More bad news/good news from Johnson County

[proud2BlibKansan]

Bad news: The repukes have chosen fundamentalist minister Ronnie Metsker to replace resigning 24th district rep Ed O'Malley.

This district went for Kerry in 2004. This minister would NEVER have been elected by the people here.

Good news: Looks like a moderate Dem is a shoe in in 2008.

[Big Unit]

1. They Keep Shooting

themselves in the foot, and we will continue to reap the benefits of the religious right-wing's blind ambition to elect one of their own whenever possible, no matter what the fallout, or who else - even from their own party - might be better qualified. Welcome all ye displaced, downtrodden, and discourged moderate Rs onto our side of the ballot.

[Mabus]

2. Isn't this the guy that got appointed, then ran, then quit

for a job that appears to have been a done deal when he was running? WTF is going on up there? Don't make me come up there and straighten you people out. :hide:

[atommom]

3. Please do!

I'm dyin' here. :hi:

[Mabus]

13. That's okay

I think they've shot themselves in the foot enough that they'll be unable to make their furtive moves in the future. They've been exposed. This was just another wake-up call to the JoCo GOP that their party has left them behind. At least now they know it. They're either going to have to fight to get their party back or they will leave it. If they fight for their party, they will have to leave much of the religious agenda behind and that will end up fracturing them more than ever. The Republican party will split itself in half in an attempt to regain control. A lot of them aren't willing to do that. They'll want to cross over and become Democrats with a social agenda that downplays religion.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. It's that district, yes

It's my home district, Mabus, and you have been trying to straighten me out for a while now and haven't been having much luck.

But you can view me as non-typical. I am hoping you already knew that.

Now as for my new rep - here is the KC Star article:

Ronnie Metsker will replace Ed O’Malley in the Kansas House. County Republican precinct leaders chose Metsker at a caucus this week to fill the 24th District seat. Metsker, now retired, is former chairman of YouthFront, a Westwood-based Christian organization. His father, Al Metsker, founded Kansas City Youth for Christ. Ronnie Metsker later took over as executive director and also ran KYFC-TV, Channel 50. O’Malley won re-election in November but resigned this month to become president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Leadership Center in Wichita. The 24th District includes Mission and parts of Roeland Park and Overland Park.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/16302861.htm

[evlbstrd]

7. That guy!

Their compound is/was right by my house, wasn't it? Over on Rainbow?

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Yep that's the place

I don't think they are on TV anymore. Remember when they had their own station? :puke:

They have changed their name but they are still there and they are still crazy fundies.

I do plan on being an active constituent and will contact him regularly. :)

[evlbstrd]

9. TV50 was a riot sometimes.

Locally produced teevee is bad enough, but stir in a heaping dose of fundie and you've got a lot of laffs!
But then I'd drive past the place and realize they were real and they meant it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. I admit I used to watch it

and laugh. But that was before the fundies got involved in politics. They are no longer funny though.

[evlbstrd]

11. They lost the funny when Zappa died.

I have a theory about that. Ask me sometime.

[SheilaT]

4. What we need

is to get a good Democrat to run for that seat in '08. I understand that Andy Sandler does not intend to run again.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Andy ran a great campaign

I do believe he is being persuaded to run again.

[Mabus]

12. I like Andy

I thought he was a pretty nice guy. I hope he'll run again with the promise to actually serve the complete term he was elected to serve.

I don't understand all this baiting and switching that goes on up there. Elect this guy so he can quit and then we can appoint the next one. I don't blame you guys. It was the Republicans that didn't care enough to do save their own party. If they wanted to keep it, they should have done what we've been doing locally & that Dean gave us a shot in the arm to do: go after the precinct positions. Dean reminded us that we are the party. The JoCo GOP apparently decided they liked calling themselves Republicans more than actually being Republicans. They let the fundies take over their party from the bottom up, starting with the precinct chairs. We've retaken our party from the bottom up the same way but we don't have the agenda they do. We're a party of the people, not of religious zealots.