Feb 28, 2007

Republicans For Moore -- the last five election cycles

What would Kansas City Chiefs fans do if they knew certain members of the Chiefs' team  were not playing to win?  What if certain team members did everything they could to help the opposition win?  Wouldn't these frauds be exposed and shown the door so the "real" Kansas City Chiefs could focus on winning?  

Why shouldn't "Republicans for Moore" be seen as traitors and saboteurs to the team they claim to represent?  If this wouldn't be tolerated in the sports world, why is it tolerated in the political world?  For the most part, "Republicans for Moore" help Democratic candidates and do anything they can to defeat Republican candidates.  One "Republican for Moore", Walter Hiersteiner, was a "Republican" for Democrat Jill Docking for U.S. Senate in 1996. There is a long history and a pattern of deception by members of this group. Why aren't "Republicans for Moore" honest enough to describe themselves accurately as Democrats, Secular Progressives, or simply, liberals, and tell voters what principles they really represent?

Dennis Moore used his fraudulent "Republicans for Moore" group over the last five election cycles, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, to confuse 3rd District Republicans into voting for him. The left-leaning press, and especially the Kansas City Star, simply refuse to report both sides of this story.  

While the 2006 "Republicans for Moore" list has not been completely analyzed, over 1,000 3rd District voters have been identified on one or more of the "Republicans for Moore" lists over the last five election cycles.  In recent months, 83 of these "Republicans for Moore" have re-registered as Democrats, some possibly as a protest over the Kline election to District Attorney in December 2006.  

At least these 83 "new" Democrats are now honest enough to express their real political views.  Notice that selected members of these "new" Democrats form a "who's who" list of liberals:

Some of 83 Republicans for Moore" Who Became Democrats

The "Political Comments" above show how ultra-liberal these "Republicans for Moore" were before they registered as Democrats.  

Earlier this year Johnson County Democratic Party publications said this:

How to help a Republican register as a Democrat.

Many Johnson County Republicans have expressed an interest lately in re-registering as members of the Democratic Party.

So how does one do this? To change party affiliation, voters can complete a new registration form -- and highlight the box noting their new party affiliation. Then simply mail your new registration to the election office. All the information and forms you need can be found at the link below:

http://www.jocoelection.org/voters/VoterRegistration.htm 

Perhaps the Johnson County Democrats should "recruit" all the Republicans for Moore to re-register as Democrats and put an end to the fraud and chicanery of "Republicans for Moore".

Below are the lists of Republicans for each election cycle:

Democrat Dennis Moore on Tuesday said that 431 Republicans had signed up to support his bid for the U.S. House from Kansas' 3rd District.

Saying he wanted to be ``a voice and a vote for the moderate majority,'' Moore handed out a membership list of Republicans for Moore.

It was headed by Walt Hiersteiner, a former Shawnee Mission school board member; Ellen B. Laner, Moore's treasurer and an official of the Mainstream Coalition; Bill Nelson, president of the NationsBank Kansas City region; and Penny Stuber, a Mainstream Coalition board member.

Republicans finally paid price at polls for ideological divisions 
The Kansas City Star, November 7, 1998

Many GOP moderates flaunted their disdain for Snowbarger, especially in northeast Johnson County, by putting yard signs for Moore next to signs for Republican Gov. Bill Graves.

Among a group called Republicans for Moore were four persons elected in August as Republican precinct committee leaders. They were Matt Grogger, Sherry Obringer, Alleen S. Vanbebber and Rita Alexander.

Some Republicans are talking about forms of censure for the four when party leaders meet Nov. 17 to reorganize.

Moderate faction reclaims county GOP 
The Kansas City Star, November 18, 1998

. . .
During the meeting, Shadwick admonished several precinct leaders who had joined Republicans for Moore prior to the election.

``For those of you in this room who publicly supported Dennis Moore, you did a great disservice to the party,'' he said.

``I hope you do the honorable thing and resign.''

No formal action was taken against those precinct leaders.

. . .

WASHINGTON - The Republican Party convention is over. So, too, is the show of party unity by Kansas Republicans.

Just a day after the convention ended, some moderate Republicans drafted a letter to fellow Republicans urging their support for a Democrat.

The group, calling themselves Republicans for Moore, is asking nearly 1,500 registered Republicans to help re-elect Dennis Moore, Kansas' lone Democratic congressman.

Moore represents roughly 620,000 people in the Third District, which is made up of Johnson, Wyandotte, Douglas and Miami counties. Moore grew up in Wichita, where his father, Warner, still lives.

Moore "has followed through on his promise of moderate, common sense and independent representation," reads the Aug. 4 letter, which was paid for by Moore for Congress.

