Slattery's Big Day Falls Flat
Posted by JeffersonThomas at 5/1/2008 9:26 AM and is filed under uncategorized 
Jim Slattery must have imagined his announcement day like a young girl imagines her wedding. It would be perfect, with all the press writing nice things, TV cameras hovering close by, the total center of everyone’s attention after so many years out of the spotlight, which he has missed so much.
But sadly for Jim, his dreams never quite became reality. First, after a triumphant announcement of his “statewide” swing (minus the entire First District – guess he’s conceded 69 counties on Day One), he hit his first roadblock. Newman University in Wichita didn’t want him to announce on their campus. Complaints started flooding the college asking why, with Jim’s past voting record, the Catholic college would allow it? Jim had to pull the event or face a firestorm from the Catholic community. Not exactly a hero’s welcome.
On announcement day, all seemed well with supporters crammed into a hall in Topeka that had been roped off to allow the audience to appear bigger for the cameras. But…the Roberts campaign already had a radio ad up and running, defining Jim as the well-heeled lobbyist from Washington. The press enjoyed the food fight and the ad figured prominently in poor Jim’s news cycle.
And so it went in Kansas City, Kansas and Johnson County…about two dozen people were all they could muster at the events. Kansas City area TV stations barely gave his announcement a mention. By the time he arrived at his new location in Wichita, there were more Slattery protestors and Roberts supporters than Slattery fans.
Wonder when Jim is going to realize he’s miscalculated. Obama’s wave has stalled under the Rev. Wright controversy and the Democratic primary drags on. Many of Jim’s friends have told him they won’t back him over Roberts, who people widely agree has worked hard for Kansas and delivered positive results all across the state. His theme as an “agent of change” fell flat even among reporters – hardly a change agent when you’ve been a fat cat lobbyist for 14 years in Washington.
You know what they say, Jim. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
But sadly for Jim, his dreams never quite became reality. First, after a triumphant announcement of his “statewide” swing (minus the entire First District – guess he’s conceded 69 counties on Day One), he hit his first roadblock. Newman University in Wichita didn’t want him to announce on their campus. Complaints started flooding the college asking why, with Jim’s past voting record, the Catholic college would allow it? Jim had to pull the event or face a firestorm from the Catholic community. Not exactly a hero’s welcome.
On announcement day, all seemed well with supporters crammed into a hall in Topeka that had been roped off to allow the audience to appear bigger for the cameras. But…the Roberts campaign already had a radio ad up and running, defining Jim as the well-heeled lobbyist from Washington. The press enjoyed the food fight and the ad figured prominently in poor Jim’s news cycle.
And so it went in Kansas City, Kansas and Johnson County…about two dozen people were all they could muster at the events. Kansas City area TV stations barely gave his announcement a mention. By the time he arrived at his new location in Wichita, there were more Slattery protestors and Roberts supporters than Slattery fans.
Wonder when Jim is going to realize he’s miscalculated. Obama’s wave has stalled under the Rev. Wright controversy and the Democratic primary drags on. Many of Jim’s friends have told him they won’t back him over Roberts, who people widely agree has worked hard for Kansas and delivered positive results all across the state. His theme as an “agent of change” fell flat even among reporters – hardly a change agent when you’ve been a fat cat lobbyist for 14 years in Washington.
You know what they say, Jim. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
None of this matters. He got the statewide press he wanted and that's all that does matter. It's like the AFP's TABOR tour a few years ago. Very few people ever showed up but they got the press coverage they wanted. It's press coverage not these trivial details that count.
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I don't know about the rest of the TABOR tour stops, but there were 100 folks at their Wichita stop.
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Pat Roberts is pretty well hosed come November. It's a rough year for Republicans and it's only going to get worse from here. The demographics have changed in this state to the point where all a Democrat has to do to win statewide is keep the Republican from running up the score too badly out west.
Pat Roberts is further hampered from the fact that everything he touches turns to crap. As chairman of the Senate cover-up committee, he's been carrying the water of the massively incompetent, corrupt, and unpopular Bush administration, which won't play well come November. And really, thank heavens, because I'm sick of being embarrassed by the idiots that represent me. At least Jim Ryun's career has reached its merciful end.
