republican Amanda Grosserode, for homeschooling her children. Here is the actual text:My Opponent Homeschools Her Children If you are not aware of this,

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-62396591080470086562010-11-04T17:21:00.001-05:002010-11-04T17:25:28.557-05:00

November 2, 2010 brought historic victories for Republicans nationwide. From coast to coast, Republicans made impressive gains. These gains, outside of perhaps California, knew few boundaries or other demographic barriers. They won 64 new House seats (61 net, could raise as high as 70). They won 6 new Senate seats, which could be 7 -- and should have and could have been more. They won at least 11

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-17331293598431885422010-10-15T11:48:00.007-05:002010-10-15T12:22:17.614-05:00

What do you do when polls have you down 15 points to your challenger?Commission an ad, paid for by tax dollars, to promote yourself under the guise of promoting advanced voting in Kansas.That's what Secretary of State Chris Biggs is doing, spending almost $160,000 of Help America Vote Act money in this recent ad on television across Kansas. Notably, the Kris Kobach campaign has objected, as

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-72747183335186300382010-10-12T16:57:00.004-05:002010-10-12T17:43:26.452-05:00

With all the talk nationally about conservative gains from coast to coast, including up to 10 or 11 seats in the United States Senate and as many as 100 in the United States House, our focus here at Kaw & Border is turning local and at the tremendous opportunity for conservative gains that will occur on November 2 right here in Johnson County.There are currently 22 State Representative districts

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-86207055055752983062010-09-23T22:40:00.004-05:002010-09-23T22:59:26.161-05:00

Kaw & Border, over the course of the past year, made no secret about where we stood on the Congressional race in Kansas -- the author of this blog strongly supported Patricia Lightner for Congress. Her strong showing in the August 3 primary proved to us the incredible candidate she was and to this day, she would have been the better general election candidate -- not only to go up against

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-8675513385321365522010-08-13T22:15:00.008-05:002010-08-14T12:13:33.834-05:00

After a hiatus for the primary season, Kaw & Border is back for the fall, and will be looking at various races around the metropolitan area and Kansas as a whole. Perhaps look for other contributors as well.One of the more exciting results for conservatives last Tuesday night was the historical -- yes, historical -- win for Kelly Meigs over Jill Quigley in House District 17, which incorporates

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-84821609021608262382010-05-25T01:43:00.002-05:002010-05-25T02:22:28.830-05:00

In this post, we are taking a break from covering local politics to discuss the famous television show that is this site's namesake -- Law & Order. After all, last night marked the end of the show's 20th season, and possibly its last, if Creator Dick Wolf is unable to find a new home for the drama on TNT or another network or possibly get NBC to change its mind.Tonight's show, called the "The

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-80263226010597637252010-04-14T19:08:00.010-05:002011-09-12T21:52:03.030-05:00

In 2006, it was a dream. In 2010, it is still a dream. One year ago, this blog covered the saga of the ongoing monument to poor civic planning that is Lenexa City Center in our post "Blight in Lenexa: The Great City Center Folly". In the post, we revealed the fact that despite 5-6 years of promises, a completely redesigned road full of now four roundabouts in a one mile stretch, and tremendous

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-52055274206922316682010-03-22T03:56:00.008-05:002010-03-22T04:09:02.960-05:00

Patricia Lightner is on fire. At at time when our liberties and freedoms are under attack, we need a Congressman (or Congresswoman, in this case) who will fight -- and has the passion and courage to take on those within her own party as well as progressives. Not all races across the country have such a candidate -- but in the 3rd District, we do. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a conservative

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-22662605739032956192010-03-19T12:17:00.005-05:002010-03-19T12:41:08.170-05:00

Today, Johnson County "Republicans" John Vratil and Tim Owens, along with their out-state counterparts Jean Schodorf and Dwayne Umbarger, effectively announced they were switching parties when they voted along with Democrat Laura Kelly to kill the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment in the Senate Judiciary Committee.No, they didn't actually switch their registration, but both men, long

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-73799617286172588822010-02-28T19:08:00.004-06:002010-02-28T20:00:13.048-06:00

Social networking -- Facebook, specifically -- is becoming an increasingly part of electoral politics, much like websites around the year 2000 and blogs in 2004. Today, while those two are still significant factors, today it is social networking an independent grassroots websites that are increasingly playing a role in politics. The reasons are simple -- it is an easy way for people and spread

