From The Hotline Latest Edition for Wednesday, April 30,2008

KANSAS

Could You Believe, They Put A Man On The Moon

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008


'94 GOV nominee/ex-Rep. Jim Slattery (D) fromally launched his bid to unseat Sen. Pat Roberts (R). Slattery said Roberts "shares the blame for the handling of the war and the out-of-control spending. He noted that Roberts 'went to Washington before Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.'"

"Roberts welcomed Slattery into the fray by unleashing a statewide radio advertisement calling Slattery a 'real liberal' and 'a Washington lobbyist ... Gucci loafers and all." Roberts spokesperson Ashley McManus: "Voters have a clear choice between Pat Roberts, who has dedicated his life to helping Kansans, and Jim Slattery, who stopped working for Kansans years ago" (Klepper, Kansas City Star, 4/29).

Slattery "made his formal announcement is stops across the state, including the Wichita Hilton Airport Hotel. Slattery's only Dem opponent so far is '04 nominee/railroad engineer Lee Jones (D), who also had been a lobbyist as ex-VP of gov't affairs for the locomotive engineers' union." Jones: "I represented working people and their families. Slattery was a hired gun and represented all the big companies like AT&T, General Motors and UPS" (Lefler, Wichita Eagle, 4/30).

"While Slattery dotted his campaign launch speech in Topeka with criticism of Roberts' economic, energy and defense policy decisions, one of the senator's campaign workers thrust an official change-of-address" from the Dem's hand. McManus: "Welcome to Kansas." McManus "said the brisk welcome was appropriate for someone employed as a Washington lawyer and lobbyist since 1994."

"Nevermind that Slattery has owned a home" in KS since '74 and never registered to vote anywhere outside of KS. "A showdown between these experienced, well-connected politicians could turn out to be the most expensive" Senate race in KS history (Carpenter, Topeka Capitol-Journal, 4/30).

"Slattery took Roberts to task for backing policies that have resulted in the growing national debt and high gasoline priced while oil companies have reaped record profits. He blasted Roberts, who as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, for his oversight turning the run-up to the war" (Rothschild, Lawrence Journal-World and News, 4/30).