Over the course of this year, I’ve published several articles chronicling my volunteer efforts to help elect Todd Tiahrt as our next U.S Senator from Kansas. As a former civics teacher of mine once told me, “It’s citizen involvement that will turn things around.”
Volunteering is important to me; you’re giving something of yourself freely to help further a cause in which you deeply believe. Some of us are super-dedicated in our volunteerism, while others take it even further, deeply sacrificing with all they have to work for what’s right.
One such example is my good friend, Michelle Hucke.
It was surprising, therefore, to learn a few weeks ago, that Michelle was being targeted by “Moran fans” as a supposedly-paid staff member on the Tiahrt campaign – an accusation based entirely on an article I wrote.
So, because these people are apparently incapable of doing their own fact-finding, I’m going to make things crystal-clear for them.
Michelle Hucke is, in fact, the volunteer Southeast Kansas Coordinator for the Tiahrt campaign – a position that she holds with entirely no financial or other compensation. As a student at Pittsburg State University and a newlywed, she’s, according to her own words, “not able to donate money to the campaign”, so she donates her “time and energy instead.”
Recently, Michelle wrote several letters to the editor. Hopefully, this helps re-assure those newspapers those letters were, in fact, genuine and also helps the public realize they’ve been duped, yet again, by a Moran campaign that digs no deeper than glossy campaign mailers (or their inane cartoon-style ones, either).
My good friend, KSKidConservative, makes some really hard-hitting grassroots campaign videos. This is his latest regarding the U.S. Senate race in Kansas.
Says he:
Todd Tiahrt is running for the United States Senate. Recently, Jerry Moran released an ad called ‘Quotes’ that said Congressman Tiahrt was “slimy” – I have a list of quotes of my own about Todd, from Sarah Palin to Sean Hannity.
On Thursday, July 8, Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS04) completed his tour of Southeast Kansas with multiple stops in Parsons, Oswego, and Pittsburg.
I caught up with the Congressman as he was touring downtown Oswego, KS, my hometown. Michelle Hucke, Tiahrt SEK Coordinator, and I (the lowly Labette County coordinator), along with Brie Bringle and Tom Bringle, Mayor of Oswego, introduced Todd to all of the local merchants and business owners in the community.
Mr. Tiahrt also toured one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in Oswego, the Boss Tank division of Tank Connections.
Later that afternoon, he held a town hall in Oswego – most likely the first event of this nature held in Oswego in at least a few decades. Even in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, he still had almost 1.5% of the entire population of the city attend – that’s the same attendance, per capita, as the Karl Rove event in Wichita!
Voters in Oswego are very excited about Todd. In fact, as you drive through the community of roughly 2,000 inhabitants, you’ll see Tiahrt yard signs all over the place; there’s even a giant 4×8 sign downtown. As for Todd’s opponent, he’s never heard the term “SEK” and his travel (or lack thereof) to the area shows it.
That evening, the Congressman hosted a “meet and greet” and town hall in Pittsburg, KS with the Southeast Kansas Conservatives group. With only hours notice, people packed into the meeting room the organization had reserved on Broadway in Pittsburg.
The photograph above (I apologize for the poor quality) was taken at the very beginning of the Congressman’s speech and from the front of the crowd. If you could only see how every seat surrounding Todd was filled! In fact, as people continued to come in throughout the evening, they had to sit behind just to have a place to sit. That’s how excited we are in Southeast Kansas about Todd Tiahrt.
You could feel the electricity and excitement in the air as Todd spoke about our need to rid ourselves of unnecessary government involvement. He said, “If the cost of a regulation outweighs its benefit, let’s get rid of it!” He also talked about the urgency with which he fought against Obama’s health care plan, and how we must repeal the atrocity called Obamacare as soon as is humanly possible. Truly, the Congressman was on-fire last night.
One woman raised her hand and talked about how, as “embarrassed” as she was to admit it, she was a registered Democrat. She said that she was ashamed of what her party was doing to the nation, and that she had been planning on re-registering as a Republican. The woman said after hearing Todd speak, and seeing the integrity with which he conducted himself, she was convinced and that she’d be voting for him on August 3. Talk about awesomeness!
