Strange bedfellows, indeed

Our friend Yael Abouhalkah at The Kansas City Star – much to his chagrin, I’m sure – shares a prominent view expressed by Kris Kobach.

The candidate for Kansas secretary of state, has called for Kansas to enact initiative and referendum into its state constitution – a law that would permit petitions to determine what goes on a ballot.

This is the worst idea to come along in a long time, and it is difficult to believe that Yael and Kris agree on this. Strange bedfellows, indeed.

About half the states can legislate by petition, and one has only to look at California to see how it can become abused. There, it is common for dozens of initiatives by petition to be on a single ballot. Voters are besieged with the latest idea to be sprung by someone who has the time or money to gather signatures.

An early endorsement of Brownback

This may be the earliest newspaper endorsement – two and a half months before the election – since Gutenberg invented the press.

Furthermore, Sam Brownback doesn’t need this endorsement. He is going to become Kansas governor by one of the largest landslides in state history.

So, why bother devoting an entire column -- let alone such an early one – to a fait accompli?

Because Sam Brownback has made a campaign pledge that is courageous, bold and – from his vantage point – quite unnecessary to win. And it is the single most important pledge he could make for Johnson County residents. He should be praised early and often.

President Kobach?

He was elected to the Overland Park City Council.

He then lost in his bid to become a state senator.

Then, he lost in his bid to become a member of the U.S. Congress.

But now, Kris Kobach is likely to leap-frog to become our next Secretary of State, over his Democratic opponent Chris Biggs.

And after that? Very likely he could become a U.S. senator.

And who knows after that? Why not president of the United States?

Some primary thoughts

• The big winner in the Aug. 3 primary was Kris Kobach, who catapulted to victory in the Republican primary for secretary of state with more votes than his two able opponents combined. A win over Democratic incumbent Chris Biggs in November would set the stage for a run in four years for the seat of U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, who is expected to retire. Kobach would be an early favorite to win if – and this is a big if – immigration continues to remain a hot issue four years from now.

• The big losers last Tuesday were the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity. They had targeted 14 moderate Republicans who had voted for the 1-cent sales tax increase with strong anti-tax primary opponents. They knocked off one – Jill Quigley – but they lost one out-state. Their net impact was zero.

Hold on to your seats

This column is being written before Monday’s deadline, so I do not know the results from Tuesday’s election.

I will assume that Kevin Yoder won the Republican primary election for U.S. Congress. If he did not, I will write a new column for next week about how Republican Patricia Lightner is probably going to lose to Democrat Stephene Moore, because the moderate Republicans and independents will reject Lightner.

But I doubt I will have to write that column. So, I am writing the Yoder-Moore scenario, which promises to be one of the liveliest, hottest races in the United States.

No doubt, the famously accurate Cook Political Report is correct, at this point, by declaring this congressional district as “leaning Republican.”