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-46585825889590036202010-02-22T03:53:00.003-06:002010-02-22T04:38:14.590-06:00

In 2010, with establishment politicians in danger coast-to-coast, there is one thing that the tea party movement -- and the American people in general -- have made clear:They are sick of arrogant politicians thinking they know more than the people do -- and even worse, passing laws to give themselves huge advantages once in office.Well, that is exactly what the Kansas Senate did this past week

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-79350850475511259372010-02-05T15:38:00.004-06:002010-02-05T16:24:54.086-06:00

Just a few months ago -- or even just last week -- it seemed that Republicans would be happy to gain 3-4 seats in the United States Senate, a signficiant but not reality-changing event. That's because the majority party typically loses seats in mid term elections, and Democrats, though not able to simply ram things through, would still have in the range of 55-56 seats.That reality is gone. As it

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-87039331468977512462010-02-05T15:08:00.004-06:002010-02-05T15:31:12.047-06:00

Jerry Moran supporters sent out odd emails this week touting the results of a SurveyUSA poll signfiying they had a 7 point lead, 40-33.While Moran does have a small, barely-statistically-meaningful lead, the folks behind the Tiahrt campaign must be pleased with what the poll shows beyond the top number.First of all, the top number itself is not good for Moran at all. Despite what they describe

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-78692670646988663262010-01-19T20:30:00.002-06:002010-01-19T20:31:52.351-06:00

Win in Massachusetts, that's what!

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-48806747001992832862010-01-13T00:36:00.002-06:002010-01-13T01:03:18.364-06:00

One year ago, on January 20, Barack Obama was sworn into office on a message of hope and change but that was really about government control, increases taxes, and massive spending. In response to the bailouts, stimulus packages, government takeovers, and other proposals such as cap and trade, card check, and now ObamaCare, the tea party movement was born. It first began in small gatherings at

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-85122209761594385182010-01-04T15:50:00.005-06:002010-01-04T15:53:23.372-06:00

While we will continue to post here, we wanted to let you know RedCounty.com is featuring a weekly Kaw & Border column each Monday. Here is a link to our last post, "Could Johnson County Experience a Conservative Wave in 2010?" Below is the content:--------------Could Johnson County Experience a Conservative Wave in 2010?That's the question conservative activists, potential candidates, and

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-43662195692001542932009-12-21T15:46:00.001-06:002009-12-21T15:47:43.033-06:00

Kaw & Border has made no bones about it -- we are a conservative blog. Founded to tell the stories of politics within the Kansas City area, one of our main focuses has been on the conservative movement. As we head into the 2010 election cycle, it is important to address the current state of the conservative movement in Kansas.In order to address the current state of things as well as prospects

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-57505075190583368362009-11-02T19:27:00.006-06:002009-11-02T21:19:50.866-06:00

Hats off to Ben Hodge. In a clear case of principle winning over politics, Ben's months-long battle regarding violations of the Kansas Open Meetings Act at Johnson County Community College has now been proven correct.Like many cases involving whistleblowers, Ben's efforts were not always met with support or a lot of backing. He was a virtual one man army, fighting against the Republican

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-1999946465279899122009-10-23T03:08:00.003-05:002009-10-23T03:39:39.779-05:00

From time to time, we at Kaw & Border like to talk about races in other parts of the country, particularly when the implications of such a race have a profound impact on the political makeup of the nation, and could have long term impact.This is the case in the 23rd Congressional District of New York, which has been the subject of the the national political buzz this week.In this race, we have a

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-43939186333842581132009-10-22T17:39:00.004-05:002009-10-22T17:47:41.667-05:00

We like to give credit to other blogs/news sites that cover stories you might not hear about in your local paper. One such case is one of the current headlines at the Kansas Watchdog..."Labette Community College President Reimbursed for Political Donation".You can read all the details here. Apparently George Knox was reimbursed by the college for a political donation to Dennis McKinney. Hat tip

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-20225416995537878412009-10-15T17:49:00.009-05:002009-10-15T19:10:45.074-05:00

Every quarter, federal candidates rush to get as many donations in as possible for their campaigns. Though not something that matters with the electorate at large, political insiders right and left pay a great deal of attention to them.In reviewing the reports, it is important to remember a couple of things. First of all, do the campaigns have enough to compete? Second, if it's a new campaign, at

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-47122416743933669962009-10-12T19:59:00.006-05:002009-10-12T21:45:03.548-05:00

