There is no love lost between
John Boehner and Tim Huelskamp. The ongoing fight has led to committees being stripped and an effort to sideline the Kansas Congressman - a topic of frequent debate in his home district, Kansas Congressional District 1.
In 2014, Tim Huelskamp's primary challenger, an underfunded farmer with minimal name recognition took him to the wire in a race far closer than anyone imagined. The 2014 race sent the message to the Republican Leadership that Tim Huelskamp can be beat with the right man, and they think they have found him in Dr. Roger Marshall, a Great Bend, Kansas conservative who has been traveling the first district proclaiming he is "just as" conservative as Tim Huelskamp but will be more effective.
The confidence level in Dr. Marshall's campaign is so high that those in DC note he's been there visiting potential private schools for his children while telling Kansans that in a race of just one opponent - himself - Tim Huelskamp is "toast".
At the recommendation of those in DC, Marshall launched his campaign with Axiom Strategies - home of Jeff Roe, the consultant linked to the anti-Jewish whisper campaign in Missouri - and figured he was a near lock to be the next US Representative.
And then things went wrong.
In a fundraising letter sent out to somewhere between 150-200 constituents viewed as "tastemakers", Dr. Roger Marshall sent out his first notice to constituents in order to raise money and attention for his campaign. While Tim Huelskamp continued to make the circuit of townhalls, Roger Marshall found himself in front of Rotary Clubs, Farm Bureau Association meetings and more to help get his name out there.
All campaigns make early mistakes. It's common. I think most will easily forgive Dr. Marshall for using "council" (as in city council) instead of the appropriate "counsel".. unless, of course, he used hospital resources to dictate the letter, another violation.
Dr. Roger Marshall is well associated with the his local hospital, but it is doubtful that the hospital - which receives medicaid funding - was openly willing to flout campaign rules by sending out campaign literature on hospital letterhead, in an envelope postmarked/metered out of the hospital.
As eager as Speaker Boehner is to find his replacement for Tim Huelskamp in the big one, his efforts to do so certainly have hit a rocky start.
With a wounded Republican in Tim Huelskamp and an OBGYN who seems to believe this race is over and finds himself scouting DC opportunities already, is there a chance for a real shakeup in the Big One?
At traditional major community event All Schools Day in McPherson, KS, Dr. Marshall was a no-show while Tim Huelskamp walked the line and stayed for the Republican BBQ. Republicans walking the crowd later when asked about Huelskamp's challenger scoffed and pointed me to the letter, "this guy can't get his act together".
[Names Removed from the letter sent, as well as cell phone # to protect individuals who received]