"We have put our names on the line for Dennis Moore, and we hope you will do the same." The letter was signed by the following Republicans:

Michael Braude, executive director of the Kansas Board of Trade; Howard Ellis, a Johnson County physician; Walt Hiersteiner, a former Shawnee Mission school board member; Ellen Larner, longtime Republican activist and Moore's campaign treasurer; Bill Nelson, a retired bank executive; and E. Wynn Presson, Health Midwest chairman of the board.  . . .

Republicans for Moore is the same group of moderates who worked to elect him two years ago instead of their own party's nominee, incumbent U.S. Rep. Vince Snowbarger, a conservative.

Republicans for Moore
Lawrence Journal-World, Oct 29, 2000

Earlier this month, Moore's campaign released a list of 600 supporters supplied by the Republicans for Moore committee. The four committee co-chairs proclaimed Moore an independent voice who deserves re-election.

The 600, though, are only the tip of the iceberg, said Walt Hiersteiner, co-chair of Republicans for Moore.

"I find that many Republican colleagues, for partisan and practical reasons, prefer to remain anonymous," he said. "Particularly, those who are in office have to be very quiet about it."

John Kerr, Kline's campaign manager, was unimpressed with the list. He quickly recited a list of big-name supporters of Kline, including U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Gov. Bill Graves, U.S. Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts and U.S. Reps. Jim Ryun, Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt, as well as "hundreds of thousands of registered Republicans."

"Nice try Dennis, but you'll have to do better than this," Kerr said.

Moore is a Democrat in a very Republican district. But he has thrived throughout his political career by attracting moderate GOP support.

Consequently, a large part of any Moore campaign for Congress is a contingent of "Republicans for Moore."

This year the group has grown to 750. For years, some moderate Republicans have justified their support of Moore by saying they couldn't bring themselves to back a conservative Republican.

But this year, Moore's GOP opponent is a moderate.

Asked why Taff is unacceptable, the Rev. Bob Meneilly said the group didn't object to Taff's stand on issues.

"There's little experience there other than the military," Meneilly answered.

Still, the endorsements have left other GOP moderates, who back Taff, grumbling that "Republicans for Moore" are Democrats in GOP clothing.

Moore-Taft debate features candidates questioning one another 
Kansas City Star,  October 23, 2002

. . .a large part of any Moore campaign for Congress is a contingent of "Republicans for Moore."

This year the group has grown to 750. For years, some moderate Republicans have justified their support of Moore by saying they couldn't bring themselves to back a conservative Republican.

But this year, Moore's GOP opponent is a moderate.

Asked why Taff is unacceptable, the Rev. Bob Meneilly said the group didn't object to Taff's stand on issues.

"There's little experience there other than the military," Meneilly answered.

Still, the endorsements have left other GOP moderates, who back Taff, grumbling that "Republicans for Moore" are Democrats in GOP clothing.

. . .Many registered Republicans in Mission Hills and Hallbrook have voted Democrat in post-primary elections but have remained registered Republicans to gain the right to vote in primaries in an attempt to keep far right-wing primary candidates from making it through the primaries. We work to ensure that moderate Republicans can win elections.

For that reason, Republicans for Dennis Moore - a moderate Democrat - is an organization that started two election cycles ago with two people and now has 900 names on its roster.

Penny Moeller, Mission Hills

Moore held a press conference on Wednesday announcing that more than 800 registered Republicans have joined his campaign as Republicans for Moore. Rep. Moore credited this support as signifying his mainstream, commonsense politics.

Penny Moeller, co-chair of Republicans for Moore, said, "I am one of many people who feels that the Republican Party has been hijacked by the far right wing of the party and no longer supports our views. ... I am supporting Dennis Moore because he is more in keeping with the values that I and many other Republicans represent."

Also speaking on behalf of Moore were Republicans Bob Meneilly, who founded the Village Presbyterian Church and co-founded the Mainstream Coalition, and Mary C. Ralstin, a member of the Republicans for Moore Steering Committee.

They voiced support for Moore's votes on environmental issues, scientific research, fiscal responsibility, national security and education.

Meneilly said he has a deep respect for Moore's perception, wisdom and general humility and he appreciates Moore's bipartisan efforts.

"I think that he represents really the mainstream attitudes and convictions of this district, ..." Meneilly said. "I'm very proud as a Republican to endorse Dennis Moore with all my mind, all my heart."

About 600 Republicans joined Republicans for Moore in 2000. That number has grown to more than 800.

"He has the good of America in his heart, and he is concerned about people's rights," Ralstin said.

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