In case it wasn't already clear to you, Kaw & Border is a believer in the conservative movement. We believe in such things as lower taxes, limited government, empowering the individual, the right to life, and the rule of law -- and we believe in promoting those principles wherever possible, and making the term "Republican" actually mean something again other than a mere label for a political

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-8363106512355401212009-10-08T02:09:00.012-05:002009-10-08T03:04:31.135-05:00

Since our inception, we at Kaw & Border have not been easy on the good ol' Johnson County Sun, particularly its publisher, Steve Rose. The local rag, which is now mailed to homes in an attempt to force people to read it, has declined sharply in quality and in impact over the years, save local city elections, when the 9% of people who actually vote still rely on the Sun for information, largely

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-49238908023783437492009-10-01T23:12:00.003-05:002009-10-02T00:13:43.475-05:00

We've made no bones about it on this blog -- we're fans of Patricia Lightner. Several weeks ago, she came out swinging with the launch of website and a comprehensive 8 minute campaign video, which could be found on her website at http://www.patricialightner.com/.Lightner, who clearly and articulately spelled out her belief in liberty and fundamental conservative principles such as economic

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-29585204939192433942009-10-01T01:14:00.003-05:002009-10-01T01:17:56.301-05:00

Kansans concerned about honest government and obtaining information that is hard to find elsewhere now have an outstanding new resource: Kansas Watchdog.A simple trip to this site will explain what we mean: http://kansas.watchdog.org/Well organized, well done, great information. First class all the way around.

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-49721646458002728872009-09-18T12:55:00.007-05:002009-09-18T14:29:07.451-05:00

Thursday, September 17 brought significant news to the 3rd District Congressional race when Johnson County Sun Publisher Steve Rose announced his decision to run for Congress. While analysts throughout the metro area debate and discuss the ramifications of Rose's decision, the quiet but undeniably true reality is that the Rose decision immensely helps the sole major conservative candidate in the

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-61915733321001340932009-09-12T02:49:00.004-05:002009-09-12T02:51:53.717-05:00

Due to a mistake on our part, our old domain (www.kawandborder.com) was not renewed and has been purchased by someone out of the country. Though it still might bring up our old site, it is not the site we have access to. So, for all readers of this blog, please update your site links to www.kawandborder.net.

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-48600349254864024022009-09-11T17:12:00.009-05:002009-09-11T19:37:24.097-05:00

With Barack Obama's poll numbers dropping like a rock, leftist czars resigning, hundreds of new voters showing up at tea parties and town halls, and Dennis Moore voting like a lap dog rather than a blue dog -- while at the same time evading voters by cancelling town meetings in which 1000 people had RSVP'd, some in the 3rd Congressional District are wondering whether Dennis Moore might be

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-14757618837466893402009-08-27T02:53:00.003-05:002009-08-27T03:24:00.399-05:00

Over the last few weeks, we've occassionally covered the increasing evidence that 2010 is looking a lot like 1994. We've talked about the strong possiblity of Republican gains in the Govenrorships and the House, but how the U.S. Senate is a much tougher task simply because of the small amount of Democratic seats up when compared to Republican ones, and where those seats actually are.However,

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-17168760171611429522009-08-26T23:58:00.005-05:002009-08-27T01:14:23.362-05:00

Well, our old buddy Steve Rose is at it again. Johnson County's self-appointed king of high-minded moderates has let his dwindling collection of readers know his initial thoughts on the 3rd District Congressional race. Just today, mailboxes across the county were filled with his weekly "Memo" entitled "It's Too Early to Write This".As we have discussed in the past, this "Memo" is right out of

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-80945493499916169842009-08-20T01:44:00.002-05:002009-08-20T01:56:51.115-05:00

One of the subjects we plan on tackling in the next few months here at Kaw & Border is the question on whether the 3rd District can be won. For the last six elections, the 3rd District has increasingly been out of the Republicans' reach, as candidate after candidate, from well known long time State Senators like Nick Jordan to moderate heros like Adam Taff to conservative icons like Phill Kline

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-85640769312714327842009-08-19T04:22:00.010-05:002009-08-19T04:48:40.458-05:00

In past posts, we at Kaw & Border have discussed various aspects of the Kansas Senate and how the makeup of the current body defies any notion that the legislature is a conservative one For years, the Kansas Senate has been an immense source of frustration for conservatives for the simple fact it's hard to get any good legislation out of there without some parliamentary maneuver or heavy

