October 17, 2004

"Republican for Moore" Allowed to Ask Question
During Moore-Kobach Debate?

also see Political Profile of "Republicans for Moore" 

Update:  Post-Debate Anti-Kobach
Letter to KC Star printed on Oct. 21, 2004

Moore-Kobach race

Kris Kobach, one of the candidates for Congress in the 3rd District in Kansas, stated at a recent forum that he is interested in representing and preserving conservative Christian values in this country.

He listed the top three issues facing our country today: 1) banning of same-sex marriage; 2) protecting the unborn; 3) protecting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Wow! He must be in a different country. I thought the top three issues would be: 1) war — we are fighting one; 2) the economy — we have the highest deficit ever and thousands are without jobs; and then, 3) pick one — health care, education, Social Security, environmental issues and dependence on foreign oil, just to name a few.

This is one Republican who will “stay the course” and vote for a congressman who knows the real issues, practices fiscal responsibility, wants to protect women and their reproductive rights, voted to fund our troops and our veterans, a man who will represent all constituents. That man is Congressman Dennis Moore.

Mary C. Ralstin

Shawnee

The topic of her question, embryonic cell research, was an appropriate question for the congressional debate, but was the tone of her question a bit biased against Kobach?  Why might that be?  Was Ralstin an undecided voter trying to seek more information from the candidates, or was she a biased partisan that didn't admit her bias?

The Dennis Moore web site shows these Republicans for Moore Leaders in 2004:

Dennis Moore admits that Mary Ca Ralstin is part of his 2004 "Republicans for Moore" group!  AND, from a 2002 Moore press release:

Mary Ca Ralstin, a parent of four children in public schools, touted Moore's education record.

"Dennis Moore knows that Kansas schools face a teacher shortage, that's why he wrote a bill that would forgive student loans for people who teach. He also knows that Kansas schools face a funding crisis, that's why he's been working since 1999 to fully fund special education. That would mean $90 million for Kansas schools this year," said Ralstin.

. . .

The chairs of the 2002 Republicans for Moore Committee are: the Rev. Al Hager, Walt Hiersteiner, Ellen Laner, Diane Linver, the Rev. Bob Meneilly, Bill Nelson, Wynn and Andrea Presson, Mary Ca Ralstin, and Penny Stuber Moeller. A complete membership list is available upon request.

Jack Martin
Communications Director
Dennis Moore for U.S. Congress

Earlier this year, Mary Ca Ralstin was listed on web sites as leading "Kansas Republicans for Wesley Clark" and served as the JoCo Coordinator for Clark.  As a "Republican" Ralstin seems to stay busy supporting Democrat candidates!

If one were to drive by Ralstin's home in Shawnee what signs are in her yard?  Take a look for yourself:

Ralstin is a registered Republican voter, but she seems to support only liberal Republicans, like Stephanie Sharp, or Democrats, like Dennis Moore for Congress, Peter Roman for State Senate, and the liberal group, Kansas Families United for Public Education (this small group is led by a Howard Dean supporter, and many activists have ties to the liberal group Moderate Alliance of Informed Neighbors Coalition, formerly known as MainStream Coalition).

Stephanie Sharp's web site complements Ralstin as a good volunteer. Sharp's complement also includes this information about Ralstin:

Mary Ca Ralstin

Mary Ca is an UBER-volunteer for me and has lived in Kansas since age 6.  She and her husband Jim met at Bethany Medical Center, she is an RN and he is a pulmonologist.  

. . .

Mary Ca is one of those people I can call, give her an idea, let her run with it, and it ALWAYS makes a splash.  She can round up a dozen volunteers in a flash to walk doors, walk parades, or make phone calls.  Here is just a fraction of some of the things Mary Ca does:

Member, St. Joseph Catholic Church

PTA Past President, Benninghoven

PTA Past President, Trailridge

Shawnee Mission PTA Council

Health Chairman for Kansas PTA

Scholarship Chairman for Kansas PTA

Legislative Affairs Committee Chairman, SMNW PTA

Executive Committee of Kansas Families United for Public Education

Mary Ca graduated from Marymount College in Salina, KS. 

Sharp's web page reveals that Mary Ca Ralstin is a Catholic, went to a Catholic College, and works in a Catholic Hospital.  But based on Ralstin's question about embryonic stem cell research tonight, Ralstin appears to have little respect for Catholics that have a problem with this type of destruction of human life.  What does Ralstin think about a Catholic official with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that says the campaign for embryonic stem cell research ignores ethical and practical problems?  Kobach mentioned these ethical and practical problems in his answer.  

Democrats, like Dennis Moore and John Kerry, "respect" people that have problems with this research but expect everyone to ignore their ethical problems and religions beliefs that respect human life. 

After the debate I asked KCPT's Nick Haines how a "Republican for Moore" activist made the list to be a questioner for tonight's debate.  He suggested Ralstin's name came from a list provided as one of the respondents to the Kansas City Star's request for questions.  

K a n s a s M e a d o w l a r k @ e f g 2 . c o m