The Republican Party in Kansas is becoming a stranger unto itself these days.
Time was, Republicans set their goals on fostering public education, building and maintaining sound roads and bridges, supporting healthcare, promoting agriculture and the biosciences and yes, cutting taxes, if possible.
Any, or all, of the above were frequent campaign issues.
Today, Republicans’ campaign scope has narrowed considerably to either anti-abortion or anti-government.
The first we deem as a personal decision.
The second, as extremely problematic. Those running for public office should believe in the governmental process.
Tuesday’s results, however, were disheartening for those who believe government can and should work for the public good.
To wit, a handful of ultra-conservatives hung their hats on the single issue of opposing the expansion of Medicaid.
To Representatives Kelli Warren, Leawood, Alicia Straub, Ellinwood, J.R. Claeys, Salina, and Sen. Mike Thompson, Shawnee, government should have no role in helping the indigent gain access to healthcare. Instead, “those people” should take advantage of “free market alternatives,” like they do. Investing in health savings accounts is another popular answer.
Never mind that both of those retorts require good-paying jobs.
Kansas is now in the shameful company of fewer than a dozen states to deny healthcare coverage to their low-income.
As for the fight against women having say over their reproductive rights, it’s as strong as ever.
Newcomer Jane Dirks of Overland Park successfully based her campaign against incumbent Jan Kessinger on his vote this spring against a constitutional amendment on abortion.
THE PROGNOSIS for getting anything productive done in Topeka is made even more dismal if single-issue candidates like the above take office.
With the shallow goal of serving only special interest groups, such candidates will make Kansas as a whole poorer.
Nov. 3’s general election is the only way to change that trajectory.
