You must have been watching some other election where an Olympia Snowe type candidate was the incumbent. Pat Roberts is the one of the most reliable staunch conservatives in the U.S. Senate, and even the most die-hard Milton Wolf supporters in Kansas have begrudgingly admitted that. Every political organization that rates politicians also reflects that and shows that Roberts votes the right way over 90% of the time. He was one of only a handful of Senators who stood with Ted Cruz during the filibuster while the REST of the Senate Republicans caved.
If that's your idea of a "RINO", I'd hate to see what your definition of conservative is.
Agree. RINO is a term that is being thrown around like the Race Card. If someone says they are Tea Party it is automatically assumed they are, even if there is no evidence to verify the fact. Roberts has been determined to be the 8th most conservative member of the Senate and stood with Cruz. In Kansas we have had our share of outright RINO's but Roberts isn't one.
I think your count is somewhat off.
Is it “staunch(ly) conservative” to vote for maintaining MFN status with Red China, and to normalize trade with Vietnam? How about the statist move of countenancing “fast track” presidential trade authority? How about the extension of the “roving” warrantless wiretaps that the NSA was fond of abusing (a 2011 vote)? How about his pro-subsidy stance on agriculture? Never mind voting yes to confirm John Roberts? Furthermore, there is his liberal stances with respect to Iraq during the war, much of which have been debunked by ISIS/ISIL.
Some of the big votes that are staunchly liberal cannot have their impact measured by percentage of raw votes on the perceived conservative side.
95 PERCENT OF ELECTED REPUBLICANS ARE NOT REAL CONSERVATIVES.....
They won’t balance the budget and or cut the size of government, they want to repeal and replace Obamacare, not end it because special interests wanted it to begin with since they got an early version in Massachusetts with Mitt Romney.