The Kansas City Star is there:
Kansas Attorney General Phil Kline Monday night won a special election for Johnson County District attorney.
Kline, a Republican, defeated Assistant Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe, 316-291, in an election among Johnson County Republican precinct committee members.
Kline takes office in January.
Due to Kansas laws, since Morrison was elected as a Republican in 2004, the Republicans get to pick his replacement.
Kline lost to Morrison in Johnson County in the Attorney General's race, by THIRTY POINTS.
Moderate Johnson County Republicans, You're not in the majority in your party.
And they just picked a sure loser in Phill Kline.
So anyways, Phill will be up for re-election defeat in 2008.
Knowing the reaction to this news, for all we know, the next Johnson County DA could be someone who switched sides in protest of this decision.
The Johnson County Republican Leaders decided to pick Kline, an inexperienced lawyer and awful Attorney General over this guy:
Howe, 43, of Shawnee, is an assistant district attorney in Johnson County’s white-collar consumer-fraud unit and supervises the office’s intern program.
Howe has been with the county office since 1991. Before that, he worked in the Shawnee County district attorney’s office. He said he was running because he believes the county needs an experienced prosecutor.
Hey, at least they didn't pick a horse judge.
Here's some local replies:
"The Republican Party sure spit in the face of the voters on this, and I say that as a long-time registered Republican.
Words can't express my disgust that this incompetent political hack is being foisted upon the people of Johnson County.
Needless to say Kline has no chance to be elected as JC DA, but I think this will make it harder for ANY Republican to be elected in two years.
We can only hope that Kline doesn't destroy the DA's office with his "passionate focus" on right wing-nut policies.
I wonder if the JC Republican Party is trying to put itself out of business?"
"I am so disgusted at the Johnson Co. Republican party for appointing Kline. Political beliefs aside, although I concur with Sid, Kline has NEVER fully prosecuted a case in his career. Why in the world would you appoint someone to a job they are not qualified for. Oh Yeah, this isn't about who can do the job but about who will follow your agenda."
The exodus of reasonable people from the Johnson County Republican Party has only just begun.
I mean, geez, Kline only lost Johnson County by a 65/35 margin, and they gave him an elected office in Johnson County?
It's not just politics over prudence, politics over the principle of doing a good job, it's politics over logic.
I guess a Phill Kline loss in 2006 wasn't enough.
I guess another Phill Kline loss will be due for 2008.
What's the matter with the Johnson County Republican Party? They don't have their heads in the sand, they have their heads in quickdry cement!