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Well get used to it. It's going to be a tough year for Republicans, Pat Roberts was on the Intelligence Committee, blah blah blah - bottom line, Slattery will not win. Roberts will outspend him two to one and won't need to. Slattery is just as much a part of the Washington establishment as Roberts, if not more. The only difference is that the people of Kansas already consider Roberts a good Kansan.
Think of it like this - did Kathleen Sebelius do anything to warrant re-election in 2006? No. The State has economically stalled under her leadership. Private sector employment has dropped while public sector employment has risen. Factually speaking, she's been a very average Governor. But, she had the money and the message in her re-election bid - just like Roberts will. Slattery's swimming upstream against a very difficult current. He's got a very slim chance at making this any more than a slightly-competitive drubbing. Sorry, guys.
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Slattery will end up nearly matching Roberts for money and if polling in October shows he's close their will be a huge infusion of cash. And as to Sebilius, you're right. She didn't do much. Nevertheless she got 60% of the vote as a Dem in a Republican state. One final point. Roberts just hasn't been around in years, unlike Dennis Moore for example, so he doesn't really have that close connection to voters that an incumbant should have.
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A) No way in hell Slattery nears Roberts' cash on hand totals. Roberts already has 3 million on hand and will easily reach 5-6 if he feels threatened. Slattery will struggle to raise 3 million by the end of the Campaign.
If polling numbers are close, sure, Slattery will receive an infusion of national cash. Newsflash - so will Roberts. The NRSC certainly won't have the resources that the DSC does - but they will have the money to defend incumbents and Roberts would be top on their list. Slattery will be outspent (even with national help) two to one - at best.
As to Moore being in the State more than Roberts? Are you kidding - Moore makes a monthly appearance at a grade school and calls it quits. For God sakes - his wife doesn't even live in the District anymore. She's joined Denny in D.C. So - he comes roughly once a month when not in Campaign season and his wife doesn't even hold residence here. How, might I ask, is that 'being around Kansas.'
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One of the benefits of actually being actively involved in politics is that you tend to know what's going on rather than just guessing. Here's a newsflash for you. The national Republican party has told Roberts not to expect any significant financial help; they just don't have the money. Dems, on the other hand, have the money and have assured Slattery he'll get plenty. Ask the Roberts campaign; they'll tell you the same thing. As to Moore, you must not get out and about much in Johnson County or you would know that Moore shows up everywhere almost every weekend. I've already seen him at 3 or 4 events in the past couple of weeks; more than I've seen Roberts in this neck of the woods for years other than at fund-raisers. And I wouldn't push the residence arguement too far. Everyone knows that Roberts residence in Kansas is a hotel in Hays. He hasn't "resided" in Kansas for years.
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Here's">http://scienceblogs.com/tfk/2008/04/does_pat_roberts_remember_what.php">Here's but one instance (of many) of Jim's lobbying for the people of Kansas. If our representatives were doing their job, this guy wouldn't have needed to go to Jim for help. Old Pat needs to take a few more of those memory pills.
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I'm loving all the talk about this race (did you see bluetiderising?), the fact that you guys and the Roberts campaign need to tear Jim down. I doubt he has a great shot at any upset, but if KS can take some dollars off the table for the already poorly funded national Republicans, they'll be less capable to win races in other swing states. In my opinion, that's worth giving Roberts a strong run, even if it doesn't end in a victory. Go Jim!
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You know what else fell flat? Mel Neufeld's attempt to override the coal veto. leftbrainkansas.blogspot.com.
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Subelius has shown that all you need is $5 million to convince Kansans that an (let's be generous) almost average legislator can be portrayed as competent. Oh yea, and a very obsequious state press.
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He did look like he would rather be sitting at The Palm, but he's caught between the need to ingratiate himself to Democrat senators and their need to at least have a candidate in this race.
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Sebelius has been running circles around the KS GOP for 7 years. When's the last time a KS Republican won a tough race? I won't go so far as to say that Roberts can get beat. But, I'll say that Roberts will have very hard campaign. Don't take Slats for granted. He was clobbering Republicans before most of you were born.
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The question is whether Sebelius will really go to bat for Slattery. She has tremendous resources, but she's likely to be greedy and keep the political capital for herself in anticipation of 2010.
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There's a group of prominent Republicans supporting Slattery. It's an eclectic group that includes some conservatives. They're supporting Slattery b/c of war. Roberts has a great deal of spinning to do if he's going to be able to explain Iraq.
