Posted on 08/06/2008 6:53:19 AM PDT by Huntress
A political newcomer knocked Phill Kline out of the race for Johnson County district attorney Tuesday, defeating the hopes of abortion opponents who had campaigned nationwide.
With all of the vote counted, Steve Howe, a former Johnson County prosecutor, trounced Kline with 33,260 votes to Klines 22,188, a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent, according to final unofficial returns.
Howe will face Democrat Rick Guinn in the Nov. 4 general election.
In a gathering at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel with his wife and children at his side, Howe thanked his supporters and called on Republicans to come together for the November election.
We need to put politics behind us, he said, and get back to putting away the bad guys. We want to put out no-vacancy signs for the criminals coming into our county.
Howe said he ran a campaign based on facts and one that made distinctions between the candidates based on their records. His big win showed that the people of Johnson County dont like dirty politics, he told his supporters. And they want a positive campaign.
Meanwhile, Kline stood in a hallway at the Sheraton and thanked his supporters as they filed by.
Ive been so honored in many ways, Kline said. There are some causes that are worth losing for, and in that there is no defeat.
Kline said that people in this community see me in a single dimension, so there was a hurdle to overcome, and we just couldnt get over it.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
I reckon this will be the final ping of the
*Paul Morrison/Phill Kline ping list*
for awhile, at least, although I suspect the feud between them will continue and will occasionally make the news. Morrison’s back in private practice in Olathe, and Kline has yet to announce what he intends to do after his term as DA is up.
JoCo Conservatives have no candidate for the general election now.
One of Howe’s flyers said he was pro-life. Whats that about?
Sounds like he was trying to compete with Kline, whose credentials on the subject were impeccable. Given the full-establishment backing of Howe, I expect that stance to be forgotten. RINOs don’t like pro-lifers.
Doubtful. Morrison still has to worry about charges stemming from his poking into Kline's investigation. Phill is off to the Pro-Life Rubber Chicken circuit.
We've got Howe and Jordan.
And you base that on what, DJ? What do you do? Check the entrails of an owl to determine if someone is pro-life enough to meet your standards? I have never heard Steve Howe utter a single comment that could be taken to mean he's pro-abortion. Yet you feel free to dismiss him, out of sheer ignorance.
RINOs dont like pro-lifers.
RINOs like Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback you mean?
It’s such a shame my once conservative state has turned into the land of RINOs. I’ll have to change my profile page.
I was referring to the D.A. race. Kline was the Conservative. Howe is not. But you know that.
Kline was a giant. There was not a single reason to dump him, period. He was only a thorn in the side to your liberal establishment buddies.
When Morrison left DA's office to assume AG's office in Topeka, he took Guinn but not Howe. Don't know if that has any significance but both Guinn and Howe stated that they were lifelong Republicans and would not become DemocRATS.
Guinn is now a DemocRAT and will run against Howe in Nov.
If there was any truth to the claims that Howe was inefficient or incompetent while serving under Morrison, Guinn will certainly be in on that.
It remains to be seen if the "moderate" Republicans supporting Howe will stand with him in Nov. They have not done so in the past, voting for DemocRAT Sebelius, Morrison, and Dennis Moore, each and everyone liberal DemocRATS!
Kline is a political hack.
There was not a single reason to dump him, period. He was only a thorn in the side to your liberal establishment buddies.
The man was inept. He could not be trusted to keep his word. Those are two reasons enough to dump him.
You have a nice day.
And? Howe has stated for the record that if elected he will examine every on-going case in the DAs office. And if the evidence is there then the case will proceed. That includes the ones against Planned Parenthood.
If there was any truth to the claims that Howe was inefficient or incompetent while serving under Morrison, Guinn will certainly be in on that.
There is no truth to those charges. Kline is on record as saying so, and would Phill lie?
I'll take topless Kline for $200 Alexsh.
I already am. Roberts, Jordan, Howe. The ballot I cast this fall will be a re-run of the one I cast yesterday. Can't ask for much more than that.
Now if only that sales tax increase hadn't passed then my joy would be complete.
Ick.
My main point is that whenever any candidate that the "moderates" run against any conservative (in Johnson County, not to include Kline) wins, the "moderate" Republicans then do not support them in the general election, witness Adam Taff, etc.
It would seem that "moderate" Republicans in Johnson County, KS detest conservative Republicans much more than they do Democrats - witness, many signing endorsements for Moore, Sebelius, Morrison, et al.
Hopefully, this will be the one time the "moderates" will break out of that mold!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.