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Thursday, May 22, 2008

NRCC Won't Take Sides in Ryun-Jenkins Primary

According to NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), the national party isn't going to wade into the dangerous waters that are Kansas Repubilcan politics this summer.

If former Rep. Jim Ryun or Kansas state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins is secretly hoping for national Republicans to bigfoot into their primary battle in Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District, sorry pal.

You’ve got to win it on your own.

It's a strange situation. After a string of three embarrassing loses, Minority Leader John Boehner seems to want the NRCC to take sides in primaries in an effort to produce higher-quality candidates. But Cole is...hesitant, particularly where the Kansas 2nd is concerned. From Roll Call (subscription required):

Another sticky situation for the party could come in Kansas, where former GOP Rep. Jim Ryun is attempting a comeback but faces a party-splintering primary challenge from state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins (R).

Cole also said he didn’t think the party should get involved there either.

“We’re going to help the winner. That’s not one that I feel we ought to get into,” Cole said.

All the indications are, of course, that if the national party did get involved in the race the support would go to Jim Ryun over Lynn Jenkins. After all, several of Ryun's former colleagues, including Minority Leader Boehner, have already endorsed him.

The spin is up to the campaigns on this one: Is Ryun's endorsements from party leadership a sign of his strength and Jenkins' weakness, or is it just an indication he's part of the problem.

To us it is pretty clear it's both.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

damn...sucks to be lynn jenkins...her party doesn't even want her.

Anonymous said...

must be tough for ryun when you're the DC insider/establishment candidate and you can't even get the backing of the DC insider/establishment

Anonymous said...

um...did you read the post? ryun has been endorsed by republican insiders...just not the NRCC.

Anonymous said...

jenkins is screwed...no one wants to nominate a RINO to run against Boyda- the only way we'll win this seat back from this wacko is to have a real republican on the ballot...otherwise all the r's will stay home and boyda will win in a cakewalk.

Anonymous said...

The man (Ryun) who voted to spend my money on a bridge to no where and a teapot museum is the real RINO in this race. No thanks Jim, I'll take the CPA.

Anonymous said...

lol..because god knows an ambitious CPA can do anything about the problems in DC...particularly as a member of the minority party.

don't vote for either one of the idiots- keep nancy boyda.

Anonymous said...

jenkins is screwed...no one wants to nominate a RINO to run against Boyda- the only way we'll win this seat back from this wacko is to have a real republican on the ballot...otherwise all the r's will stay home and boyda will win in a cakewalk.
--------------------------------
Isn't this the same rhetoric that was used on Ron Thornburg and Sandy Praeger in their last election.

And if I recall correctly .... Republicans showed up in the primaries and sent the "real Republicans" Eric Carter and Kay O'Connor into political retirement. Much like what happened to Phill Kline in the general election .... Republicans helped push him from elected office.

Many Republicans are showing they are tired of the single issue candidates who claim they are the "true Republicans"

Jim Ryun will join them soon.

This blog is not affiliated in any way with the Kansas Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, the Office of Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, or the campaign to re-elected Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. All commentary herein not directly attributed must be considered the opinion of the authors of this blog and not of any other individual, including Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.