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-65848348129181272542009-08-06T01:46:00.003-05:002009-08-06T01:52:16.639-05:00

First of all, we wanted to mention that Kaw & Border will continue to focus on local politics but also start to provide information about races in other parts of the country, particularly as they relate to a Republican/conservative surge. As part of that, here are two polls that highlight just how strong the Republican momentum is and how unhappy people are with the current Democratic trend. In

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-13026979383938661012009-08-04T01:27:00.003-05:002009-08-04T02:16:34.185-05:00

Anyone following national news lately has noticed that Barack Obama is becoming more and more unpopular. For well over a week, Obama's approval ratings had dropped signifcantly. In Rasmussen, not only was his "passion" rating (those strongly approving - those dissaproving) all the way down to -12, but his overall number had fallen below 50. Though over the weekend (likely due to the coverage

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-67473756566395015672009-07-24T17:05:00.008-05:002009-07-25T01:27:24.138-05:00

For months now, many observers of Kansas politics, particularly conservative voters and activists who are not sure which horse to ride in the campaign to replace to Sam Brownback in the U.S. Senate, have been looking for things that would distinguish the candidacies of Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt. With their legislative records being relatively similar, and having both been in Congress for well

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-65933385728374650502009-07-13T01:32:00.003-05:002009-07-13T01:59:55.358-05:00

Last month, we talked about the possiblity that 2010 could be like 1994. Over the past few weeks, more evidence is building towards that kind of result, particularly in the United States House of Representatives.First of all, Obama's approval rating is dropping lick a rock, now at a -7 in Rasmussen's passion index, with only 28% now strongly approving, compared to 35% strongly disapproving. In

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-65287991798745735242009-07-07T19:57:00.004-05:002009-07-07T20:19:57.380-05:00

The past two days, two well known political commentators and reporters have published thoughtful editorials regarding Sarah Palin's decision to resign the Governorship. Both essentially make the same point we at Kaw & Border do -- that Palin had to do what she did.One is from famous moderate Republican Roger Stone, entitled "Palin's Plan"http://stonezone.com/Stone grills the media and fellow

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-51872899483605685062009-07-04T00:51:00.002-05:002009-07-04T01:51:47.549-05:00

In perhaps what will go down as the biggest political move in a decade, Sarah Palin has decided to resign from her position as Governor of Alaska, effective July 26.The conventional wisdom to this -- including among many well-meaning conservatives -- is that this move will sink Sarah Palin. Their claim is that by only serving 2 1/2 years as Governor, she will no longer be politically viable on a

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-75619302527786307182009-06-30T23:56:00.003-05:002009-07-01T01:12:46.288-05:00

Today, the big national political news is the development that the Minnesota Senate Race is finally resolved. It's official now -- Liberal Democrat Al Franken is now going to be the junior United States Senator from Minnesota -- winning the battle in the Minnesota Supreme Court over Norm Coleman. Though it is unquestionable that the election was stolen, the reality is now that it hands the

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-85321590044023626502009-06-28T00:20:00.002-05:002009-06-28T00:51:15.205-05:00

Perhaps as much as anywhere in the country, the infamous "split" within the Republican Party has always been quite pronounced in Kansas, particularly in Johnson County. Despite years and years of trying, particualrly by conservatives, there has been little to no ground made up in terms of unifying the so-called "conservative" wing with the so-called "moderate" wing of the party.There is a

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-63006966632870926722009-06-23T14:41:00.008-05:002009-06-23T16:29:38.197-05:00

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roamWhere the deer and the antelope playWhere seldom is heard a discouraging wordAnd the skies are not cloudy all day Apparently, those famous lyrics from the Kansas State Song, "Home on the Range", no longer apply to Johnson County. Here, the deer will no longer play but instead be shot, the only thing roaming will be dozens of bulldozers building the next

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-25262577937058475432009-06-23T02:02:00.002-05:002009-06-23T02:05:10.651-05:00

At The Kansas Federalist, Currie Myers has posted a great piece addressing the U.S. Senate's decision to apologize for slavery. You can get there by clicking going to the http://www.kansasfederalist.com/ and viewing the column on the right side of the page.

