Kline’s selection causes stir

I’ve been a Republican since I first registered to vote 20 years ago, but for the last several years I’ve become more and more horrified at the company that designation implies I keep.

I keep holding on to the ever-dimming hope that sanity will once again prevail in the Republican Party in general, and locally in the Johnson County Republican Party. Monday night’s selection of Phill Kline as district attorney has convinced me it’s not going to happen any time soon.

Although I understand it is not common practice, I’d like to ask the Johnson County Republican Party to make the vote roster for Monday night’s decision public. Certainly the 316 members who voted for Kline aren’t ashamed of their vote. And I suspect there are quite a few members of the Republican public who would like the chance to “thank” those precinct committee members during the next elections.

After all, November’s election made it clear that the majority of Kansans (including an awful lot of Republicans) don’t think Phill Kline should hold public office.

Lara Hayes
Shawnee

The article regarding a possible recall election of Phill Kline as district attorney was almost as comical as it was pitiful (12/14, Local).

I would like to add to and rearrange your list of “Massive Problems” in attempting a recall election.

Massive Problem No. 1: Your candidate did not receive the necessary votes to win the election.

Massive Problems 2, 3 and 4: Refer to Massive Problem No. 1.

The Star, writer Steve Kraske and “traditional Republican” Andy Wollen need to give the election of Mr. Kline for district attorney a rest. The selection of Mr. Kline was done fair and square by rules set up years ago.

The constant blather from The Star and others brings back the memories of sore loser Democrats after the 2000 presidential election. If the results are not what they desire, they whine and attempt to manipulate the rules until their desired results are achieved.

Doesn’t sound like Democracy to me!

Rob Morris
Republican Precinct Committeeman
De Soto, Kan.

Monday evening’s news of the Johnson County Republicans’ installation of Phill Kline as district attorney was like being hit by an artic blast. The arrogant disregard for the position of Johnson County voters and the lack of consideration for the skills necessary to do the job is serious enough. But the subsequent public disclosure of the exodus of experienced prosecutors like Rick Guinn and Scott Toth (12/13, -1, “A defeat turns to victory”), coupled with Kline’s strident continuation of blatant political pursuits, makes it clear for all that the Republicans are not the only ones who will be getting away with murder in Johnson County.

Janine Hron
Leawood

The appointment by the Republican Party of Phill Kline as district attorney is unfathomable. What were they thinking?

Steve Howe has 18 years experience as a prosecutor, 15 representing the citizens of Johnson County. Political ideologies aside, Kline has never handled a criminal case in his career. He lives in Topeka, not Johnson County. He said that he will not seek this position after this two-year term.

Kline’s only interest in this job is to stay in the press until the next election, when he believes he can go on to bigger and better things.

We’ve seen how Kline used his position as Kansas attorney general for his own political gain. For that, he lost the attorney general election to Paul Morrison by 35 percent to 65 percent in Johnson County.

How will Kline use this district attorney position to create statewide and nationwide publicity for himself? Are Johnson Countians ready to be pawns in Kline’s political games? Will experienced prosecutors stay in the district attorney’s office while Kline takes the credit for their work?

All we know now is that in two years, we’ll be cleaning up the disaster left in the wake of Kline’s grandstanding. What were they thinking?

Kathy Hardee
Shawnee

Comments

[Kansas Meadowlark]

Lara Hayes:

Are you really a Republican? Weren't you a "Republican for Moore" in 2004 and 2006?

The vote was a secret ballot with 316 voting for Kline and 291 voting for Howe. The lists of 2006 precinct committees (Republican or Democrat) are here
http://www.jocoelection.org/archives/stats/S-8-2006.htm

[Engineer]

T. Hanson
If you have been paying attention in Kansas Politics you know the answer to that

[T. Hanson]

If he was so successful then why is he not AG now? It is not like it was a close race.

[Engineer]

tomw
Perhaps he thought that the selection of a man who has served a successful term as AG didn't need to be defended.

[tomw]

"While I agree there isn't much substance in Rob Morris' letter,.."

I find it interesting that Morris defends the process of selecting Kline, not the actual selection of Kline.

[Engineer]

ScooterJ
Lying under oath is not a "blow job", it is a crime. tomw-While I agree there isn't much substance in Rob Morris' letter, it is a relief from the endless regurgitations The Star has been printing on the subject.

[JUNGLEJACK]

Scooter - gimme a break. You can make your arguments without the same tired, innacurate bellyaching we've had to put up with for the last six years.

[ScooterJ]

What planet has Rob Morris been living on? It was Republicans who rewrote the rules after the 2000 election by getting the courts to halt perfectly legal recounts. That's not Democracy.

It's also the Republicans who used recalls, ridiculous redistricting, and impeachment over a blowjob when they didn't get results theey wanted in the '90s.

[tomw]

What's Rob Morris' point? There was talk of recall within a day of the special election. Was The Star supposed to ignore it? No. Instead, The Star ran an article detailing how impractical and unlikely a recall would be.