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.