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-571619994464377592009-06-21T22:50:00.003-05:002009-06-22T00:26:26.840-05:00

This weekend was a slow one in terms of big political news. However, one story largely unreported by mainstream news -- but one that should give Republicans hope and Democrats heartache -- is the fact that Obama's approval ratings are starting to go down.First of all, we have this story from Gallup that Obama's approval rating has dropped to a still strong but lower-than-ever 58%. Keep in mind

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-60305499775177439822009-06-18T23:40:00.007-05:002009-06-19T01:02:21.294-05:00

This is the second installment in a series of posts entitled "Win in '10", which will be dedicated to electing conservatives at all levels of government in 2010. This post will focus on the First Congressional District of Kansas.As we've covered here before, 2010 is shaping up to be a huge year in Kansas politics. From Sam Brownback becoming governor on down, the upcoming election has the

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-84250369774680598752009-06-15T21:33:00.004-05:002009-06-15T21:54:14.609-05:00

The circus at the Johnson County Community College just got a new act.According to the Kansas Progress (which is majority owned by Hodge), the JCCC Board of Trustees voted to delay a board meeting originally scheduled for tonight to deal with the bid process for the college's legal services.Essentially, due to Hodge's involvement and questioning over the entire process leading up to the bid for

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-11243181046675739692009-06-15T16:05:00.004-05:002009-06-15T17:34:36.982-05:00

This is the first installment of a new series of posts entitled "Win in '10", dedicated to electing principled conservatives to public office, with a focus on Kansas and Missouri.Today, in what had been expected and suggested for weeks by many, Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh announced today he was dropping his bid for Governor.What this means is that the deck has now been cleared for U.S.

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-51993665542242837232009-06-12T11:18:00.007-05:002009-06-12T13:06:46.916-05:00

In the past few months, we at Kaw & Border have been one of the few area blogs covering the controversy surrounding Johnson County Community College. In short, there is a battle between Ben Hodge, a Board Trustee, and the JCCC President, Terry Calaway. Also involved are the JCCC's hired attorney, Mark Ferguson, as well as at least two other trustees, Lynn Mitchelson and Shirley

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-71879203234768153912009-06-05T01:30:00.005-05:002009-06-05T02:18:33.462-05:00

Steve Rose has done it again.In another riveting edition of his "Memo" entitled "We'll learn from California", Steve Rose employed his typical style - start with his own version of a fact he wants to discuss, make a few decent observations, create a straw man, and then attack the straw man in an effort to make a point that makes very little sense and is in fact the opposite of reality.In this

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-3342279791896218592009-05-28T11:39:00.004-05:002009-05-28T12:55:07.598-05:00

Over the last few days, there have been a number of stories that have caught our attention that signify exactly the kind of country we risk living in when we put people in charge who don't share a basic understanding of the Constitution, of free markets, and of freedom. This, folks, is what happens when we put unchecked liberal elites into power who want to control every aspect of our lives.1.

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-43906209170340141002009-05-26T22:56:00.007-05:002009-05-27T01:51:21.004-05:00

Today, liberals everywhere are upset because the California Supreme Court upheld the voters' approval of a ban on gay marriage that passed 52-48 in November. In doing so, they allowed the 18,000 marriages established before the ban passed to stand -- a bit of an odd ruling due to the fact it creates a small class of 36,000 people -- but probably necessary in the fact that it would have created an

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-7776237581645402272009-05-26T16:52:00.005-05:002009-05-26T17:54:18.614-05:00

Today, in a series of stops in Kansas, Kris Kobach announced he is running for Secretary of State, setting off a critical yet underrated battle for the state's top elections officer. Current Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh has held the position since 1994.Kobach's entry, who previously was the Republican State Chairman and a candidate for Congress in 2004, is yet another example of why 2010

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-5465453697801407372009-05-23T01:29:00.004-05:002009-05-23T01:42:47.900-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Governor Mark Parkinson surprised many when he agreed to a compromise on the coal plants. Many, including this blog, speculated that perhaps this was a sign that the new Governor might be easier to work with on a number of issues where Kathleen Sebelius offered no hope.While the decision on the coal plants was a step forward, the new governor took two huge steps back late

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-75043395071276457292009-05-20T03:26:00.006-05:002009-05-20T04:01:40.600-05:00

On Tuesday there were two big stories in the auto industry -- neither of which was good for America nor those who believe in capitalism and a free market economy.First of all, GM officially changed its name from General Motors to Government Motors.Second, President Obama announced his administration is setting extremely tough new "fuel efficiency standards" that will increase cost for consumers,