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What "prominent Republicans" are you talking about?
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I'll be they're eclectic...and so prominent that we've yet to hear of even one of them. Unless you're talking about some of the tools over at KTRM.
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Honestly, how many Republicans would say that Roberts did a "good job" at intel committee? It was the worst intel screw-up in world history ... and Roberts was charged with oversight. It's obvious that there was no oversight ... Roberts failed at his job. Now, six years and a trillion dollars later, this country is in a jam far worse than Vietnam.
This isn't a liberal v. conservative - or even a GOP v. Dem - argument. It's simply job performance. How can anybody possibly say that Roberts did his job? The guy has got to go. He deserves to be fired.
I don't know much about Slattery ... but I know that he's never screwed over the country the way that Roberts has. It's got to be an improvement.
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Other than voting for the largest tax increase in history ... Slattery hasn't hurt us much.
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What did more damage to the economy? The tax increase? Or, the trillion dollar mistake in Iraq?
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The bill for Iraq is $6,000 per household in the US. And, Robert isn't even man enough to pick up the tab. He's passing it on the next generation.
So, here's the "Real Roberts Record" ...
(1) Rubberstamp administration lies and misinformation about "WMD's" without even conducting an independent inquiry. Sit by and do nothing while this country invades a country for absolutely no reason.
(2) Tell us we'll have a $50b war that will last 50 days. (Now, we're in year 6 and approaching $1 trillion).
(3) Change committees and stop talking about the war once it becomes apparent that we've made a huge mistake.
(4) Instead of actually trying to clean up and pay for his mistakes ... he just passes the bill onto future generations.
(5) Leave the country with greater threats to national security than we started out with. And, permanently destabilize the mideast.
Good work, Pat.
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Let's not forget his blocking investigation into any number of illegal actions by the Bush administration. Anyone have recent Kansas opinion polls on our weird little emperor?
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Found it. Looks like a 2-1 disapproval rating in the eastern part of the state. Poor Pat, to be so corrupt for so long and have it end like this.
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There are three former party chairs who are working with group opposing politicians who supported Iraq war.
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Of course, two of them have already changed to Democrat Party
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This is just part of the transition. More mods will become Democrats. Until the GOP gets its act back together, this is to be expected.
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Pat Roberts is well past his prime. When you see him at Kansas Day or other events, it's obvious that he no longer has a passion for his job. He's had health problems and certainly the last few years haven't been any fun for Republicans.
For that reason alone, I'd say that Roberts has problems. There's simply no way he'll have the endurance or enthusiasm to keep up with Slattery. The GOP hired David Kensinger - a bona fide bulldog - to keep Slattery on the defense. But, such strategy won't work because nationally the Republicans are under seige.
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Roberts is up to the task no matter who the Democrats recruit. I know all you libs have fallen for the intel line: but the study was conducted and the finding approved by the Democrats on the committee. Or is that too painful to accept?
Better get with some reality: Slattery wants to raise taxes and raise utility rates. He's already stated that.
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Nobody is saying that there weren't some Democrats who were stupid enough to support the Prez on Iraq. They deserve to get thrown out of office as well. But, remember, there's at least one Democrat who never voted to support Iraq ... Slattery.
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Hindsight is 20/20. His girl Hillary supported it and by the looks of his contributions given to her since that decision, he doesn't have too much of a problem with it. What a putz
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Slattery was against it at the time. He understands that the Shiite/Sunni thousand year war is not something we should put our predominantly Christian army in the middle of. As for Sen. Clinton, she seemed to be the preordained Democratic nominee - so he supported her efforts to prevent a continuation of the Bush presidency under McCain. What's putzy about that? Giving money to her campaign somehow implies that he agrees with every stand of hers - and every vote she's ever cast? That's insane.
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Straight from the Slattery campaign book-lame
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the little dirty secret is that Kathleen is not going to allow Robert's to lose to Jim because of respect for her father in law, who Pat replaced. Jim is a token, and he knows it. It is to just pacify the left wing wacks.
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Man, finals must be a bitch. You guys haven't posted in 8 days!
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Didn't Slattery go to Iran to try to kiss up to Ahma-whatever and came back assured that he was our new best friend? Worked really well, didn't it, Neville Jim?
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