The excitement on the ground was palpable. Basically everywhere we went, if you mentioned the name “Tiahrt,” eyes lit up, and people were anxious to speak with Todd. If you have ever had any doubt about the winner of August’s primary, cast it out. Todd Tiahrt will be our next U.S. Senator from Kansas.
LATE BREAKING: Congressman Todd Tiahrt will be making a three city tour of Southeast Kansas tomorrow, July 8 and traveling through Parsons, Oswego, and Pittsburg.
He’ll be hosting events all day, and I’m sure he would love to have you at any event you can attend. Please bring your friends and family, even if they are still undecided. This is a great way to personally speak with Todd and hear from him how he feels on the issues.
If you have one, please wear your red Tiahrt shirt!
I just received this email from a fellow Tea Partier from South Carolina, home of Senator Jim DeMint, who, breaking from the rest of conservatism, has oddly endorsed Todd Tiahrt’s very moderate opponent for Senate.
As a native Kansan, a resident of South Carolina, and an executive board member of the South Carolina District 5 Patriots “tea party,” ( www.scd5patriots.org )I am appalled that my Senator and Tea Party Hero, Jim DeMint, is actively campaigning against his fellow Tea Party Hero, Todd Tiahrt, in the race for the Senate Republican nomination in Kansas.
This week, Sen. DeMint, will travel to Kansas City to tell the voters of Kansas that Jerry Moran is the guy they can trust to put constitutional principles and the interest of his constituents above “politics as usual.”
There are reasons Congressman Moran was not chosen as a Tea Party Hero, such as voting to raise taxes 12 times, and voting for the tourism bailout that Senator DeMint called a “$400 million corporate welfare boondoggle.” (Washington Post op-ed by Jim DeMint)Yet DeMint, my senator and a Shining Star leading conservatives across the nation, will use his Tea Party Hero status to hoodwink the good people of Kansas.
This begs the question “Why?”And, it spits in the face of the millions of grassroots Americans who are seeking honest and principled ambassadors to represent THE PEOPLE in Washington.
What grates even deeper is that Moran is playing up DeMint’s Tea Party Endorsement as being an indirect Tea Party endorsement for him.This is a sleazy, deceitful tactic to usurp off the good name and credibility of the tea party movement.It’s fake, and it’s unscrupulous.
Sen. DeMint is sending mixed signals here, and it reflects poorly on the Tea Party Express organization and what it stands for.
So, Senator DeMint, which side are you on?As your constituent and leader of the SCD5 Patriots, I am holding you accountable.I want a really good explanation, or a retraction of your endorsement of Moran for Senate in Kansas and cancellation of your trip to Kansas.
This is a guest posting I wrote for On the Kansas Trail, a blog published semi-weekly by Vicki and Jessica Tiahrt.
On Saturday, June 26 the Olathe Republican Party hosted their annual picnic and straw poll. Candidates from Kansas’ Third Congressional District and those running statewide were invited to attend, pass out literature, and set up booths. Each candidate was also given a small allotment of time to speak.
I had worked that morning at the Edgerton, KS parade, so I arrived right after the picnic started – hundreds of people were already there, talking with candidates and their volunteers. The first thing I noticed, however, wasn’t the delicious smell of hamburgers being grilled by State Representative Arlen Siegfreid, but the sheer number of red Tiahrt shirts! With the estimated 800 or so in attendance, over a quarter were wearing the signature Tiahrt red, while nearly a hundred more proudly displayed their Tiahrt stickers.
Throughout the late morning and early afternoon, the buzz built as it neared time for Congressman Tiahrt to address the red shirt-saturated crowd. People were constantly coming up to our booth to speak with the Congressman and to snap a picture with our proudly displayed life-sized cutout of Gov. Sarah Palin, one of Rep. Tiahrt’s most recent endorsements – a list filled with conservative super-stars that builds daily.
When the Congressman was finally able to take the stage a few minutes after 1:30, the crowd erupted in to the loudest screaming, applause, and cheering heard for any candidate – many times over. In fact, Rep. Tiahrt was unable to begin speaking for over a minute as the crowd slowly quieted down enough to hear the microphone.
Todd spoke of our need as a nation to return to stalwart conservative values and of the ever-growing list of leaders and voters who have endorsed him. He discussed how he spent over ten hours on the floor of the House of Representatives fighting endlessly and tirelessly against Pres. Obama’s so-called healthcare reform package (while his opponent recorded videos outside the Capitol).