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-63918315708214752102009-05-20T00:21:00.003-05:002009-05-20T03:17:23.724-05:00

Being huge Royals fans here at Kaw & Border, we had thought about commenting on some recent developments with the franchise, but held off, not wanting to take away from the overall mission of this blog.However, with so many other Royals blogs already out there and other political sites such as RedState.com and RealClearPolitics.com also having sports sites, we thought it was time to at least give

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-90066041591553262412009-05-15T16:48:00.003-05:002009-05-15T16:55:56.899-05:00

The First Amendment got a boost this week when the office of Kansas Attorney General Steve Six, in an opinion sought by the Governmental Ethics Commission, said that it was their opinion that statutes demanding confidentiality by those filing complaints before the commission were unconstitutional. You can get all the details by clicking here.The case stems from a complaint filed by Kris Van

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-88242314673673228082009-05-13T12:21:00.002-05:002009-05-13T13:16:38.841-05:00

This morning our friends at Kansas Progress had a post entitled "Will Obama nationalize the Internet?" The post, which referenced this article by Pejman Yousefzadeh from another great site, RedState.com, discussing the increasing rhetoric from the Obama administration which seems to indicate a desire to nationalize the internet.For any blog or website dedicated to free speech and free discussion

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-87175710655619807092009-05-11T22:37:00.003-05:002009-05-11T22:41:48.592-05:00

A good friend of ours here at Kaw & Border is the Kansas Federalist, a Drudge-like twice-weekly collection of news items from around the nation as well as Kansas City, along with notable quotes, Scripture, and commentary.This week, the Kansas Federalist ran our piece from last week entitled "Steve Rose's Straw Man Sam", and we wanted to give a hat tip of thanks to our friend at TKF.For the

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-79130010233730931722009-05-11T21:59:00.004-05:002009-05-11T22:36:35.848-05:00

This post is third in a series entitled "Elections have Consequences".Last week, in two separate pieces, we touched on the issue of Democrats and "moderate" Republicans controlling Kansas government. To recap:In the post "Steve Rose's Straw Man Sam", we rebuffed Steve Rose's column "Time for the right wing to rule", in which he claimed that if Sam Brownback were elected Governor, "goodbye

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-74357405327007103342009-05-05T23:18:00.011-05:002009-05-06T00:11:27.888-05:00

A week ago, this blog posted a defense of Sam Brownback's decision to vote to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as HHS Secretary.In comparing the two options for Sam, we laid out the following scenario if he voted yes:Vote Yes, which ensures her confirmation. She leaves Kansas and though she is a liberal HHS Secretary and conservatives are mad, she is no longer a legislative roadblock and less of a

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-60385816216240946432009-05-05T02:04:00.020-05:002009-05-05T04:41:23.914-05:00

Steve Rose, the Publisher of Sun Publications and pontificater-in-chief for the Johnson County "moderate" oligarchy via his weekly "Memo" in the Johnson County Sun, has never been one to refrain from exaggerating a point.For decades now, this self-appointed spokesman for the wine-and-cheese crowd has blessed us with can aptly be called whine and cheese -- continually filling his columns with

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-51985240436510062572009-05-04T02:14:00.002-05:002009-05-04T02:48:25.062-05:00

This post is the second in a series entitled "Elections Have Consequences".Kaw & Border is usually focused on state and local politics but from time to time we will also focus on national politics as well. This seems appropriate this week given the news that Supreme Court Justice David Souter is retiring.At first glance, this doesn't appear to be that earth shattering, given the fact Souter (

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-40172379081825276172009-05-02T23:30:00.007-05:002009-05-03T00:44:32.521-05:00

This post is a first in a series called "Elections Have Consequences".Last week we discussed the importance of turning the tea parties into a real political movement. To follow up on this point, Kaw & Border is starting a new post series entitled "Elections Have Consequences". This was quite apparent in legislative action Friday during the wrap-up session in the Kansas House of Representatives.On

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-24357697292133206402009-05-02T02:43:00.008-05:002009-05-03T00:42:34.347-05:00

Remember the old gag about the fictional law firm, "Dewey, Cheatem and Howe"? The name pokes fun at lawyers who have the reputation of trying to take advantage of unsuspecting clients. As described here in Wikipedia, law professors even use the fake law firm, oddly enough, in lessons about professional responsiblity and legal ethics.Well, this often-used, fictional gag tale it may be coming to

