Losing on the right
By Patrick Kelley
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Tuesday was not a good day for Republican social conservatives in Kansas. Two of the stars of that wing of the party were defeated in the primary election.
The defeat that hurt the most was that of Phill Kline, the district attorney of Johnson County, who lost his second election in a row. In 2006, Kline, completing his controversial first term as Kansas attorney general, was beaten in the general election by Paul Morrison, a moderate Republican who had switched parties to challenge him. Republican leaders in Johnson County named Kline to complete Morrison’s term as district attorney.
Kline’s two years in Johnson County were just as controversial as his time in Topeka. Starting his run for a full term, his race was cut short in Tuesday’s primary by moderate Steve Howe, who had served as an assistant DA under Morrison and was one of the staffers Kline fired in a purge shortly after taking office.
Revenge must be sweet.
Also suffering a second defeat was former Rep. Jim Ryun, who was trying to get back to Congress after having been beaten two years ago by Democrat Nancy Boyda. For Ryun, Kansas sports hero and Bible literalist, it may have been galling to be beaten once again by a woman — this time, State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, who will now face Boyda in November.
more . . .
http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2008/aug/07/losing_right/
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