With the determination he used to fight to destroy the government takeover of healthcare, the dedication he used to never vote for a stimulus package, a bailout, or a tax increase, and the inspiration he gained from working to make a starting position as an underclassman on his high school football team, Todd Tiahrt will do something D.C. hasn’t seen in years. He’ll bring common sense to the madness. It’s not so much how long you’ve been in Washington, but how much Washington is in you.
With thundering interruptions every forty-five seconds, the Congressman was nearly unable to finish his speech during the allotted time. Those in attendance clung to his every word, cheering as loudly as possible. When he finished, they chanted “Tiahrt! Tiahrt! Tiahrt!” and applauded him for two solid minutes before the announcer was forced to re-take the stage.
As if anyone needed reminding of the incredible momentum building behind the Tiahrt campaign, Todd won an astronomical 73.6% of the straw poll vote, besting his opponent by an almost three-to-one margin, proving once again that he is the REAL DEAL for Kansas.
This weekend was a busy one for those of us volunteering for the Todd Tiahrt for Senate campaign. I took the two and a half hour trek up to the Kansas City Metro Friday night to help out with the numerous events the campaign had planned.
This morning, Michelle Hucke, George Weston, and a few others walked in the Edgerton parade. We met many families in Edgerton, and greatly enjoyed the time we spent there.
I’ll post a picture as soon as it comes up on Facebook
The biggest news of today, however, came out of Olathe, KS, where the Olathe Republican Party hosted their annual picnic and bell-weather straw poll. This yearly event has become a solid indicator of the end result of races in Kansas.
Today, in a stunning and thunderous victory, Congressman Todd Tiahrt won an incredible 73.6% of the straw poll vote, beating Congressman Moran’s lackluster 26% and leaving the other two candidates to mop up the rest.
This absolutely phenomenal outpouring of support by voters from all across Kansas is just another indication of the tidal wave of momentum that’s building in the Tiahrt campaign. We had supporters from as far away as Western Central Kansas, from Pittsburg in the South, from El Dorado, and, of course, the majority from the JoCO and KC Metro area – but even if you just included our KC Metro supporters, we still would’ve won over 69% of the vote. There were literally hundreds of “red shirt” Tiahrt supporters in the crowd!
Todd Speaking in Olathe
When Todd got up to give his speech during the candidate forum section of the event, he could barely get a word in edgewise over all of the screaming, cheering, and applause. In fact, the crowd was so thoroughly excited that he almost went over his allotted time trying to finish his speech! When he finished, we left the stage to a solid several minute refrain of “TIAHRT! TIAHRT! TIAHRT!” chanting coming from every “red shirt” Tiahrt supporter under the pavilion. Needless to say, the (very few) supporters of our opponent didn’t stay for very long afterward.
Kansas needs a conservative Republican representing them in the United States Senate, and that’s why I’m supporting Todd Tiahrt. That’s why Gov. Sarah Palin, Karl Rove, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Dr. James Dobson, and the Kansas Federation of College Republicans are, too. Won’t you join us?
In the past few days, we’ve been given two huge endorsements, one by the Queen of Conservatism, Gov. Sarah Palin, and the other by the second-most listened to talk show host in the USA, Mr. Sean Hannity.
Said Gov. Palin:
I’m happy to endorse Todd Tiahrt’s campaign to be the next U.S Senator from Kansas. Todd is a protector of our Constitution, a pro-family, pro-Second Amendment Commonsense Conservative who has never voted for a tax increase and has fought to end the wasteful spending coming out of Washington. He didn’t just stand on the sidelines complacently, but instead actually battled against the bailouts, the debt-ridden stimulus spending, the cap-and-tax energy schemes, and Obamacare. In fact, remember on the day Obamacare was being debated, Todd Tiahrt was on the House floor all day working to defeat it, and he’s helped lead the charge to repeal and replace Obamacare the moment it was signed into law. We can count on Todd to take on the liberal spending agenda of the Obama administration and fight for lower taxes, more individual freedom, and less government intrusion.
Please join me in supporting Todd Tiahrt’s campaign by visiting his website atwww.ToddTiahrt.com and following him on Facebook and Twitter.
- Sarah Palin
Todd Tiahrt: Palin Approved!