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-3726591188435092792009-04-29T00:04:00.006-05:002009-05-03T00:42:05.509-05:00

On Tuesday, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, by a vote of 65-31, was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services by the United States Senate. Despite widespread conservative opposition, including the rather substantial 31 votes against her, both Kansas Senators, Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, voted for her.Roberts and Brownback, both pro-life, were criticized in press releases and

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-90271619618201861502009-04-24T00:48:00.005-05:002009-05-03T00:41:32.315-05:00

April 15, 2009 was an interesting day in American politics. Across the nation, tens of thousands of Americans, fed up with high taxes, out of control spending, billions of dollars in bailouts, and a rather dramatic shift in the role of government took to the streets in a good old-fashioned display of First Amendment speech.Liberals in the media blasted and made fun of these events. Some

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-36193428417208711032009-04-19T20:41:00.006-05:002009-04-22T18:00:53.216-05:00

Over the past few weeks here at Kaw & Border, we've discussed many of the issues surrounding local elections -- from turnout to the control liberals have over most local elections, particularly here in Johnson County. From turnout to simple apathy on the part of the electorate at large, particularly conservatives, Johnson County is operated by what is essentially the "Johnson County Oligarchy" --

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-3945236327215986002009-04-18T01:56:00.002-05:002009-04-18T01:59:32.650-05:00

From Drudge:God help us all.

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-53740759110192635792009-04-12T23:31:00.042-05:002011-09-12T21:58:06.423-05:00

"If you build it, he will come." This famous line from one of the greatest movies of all time, Field of Dreams, inspired Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) to build a baseball field in the middle of nowhere - and has been a cultural cliche since 1989, when the movie was in theaters. Whenever a stadium is built in a city in hopes of drawing a franchise, the line is repeated. Here in Johnson

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-6082737166079727952009-04-12T23:21:00.005-05:002009-04-12T23:30:05.053-05:00

If this isn't enough to scare you about the future of our country, nothing will:According to Rasmussen Reports, only a slim majority of Americans (53%) prefer capitalism over socialism. While only 20% favor and 27% are not sure.The real frightening stat, however, was this:For adults under 30, just 37% preferred capitalism vs. 33% for socialism and the rest (30%) weren't sure.Now, among

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-10788264745528072932009-04-10T03:26:00.001-05:002009-04-10T03:27:38.038-05:00

If an election day passes and no one votes, did it really happen?That’s the question many people might be asking in the wake of Tuesday’s results from the Spring General Election here in Kansas. It’s a scenario we have seen before – despite historically high turnouts in the recent November election and a relatively consistent solid block of voters in August primaries, most Kansans seem to ignore

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-41510210661589522202009-04-02T02:15:00.013-05:002009-04-05T22:22:41.993-05:00

At Kaw & Border, one of our favorite pieces of all times is Rush Limbaugh's "35 Undeniable Truths of Life". A collection of political and cultural certainties, it has long been a guide for conservatives who want some basic guidance -- and humor -- when reviewing the world around them.In recent months, it has come to our attention here in the Kansas City area that perhaps we should create a local

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-25540567615432702102009-03-29T20:54:00.006-05:002009-03-30T01:00:33.999-05:00

We're back at Kaw & Border after a month long hiatus to bring you a Spring Election Report. Just around the corner is the extremely underrated Spring General Election in Johnson County, Kansas. Unfortunately, due to a lack of media focus and overall voter attention to these races, turnout is extremely low and thus, every vote cast has a much greater impact than most other elections.For this post,

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-76461756602126793462009-02-19T19:19:00.012-06:002009-02-20T03:40:24.656-06:00

UPDATE: A third "big brother" bill was passed today in the Kansas Senate. This time it was Senate Bill 59 which would create a new law that says that if anyone in a vehicle is not wearing a seat belt, and would increase the total fine to $100, including court costs. The bill, which passed 23-17, would take the seat belt law from a secondary law to a primary law. In the past, tickets for not

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-86776115162414402612009-01-19T22:37:00.005-06:002009-01-19T23:22:50.406-06:00

Kaw & Border is happy to be back from a month long hiatus. With the holidays and the associated responsiblities to family and work, blogging took a back seat. The good news is that we're back with a bang with our newest installment of our "What Matters in Kansas" Series.For this entry, there were a number of topics we could have addressed: The Governor's State of the State, the state budget

