Congressman Dennis MooreSetback. A death blow.
That’s how the pundit class greeted the news that the Senate won’t meet President Obama’s August deadline for passing health care.
From his perch in Washington, Congressman Dennis Moore had a different take.
It’s all good, the Kansas Democrat said: “Not sure (the delay) is detrimental…gives us time to work out differences.”
In Moore’s view, differences are all over the lot, and they only begin with Friday’s (presumably temporary) breakdown in talks between the conservative Blue Dog coalition that counts Moore as a member and House leadership.
Moore was one of the Blue Dog signatories on a July 9 letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that outlined a litany of worries:
The impact on the deficit. The need for “delivery system reform” and to protect small businesses and bolster rural health care.
Then there was this potentially jawbreaker of a demand — bipartisanship.
“It is imperative,” the Blue Dogs wrote, “that comprehensive health care include the ideas of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.”
One more thing, the Blue Dogs said. We need time — “a sufficient amount of time before we are asked to vote for it.”
All this might suggest that Moore is more than a little dubious about Obama care. Not so. Over and over in the interview, Moore insisted that the nation needs reform, that it needs it now, that he’s encouraged by progress so far.
“We can’t be doing this just to be doing this,” he said.
Those close to Moore say he wants to vote for reform. That’s good news for Obama. With so many moderate Democrats on the fence, if the president loses a Dennis Moore, he’s probably lost the fight.
Clearly that hasn’t happened.
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Don’
Congressman Jerry Morant overlook the significance of last week’s endorsement spree by U.S. Senate hopeful Jerry Moran.
In his battle with fellow Republican Todd Tiahrt in Kansas’ 2010 U.S. Senate primary, the impressive list of Johnson County mayors that Moran trotted out ranks as a hugely significant development.
Seven Johnson County mayors backed Moran: Overland Park’s Carl Gerlach, Lenexa’s Mike Boehm, Leawood’s Peggy Dunn, Olathe’s Mike Copeland, Shawnee’s Jeff Meyers, Prairie Village’s Ron Shaffer, and Mission’s Laura McConwell.
Yeah, it’s just a bunch of endorsements. But with Moran hailing from Hays and Tiahrt from Wichtia, Johnson County Republicans are as valuable as Satchel Paige autographs.
The mayors’ verdict will reverberate all over the state’s most populous county.
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I don’t know about you, but I mainline new
Takeru Kobayashis like competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi mainlines hot dogs.
And I’m weary of the Mark Funkhouser saga.
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That said, the anti-Funk brigade now plans a new tactic to oust him, which is to wring his neck with nepotism — essentially, the mayor’s use of Gloria as a de facto chief of staff. All this comes from Susan Rameriz, one of the leaders of the recent recall-the-Funk movement, which has largely disbanded.
If they succeed, they are confident Funk will be booted from office.
But that’s a tough case to make, said lawyer, Funk critic and Councilman Ed Ford. Because Gloria was never a paid staffer, the nepotism argument is gray-area incarnate.
Judges don’t typically boot high-ranking officials based on gray areas.
The war on the nepotism front begins next week. One facet of that fight will be — one more time now — gathering signatures to prove to Attorney General Chris Koster that the public supports outsting the mayor on nepotism.
Koster only needs to see a few hundred John Hancocks to be convinced there is public support.The signature campaign begins Tuesday or Wednesday at a grocery store near you.
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Two words to those hoping that Kansas Gov. Mark Par
Gov. Mark Parkinsonkinson runs for election next year:
Won’t happen.
Meantime, Parkinson’s pick of a lieutenant governor who also has no plans to run in 2010 is leaving Democrats as high and dry as one of those wind-whipped prairies.
The Democrats have nobody.
Bad call, governor.
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On the
Sen. Chuck Purgason Missouri side, Republicans have a new entrant for U.S. Senate: Ozarks state Sen. Chuck Purgason.
He’s as conservative as Ron Paul. He wears bolo ties. His wife and kids serve as his campaign staff. He can spin a quote.
All of that is a problem for heavy GOP favorite Roy Blunt. The media’s going to love Purgason.
He won’t win. But he’s going to have Blunt chewing Excedrin like some folks down yonder chew tobacco.
To reach Steve Kraske, call 816-234-4312 or send e-mail to skraske@kcstar.com.
Steve, would you mind telling us who is running the
nepotism/signature campaign? That is (an important) part of the story.
Thank you,
Cookingham, Junior