Now, I have to be honest. When I heard this news, I literally began running, jumping, and screaming. Sarah Palin is my hero, and for her to give us the honor of recognizing Todd as the true conservative that he is – it was just almost too much!
Then, as if you could actually top the Palin endorsement, Sean Hannity followed her lead and jumped on board Team Tiahrt as well, offering what some have said was a nearly two minute endorsement on-air on Friday, June 25. How awesome is that!
Momentum is skyrocketing for the Tiahrt campaign! We are excited and THRILLED at these endorsements and glad to have both Gov. Palin and Mr. Hannity on board!
“It’s not so much how long you’ve been in Washington, but how much Washington is in you.”
There is a resounding theme within the far-reaching Tea Party movement: Kick Out the Bums! On the surface, this sounds great – let’s throw out the entire Congress and start fresh! A closer look, however, reveals this may not be the best plan.
Our Founders knew that there was a chance that turmoil and unrest would seize the nation, much as both do now. With freedom as rich as our founders intended, there are bound to be thousands of ideas, and many of them are probably not in the best interests of the nation. All, however, should be given a chance to stand on their own merit.
Therefore, they devised a plan:
a) The House of Representatives is where the sparks fly.
Representatives are elected to a two year term, providing a quick turnaround if constituents are unsatisfied.
b) The Senate is for “measured” discussion.
This is why our Senate is set up in three sections, each rotating out for election every two years, with six year terms. The upper chamber is (supposedly) where cooler heads prevail and ideas are (once again, supposedly) calmly discussed and debated. The bugs are worked out of tricky bills and real legislation is supposed to appear(s).
Of course, as we all know, it doesn’t always work that way.
However, remember when you were young, and you missed recess (again) because that one kid made the teacher so furious (s)he took recess away from everyone? It’s the same with Congressional elections.
Sure, there’s a ton of scoundrels; it’s politics, and we have our fair share of worthless, corrupt politicians that should be fired, but there is a measured number of real, honest people working to shape a better future for America. It’s not so much how long you’ve been in Washington, but how much Washington is in you.
As a voter, I value hard-earned experience. Indeed, career politicians are a major part of the problem, but what about the official who started out as a small business owner, worked his/her way up, realized s/he really had something to offer the public, worked tirelessly for a few terms, and made some real progress – in spite of the Harry Reids and Nancy Pelosis that surround them. Do we throw them out, too?
I say no.
Instead, let us emulate the design of the Senate and carefully consider who is worthy of holding the title of “Congressman”, “Congresswoman”, or “Senator“, and who deserves nothing more than a curt “Ma’am”.
I hope you join me in helping move the Tea Party from protest to true activism.
Yesterday, Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for President George W. Bush, the “Architect”, “Boy Genius” Karl Rove visited the KC Metro Area and Wichita yesterday to announce his endorsement of Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-Goddard) in his campaign for Kansas’s open U.S. Senate seat.
I caught up with both the Congressman and Mr. Rove at the rally at the Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita. As a volunteer for the Tiahrt campaign, I was asked to help with the book signing portion of the event.
Congressman Todd Tiahrt at Rove Rally in Wichita
Congressman Tiahrt spoke for about fifteen minutes to a very excited and fired-up crowd of over three hundred about his work to take Kansas conservative values to the U.S. Senate. The race in Kansas has been described as a campaign between two candidates with almost identical platforms, but that’s only because the other guy re-shapes the truth. The real truth couldn’t be more different: Kansas’s U.S. Senate race is between a true, honest, movement conservative, and a reluctant Republican.
Karl Rove sees this, too, and he said that’s why Rep. Tiahrt is one of only two Senate candidates he’s endorsing during the primary season (Marco Rubio of Florida is the other).
Karl Rove endorsing Rep. Todd Tiahrt
According to the Wichita Eagle, Mr. Rove said ”this guy here [Tiahrt]” is a “natural fit” for tea party supporters. Said the candidate himself, “‘If Kansas can’t send a conservative, who can?’ he said. ‘We can’t depend on Connecticut.’”
Kansas holds its primary election August 3. Residents can now add or update their registration online.
okay, brain is NOT functioning. Sleep for sevenish hours and then back at "El Hombre" by Juan Rulfo and CompSci homework. UGGGGGGGGGGGH ¡ay! twitter.com5 hours ago