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-75510251462196531262008-12-18T00:48:00.004-06:002008-12-18T01:40:11.824-06:00

Welcome to the second installment of our new series at Kaw & Border -- What Matters in Kansas. In this post, we will be focusing on the makeup and process of selecting the Kansas Supreme Court.As any reader of this blog knows, the Kansas Supreme Court has been the subject of much controversy over the past several years. Whether you're talking about the Montoy school finance decision in 2005, in

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-37959334472966519912008-12-12T00:22:00.011-06:002008-12-12T03:36:22.056-06:00

Back from a break, we at Kaw & Border are launching a new series of posts entitled "What Matters in Kansas". Yes, it's an obvious play off the infamous book by Thomas Frank entitled What's the Matter with Kansas -- but unlike that renowned work of fiction, these posts will actually deal with the reality of what is going on in Kansas politics - i.e. -- What Matters in Kansas. We hope you enjoy.---

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-12362554871067742842008-11-08T03:35:00.002-06:002008-11-08T03:56:03.249-06:00

The 2008 elections have come and gone and now all that is left is the analysis of what happened and how it pertains to the future.One thing that the mainstream media is unlikely to mention is that in Kansas as a whole, Democrats are in defeat while conservatives are slowly on the rise. The Kansas City area and Johnson County in particularly are a bit of a different story, but opportunities

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-24860264319849372942008-10-28T20:03:00.004-05:002008-10-28T20:09:53.489-05:00

With the election just a week away, we at Kaw & Border are launching an election preview series regarding several races in Johnson County.Today, we are focusing on a race we have examined before -- District 10, involving Republican Mary Pilcher Cook and Democrat Pete Roman.Mary Pilcher Cook defeated Sue Gamble soundly in the primary by a 57-43% margin. Pete Roman barely escaped the Democratic

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-82874204092730808802008-10-28T02:23:00.004-05:002008-10-28T03:34:44.840-05:00

It seems as if for the past 6 years, since Kathleen Sebelius took over as Governor, that we've been somewhat frozen in time politically in Kansas. Due to her huge cash advantages and the overall mood of the nation, Republicans in general and conservatives in particularly, have been somewhat on the defensive even in a red state like Kansas.Now, why is this? Some of this is was bound to happen, in

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-90233102800289175672008-10-08T15:23:00.002-05:002008-10-08T15:37:40.583-05:00

We at Kaw & Border believe there are two types of politicians: those who get elected to be something and those who are elected to do something. The be something types are a dime a dozen -- those who run for the prestige, the title, the power, the fame, or some combination thereof. You can spot them from a mile away -- and while some may indeed vote "right" some or even most of the time, you

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-34542879784327643162008-10-06T03:08:00.008-05:002008-10-06T03:34:30.170-05:00

There are a few things in life that are absolute certainties.Death.Taxes.And the fact that Johnson County moderates and liberals, when faced with likely defeat in a particular election, will bring up their favorite bogeyman, District Attorney Phill Kline, in an effort to sway the voters towards their point of view.KTRM tried it in primary race in Senate District 10 between Mary Pilcher Cook and

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-3679776152465324892008-10-03T15:40:00.009-05:002008-10-03T17:16:04.764-05:00

On September 3, Hurricane Sarah Palin hit Minneapolis with Category 5 force winds, transforming the American political terrain even further in an already historic election cycle. Not since Reagan had a Republican figure come upon the scene so quickly -- and add that to the fact she was a woman -- a conservative woman, no less -- she energized Republicans and threatened liberals like no one else

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-83702344243242143202008-09-26T19:33:00.003-05:002008-09-26T19:58:54.574-05:00

Though behind John McCain strongly, Kaw & Border prides itself on honest analysis of politicians and political campaigns. As such, we thought it would be appropriate to analyze the recent decision of John McCain to suspend his campaign and fly back to Washington to deal with the financial crisis.Now that John McCain has agreed to debate tonight, which he will be by the time this message is

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242060630819559731.post-84912656128744944742008-09-11T01:21:00.004-05:002008-09-11T02:07:36.481-05:00

It is still early, but it is our belief that Sarah Palin has the potential of ushering in a new era of Republicanism.Since the days of Ronald Reagan, Republicans as a whole and conservatives specifically have searched for a figure to rally around. While ideas themselves should theoretically be good enough, the problem is that when we vote, we vote for people -- and it is those individuals that

K&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06082553483439182969noreply@blogger.com